HELP! I totally dropped the ball on ADR's for our Dec 2016 trip

[cmph]

I'm not sure if you mentioned your party size and I glossed over it, but you can split up and make multiple BOG reservations. If you have two people with a 12:00 res, and 2 with a 12:15 res, you'll all end up at the same table anyway (b/c no strangers are going to join the first two!). Very different than a regular table service meal, b/c you're seating yourselves. Plus the second group can get there a few minutes early. A friend who went in Nov didn't realize BOG was taking reservations for lunch and breakfast and got last-minute reservations for herself and her daughter by splitting into two res, like 10min apart, and the CM just let them both in at the same time anyway.

 

[mmackeymouse]

I did the exact same thing. Back in January, we couldn't get into Beaches and Cream, and I made a mental note that we needed to be on it, come 180 days before our October trip.

Well, life happens, and there were renovations and my baby nephew was turning one, so there was party planning and it completely skipped my mind until a couple of days ago, and ADRs are tough to come by. I'm crossing my fingers for a miracle.

 

[DantePD]

Have you tried calling? They might have some not available to online.

That's how I got my Brown Derby reservation (with the Fantastic package)

I got my Cinderella's Royal Table ADR due to the fact that my travel agent may, in fact, be a ninja.

 

[cmph]

That's how I got my Brown Derby reservation (with the Fantastic package)

I got my Cinderella's Royal Table ADR due to the fact that my travel agent may, in fact, be a ninja.

Ha! I love this! I suggested calling in a different thread a few months ago and got a virtual slap from people who insisted that whatever we see available online is all the availability there is, period. Which is definitely not what my travel agent finds to be the case. I guess we need to keep our agents!

 

[monorailrabbit]

Ha! I love this! I suggested calling in a different thread a few months ago and got a virtual slap from people who insisted that whatever we see available online is all the availability there is, period. Which is definitely not what my travel agent finds to be the case. I guess we need to keep our agents!

I've been told the same as well! Still haven't been able to get a F! package. I can't tell if it's because they are still having issues or if they are all gone - I've been checking every day, multiple times a day. I don't know whether to keep calling as well or not!

 

[DantePD]

I've been told the same as well! Still haven't been able to get a F! package. I can't tell if it's because they are still having issues or if they are all gone - I've been checking every day, multiple times a day. I don't know whether to keep calling as well or not!

The first time I called, the lady I spoke with told me to keep checking back once a week or so. Got it on my second try

 

[courtneybeth]

We managed to secure BOG lunch reservations by booking single person reservations 5 minutes apart. I have no idea how that is a thing, but apparently it worked. So you can't book for two, but you can book two single people.

Keep checking. Keep looking. Trust me, as the Candlelight Processional events get announced (assuming) next week (if we're going based upon last year), a lot of tables will start to open up. You don't need to buy any special app or whatever to do this. Check at the 60 day mark for FP+ because people will move things. But CP will change stuff... I almost missed out on Akershus and was gifted with a great reservation once the CP announcements were made.

 

[DekrRini]

Don't feel like a loser. I'm going the first week of December and I hit the website at exactly 6am at my 180 day mark and STILL didn't get any of the ADRs I wanted at the times I wanted. I got some of the restaurants for different days so it's all good, but even had you not forgotten, you might not have gotten the ADRs you wanted. Just keep checking. The ADRs you want will probably open up for you sometime.

 

[Candycane83]

I'm not sure if you mentioned your party size and I glossed over it, but you can split up and make multiple BOG reservations. If you have two people with a 12:00 res, and 2 with a 12:15 res, you'll all end up at the same table anyway (b/c no strangers are going to join the first two!). Very different than a regular table service meal, b/c you're seating yourselves. Plus the second group can get there a few minutes early. A friend who went in Nov didn't realize BOG was taking reservations for lunch and breakfast and got last-minute reservations for herself and her daughter by splitting into two res, like 10min apart, and the CM just let them both in at the same time anyway.

Just a question, how did you get 2 reservations within the same time frame?

