Feeling frustrated with Disney--anyone?

[Jennasis]

What are the restaurants that you love that you can also make same day ADRs?

We love The Wave and have often found same day ADR's.

 

[rebelbuddhist]

I am heading to WDW in mid September with a group of friends for a 35th reunion of the college program. Super happy to be going and spending time with old friends. We are splurging and staying onsite at a deluxe resort which I have never done before. Like clockwork, on our designated time to make our ADR's and then again with our Fast Passes, I was online and waiting the MINUTE we had access. I couldn't get even one of the meal reservations I wanted. I was only looking for one per day for crying out loud! All of the restaurant times were booked. When I went in to do fast passes I had a little bit better luck, but not much. Still couldn't get Pandora, and couple of others. SO I have spent the past several months hitting refresh on reservations and have come up with nothing I registered w undercover tourist and got a couple of hits--but they came in the middle of the night and I missed them. I'm just frustrated. I just don't feel like it should be this hard to go to a few restaurants we are interested in and get a few fastpasses. What the heck do people do who don't plan anything?

Don't know why you had such problems. On day 180, i got 2-3 table service ADRs for 13 days with no issue in about 45 minutes including BOG, California Grill dinner and brunch, and a Candlelight Processional dining package. My only issue is that RoL dining packages still are not loaded for December. So, no I don't share your frustration.

 

[amberpi]

What are the restaurants that you love that you can also make same day ADRs?

SRT, MP, Bluezoo, CG, Marrakesh, Il Muliano, Kimonos, FF, Shula's. Those are faves so the ones I look for. Again, I should add the caveat that I do prefer to eat later than most people. I'm a nightowl and if I ate dinner at 7:00 I'd be starving around bedtime, I already have (lol, *have*) to get mac n' cheese from Picabu at the Dolphin some nights.

ETA: those aren't all same day - I rarely plan more than a couple-3 weeks out. I'm considering latish Sept. right now, haven't decided yet. I'm not sweating it.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

SRT, MP, Bluezoo, CG, Marrakesh, Il Muliano, Kimonos, FF, Shula's. Those are faves so the ones I look for. Again, I should add the caveat that I do prefer to eat later than most people. I'm a nightowl and if I ate dinner at 7:00 I'd be starving around bedtime, I already have (lol, *have*) to get mac n' cheese from Picabu at the Dolphin some nights.

ETA: those aren't all same day - I rarely plan more than a couple-3 weeks out. I'm considering latish Sept. right now, haven't decided yet. I'm not sweating it.

Haha you like the restaurants that don't participate in the DDP. Smart. I do too. But the majority of people won't even consider places that aren't on the DDP. FF and CG are deluxes so that probably cuts out a lot of folks as well. Marrakesh is kind of the punch line when people say that will be their only option left if they don't get their ADR's months out!

 

[amberpi]

Haha you like the restaurants that don't participate in the DDP. Smart. I do too. But the majority of people won't even consider places that aren't on the DDP. FF and CG are deluxes so that probably cuts out a lot of folks as well. Marrakesh is kind of the punch line when people say that will be their only option left if they don't get their ADR's months out!

MP is a signature too.

Marrakesh is solid on food, but the belly dancers and room make it for me. SRT is probably even less popular, but after BZ, my favorite restaurant on property.

I'd never use the dining plan. I pay for WDW dining like all the other dining in my life - charge it (points), and pay my cc in full every month. Crazy method, huh? No one uses it, its too complicated.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

MP is a signature too.

Marrakesh is solid on food, but the belly dancers and room make it for me. SRT is probably even less popular, but after BZ, my favorite restaurant on property.

I'd never use the dining plan. I pay for WDW dining like all the other dining in my life - charge it (points), and pay my cc in full every month. Crazy method, huh? No one uses it, its too complicated.

You gotta get the Chase Freedom and get 5x on dining.

 

[DisneylandDarling]

Yuck. I've never been to WDW and don't know I could handle all of the planning that looks involved. I'm going on vacation to relax, not to have every.single.thing planned out.

Disneyland FTW!

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Yuck. I've never been to WDW and don't know I could handle all of the planning that looks involved. I'm going on vacation to relax, not to have every.single.thing planned out.

Disneyland FTW!

I went to DL for the first time in June and I fell in love. It definitely won my business going forward.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I would check back for a reservation for 6. The problem is that you have fallen into the odd numbered dining hole, the Disney dining algorithms are messed up, if you search for 5 they won't have anything, but if you search for 6 you will more than likely find tables. With five people you will be sat at a table for six, since there are no odd numbered table set ups, so go back and check with 6. If you show up with 5 it won't be a problem, as long as someone shows up to the reservation you will not be charged a no-show. Go check now, I bet you will find something!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I think that it is interesting that people think it would be easier if they didn't have to plan 180 days out. That it would be better if Disney didn't open reservations until 70 days before, or like local places, 30 to 40 days out. Or even held back a bunch of tables.

