Has anyone had success booking dining? I mean......for the love of churros!

[GBRforWDW]

Hello - I thought this thread would be the best place to post. I am preparing for our reservation window to open for our family's first trip to DLR, and I would love to know your restaurant suggestions for us. Party of four - me, husband, 17-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.

If it helps, our usual go-tos at WDW are Boma, Le Cellier, Biergarten, and Paddlefish. We have done Oga's Cantina in HS, so that would be fun but not a must-do.

Any strategies on which restaurants to try to book first? We also are perfectly fine with quick service if you have favorites to recommend. Thanks for your help!

We did a first trip to DLR last summer and the one restaurant I still think about and will likely return to this summer is Lamplight Lounge. Everything about it is amazing!

 

[GoHorns94]

Lamplight Lounge and Ogas for May 23 just dropped overnight at 59 days out instead of 60… if anybody wants one they are available now.

Grabbed us a 7:15 LL for dinner after Trader Sam’s happy hour.

Very pleased with our arrival day lineup!

 

[smartlabelprint]

Hello - I thought this thread would be the best place to post. I am preparing for our reservation window to open for our family's first trip to DLR, and I would love to know your restaurant suggestions for us. Party of four - me, husband, 17-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.

If it helps, our usual go-tos at WDW are Boma, Le Cellier, Biergarten, and Paddlefish. We have done Oga's Cantina in HS, so that would be fun but not a must-do.

Any strategies on which restaurants to try to book first? We also are perfectly fine with quick service if you have favorites to recommend. Thanks for your help!

Lamplight Lounge goes quick if you’re interested in that.
My fave quick service are French Market in DL and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta in DCA.

 

[GoHorns94]

Ogas and Plaza (decided to eat in the park for first full day) both dropped with the rest this morning. Still no carnation cafe availability so I have to believe it will drop at a later date.

I was able to snag a 10:20 Plaza breakfast which is the time I was hoping for and then a 2pm Ogas, but they both were gone within 3-4 minutes.

I think all my strategizing and planning for WDW trips is paying off the last few days.

 

[mdmost]

I did a dry run this morning as my time to book is next Friday-Sunday for our June 1st trip. I was logged into both the Disneyland site on my computer and DL app on my phone. I had 3 windows open on my computer. One for Oga's at 11am. One for Trader Sam's at 6pm. One for Carnation Cafe at 1pm. Oga's and Trader Sam's both came up at 8am on the dot with the times I wanted. After a refresh at 8:00:30, most of the times were gone. Carnation did not come up at 8am. It's crazy how fast these reservations go. Best thing you can do is just be totally prepared and completed ready to go at the exact time you want your ADR. I did a purchase and cancellation of the ADR for Oga's at 11:15 am just to see if there were any hangups on the reservation. It took a bit to confirm but I received the confirmation about a minute later.

The upside to our trip is I'm only booking one ADR on 3 of the 4 days and the first day we're only doing quick service unless a dining package opens up for the nighttime shows. Downside, 3 different days I get to sweat if I'll get the ADRs we want or not. The Trader Sam one is the one I worry the most about as that's just for the wife and I to enjoy an early date night at DLR.

 

[GoHorns94]

I have a couple of questions regarding ADRs that I need to double check please:

1. Does everybody in your reserved party have to check in to avoid the $10/person no show?
2. Do all in your party have to eat or purchase something while at the ADR restaurant?

I’m pretty confident the answer is no to both of the above (hopefully).

The reason I ask is I currently have a lunch ADR at Lamplight and then a second lunch reservation 1.5 hours later at Carthay Al Fresco. This is on the half way point of our trip so I thought it would be fun to graze at both places, but there is definitely a chance that the kids will not even want to enter Carthay (they may opt to ride more rides while we adults veg out for a bit) and my wife may only eat her lunch at Carthay.

Hope that makes sense and thanks for any insight!

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

I have a couple of questions regarding ADRs that I need to double check please:

1. Does everybody in your reserved party have to check in to avoid the $10/person no show?
2. Do all in your party have to eat or purchase something while at the ADR restaurant?

I’m pretty confident the answer is no to both of the above (hopefully).

The reason I ask is I currently have a lunch ADR at Lamplight and then a second lunch reservation 1.5 hours later at Carthay Al Fresco. This is on the half way point of our trip so I thought it would be fun to graze at both places, but there is definitely a chance that the kids will not even want to enter Carthay (they may opt to ride more rides while we adults veg out for a bit) and my wife may only eat her lunch at Carthay.

Hope that makes sense and thanks for any insight!

They say that they will only seat you when all members of your party are there, but we have explained that the other 2 were not able to come we have had no problem being seated and no extra charges. Also glad you scored character breakfast with Minnie and friends At Plaza Inn great photo op. !!

 

[GoHorns94]

Thank you! Thinking about trying for brunch at Storytellers for our departure day too. Would be a great way to cap off our few days of fun.

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

I did a dry run this morning as my time to book is next Friday-Sunday for our June 1st trip. I was logged into both the Disneyland site on my computer and DL app on my phone. I had 3 windows open on my computer. One for Oga's at 11am. One for Trader Sam's at 6pm. One for Carnation Cafe at 1pm. Oga's and Trader Sam's both came up at 8am on the dot with the times I wanted. After a refresh at 8:00:30, most of the times were gone. Carnation did not come up at 8am. It's crazy how fast these reservations go. Best thing you can do is just be totally prepared and completed ready to go at the exact time you want your ADR. I did a purchase and cancellation of the ADR for Oga's at 11:15 am just to see if there were any hangups on the reservation. It took a bit to confirm but I received the confirmation about a minute later.

