How late are you getting dinner PS for Sept/Oct?

[BlueFairy]

Hi.
I know awhile back there were problems with Aug. dinner PS in the parks. In particular, it was very difficult to get a PS later than 4:30 or 5 for some places, even when calling at 60 days.
We were only able to get 4:30 PS for the Plaza when the MK is open until 9 (a Sat., 9/13).
I'm just wondering if anyone has discovered what the real story is. Has the situation changed? I am planning to call soon and see if later seatings have opened up.
Thanks!

 

[tltjet]

I have had the same problem. I continue to call to see if by chance they have decided to stay open later, but have had no luck. Like you I will continue to call untill we leave at the end of Sept.

I have also aked why the are closing so early and still have not received a straight answer.

 

[Minniespal]

I have just finished making all my ps for October/November. I have a ps for CRT for 6.10 p.m. That is the latest seating I could get for the MK. I have 2 8.00 p.m. seatings for Epcot and several late seatings for resort restaurants and Fulton's Crab House.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

I too am having terrible luck with my PSs. I've never had problems this time of year.

I just called again on Sat. and we wanted the Plaza on Oct. 4th and the latest they had was 4:10pm even though the park is open later. She had no idea why it was closing that early, but I did question it.

The latest we got for CP was 5:40pm.

And I was shocked that Chef Mickey's was a near sell out the week we are there. I finally snagged a dinner ressie about 4 days ago. This was almost always a walk-in for us in late Sept.

Pammy

 

[CamColt]

Blue Fairy, I know you had the same dilemma as us but I cant remember if you were on the thread last week. If so, sorry for the same info again, but if not...we had success!

After calling about once a week for 40 days, and only being able to get 4:30 at Mama Melrose, we tried again last Monday morning. I thought maybe because of the new system, they would open up more tables. We had no luck then. Later in the day someone posted that they had luck getting later PS, where before they didnt have any. We immediately got on the phone and lo and behold we were able to get 5:50. We were told they had just about every 10 minute intervale available. Go figure???
Good luck!

Edited to add... This was for the last week in August, so the times opened up about 3 weeks in advance. Keep trying.

 

[SnowWhiteIsDreaming]

I got two PS for the 2nd week in October for 6:30 p.m. at the Crystal Palace. I called for these on Aug 4th. This was basically the first day that they were available. I wonder if the later PS's are just filling up really fast. The park is open til 7:30 pm one night and 11:00 pm the other.

 

[mbaker1277]

I made PS's for a client yesterday for the second week in October, and the latest i could get them for at MGM was 4:30 for the Fantasmic package. They told me that 4;30 was the latest because the park closes at 7:00 and Fantasmic is at 7:00. I know it doesn't take 2 1/2 hours for dinner. I'm not sure about the other parks because this was the only dinner PS she made. 4:30 is just a little too early for dinner.

 

[BlueFairy]

Well, based on other threads and our experience, I'm sure that its not filling up the late seatings fast. We called the morning of the first day we could book.
CamColt - I haven't been in on the discussion since the PS policy change. Your 3 weeks out is an improvement over the 2 weeks prior I had heard for mid-Aug. I will just try again. I know that we will get in, I just wish we knew why we're jumping through hoops to do it.
Of course, we can speculate (and have) all day long . . .
Perhaps there's something to the idea that the PS policy made the situation better.
Surely there are some dining CMs who work in the parks and frequent these boards that could help us understand. The only one I know about works at Wilderness Lodge. Oh well.

 

[MicheleC]

I am also having trouble with getting some late priority seatings. I was specifically looking at teh board to see if anyone posted about it. I am having trouble with MGM...they have checked several dates in October for me and they said Mama Melrose and 50's Prime Time were only accepting reservations from 4 to 5 p.m. We like to eat around 7 when the park is basically closing so we don't miss out on the time to see the attractions. It was really strange. Both CMs I had double-checked the park times and stuff. They said it must be something new. The girl I spoke to today even tried to book me with the Fantasmic Pkg to get a better time but none came up. Strange, isn't it!