I just don't get it. People would still be on the phone or computer the exact moment the slots opened. Posters here would have the time nailed down to the second, like they do now. And even more people would be online trying to book because more people would be willing to nail down where they would be and when. And the lines would be hours long for those open tables. Who wants to stand in line for hours, just to eat a meal?

 

[Frankie Nova]

No, it makes sense. They have tables that are set for 4, and they have tables that are set for 2. There are probably more tables for 4 in a restaurant than tables for 2. They aren't going to fill a table for 4 with 2 people (they'd be making about half as much per table) - they want to try to fill it with 4 people first.

Think about when you walk up to a restaurant in your home town. You put your name on the list for a table of 2. A party of 4 comes after you. A table for 4 opens up.... they typically fill it with the party of 4, and you're still waiting for the next table for 2.

fair enough. so you are saying book for 4 and then change res. once I do?

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

OP here.
We are a party of 5. Three of the five have never been back to WDW since we all worked there together on the college program in it's very early days. I've been back several times but as I said some of the others havent and may not get there again. I really wasn't looking for all that much. I really wanted them to experience BOG. I have looked/watched for anything during lunch or dinner at BOG on the day we will be in the MK. No specific time needed. That's the biggest one. Nothing. Maybe it will open up when we are closer to the date.
I really wanted to start our trip with Cali Grill our first night for a special celebration together. Nothing unless I wanted to eat in the late afternoon. We won't all have even arrived by that time.
Wanted to go to the Rose & Crown in the evening. Nothing.

It will work out. Food and Wine is going on while we are at EPCOT, so that will give us some fun options without ADR's. Maybe the others will open up as well as a FP for Pandora. We will have fun no matter what, it just really seems this trip like it's been very tough to make a couple of reservations and get things settled. Maybe it's because others make 3 dining reservations each day and then don't use them...I don't know. It's just been very frustrating. Thanks for all your thoughts.

Did you try Touring Plans? And try for a party of 6, not 5. Or two parties of 2 and 4. Also, try eating at off times. It may be noon here in FL, but if you're from Cali, it's only like 9am. Waiting until 2pm FL time would be eating early on CA time!

For BoG, if you do breakfast, you can most likely get reservations for 1 or 2 at a time, within 20 minutes of each other, and the people at the kiosk might be able to connect them that morning. Self seating, so you can all still sit together.

ETA: if you want to eat at Yak & Yeti/Rainforest/TRex, get a Landry's Select card. They will seat you, even without a reservation! It's $25 but you get a $25 credit, plus another $25 on your birthday (so if someone has a birthday around the visit, score!)

 

[LittleMissMagic]

fair enough. so you are saying book for 4 and then change res. once I do?

Yes, that's the way around it. Also, this is a helpful way to work around odd party numbers (like groups of 3 or 5 - try booking a table for 4 or 6).

Another trick on the booking trick that I just learned with our upcoming trip is to check your days and then try adding more or shifting your dates a little. We wanted a Fri/Sat/Sun reservation for F&W in the Epcot area. The only rooms available for that weekend were concierge level (which I would love, but just not a justifiable cost during F&W when you're purchasing snacks and drinks for the festival). Changed my search from the weekend to the full week, and standard rooms were suddenly available. I think it's set so that people who are going to stay longer get priority on the standard rooms. Booked the week, then called to adjust the dates to the weekend.

 

[MIGrandma]

Go at a less-busy time. Fall is high season at Disney now. We tend to go in midsummer or midwinter and never have such a hard time booking most of the ADRs and FastPasses we want, even only a few weeks before the trip. Avatar will be hard at any time of year, though, as it's hyped up and new. Midsummer and midwinter seem to be the times to go to WDW and get reasonable crowds, reasonable prices, and reasonable restaurant/resort/FastPass availability. From all reports, fall has terrible availability, and spring is crazy expensive.

Used to be January was a great time to go, DH and I have done several trips there during that month and generally had a wait time of 5-10 minutes for rides, maybe a half hour if it was a popular ride, and many were walk-ons. Not so during our last trip there in January 2015. Super busy, l-o-n-g waits for popular rides (like, 2 hours), crowds, I'd never seen it like that before in January. It was pretty disappointing, except we did have FP's for the major rides, and dining reservations (thanks to our DD) so that did help. But I was just amazed at the crowds and lines for that time of the year.

