Help prioritizing our ADRs 180 days out

[jldeahl]

Hi all - I'm planning on waking up bright and early 180 days out to make our ADRs. I've been told to book in order of difficulty, so this is how I'm planning to go. Can anyone tell me if I should rearrange?

8AM Breakfast @ Hollywood & Vine / Fantasmic Package

8AM Breakfast @ Crystal Palace

8AM Breakfast @ Tusker House / Rivers of Light Package

6PM Dinner @ T-Rex Cafe

Early Morning Magic

Happily Ever After Fireworks Garden View Dessert Party

 

[IluvMGM]

Today was my 180. I couldn't get Tusker House or Garden Grill at 8am. Best I could do was 8:35 Tusker House which I am probably going to cancel because I can't see that helping anything since the park will be open when we finish eating. Garden Grill I couldn't get until 9:30. So, I might try to just get late breakfasts and forget the whole "pre park opening" scenario. I will arrive at rope drop and try to get a ride or 2 in before breakfast.

 

[jldeahl]

Today was my 180. I couldn't get Tusker House or Garden Grill at 8am. Best I could do was 8:35 Tusker House which I am probably going to cancel because I can't see that helping anything since the park will be open when we finish eating. Garden Grill I couldn't get until 9:30. So, I might try to just get late breakfasts and forget the whole "pre park opening" scenario. I will arrive at rope drop and try to get a ride or 2 in before breakfast.

Oh wow! Thank you for the heads up. Man these go fast!

 

[Haley R]

Today was my 180. I couldn't get Tusker House or Garden Grill at 8am. Best I could do was 8:35 Tusker House which I am probably going to cancel because I can't see that helping anything since the park will be open when we finish eating. Garden Grill I couldn't get until 9:30. So, I might try to just get late breakfasts and forget the whole "pre park opening" scenario. I will arrive at rope drop and try to get a ride or 2 in before breakfast.

So you get there November 26? That seems crazy for Tusker, but I guess it is Thanksgiving time. We had no trouble getting our Tusker ADR for our trip in March.

 

[DisneyMichele]

I would probably go for the 8am breakfast that is earliest in the week of your trip first. I found all the PPO breakfasts hard to get, I was able to get a 8:40 at BOG but that was the earliest. My Tusker House breakfast I booked for 10:30 on an EMH day, and figured do a later breakfast after rope dropping rides. Good luck

 

[IluvMGM]

Yes.

So you get there November 26? That seems crazy for Tusker, but I guess it is Thanksgiving time. We had no trouble getting our Tusker ADR for our trip in March.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Hi all - I'm planning on waking up bright and early 180 days out to make our ADRs. I've been told to book in order of difficulty, so this is how I'm planning to go. Can anyone tell me if I should rearrange?

8AM Breakfast @ Hollywood & Vine / Fantasmic Package

8AM Breakfast @ Crystal Palace

8AM Breakfast @ Tusker House / Rivers of Light Package

6PM Dinner @ T-Rex Cafe

Early Morning Magic

Happily Ever After Fireworks Garden View Dessert Party

Couple thoughts.
1) Dining packages aren't always released right at 180 days. If they don't show up, just keep checking back.
2) If for some reason you can't get T-rex online, give them a call. They don't release all their reservations to Disney.
3) 8am Crystal Palace isn't going to give you any sort of advantage, in fact it will put you behind the crowds. If you're going there for the food/characters then definitely keep it...but most people do PPO reservations to get ahead of the crowds, which won't work in the case of CP.

I would probably go for the 8am breakfast that is earliest in the week of your trip first. I found all the PPO breakfasts hard to get, I was able to get a 8:40 at BOG but that was the earliest. My Tusker House breakfast I booked for 10:30 on an EMH day, and figured do a later breakfast after rope dropping rides. Good luck

FYI - All PPO breakfasts for BOG are allowed in at the same time, about 7:45am. It doesn't matter what time your actual reservation is for.

 

[cassie58]

Just an FYI, because the park hours often change between now and then, even within a few weeks of your trip unfortunately, we have found that PPO brft(which we used to do regularly) have become difficult - they have been known to change park opening to 8 instead of 9 if it is going to be busier time, or for new, popular areas like they have done w/AK for Pandora, and may do with HS for TSL now - don't want to be eating during slowest lines of the day! Since we love brft at Crystal Palace and Tusker House, we have now gone to booking the latest time, so arrive at RD(whatever time that is!) to take advantage of first few hours, and eat around 10:30 - 10:45. Also this a good time at Tusker House, as they start to change over to lunch, so you can try some of that as well after your brft foods! As PP mentioned, Fantasmic/RoL packages likely won't be out yet, so just book the restaurant at the time you'd like for now, then you can keep checking to try and get the package when it opens. For Hollywood & Vine, brft is only choice if you want it for Disney Jr characters, but otherwise you could do lunch w/ Mickey, Minnie, Donald, & Daisy in Christmas finest, and pic w/Santa Goofy(guessing you are going during the holiday season since you are getting ready to make ADRs!)

As far as order I would do Crystal Palace first(always books up quickly), Tusker House next, then H & V, but if you need H & V brft for those characters, you could choose to move that up. T-Rex should be fine, not sure if EMM or HEA will be available yet to book - you could go in and check to see if it comes up for the days prior to yours that are already open as a reference. Whatever you can't get or need a better time, keep checking, as people change plans and things pop up, and can use Touring Plans Reservation Finder by signing up for a free account, and this has helped many on here get what they wanted.

 

[jemlover]

I agree reserving Crystal Palace first. I couldn't get a reservation on day 2 of our trip in late November. I had to book this on day 9. Also couldn't get a BOG lunch early in the trip. Everything else was no problem.

