Getting ready for ADRs this weekend help

Dakota731

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
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3,401
What is the best way to make reservations nowadays? On the app or website? Phone or laptop? Do I go to the restaurant or theme park? Do I sort by meal or time? So much changes trip to trip, so I want to be efficient lol. Thank you in advance!
 
Have you looked at the latest improvements to the way they handle ADRs now? When you log in and look for a particular day, all available times show (B/L/Dinner) at most of the restaurants. If you have a particular place you want to key in on, I'd type it in the search box - then it will bring up the available times for just that restaurant on the date you want. If you haven't, you should check it out and get familiar before you do it for 'real'...... Good luck! As for app, web site, computer, or smart device - I've never really noticed any difference. I tend to do it on a computer because I can type much faster on a keyboard - but that's just me. Some folks probably have developed fast thumbs on smart devices!
 
I like using using the website on my computer as it is easier for me to navigate. You can go to "Things to Do", go to the reservation section and just do a general search during your preferred date and time you want - you can also filter that by resort, theme park, DS, etc. Sometimes there are glitches in the system and it is best to search by individual restaurant. If there is a glitch on the website, I will, sometimes, pull up reservations on the app, but I don't find it as user friendly (I only tend to use it once I'm onsite). I just made reservations for a November trip a few days ago and found doing the general search for date and time worked best. For some reason, searching by individual restaurant was not pulling up any availability. If you need some practice, I would just sign into your MDE and go through the motions of making ADRs prior to your day so you have a sense of how the system works.
 
Thank you! Do you filter by theme park? I’m looking for whatever is fastest since i have a few new places we want to try.
 

Website on the computer. Multiple tabs are now coutnerproductive; Space220 lounge doesn’t allow you to overlap even with 2 accounts (it made me the lead on both; worked fine for Topolinos breakfast ADR for 4 and 1 at same time). It took me 4 frustrating hours to do ADRs for 7 days. The website and app kept freezing and logging me out and I saw errors many times. The dining packages couldn’t be booked until later in the evening and right now no one can make Fantasmic dining for Nov.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/fantasmic-dining-package-issues-booking.3928888/#post-65036524

Remember the enchanting extras open at midnight, although dessert parties vary (historically I’ve seen after party released at midnight; pre party at 5:30 am and other randomly a month before -IT was adding a second show.).

If searching for a special event dining or Fantasmic package go to ‘things to do’ and ‘make reservations’ and scroll through the list (filtering for park filters out special events and the special events filter doesn’t work)
 
We did ours a couple of weeks go. My daughter and I split them. We both primarily used website via Chrome in incognito mode. I was also logged into app on iPad. We got everything we wanted pretty easily, for a party of 6. I did use iPad for one ressie. No times were showing at all on website for that one, but lots of times on app. Go figure. New ADR page was great, but I did not see a helpful way to set up separate tabs by restaurant, because you have to enter date and time first And then it take you to Available restaurants.
 
Thank you! Do you filter by theme park? I’m looking for whatever is fastest since i have a few new places we want to try.

Yes, if I'm looking for ADRs in a particular park on a particular day, I will filter by theme park. For example, I wanted Shiki-Sei for our upcoming trip, so I just used the filter feature to look for restaurants in Epcot. You can also filter by specific resort.
 
You can use the filter feature for regular ADRs unless you’re booking a special event (like Fantasmic Dining or mickeys not so scary dining).
 
Only website on computer for me. I did mine last Monday. zero issues. quickest I ever did them. 9 ADR's in literally 10 mins. No issues with any place. Last trip last year Topalino for dinner and Homecoming' were tough to get. This trip pick of any time pretty much. All other places zero issues. All signature places. I only use the search feature so it takes me right to the place I want. Then I enter the date cause I have my list in front of me. I was very surprised for this trip the ease I had.
 
Only website on computer for me. I did mine last Monday. zero issues. quickest I ever did them. 9 ADR's in literally 10 mins. No issues with any place. Last trip last year Topalino for dinner and Homecoming' were tough to get. This trip pick of any time pretty much. All other places zero issues. All signature places. I only use the search feature so it takes me right to the place I want. Then I enter the date cause I have my list in front of me. I was very surprised for this trip the ease I had.
What time did you log in? I thinks things were better around 9 am (maybe because people had to leave/start work).
 
