How hard will it be to get ADRs?

[RysMomma]

We booked free dining today (yay!) at Pop for 8/23-8/31. We are SO excited. Anyway, since I'm new to this Free dining excitement (but definitely not to Disney) I'm wondering how hard it will be to get ADRs for this week. I'm going to be waking up early the very first day I can and calling-is it tougher during the FD period? Just wondering! Thanks!

 

[n2mm]

It will take patience and persistence to get the ADRs you want during free dining. You will be competing against everyone else coming in the same day as you and up to 10 days prior to you. It will not be a fun nor pleasant experience. I do not look forward to it at all. But, we're all in the same boat. I put myself in for a leave day off from work the day I have to call for my August 16th arrival because there is no way I could stay on the phone for 2 hours in the office and not be interupted. Good luck and have a backup plan as you may have to make split second decisions.

 

[NJRA]

I have been wondering the same thing this is our first year taking advantage of FD. What are the odds of getting all od our ADR's??? Sept.19-27.....

 

[KatMark]

We have gone the last three Septembers during Free Dining (usually from around August 31 - September 10) and have had no problems getting our ADR's, including LeCellier. We may have had to juggle our times a little bit, but we've gotten them all. This year we are going later September (20-29) so not sure about that time frame.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

It will take patience and persistence to get the ADRs you want during free dining. You will be competing against everyone else coming in the same day as you and up to 10 days prior to you. It will not be a fun nor pleasant experience. I do not look forward to it at all. But, we're all in the same boat. I put myself in for a leave day off from work the day I have to call for my August 16th arrival because there is no way I could stay on the phone for 2 hours in the office and not be interupted. Good luck and have a backup plan as you may have to make split second decisions.

What does this mean? Can you book ALL of your week's worth of ADRs on the first day of your 90 day window? I thought I would have to call every day that was 90 days out for each day's worth of ADRs.

Thanks for the info.

 

[1hero2princesses]

It will not be easy. Last year my 180 day mark was on Easter. So I was up and dialing at 6 am on Easter morning. It took about 10 -15 to get someone and the it took about 35 minutes to do. I could not get breakfast at the castle for the days we were planning to be at Magic Kingdom, but I did get a lunch. Got everything else I wanted. Meanwhile my kids got up to see what the Easter Bunny brought and I am telling my husband to keep them upstairs till I am done so I don't miss Easter morning! Luckily my kids were really little (4, 2 and 1 at the time) and they didn't find that particularly strange. I am not looking forward to having to be up at 5:30 with list and alternatives in hand but I will do it. If you don't get what you want the first time, you just have to keep trying. People do cancel. Also, if you are flexible with eating later (I am not because of the age of the kids) it seemed like more was available later. We are also 5 (even though the baby is not on the plan she counts) and I think those are a little harder to get. I am a little disappointed free dining is going so late - I had booked bounceback and was hoping to hit the end of the open offer. Oh well. We will be there for it and I will battle it out. My DD3 ended up being terrified of charcters and I actually spent about 3 hours of my actual vacation trying to make new adr's and canceling things like Chef Mickey. You can always get in somewhere, but it was very time consuming and I would not recommend that!

 

[serene56]

We booked free dining today (yay!) at Pop for 8/23-8/31. We are SO excited. Anyway, since I'm new to this Free dining excitement (but definitely not to Disney) I'm wondering how hard it will be to get ADRs for this week. I'm going to be waking up early the very first day I can and calling-is it tougher during the FD period? Just wondering! Thanks!

I followed free dining last year and will do the same this year since we are going next year at the same time.
MANY MANY people complained they could not get into a lot of places.
Reservations were so hard to come by that Disney was giving Counter service for the Table service placement.

waking up to make your ressies--- people who are on vacation from Wed - wed already have a head start on you-- especially when you have that 90 +10 thing.

If they took the +10 away I think it would be a lot easier for everyone to have somewhat of a fighting chance to get what they want.

Have a back up plan and a back up plan for that too-- just in case

 

[disneyfanUSA]

I have had free dinning 4 times and have never had trouble getting ADRs. Sometimes I just got an hour off of my desired time. No biggie.

 

[catne]

have always had good luck getting choices & times we want. Now if you have a larger party, or are very specific about days & times, maybe it doesn't work so well.

 

[TDC Nala]

Get the ADRs as soon as you possibly can. If you want Le Cellier or Chef Mickey's it is probably best to be on the phone as soon as the dining line opens on your 90 day mark. Have alternatives in case you dont' get the restaurants you want, and be prepared to accept off-peak dining hours if that's all you can get.

If I were not set on dining in popular places and/or at peak times, I would probably be more comfortable waiting a bit to make reservations, and definitely not calling right when the dining line opens. I would not attempt walk-ups or making very late reservations - at that point you would be reduced to taking whatever was left over.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

This past January we booked the Poly for this Sept with a 40% off code.