 

[jldeahl]

Couple thoughts.
1) Dining packages aren't always released right at 180 days. If they don't show up, just keep checking back.
2) If for some reason you can't get T-rex online, give them a call. They don't release all their reservations to Disney.
3) 8am Crystal Palace isn't going to give you any sort of advantage, in fact it will put you behind the crowds. If you're going there for the food/characters then definitely keep it...but most people do PPO reservations to get ahead of the crowds, which won't work in the case of CP.


FYI - All PPO breakfasts for BOG are allowed in at the same time, about 7:45am. It doesn't matter what time your actual reservation is for.

Our son is a big Pooh bear fan (he has a stuffed one he's been sleeping with since he was an infant!) so we're mostly hoping to do the character breakfast for the sake of the character breakfast, and are trying for PPO so we don't have to sacrifice park time. But do you think it will substantially set us behind the crowds, even if we get lucky enough to score the first ADR wave of the day? If we're giving up prime riding time, then maybe we'll reconsider... (though I'll have to hope he forgets all my talking up breakfast with Pooh!!

 

[cassie58]

Our son is a big Pooh bear fan (he has a stuffed one he's been sleeping with since he was an infant!) so we're mostly hoping to do the character breakfast for the sake of the character breakfast, and are trying for PPO so we don't have to sacrifice park time. But do you think it will substantially set us behind the crowds, even if we get lucky enough to score the first ADR wave of the day? If we're giving up prime riding time, then maybe we'll reconsider... (though I'll have to hope he forgets all my talking up breakfast with Pooh!!

If park opens at 9, since they now let people in at that time to wait on Main Street for the Welcome Show that opens the park shortly before 9, ENJDisneyFan is indicating that it does not put you ahead like in the past, when people used to wait outside the train station for the welcome. With an 8:00 ADR, you used to get castle pics on a quiet Main St. before, and when you were finishing eating, you could head to the rides, while others had just started entering. If you do still get an 8am on a 9am open, you will eat while others are waiting, and may finish a little after 9 by the time you see all characters, so you will not miss much morning time, but will not be heading back to Peter Pan or the Mine Train from in front of the castle like others - however, since it looks like you are planning on doing EMM, you don't need to worry about those! If you do PPO, ask for check at beginning to save time. I would still recommend the late brft around 10:30, which gives time to take in Main St. and get some pics, see the welcome show, and get in some rides with the shortest lines first thing, then break to eat w/o rushing to start day, then plan FP for 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and can then try for 4th, etc for afternoon(or evening if taking a nap/pool break). But depending on what is open, I would take best available, and try to modify as it gets closer/or try Touring Plans if unavailable. Just beware that if they decide to open at 8 that day as it gets closer, then you would not not want to be eating for the first hour. We had this happen the week before Christmas, when opening got moved to 8, and EMH was at 7(or opening moved to 7 all together), so we modified to late brft luckily while down there.

CP is an awesome brft, especially since your son loves Pooh Bear! Food is good - awesome puffy french toast, made-to-order omelette station(chef will also do Mickey shaped pancakes, with chocolate chips if you prefer!), and can even have ice cream which DD14 somehow missed in the past, but noticed the sprinkles this trip, and had to indulge - only at Disney!

 

[dachsie]

Our son is a big Pooh bear fan (he has a stuffed one he's been sleeping with since he was an infant!) so we're mostly hoping to do the character breakfast for the sake of the character breakfast, and are trying for PPO so we don't have to sacrifice park time. But do you think it will substantially set us behind the crowds, even if we get lucky enough to score the first ADR wave of the day? If we're giving up prime riding time, then maybe we'll reconsider... (though I'll have to hope he forgets all my talking up breakfast with Pooh!!

Make it a later breakfast - like around 10 and they you get some park time in before you eat. That's what we did

 

[jldeahl]

If park opens at 9, since they now let people in at that time to wait on Main Street for the Welcome Show that opens the park shortly before 9, ENJDisneyFan is indicating that it does not put you ahead like in the past, when people used to wait outside the train station for the welcome. With an 8:00 ADR, you used to get castle pics on a quiet Main St. before, and when you were finishing eating, you could head to the rides, while others had just started entering. If you do still get an 8am on a 9am open, you will eat while others are waiting, and may finish a little after 9 by the time you see all characters, so you will not miss much morning time, but will not be heading back to Peter Pan or the Mine Train from in front of the castle like others - however, since it looks like you are planning on doing EMM, you don't need to worry about those! If you do PPO, ask for check at beginning to save time. I would still recommend the late brft around 10:30, which gives time to take in Main St. and get some pics, see the welcome show, and get in some rides with the shortest lines first thing, then break to eat w/o rushing to start day, then plan FP for 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and can then try for 4th, etc for afternoon(or evening if taking a nap/pool break). But depending on what is open, I would take best available, and try to modify as it gets closer/or try Touring Plans if unavailable. Just beware that if they decide to open at 8 that day as it gets closer, then you would not not want to be eating for the first hour. We had this happen the week before Christmas, when opening got moved to 8, and EMH was at 7(or opening moved to 7 all together), so we modified to late brft luckily while down there.

CP is an awesome brft, especially since your son loves Pooh Bear! Food is good - awesome puffy french toast, made-to-order omelette station(chef will also do Mickey shaped pancakes, with chocolate chips if you prefer!), and can even have ice cream which DD14 somehow missed in the past, but noticed the sprinkles this trip, and had to indulge - only at Disney!

Thank you so much @cassie58 for the great, detailed reply!! So helpful!