Harder to get ADR and FP+ with new length of stay policy?

[yorkieteacher]

I was on MDE at 6 am opening for ADR's on my 180 day plus 10 window for our upcoming mid November stay. I was shocked to find how limited my restaurant and time choices were, because so many of the 180 day plus 10's had booked up the restaurants already! I couldn't even get Crystal Palace! I have never had problems getting FP's at my 60 day window, but now I am worried! Has anyone had trouble getting FP's now at their window opening, because I understand you can now also book them for length of stay? Strategies or suggestions?

 

[christmasmagic]

I am getting so nervous about mine coming up! I keep hearing the same thing! Besides CP, what others were you unable to get?

 

[rg35]

I didn't have any problems when my 180 day window opened. I was even able to get an ADR for beaches and cream for 5 people, which I have never seen before.

Did you try again after 6? No reservations at all doesn't sound right. Crystal Palace is never hard to get at 180 days.

 

[Accident]

did you look after 7am or before?

 

[Aurora410]

I didn't have a problem either. I got Beaches and Cream, Crystal Palace, Liberty Tree Tavern, Via Napoli (which for some reason I can never get!). I even got breakfast and lunch for BOG.

 

[lifepaused]

I had no problem on booking places to eat at 180 days. My problem was that we had to change the days we were doing the parks so had to change the resturants around but managed to get it done. I think just keep checking to see if where you want to eat comes up. People sometimes change there itenary or which park they are going on a day. Try and have a few choices that you wanted to eat or what day you wanted to go to a park to give you a better choice when booking. This is what I did so I wanted to eat at Crystal Palace for breakfast so I checked to see what days I could book and then decided to do MK on that day.

 

[mom2rtk]

I've seen some posts about problems with them having Crystal Palace loaded. Keep watching. I bet a bunch show up very soon!

 

[Lesley Wake]

I think it's also because you are going in Free Dining season, so a lot of people are making sure to make the ADRs to use up their credits.

 

[Bobb_o]

I was fine getting everything I wanted at 180 days for my Sept 17-24 trip.

 

[Gentry2004]

Can anyone report on availability at 180+0 (for offsite stays), specifically for BOG lunch? (Also looking at Via Napoli early dinner and Tusker late breakfast.)

 

[GreatLakes]

Keep in mind all inventory might not be loaded at 180 days let along 180 + x days. They might be planning construction that could impact available seating and holding it back, they could have a pending private event that could close the restaurant and are holding it back, or they might not yet know the staffing levels for a period and are only releasing limited reservations.

 

[Bullseye]

I had no issue at 180 days except Hollywood/Vine lunch was completely booked on all the dates I looked at which was very strange. Then a day or so later it was wide open so I chalked it up to a glitch. I'd keep trying.

 

[Jbausch]

I am having a hard time with some too. I snagged a BOG dinner but I can't get a Sci-Fi one? Very odd. I am going to keep checking and I hope it's just a glitch!

 

[tlmadden73]

I think that 180 days and the perceived unavailability of reservations forces people to "hoard" ADRs and things are probably more booked up at the 180 day mark as people gobble up everything they can .. just in case.

Since the cancellation policy is so lax, there is nothing stopping people from just booking up multiple meals for multiple locations a day and keeping them until their plans have solidified more (like when they make their Fast Passes). I know I am guilty. I had reservations for Skipper Canteen and Be Our Guest for dinner on the same night (different times obviously) for a few months until I decided that the Be Our Guest time was too late for my plans for that day.

I made Ohana reservation for a large group for two different nights and we didn't know until about a month or so out which day we were going to use.

I am sure there are a ton of these that will slowly open up as people cancel.

That being said, Crystal Palace being booked up at 180 days seems odd.

 

[DisneyMom74]

There was a huge glitch for 2 days when I was trying for November 9 - 11. The ONLY thing it offered me was Victoria and Albert's. Seriously. Of course, when it all finally came back up, BOG - the only one we wanted, was gone.

 

[jpeterson]

I didn't have any problems when my 180 day window opened. I was even able to get an ADR for beaches and cream for 5 people, which I have never seen before.

Did you try again after 6? No reservations at all doesn't sound right. Crystal Palace is never hard to get at 180 days.

We had a similar experience. Got everything we were looking for including Beaches & Cream for 6, which I didn't think we could.

 

[bumbershoot]

did you look after 7am or before?

She said 6am, yes?

 

[Hootch]

I am having a hard time with some too. I snagged a BOG dinner but I can't get a Sci-Fi one? Very odd. I am going to keep checking and I hope it's just a glitch!

I had some luck with sci fi dine inn checking over time. I found a time near what we wanted and then we moved our visit earlier and I had to find a new ADR and hit on exactly the time we wanted.

I heard Len Testa on a podcast state that you have a 3% chance of getting the reservation that you want the first time you look. (I am assuming some time after the 180 day.) Their studies show that frequent checks will significantly increase your chances.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I'm getting nervous after everything I've been reading on this board! My 60 day FP is tomorrow for our July trip, and our 180 day ADR window for our Thanksgiving trip is the following day (it would have been waaayyy too convenient for them to happen on the same day). One of the ADRs we want is CP day after Thanksgiving. Other than SDMT, none of our FP choices are going to difficult to get at least. We'll see what happens.

 

[Accident]

She said 6am, yes?

she said she got on mde at 6am but was unclear if she looked for adrs after 7am when her window would have started.