 

[3for Me]

MicheleC

Same for us in late October at MGM. I asked for a regular dinner PS and was told the latest at Mama Melrose was 5:00PM. Had the CM check the package and it was no different. Then we checked Hollywood and Vine which was a little better - 5:30 but they were not seating any later than 5:50 and that was not available. This was true before and after the new 90 day policy.

I have not had that experience at any of the resorts, but the parks seem to be limited in their later seatings.

:

 

[n2mm]

OK, here's the scoop in my opinion. We just returned 2 weeks ago. Before leaving I started calling for my PS 60 days prior and could not get anything before 6:00 PM. (Knowing that the parks close late). Even up to a week before, still nothing late. ......I walk into the 50s PT for my ungodly 5:30 PM dinner and comment to my "cousin" why is it that no one can get a late PS, are you guys closing early??? She didn't have a clue why "we" could not get late PS because the 50s PT does not close until the park closes (then 9:30 PM) and now for my September trip I'm going through the same thing. Nothing after 5:30, when I know they are open until 8:00 PM. It's like they are holding the late times for onsite guest or walk ins. So I will make my way too early PS and will call when I get there to see if I can move them later. I did it 2 weeks ago and changed my H&V time from 5:30 to 6:30. I'm thinking "caller ID". Dining knows if you're calling from property vs calling from our home towns. I don't know why this is happening and can't believe I'm going through this again for our September trip. To be told for Sept. (a slower) that we are getting the last available PS at the 50s PT and H&V are very strange. I don't like this policy and prefer late eating, but will not chance eating fast food to getting an early seating.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by n2mm
It's like they are holding the late times for onsite guest or walk ins. So I will make my way too early PS and will call when I get there to see if I can move them later. I did it 2 weeks ago and changed my H&V time from 5:30 to 6:30. I'm thinking "caller ID". Dining knows if you're calling from property vs calling from our home towns.

After many calls from home or DH's work with no luck, we were finally able to get later times from our home phone, for 2 different nights. You might want to try again before you leave, just closer to your trip.
WHY is Disney tortuing us planners like this?
Good luck!

 

[BlueFairy]

Well, we're 24 days out. I called this morning and for 9/13 they only have as late as 4:50pm at the Plaza. The lady was very un-Disneylike, too.

 

[gabbygrennell]

Maybe I didnt pick very popular restaurants....
but here we go...
I called the first week of august, for seating the week of 9/1-9/6

we got everything we wanted at the times we wanted

we got a 7pm ohana
9:15pm chef mickeys (which I am getting ready to cancel, should anyone want to call and snag it)

the others were bkfst, and lunch, but we got just what we wanted

good luck with yours!

 

[fumipappa]

I had no luck to book 3 people for:

Oct 2nd Chef mickey at 6:45PM
Oct 4th Princess Breakfast at EPCOT at 8:45Am
Oct 7th Wonderland tea Party for additial one kid

Disney is saying they are "Completely" sold out for these three place between oct2nd - Oct 9th.

Is anything going on at Dsney at that time?

 

[dznyntnh]

I think October 9th is the night of the Mission: Space media event and the park is closing early.

I didn't have any problems getting all my PS for my October trip. But, most of my dinners I made plans for resort restarants and made lunch plans for the parks.

I got most of dinners for 6:30-7:30, which is the perfect time for me. I usually limit myself to one 'big' meal a day so a relatively early dinner works for me.

 

[megrod74]

this is so strange. Could Disney be trying to route us to the hotel restaurants?
I called for PS for the Plaza Rest. on a MNSSHP night and got 4:50 (the latest I could get). CM didn't know why that was. Although, maybe for special events, not all the table service are open?

 

[therealgoofy]

I had no problems with the two PS's I made for late Sept at Shula's and California Grille. Both are at 8.

Chris

 

[n2mm]

The only problems I've encountered have been PARK restraurants. No problem with resort restraurants.

 

[BlueFairy]

Well, I can't help you with the "Completely sold out" problem, but I do know that the main issue has been with restaurants INSIDE the parks closing early for dinnertime only.