Getting Discouraged!

[1princessesmom]

We are going to WDW in February (President's week..I know it will be crowded then, but it is the only time my MIL, a school teacher, could go. We are staying at BCV so I assume I can make (or try to make) ADR 90 +10 days out.

I've been reading these boards about how difficult it has been to get the ressies you want.....and I feel like crying!!!! There will be 8 of us and the restaurants I have been looking at are:
Le Cellier
CRT-lunch
Garden Grill (to celebrate 3yo DS birthday with Mickey!)
Boma
Princess storybook meal (maybe)
Sci -Fi
Flying Fish
Coral Reef (Maybe)
Brown Derby (Maybe)
AM I being too ambitious hoping to get all these ressies for such a busy time? Any helpful hints or words of wisdom??

Also, I'm a bit frustrated that because we are DVC we can't purchase the dining plan.

Thanks for listening!!

 

[LAWalz23]

I hear your frustration about DVC and no dining plan. We just bought last year and would definately have used the dining plan if it was offered. Do you have APs? If so you might want to look into the Disney Dining Experience card where you save 20% off all sitdown meals. If you call 90 days out, it should not be a problem. Also with the amount of folks you have, the earlier the better for ADRs.

 

[tmanaster]

We went in June which is also a busy time and got every meal we wanted, including many of the ones you mentioned! There are 6 in my family, and we also had several meals with others making ours a party of 13. Don't stress out! You will probably get most, if not all, of what you want. And if you don't get the ADR you want right away, keep trying. I've heard plenty of reports of people getting ADRs later after being told there was no availability! Have a great trip.

 

[cseca]

Don't worry too much yet.
Even if you can't make ressies for 8 people.
Ask them to separate your ressies for 2-4peoples.
Sometime that works, sometimes not.
But never hurts to try.
Also, be flexible with your times. I think most people have trouble when they are not flexible with their dining times.
And also, don't get discouraged if you don't get the times you want on the first try.
Keep calling, people cancels and makes changes all the time.
Disney opens up other dining times as it gets closer to the date (for example MGM restaurants).
So take a deep breath... and it'll all work out...

 

[Kaycee]

A lot of the complaints that you've seen lately were from people who were trying to make AR's during the time when free dining was offered. Thankfully, that is over now, so getting AR's won't be quite so hard. Even though the dining plan has made it a little more difficult to get AR's, if you call at 90 days (or 90+10) you should not have any problems getting the places you want.

If you have an AP, definitely consider the DDE. It would save you quite a bit of money and is a nice option for DVC members and AP holders who don't qualify for the dining plan, and well as those of us who don't find the dining plan to be a good deal due to our dining preferences.

 

[whacked]

I used 90+ 10 and called at 4am my time 90 days out to make my ressies. It worked well.

I have 8 people in my group.

I managed to get the following...

Chef's de France
Boma
Le Cellier
Whispering Canyon
Cape May Clambake
Spoodles
Cali Grill
Cindy's for lunch

Oh, and the Segway Around the World Tour.

90+ 10 works well if you get up early.

I would suggest that you try the harder reservations first (Cindy's, Le Cellier) and be flexible on the days you go. You'll probably be able to get them later in your trip. If you HAVE to have Cindy's the first day, you probably won't get it.

Expect to spend about 1.5-2 hours on the phone. That's about what it took me to get what I wanted.

I went for Chef's the first day as they seem to have the least consistant service/meals. The Cape May is a buffet before MVMCP, but I'm not sure if we'll just get counter service instead that night.

 

[beebles]

I had no problem getting mine for december. I know it will be a busy week in february, but try for the OFF times...like early dinner 4 ish, late lunch, etc. Be flexible with times and/or dates. Good luck!