Do you have second choice places ready or just try for your first choice picks for another day or time? Just wondering how often everyone gets their first pick?
 
Do you have second choice places ready or just try for your first choice picks for another day or time? Just wondering how often everyone gets their first pick?
I usually have second choice places listed on sticky notes by park (and list of each day hours, extended evening hours (trying to avoid), fireworks and parades on a piece of paper). It was not necessary this time because availability was plenty (except for Space220 lounge 60+7 ok availability; 60+8 plenty but couldn’t book). CRT I was trying for 60+3 and couldn’t get a good time (5:30 pm was available but the screen kept freezing or logging me out). Park closes early and we have MNSSHP tickets that day (10/31) so I ended up booking CRT at 4 pm. I couldn’t overlap ADRs for Space220 lounge (2 tables of 2) even with 2 accounts, but could for Topolinos breakfast (no tables of 5, so booked 4&1)

Even sci fi and Fantasmic packages were plenty on 10/29 and 11/1. I booked a sci fi Fantasmic package for 10/29 (60+1) and later at night gave them up for regular dining and family changed their mind (want to see Fantasmic once but not wait in line). Fantasmic bookings froze and no one has been able to book or see Oct/Nov

I signed up for reservation finders
 
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I usually have second choice places listed on sticky notes by park (and list of each day hours, extended evening hours (trying to avoid), fireworks and parades on a piece of paper). It was not necessary this time because availability was plenty (except for Space220 lounge 60+7 ok availability; 60+8 plenty but couldn’t book). CRT I was trying for 60+3 and couldn’t get a good time (5:30 pm was available but the screen kept freezing or logging me out). Park closes early and we have MNSSHP tickets that day (10/31) so I ended up booking CRT at 4 pm. I couldn’t overlap ADRs for Space220 lounge (2 tables of 2) even with 2 accounts, but could for Topolinos breakfast (no tables of 5, so booked 4&1)

Even sci fi and Fantasmic packages were plenty on 10/29 and 11/1. I booked a sci fi Fantasmic package for 10/29 (60+1) and later at night gave them up for regular dining and family changed their mind (want to see Fantasmic once but not wait in line). Fantasmic bookings froze and no one has been able to book or see Oct/Nov

I signed up for reservation finders
I couldn’t find fireworks times for November. Is Fantasmic always at 9:30 and Epcot’s at 9:00? What about WDW on party and non party days?
 
I did all mine on my phone, it was fine. I had my travel spreadsheet opened, and I had prioritized which ADRs I wanted most and that's what I went after right away, then down the list. I grabbed everything I wanted with the exception of Space220. I was even able to go back a couple days later and changed some of them.
 
I did all mine on my phone, it was fine. I had my travel spreadsheet opened, and I had prioritized which ADRs I wanted most and that's what I went after right away, then down the list. I grabbed everything I wanted with the exception of Space220. I was even able to go back a couple days later and changed some of them.
We wanted a Space 220 reservation as well and couldn’t get one.

We walked up to the restaurant (this was this past Saturday) late in the morning and asked about walk ups and were able to score a dinner reservation for 8pm.

So maybe try that if you still want to eat there.
We thought the food was actually really good.
We had the filet and the pork chop.
Both were very tender and flavorful, really good cuts of meat.

I’d go again for sure!
 
We wanted a Space 220 reservation as well and couldn’t get one.

We walked up to the restaurant (this was this past Saturday) late in the morning and asked about walk ups and were able to score a dinner reservation for 8pm.

So maybe try that if you still want to eat there.
We thought the food was actually really good.
We had the filet and the pork chop.
Both were very tender and flavorful, really good cuts of meat.

I’d go again for sure!
I'm sure by the time we go back (not until next year or even 2025!), Space 220 will no longer be the hot commodity! But yes, we still want to try it at least once to see it for ourselves. I could have gotten a resy last trip, but I wasn't willing to swap my Epcot day to a different date.
 


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