I hate Free Dining!!!!

Very similar thing happened for our September trip. We are eating at CM at 9:00 for my sons birthday, that is all they had.

Keep checking online, on the phone and join the December 2009 ADR Wanted/Trade/Exchange/Canceled thread and check often and post what you want and need.

I wish you luck. It is a bit frustrating trying to get reservations because you can't just walk in anywhere so reservations are key. GOOD LUCK!:goodvibes
 
Copperbrick gave good advise.

Dec. 6 - 10 or 12 have been black-out dates for special room rate codes at least since our trip in May. I understood that to mean that WDW was already expecting heavy booking during that time. Then they added free dining! (We don't qualify for free dining because we have a great rate for most of our stay. That is fine because I want to order some appetizers and fewer desserts.) This may partly explain why you are having so much trouble with your ADRs. Those who are arriving prior to the 5th have been getting ADRs with their 90 + 10 before your window opened. I only booked ADRs we plan to keep. I would keep checking because, as mentioned above, many people have probably not been so nice and have double booked until they are more sure of their schedules. I sure hope they cancel those double bookings for the sake of people like you.

Sending some pixie dust your way. pixiedust:
 
Personal update: I got everything that I wanted except Mama Melrose for dinner on 12/07/09. Gabby is melting down about wanting to have dinner there, since their lunch menu leaves a bit to be desired when you consider that she has a seafood allergy and is a bit of a picky eater. So, I have tried to access the online ADR system and it won't let me book past 12/05/09 ADR's even after retrieving my current YC ressie that should allow me to book the 90+10. There is an error code that pops up E02020305001.

I am happy with the stuff that I got that was perfect, but this is one pesky little thorn in my side at this point.

ETA: I called to check for myself. The only "dinner" ADR available at DHS on 12/07/09 at any restaurant is a 4:15pm seating at 50's Primetime. So, we altered our plans and are going to take a break from DHS and have lunch at Big River Grille and then return to DHS later in the evening for the Osborne Lights. This works well enough and gets my dear wife her pasta fix. ADR's accomplished. :thumbsup2
 
That's odd, especially in the 2nd week of December which is not really SUPER BUSY. 50's Prime Time should of been real easy to get and the easiest out of your list.

I was thinking that too. I called this morning at 7 and was on hold for 1 hour only to find out that 50s prime time for a table of 3 for the 2nd week of December was not available. They were willing to give me 2 separate tables. So, I cancelled. Didn't want to go crazy over that. But, I called a few times and got Kouzzina and was very happy!
 


I couldn't sleep b/c I still didn't know where or what I wanted to for my ADR. I was up early and tried to go on line but my computer was freezing up so I waited this morning at 7 (they message says 30 mins wait) but I was actually on hold for 40 and then my cell phone was had static (thank goodness the CM I got was patient for me to read all the ADR # over). I got almost all of the ADR I wanted but of course I do rearrange things as I get closer for my trip. We are going Dec 5-11 and I have not told my husband I booked at CR and upgraded to Deluxe dinning and booked all the ADR.:lmao: Of course my husband was wondering why I was up so early b/c I usually sleep late and don't talk to anyone until I had coffee:rotfl2:
 
I have to wonder how flexable you are with times...............

THAT is the key!!!!...........;)

And have backups just in case...........

With that in mind I got EVERYTHING we wanted...............

Keep trying online and good luck
 
Don't get too frustrated with trying to make
ADR's that you really want. We are going
Sept 27 -Oct 2 and it has been hard to get
good res. On my 90 day mark I didn't get a
single res that I wanted. I have been online
every day checking. I have been able to
get good ADR's from canceled ones. Just
today I got CP for dinner. I also got CM a
few days ago. You can get what you want
with a lot of patience . Good luck
 


Other DISsers have posted that the online reservation system was running at 3 a.m. I wonder if this is part of the reason why your ADRs & ADR times are scarce. Best of luck getting them in the near future. Just keep trying.
 
Other DISsers have posted that the online reservation system was running at 3 a.m. I wonder if this is part of the reason why your ADRs & ADR times are scarce. Best of luck getting them in the near future. Just keep trying.

Yep, I got a nasty surprise when I got up early and was just setting up muliple windows and retrieving reservations with 15 minutes to spare to find out the dining system was already open for the day and I was wasting time screwing around when I should've been making reservations.

I've never had this hard of a time getting reservations, and we weren't even trying for the really hard to get places. I haven't been during free dining for a while, and this is a good reason to try and avoid it in the future (especially as I'm DVC and don't have free dining).

I got most of what we wanted but had to adjust on some days and times and settle for second choice for the CP, not perfect but obviously it could've been worse.
 
Seriously, keep trying.
You still have plenty of time to call back and look online for what you want.

The same thing happened to me in June. I couldn't really get anything that I wanted at 90 days at 7 am! BUT, I had backups and made those ressies so I had something.

Them I called back or checked online and its all good. I now have everything I want. It seems people make all of their ressies and then tweak their plans closer to their vacation and cancel things.

Just breathe. You're going to Disney World and that's a great place to be!!!!!
 
I had the same problem this morning. The only day I could get Le Cellier for dinner was the day we were coming home. So I tried lunch and there was one day available. I noticed online that if you put in a range of dates it does not bring up everything. I did the range then did it day by day for the same time and location and there was availability that way. I used online booking at 6:30 this morning.

For some reason, I couldn't get Sanaa for dinner at all that week. Sanaa should not be that hard to get. I mean I got CRT at 6:35 pm on a party night..I should be able to get Sanaa.