Last week DH and I decided to book a *bonus* birthday trip for June (my 40th & Fathers Day).

We made our ADR's last week for June ( had no problems at all) ...I was just going to write our 90 day ADR day for Sept on the calender..It is the same day we leave for Disney in June.
How embarassed would I be to be sitting in the airport at 7:00am waiting for my flight to Disney while on the phone with Disney making ADR's for Sept. People would think I was nuts!

 

[disneymath]

I put myself in for a leave day off from work the day I have to call for my August 16th arrival because there is no way I could stay on the phone for 2 hours in the office and not be interrupted.

It crossed my mind to do this too ... but I really don't want to have to resort to this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that online ADRs are here by my 90 day window - and that the system is running fairly smoothly by then. (If I can get a few ADRs done before I leave for work, I may be able to sneak in a few more during lunch etc.)

You know, I love Disney and even look forward to the "challenge" of getting the ADRs I want - but having to take time off work to do so seems a bit extreme!

 

[abc999]

Last year, I called 2 or 3 weeks after my 180 day mark and still got everything I wanted, included LeCellier for lunch.

 

[n2mm]

What does this mean? Can you book ALL of your week's worth of ADRs on the first day of your 90 day window? I thought I would have to call every day that was 90 days out for each day's worth of ADRs.

Thanks for the info.

When you call to book your ADRs you are allowed to book the next 10 days worth of ADRs all during that phone call, as long as you are a resort guest. Split stays are a little different which seem to be requiring more than one call.

 

[n2mm]

It crossed my mind to do this too ... but I really don't want to have to resort to this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that online ADRs are here by my 90 day window - and that the system is running fairly smoothly by then. (If I can get a few ADRs done before I leave for work, I may be able to sneak in a few more during lunch etc.)

You know, I love Disney and even look forward to the "challenge" of getting the ADRs I want - but having to take time off work to do so seems a bit extreme!

I know, I hope I don't have to do this, but those people at work would not leave me alone to get important stuff done. It was easier to put in for the day off, and if I don't need it, I'll cancel it. It is extreme, but I get back from my spring WDW trip on that Saturday, and one more day on vacation is not a big deal after being off 2 weeks.

 

[Debbie Jean]

This past January we booked the Poly for this Sept with a 40% off code.

Last week DH and I decided to book a *bonus* birthday trip for June (my 40th & Fathers Day).

We made our ADR's last week for June ( had no problems at all) ...I was just going to write our 90 day ADR day for Sept on the calender..It is the same day we leave for Disney in June.
How embarassed would I be to be sitting in the airport at 7:00am waiting for my flight to Disney while on the phone with Disney making ADR's for Sept. People would think I was nuts!

Actually when I put the date for making my free dining adr's on my calendar I realized it is the day I am flying home from my May trip!

So I'll probably be sitting in the lounge at OKW calling Disney Dining while I wait for ME!

 

[Colleen27]

I think this might be something that the new 90 out policy makes more difficult... When it was 180 out, a lot of us had ADRs booked before the free dining promo was officially released. Now the FD promo will have been out a couple months before anyone is booking ADRs, so there's going to be a lot more competition to get the highly desireable restaurants/times.

 

[Ktharee]

We have gone the last three Septembers during Free Dining (usually from around August 31 - September 10) and have had no problems getting our ADR's, including LeCellier. We may have had to juggle our times a little bit, but we've gotten them all. This year we are going later September (20-29) so not sure about that time frame.

This is hopeful news!

 

[DisneyCrazyKaty]

As far as the 90 days out for ADR's. I asked when we booked our trip if it makes it harder or easier to get where you want to eat. The cast memeber said she thinks it's actually easier to get what you want that way. I don't know. I guess I'll find out when I go to call.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I followed free dining last year and will do the same this year since we are going next year at the same time.
MANY MANY people complained they could not get into a lot of places.
Reservations were so hard to come by that Disney was giving Counter service for the Table service placement.

waking up to make your ressies--- people who are on vacation from Wed - wed already have a head start on you-- especially when you have that 90 +10 thing.

If they took the +10 away I think it would be a lot easier for everyone to have somewhat of a fighting chance to get what they want.

Have a back up plan and a back up plan for that too-- just in case

???????????????????

I was told there is NO PLUS 10 from a CM just the other day.
I was told that at 90 days out you can book all your ADR's for the next 10 days of your trip
NOT LIKE IN THE PAST when onsite guests could call at 180+10, meaning 190 days out (giving you an advantage) and get all your ADR's for your entire trip.
DID I get the WRONG info????????????????. I am SO CONFUSED!!!!