Is it me or is 180 days ridiculous?

[nkereina]

The amount of planning that goes into a Disney vacation is just crazy and stressful! Trying to plan every hour and day of my vacation 6 months ahead of time just so I can make ADRs and not eat at food courts or restaurants I don't like SUCKS. BUT I do it because I don't want to have a bad time or miss out on things. Sure Disney doesn't require you to make reservations 6 months ahead of time but if you don't you're pretty much SOL. So most people do it. I have talked to several friends and relatives planning Disney vacations who weren't aware of the reservation situation and they were really put off by it and did not want to hassle with it, but at the same time didn't want to miss out.

I don't know what the remedy is though. True that if you change the window to 30 or 45 days out, it's still hard to plan and know what you'll be in the mood for. I'd much rather get up on vacation when I want and go to the park I feel like going to that day but that will never happen!

 

[traylorc]

We also should not forget the impact of the Disney Dining Plan and the Free Dining promotion is having on the ADR process. Both of the aforementioned programs increase the number of folks making table service reservations. Combine those dining plans with the ability to book multiple ADRs and I'm just not convinced shortening the ADR window is going to resolve the issues we identified.

 

[mcd2745]

The one thing just about everyone should be able to agree on, is that there is no "perfect" system out there. That doesn't mean that there isn't a better one out there though. And in MY opinion, a better system starts with only a 30 or 45-day window (and charges fees for all no-shows).

 

[kmedina]

I have only read the first post. We preferred when the booking was 90 days out. Still a lot for some, but it worked nicely for us. I think everyone will have a different opinion on this. With DVC and super planners, it is not uncommon to book 11 mos or even over a year out. I booked our next trip almost 11 mos in advance, but I only booked our last trip 5 mos in advance.

 

[kmedina]

It is a shame you can't be spontaneous and be able to have a TS dinner at a restaurant other than the few in Epcot that, in general, hardly anyone likes (Marrakesh, Nine Dragons, etc.).

I have walked into both of these restaurants as mentioned. We must be in the minority, because we loved them both. They were actually our choices, so there was no settling here. Marrakesh was nearly empty when we dined there. Disney must be afraid that their restaurants would not fill if they took more walk ins.