I had to switch my days to get Ohana dinner but I got the day I wanted for Ohana breakfast. I was able to get CM for breakfast instead of dinner.

I had to compromise on my time at CG. I wanted to have enough time to sit before wishes started at 8. Our ADR is at 7:35 pm on a non party night.

So overall, I freaked and then just compromised and played with times and days. The only thing I didn't get was Sanaa and I compromised with Boma even though I like Sanaa better. I'll keep trying for it until we leave.
 
I feel all of your pain to all, I have been shut out of many places but this year i did rather well, I thought you couldn't call until 9:00am? I did start calling right away. The woman i spoke to was super nice, Her computer gave her trouble and she needed to get a supervisor. I got a Le Cellier, wanted 2pm but got 12:15 beggers can't be choosy. I'll take it. Her trouble was with Garden Grille I eventually got it but it took 30 of the 45 minutes i was on the phone to get it. I gave up on the booking online fairly quickly, it would not go past my check in date. But i got what i wanted so I'm happy now.
 
Yes... tried that while I was on hold for 30 minutes!

2nd week in December.... looking for multiple ressies including HDDR (NOTHING available all week?!?!) 50's PT, Ohana, CP, Chef Mickeys.... UGH!!!

This sounds as if you didn't start as early as you could have; since, the online reservations starts an hour before the phone line opens. I made my ADRs for the week before and was on the computer right as the day opened. I had no problems.
Seems like your week is probably crowded because of Pop Warner among other things. I understand that it is a very busy week. I don't believe your problems are just because of "Free Dining." I am going during "Free Dining" time and have had no problems getting what I want. As far as people double booking, there have been threads about those who have double booked having both of their reservations canceled by the system. As you go through the online dining system, you can see that when a person gets a time offer that is added to their cart, it will stay in the cart for 20 min to 2 hours until they remove it or "check out." There may be some ADR times that end up in carts and are released to the system when the person decides not to keep them.

I understand that some times "Free Dining" makes things hard, but I think that your problem is with other things that are going on that week!
 
That's odd, especially in the 2nd week of December which is not really SUPER BUSY. 50's Prime Time should of been real easy to get and the easiest out of your list.

i was online shortly before 6 am & got everything we wanted, only issue was all the Keys to Kingdom tours were sold out for Sunday, 12/5:confused3so we booked one later in the week

i even snagged lecellier for 6:30 pm one night (no CP pkg) & a H&V fantasmic one for 4:05 pm, guess i'll consider myself very lucky.

OP, as other have indicated, keep trying...i was able to get dining a week before a last minute trip in July

Perhaps im looking @ it :upsidedow but, imo, Dec's calendar seems to be falling rather oddly this year The week beginning Sunday, 12/6 is really the 1st 'full' week of December & im thinking many people who normally take the 2nd week of Dec are moving vacations up to the 1st full week so as not to be away from home too close to Xmas/airline blackout dates, etc.
 
I called at 6:02 this morning (7:02 EST), waited on hold for an hour (the recording said the wait time was over 30 min. -- they weren't kidding!) and pretty much got every reservation that I wanted, with the exception of 50's Prime Time. I'm most excited about getting California Grill at 7:30pm our last evening so that we can watch the fireworks from the CR. We even got Chef Mickey's at the time that we wanted in the evening and a wishes fireworks cruise. The only other place I was sort of disappointed about was our CP restaurant, but we still got a seating, so that's good. It took me an hour on the phone this morning with the CM. She was so nice to hunt around and work things out for me if my 1st choice wasn't available.
 
I was a little frustrated when I called at our 90 day mark for our upcoming Sept. trip. For at least 3 of my choices they wanted to split up our party of 7 at two tables. Even at Teppan Edo which makes absolutely no sense to me. I called back a couple weeks later and was able to fix everything no problem :confused3. Even last week I was able to go online and change a few things around and nab a Prime Time adr for our trip this week! Don't give up - our adrs are perfect now and it gave me something to do over those last 90 long days :goodvibes.
 
Oh the stress:scared1: Should I stay up and try at midnight:confused3 - should I set the alarm for 3:00:confused3 or 4:00 and then call at 7:00 for Fantasmic - Why oh why did they have to offer free dining.:sad2:
 
Oh the stress:scared1: Should I stay up and try at midnight:confused3 - should I set the alarm for 3:00:confused3 or 4:00 and then call at 7:00 for Fantasmic - Why oh why did they have to offer free dining.:sad2:

My thoughts exactly. I make my ADRs next Saturday. I hope there is a clear starting time by then so I don't have to get up and check every few hours!
 
My 90+10 days began on Thursday. So, I was up at 5:30 am est., logged in and began lining up what I wanted at 5:45, and I got everything I wanted. I am going during Free Dining and I feel very blessed! I got Ohana, Tutto Italia, 50s PT, Tusker House Breakfast, and Cape May Clam Bake. I'm sorry to those who didn't get their wish, but I am now a firm believer in the on-line system. It was much easier than being on hold!
 
I am so sorry that some of you had problems getting what you wanted. I am going to Disney 12/4-12/12. I made all my reservations on-line and got everything I wanted. I strongly suggest going on-line before the date you can make your reservations. I was able to enter my reservation number (I booked thru AAA) to verify that my number was valid.

I then went on-line at 5:45 on the "big day" and opened the first window with my reservation number. I then opened 7 more windows and entered the restaurants I wanted. I was able to finish booking all the restaurants in 30 minutes. :thumbsup2
 

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