 

[kniquy]

I think at this point you need to grab acceptable reservations for your party so that you secure something. The keep trolling the ADR system for things that pop up. If it is any help I planned a NYE trip 2 months out and we at least had reservations at places we were happy with. There was nothing at all for NYE - I called a couple times and trolled the website multiple times per day. We ended up at the garden grill NYE at 9pm -- we were just happy to have something that night. Maybe change your expectations, take what you can get, be very flexible with your time slots and then just plan everything else around your dining plans. Maybe look at some of the resort dining as well. I am not sure if those fill up as quick as the park restaurants. Might be nice to include some resort tours during the holidays. I have never used the Touring plans finder but ill have to check that out for our next trip.

 

[cmph]

Just a question, how did you get 2 reservations within the same time frame?

It was two separate reservations, made from 2 different (adult) accounts. Sorry, that was totally not clear from my post!

 

[cmph]

I've been told the same as well! Still haven't been able to get a F! package. I can't tell if it's because they are still having issues or if they are all gone - I've been checking every day, multiple times a day. I don't know whether to keep calling as well or not!

I wonder if it's restaurant availability, or package availability?

I'm curious now if people ever just book the restaurant ADR and luck into converting it to a package later on, even same-day if the restaurant has no-shows or something.

 

[monorailrabbit]

I wonder if it's restaurant availability, or package availability?

I'm curious now if people ever just book the restaurant ADR and luck into converting it to a package later on, even same-day if the restaurant has no-shows or something.

I have the restaurant, no issue at all getting that, just can't get the package...

 

[cmph]

I have the restaurant, no issue at all getting that, just can't get the package...

Well that's something at least! It's been two years since we did the Fantasmic package so I don't remember the specifics when we arrived. But if they have a no-show, maybe you can pretty-please them into upgrading you to the package? We went to DL recently, and I know they confirmed when you arrived that you wanted the package before you ordered your food, so you could totally change your mind, thus freeing up your WOC passes for someone else. I'm not sure if WDW is that lax about it though. Have you tried talking to a CM about converting it to the package?

 

[monorailrabbit]

Well that's something at least! It's been two years since we did the Fantasmic package so I don't remember the specifics when we arrived. But if they have a no-show, maybe you can pretty-please them into upgrading you to the package? We went to DL recently, and I know they confirmed when you arrived that you wanted the package before you ordered your food, so you could totally change your mind, thus freeing up your WOC passes for someone else. I'm not sure if WDW is that lax about it though. Have you tried talking to a CM about converting it to the package?

Oh I never thought of that! Yeah, we are really excited we have the meal at least - we are doing the holiday dinner with Minnie at HV (I know, I've heard this place isn't fantastic, but I'm a sucker for both character meals AND holidays, so I have to do this!) We have no problem waiting in line for F! if worse comes to worst, we just thought this would be easier with crowd levels around Christmas.

 

[Regan117]

We managed to secure BOG lunch reservations by booking single person reservations 5 minutes apart. I have no idea how that is a thing, but apparently it worked. So you can't book for two, but you can book two single people.

That's because it's QS and it's based on total capacity and not a number of tables for so many at each. You seat yourself, so it won't matter much anyway

 

[courtneybeth]

That's because it's QS and it's based on total capacity and not a number of tables for so many at each. You seat yourself, so it won't matter much anyway

Oh we've done it before and found the situation to be hilarious. Can't book for two, but you can book for two single people. Oh Disney....

 

[Regan117]

Oh we've done it before and found the situation to be hilarious. Can't book for two, but you can book for two single people. Oh Disney....

Totally agree. I think it just goes into the system as so many 1's, so any 2's, etc. But ultimately it doesn't matter because people sit wherever they want.

 

[Candycane83]

I have the restaurant, no issue at all getting that, just can't get the package...

Someone from the December thread and some Fantasmic watch threads have figured out that if you have a dinner ressie before 5pm and cancel it, it reappears as available under the F! package. It worked for several people but it is risky losing your reservation for that day especially if you have a large group...

 

[Candycane83]

Oh we've done it before and found the situation to be hilarious. Can't book for two, but you can book for two single people. Oh Disney....

LOL, I have read about it but never thought about actually looking for it until I found this thread! Got a lunch reservation now...