I guess I've lost touch!

[10drum]

We are planning a wdw trip on july 9 - 14. Got a great post card rate for a moderate. We reserved 2 rooms at CSR. I started making dinner reservations today (1 month out) and found out that I could've made em 180 days out. There was nothing that we wanted, what a disapointment. We haven't been since 2006, and I always had good luck 30 days out and also making "day of" from the front desk. I guess we're set but there was nothing that i wanted available. Do people cancel? Will I have any better luck we we arrive? In years past I would make the reservations and may change em a few time after we arrived. Oh well we'll still have fun.

 

[Disney DieHard]

Hey there 10Drum! Really sorry to hear your problems with the reservations ... THAT is a real drag! Do people cancel? Sure they do! Depending on exactly how dedicated you are and exactly how much you want the reservation you can call everyday or every other day and ask if anything is available ... maybe you'll get lucky and hit on something.

You also have the possibility to go to that restaurant on that night and see if you can just wait for a table ... very likely won't be at the exact time you want, maybe it will be a wait, and it's probably not going to be the best table but I'm thinking you may get something.

Dinner reservations have become an absolute NIGHTMARE to book in the past years ... since? Since when? Since, the Disney Dining Plan was introduced! My family and I were just like you in the sense that we never made advanced reservations either ... hell, we used to call when we arrived at the hotel or even that night we wanted to go and had no problem getting a reservation! However, since D.D.P. was instituted if you don't book 180 days out you are going to have problems ... so that is what we do! We count backwards 180 days from our vacation and on that day we are on the phone first thing booking what we want.

It's sad but true ... I SINCERELY hope something opens up for you!!! Take Care & Be Safe!!!

Frank
Disney DieHard

 

[Heard02]

Sorry there is nothing that you want available! That's happened to me many times. I will say it's better now than during free dining time that is for sure! It really stinks then! Good luck!

 

[purple figment]

You could keep checking online because people do cancel and sometimes Disney seems to increase availabilty unexpectedly.

After you get to DW you can continue to check at Guest Services.

Good luck! Hope you find some places to enjoy.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Keep checking! I never plan 180 days out, but I'm still able to get whatever I want (with the exception of Ohana sometimes). Just this past Saturday, I was able to book a lunch at Le Cellier for the following Monday just 2 days later! It was delicious and I'm so happy I was able to get it! Anything can happen.

 

[mrsannb]

One of the things the website will do is tell you what *is* available at the time you want to eat on the day you want to eat.
Go to disneyworld.com, and the tab that says 'Places to Eat' and click 'dining reservations'
select your date (July 10 in this example)
your time (6 pm in this example, will show you 4pm to 8pm)
and party size (I'm trying a party of 6)

And it gives you all your choices. Which at this moment include:
1900 PF
50's Prime time
Akershus
Artist Point
Biergarten
Boma
Cinderella's Royal Table
Coral Reef
Crystal Palace
Kona
Le Cellier
Sci Fi
Sanaa
Tepan Edo
The Wave
Whispering Canyon

So I don't know which restaurants you were hoping to get, but it looks like a pretty good selection to me!!
Hope this helps you get some good meals during your stay!

 

[River Country]

One of the things the website will do is tell you what *is* available at the time you want to eat on the day you want to eat.
Go to disneyworld.com, and the tab that says 'Places to Eat' and click 'dining reservations'
select your date (July 10 in this example)
your time (6 pm in this example, will show you 4pm to 8pm)
and party size (I'm trying a party of 6)

And it gives you all your choices. Which at this moment include:
1900 PF
50's Prime time
Akershus
Artist Point
Biergarten
Boma
Cinderella's Royal Table
Coral Reef
Crystal Palace
Kona
Le Cellier
Sci Fi
Sanaa
Tepan Edo
The Wave
Whispering Canyon

So I don't know which restaurants you were hoping to get, but it looks like a pretty good selection to me!!
Hope this helps you get some good meals during your stay!

Agreed these look like pretty good choices

 

[10drum]

mrsannb,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll do that tonight. 50's prime time is someplace we've always made and there was nothing when I called them. We usually do dinner reservations and a lunch at MK plaza and AK rain forest (which I was able to get both of those), but nothing for dinner that I had planned. I got some alternative reservations, which will be ok, but I'l keep watchung on-line, and I may see what happens at the front desk when I check-in. I don't understand the dinning plan value because we usually get so much food we only order split entre's among our group, not so much to save $, but because we aren't big eaters. Now that my kids are of drinking age we'd be more interested in a drinking plan.