Finding last minute reservations at popular character dining - a lost cause?

[AndreaA]

Due to the hurricane we are moving our trip and of course have lost all of our primo reservations (seriously, CRT pre opening, Akershus pre opening, Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, waaaaa!)

I have already re-booked them all for January, no problem, but we would rather come in the late fall. Unfortunately I'm not finding availability at those places (aside from late night) and the meals are a huge part of the trip for us.

What are the odds that reservations will open up for late October/Nov/Dec?

Thanks!

 

[FelisLachesis]

At this point, slim. They're all booked up by this point. You can check for cancellations, maybe use the Touringplans reservation finder. Other than that, all I can offer is luck and perseverance.

 

[Wild4Walt]

Keep checking - it may take some time but things cancel all the time. I also agree with one of the PP who said use touringplans - they can do the leg work for you too.

 

[JerseyJanice]

You won't get all those primo ADRs, but you'll get some good stuff. A lot of people hoard them until they firm up their plans. Then they cancel as their trip dates get close.

Keep searching on your own or with TP (which I am not a fan of) and check more often as you get closer to your trip.

 

[meg8017]

It may be tough but I think you can get a good amount. We just booked a couple of weeks ago for the last week in Nov. When I went to book dining there was nothing available at any of the restaurants we wanted all week. I have been using the TP reservation finder and it's awesome! Now we have CRT, Ohana, 1900 Park Fare, Tusker House, Chef Mickeys and Sci Fi. You just have to be quick when they alert you but it definitely works! Good luck!

 

[ColoradoMom12]

Many people cancel the day before a reservation. I have had success in changing reservation times at the very last minute on a few different occasions. When I had a BOG dinner in July, the only one I could get was 8 pm, which is way too late for my family. The day before, I was able to get a more reasonable one at 4:45. I've done the same and gotten a 7:00 Chef Mickey's breakfast (modified from 10 am) as well as a 6 PM Tusker House (modified from I don't remember but something far less desirable). It might not be your best option, though. You probably want a little bit more certainty to your plans than just waiting to see what's available the night before. I'm so sorry Irma wrecked your plans!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

What are the odds that reservations will open up for late October/Nov/Dec?

TrustTheScupper:
1) There are frequent cancellations for character meals.
2) MANY people report how they can "score" a ressie near their arrival date.

 

[lovemy2girls4eva]

Don't give up. People cancel all the time.

 

[myrtleturtle]

No advice, but I just wanted to say we are in the same boat. We were supposed to fly down tomorrow for a week and the only other week that works for us is in November. I had booked all our reservations at 180 and now I can't find anything. I'm using touring plans and stalking. Good luck!

 

[Daniela Rose]

Also in the same boat. Our dates are 19-26. We have all the prime adrs too. Depending on what happens Monday, we'll either keep our plans or postpone to January. I already booked all our adrs for those January dates just in case we have to move our trip.

With that said, I would have wanted to push our trip back to November or so, but it was so much easier getting adrs for jan.

Use touring plans res finder. Mouse dining res finder. And check obsessively. You'll get a lot of good stuff back.

 

[Long Beach Mike]

One last suggestion.

If you don't get anything to your liking leading up to your trip, I highly recommend you look every evening for reservations the next day. I've done several test runs on MDE, and when I search for reservations the next day I often see availability for BoG (especially breakfast and lunch), Crystal House, Ohana (breakfast and dinner), California Grill, and Le Cellier, just to name a few. I think many people hoard ADRs, and wait until the very last minute to cancel (and avoid the $10/pp penalty). I recommend looking from about 9PM-12AM (that's the time I've looked).

While I know having to wait until the last minute to grab a prized ADR is not ideal, it could be a good last resort

 

[marauder]

As long as you don't care exactly what character meal location you want it should be easy to find one. If you are set on a particular one I think it could be harder.

We were there two weeks ago and several days during my trip I could have snagged a day-of Crystal Palace reservation. I seem to remember seeing a few of the others, but that is the only one I explicitly remember.

 

[Eastern]

Using the Touring Plans ADR finder and checking 3-2-1 days before you will be unstoppable.