The upside to our trip is I'm only booking one ADR on 3 of the 4 days and the first day we're only doing quick service unless a dining package opens up for the nighttime shows. Downside, 3 different days I get to sweat if I'll get the ADRs we want or not. The Trader Sam one is the one I worry the most about as that's just for the wife and I to enjoy an early date night at DLR.

We are looking for Dining Packages for Main Street Electrical Parade so please post if you see anything! Aloha, Karen and Ron

 

[Raech]

Lamplight Lounge and Ogas for May 23 just dropped overnight at 59 days out instead of 60… if anybody wants one they are available now.

Grabbed us a 7:15 LL for dinner after Trader Sam’s happy hour.

Very pleased with our arrival day lineup!

Wait what? Trader Sam's does happy hour???? Tell me everything. I go back in June.

 

[mdmost]

We are looking for Dining Packages for Main Street Electrical Parade so please post if you see anything! Aloha, Karen and Ron

I hope I'm wrong but I feel like Dining packages won't return for a while, especially with Blue Bayou down for a spell.

 

[grokdis]

I did a dry run this morning as my time to book is next Friday-Sunday for our June 1st trip. I was logged into both the Disneyland site on my computer and DL app on my phone. I had 3 windows open on my computer. One for Oga's at 11am. One for Trader Sam's at 6pm. One for Carnation Cafe at 1pm. Oga's and Trader Sam's both came up at 8am on the dot with the times I wanted. After a refresh at 8:00:30, most of the times were gone. Carnation did not come up at 8am. It's crazy how fast these reservations go. Best thing you can do is just be totally prepared and completed ready to go at the exact time you want your ADR. I did a purchase and cancellation of the ADR for Oga's at 11:15 am just to see if there were any hangups on the reservation. It took a bit to confirm but I received the confirmation about a minute later.

The upside to our trip is I'm only booking one ADR on 3 of the 4 days and the first day we're only doing quick service unless a dining package opens up for the nighttime shows. Downside, 3 different days I get to sweat if I'll get the ADRs we want or not. The Trader Sam one is the one I worry the most about as that's just for the wife and I to enjoy an early date night at DLR.

tried this technique this morning (Sunday 27 March) without any success

When you say “8a”, are we talking about Pacific time, Eastern time? fwiw I tried at both times this morning

 

[sophy1996]

tried this technique this morning (Sunday 27 March) without any success

When you say “8a”, are we talking about Pacific time, Eastern time? fwiw I tried at both times this morning

Reservations have been opening at 6 am Pacific.

 

[grokdis]

Reservations have been opening at 6 am Pacific.

thank you for the heads up! I’ll give this a try tomorrow and report back…

 

[mdmost]

tried this technique this morning (Sunday 27 March) without any success

When you say “8a”, are we talking about Pacific time, Eastern time? fwiw I tried at both times this morning

Did you try the specific times option and not putting in Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner? I've found the specific time option is better for getting the range of times you want. So instead of selecting Lunch, select 1:00 and see what it gives you. And sorry, I was meaning Central Standard Time which is 8am here in Dallas.

Here's the difference in if you wanted to get breakfast at Carnation Cafe after park opening based on using Breakfast as the time or 8am as the time.





The specific time gets you 8am times whereas breakfast only presents later options. So in the time it takes to do that, you could miss out on an ADR because it's a flawed system.

 

[grokdis]

Did you try the specific times option and not putting in Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner? I've found the specific time option is better for getting the range of times you want. So instead of selecting Lunch, select 1:00 and see what it gives you. And sorry, I was meaning Central Standard Time which is 8am here in Dallas.

Here's the difference in if you wanted to get breakfast at Carnation Cafe after park opening based on using Breakfast as the time or 8am as the time.

View attachment 657863

View attachment 657864

The specific time gets you 8am times whereas breakfast only presents later options. So in the time it takes to do that, you could miss out on an ADR because it's a flawed system.

heh yes the system is deeply flawed but this is amazing, thank you for sharing this! excited to give it a try tomorrow, this is super helpful

 

[GoHorns94]

Wait what? Trader Sam's does happy hour???? Tell me everything. I go back in June.

This will be our first ever visit to Trader Sam’s so unsure if they have an actual happy hour.

I was referring to our own hour of happiness over a couple of cocktails prior to dinner at Lamplight Lounge.

 

[smartlabelprint]

This will be our first ever visit to Trader Sam’s so unsure if they have an actual happy hour.

I was referring to our own hour of happiness over a couple of cocktails prior to dinner at Lamplight Lounge.

Correct there’s no “happy hour”.

 

[Distriv]

Reservations have been opening at 6 am Pacific.

So you're saying I didn't need to be up at 5:50 AM Eastern and been hitting refresh for the past 15 minutes.

Oops...

 

[sophy1996]

So you're saying I didn't need to be up at 5:50 AM Eastern and been hitting refresh for the past 15 minutes.

Oops...

Well, until recently you would have been right on time! But they seem to have switched from 6 Eastern to 6 Pacific.