I've been to WDW in September and it was pretty crowded then too, and HOT and HUMID, ugh! Never again! Once in March and it was pretty busy too with cheerleaders, but still not as bad as September. My next trip will be in November 2018 (again with DD, she invited me to go with her) so I'm wondering how busy it will be then. She and her DH went last November, she said it wasn't bad except for EPCOT as it was the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival. She said it was so crowded you could hardly walk.

We will have the Quick Service dining plan our next trip and personally I like that much better than having to make Table Service plans 180 days out. When DH and I go by ourselves we don't do ANY dining plan, just eat quick service meals wherever and whenever or just grab something quick from a kiosk. We aren't there for the food.

DD is definitely a planner when it comes to Disney, so she will be making all our FP's. I'm glad I don't have to deal with it.

I really don't get making dining reservations 6-months out, it's crazy. Isn't final payment due about 2 months before your trip? I don't think they should take reservations until AFTER your trip is paid for. I wouldn't think too many people cancel their trip if it's paid for.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I would try for a table for 6. This is how I got ohana once. We were 4 and no tables. Six popped right up.

 

[manning]

Think about WHY FP was created. It wasn't for the benefit of the guests (although it was spun that way). It was so they'll spend more time spending money... in shops, kiosks, restaurants, etc.

Oh is that what I'm supposed to do? Guess they're losing money on me and always will

 

[Frankie Nova]

Yes, that's the way around it. Also, this is a helpful way to work around odd party numbers (like groups of 3 or 5 - try booking a table for 4 or 6).

Another trick on the booking trick that I just learned with our upcoming trip is to check your days and then try adding more or shifting your dates a little. We wanted a Fri/Sat/Sun reservation for F&W in the Epcot area. The only rooms available for that weekend were concierge level (which I would love, but just not a justifiable cost during F&W when you're purchasing snacks and drinks for the festival). Changed my search from the weekend to the full week, and standard rooms were suddenly available. I think it's set so that people who are going to stay longer get priority on the standard rooms. Booked the week, then called to adjust the dates to the weekend.

thank you for the tips

 

[PrincessJo]

Of course it's Disney's fault, LOL! Nobody forced them create the FP+ system. They had a fine and dandy FP- system that was based on the universally fair principle of first come, first serve.

Soooooo, this system is still first come first served as I described exactly. A "universal principle" just like you said, not unique to Disney.

 

[ols386]

Used to be January was a great time to go, DH and I have done several trips there during that month and generally had a wait time of 5-10 minutes for rides, maybe a half hour if it was a popular ride, and many were walk-ons. Not so during our last trip there in January 2015. Super busy, l-o-n-g waits for popular rides (like, 2 hours), crowds, I'd never seen it like that before in January. It was pretty disappointing, except we did have FP's for the major rides, and dining reservations (thanks to our DD) so that did help. But I was just amazed at the crowds and lines for that time of the year.

I've been to WDW in September and it was pretty crowded then too, and HOT and HUMID, ugh! Never again! Once in March and it was pretty busy too with cheerleaders, but still not as bad as September. My next trip will be in November 2018 (again with DD, she invited me to go with her) so I'm wondering how busy it will be then. She and her DH went last November, she said it wasn't bad except for EPCOT as it was the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival. She said it was so crowded you could hardly walk.

We will have the Quick Service dining plan our next trip and personally I like that much better than having to make Table Service plans 180 days out. When DH and I go by ourselves we don't do ANY dining plan, just eat quick service meals wherever and whenever or just grab something quick from a kiosk. We aren't there for the food.

DD is definitely a planner when it comes to Disney, so she will be making all our FP's. I'm glad I don't have to deal with it.

I really don't get making dining reservations 6-months out, it's crazy. Isn't final payment due about 2 months before your trip? I don't think they should take reservations until AFTER your trip is paid for. I wouldn't think too many people cancel their trip if it's paid for.

I agree on the crowd levels in January. We used to go frequently in January because of low crowds. That's not the case anymore.

 

[robinb]

SO I have spent the past several months hitting refresh on reservations and have come up with nothing I registered w undercover tourist and got a couple of hits--but they came in the middle of the night and I missed them. I'm just frustrated. I just don't feel like it should be this hard to go to a few restaurants we are interested in and get a few fastpasses.

I also have an ADR search on Touring Plans. It came though two nights ago at 3:00 am. I actually WOKE UP and tried to grab the reservation and it was already gone. At 3:00 in the morning. I feel your pain.