Just Off The Phone - Dvc "Included" in New Priority Seating Window

[lulu71]

This sounds like a mess. It sounds like they don't know what the heck they're doing over there. I hope it's all worked out, a la Dean's prediction, really soon. I don't normally make a bunch of PS ahead of time, but with the new dining plan and not a whole lot of empty seats in restaurants, I will be. I don't have much patience for the Disney method of calling back until you get someone who knows what they're doing. Train on your time, not mine.

 

[MCazer]

So does this cover only restaurant reservations? I am concerned because my first reservation will be for a fireworks cruise, and if people can book this 10 days before because of the 90 + 10 rule, then I will not be able to get it, due to the few boats they have.

Hope someone here know the answer! THANKS!

 

[crisi]

I was told I couldn't book the pirate cruise until the 90 day window.

And I don't think this is a guest perk. I think they are reducing their call volume. If 10% of their guests feel its necessary to make ADRs day by day as their 90 day window opens to be assured the 6:00 seating at Le Cellier, fireworks timing at California Grill and Rose and Crown, Chef Mickey's the night they arrive, etc., not to mention Cindy's they will significantly reduce call volume. I also think they are doing this to start to tie dining privledges to resort stays. I wouldn't be surprised for the next announcement to be offsite guests only have a 30 day ADR window.

 

[mom2alix]

So does this cover only restaurant reservations? I am concerned because my first reservation will be for a fireworks cruise, and if people can book this 10 days before because of the 90 + 10 rule, then I will not be able to get it, due to the few boats they have.

Hope someone here know the answer! THANKS!

Some one can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this is an issue. I'm pretty sure nothing changed with the cruise reservations. I believe you need to call WDW-PLAY for the cruise and the dining stuff is the WDW-DINE number. I don't think they are the same systems.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Now the thing I am confused about is that if you cancel your reservation, then all your ADRs are canceled. What if we change our reservation? For example, what If I have a studio reserved and then change it to a 1 BR, or what if I have it at my home resort and then what the change the reservation if my waitlist comes through?

Will my ADRs be canceled then if I CHANGE it? Or just Cancel it?

The key question will be whether you get a new reservation number or have the same reservation number with a "modified" reservation. Every time I have made a change in my DVC booking, ("...on xx/xx/xxxx, this reservation was modified for ..."), I've kept the reservation number. I would expect that if the reservation number is the same, the reservation still exists and ADRs would not get canceled. Now, I've never changed a reservation from one room type (say studio) to another (like a 1 BR), so I don't know for sure that the reservation number stays the same in that case, but all other changes I've made to add or delete days have kept the original reservation number.

Ralph

 

[BCV23]

I for one like the new system and actually think it looks like it is going rather smoothly. Crisi had an unusual problem and those with TA packages may have issues early on, but with the exception of one poster who has reported very different experiences from everyone else, it looks good to go for most.

I would not be a happy camper if this program applied only to people using a dining package. Disney Dining is one of our favorite parts of our trip. I make a minimum of 2 ADRs/day. I have always called for most of them in one fell swoop sometime after the end of the "window." It is the most efficient way for WDW of course but also for me. Now I can do that at the beginning.

Our children are young adults so we haven't been doing the hard to get character meals. But our younger son who is 23 and has Down Syndrome loves having lunch in the castle....so much so that he hightails it there. It would have been very hard for him to understand why we weren't dining there anymore. Now we have a chance to get that ADR in one phone call....and I'm glad.

 

[BCV23]

One other thing, I wonder if the OP would consider changing the titel to DVC included or some such thing since that is so obviously the case. And I did forget about your experience too when I wrote my post.

Hopefully, you're good to go now too.

 

[andriade]

I just wanted to say that this thread has been very helpful to me. My window isn't until October but I am already planning meals now. Thanks!

 

[kcashner]

I'd like to see adding the dining plan as a possibility for DVC stays. Normally, I wouldn't use it, but we have a trip in December when I would.....

Called DVC about this. THe CM said it is not currently available but they are considering adding it. She suggested checking back closer to our trip date. She also suggested letting DVC and Disney Guest Services know that we are interested in this. Says they listen to us!

 

[disneygal55]

I've got some concerns over the 90+10. If you are going to vacation over a
holiday week and many are trying to book for a holiday meal on a certain day
it seems to me that those who are starting their vacations well before the
holiday can book earlier and mess things up for the rest of us who have to wait our turn! Does this new policy mean that we may be unable to book our holiday dinners because the reservations will be gone???

 

[crisi]

My understanding is that they don't release all the seats on "day 100" but dribble the amount of seats they release over the 10 (or maybe even longer) period.

 

[rinkwide]

As I predicted, there will be some inconsistent application early on. Then likely some changes.

Well, there's our problem. Would you please predict a <i>seamless transition</i> with <I>no changes</i> next time? That should do it.

 

[colleen costello]

They really need to figure out a system and stick with it long enough for it to WORK WELL. I have made about 50 calls to get PS's (I am gonna keep on calling them that if Mickey likes it or not!) for our upcoming trip. It is crazy that they let you book 90 days out but won't commit to park hours that far ahead. How do I know what restaurant to book if I don't know what park I will be in that day? Then they start with the "No dinners past 6pm" crap... OF COURSE the popular places are not closing at 6, but for weeks that is the latest they'd book. Finally, last week -- barely two weeks before my trip -- they admit the places will be open later and give me later seatings. So here I go writing all the new numbers and times down and cancelling the old PS's -- now THAT ties up their phones!

Mickey needs to do a better job of organizing on his end so planning isn't such a nightmare on OURS! At 90 days out, park hours need to be available as well as all seatings for restaurants, even those later in the evening. Newsflash -- it has been years since 9-11 and the "downturn" in travel. It's crazy-busy again and they need to accomodate those of us trying to plan ahead!

 

[Dean]

Well, there's our problem. Would you please predict a <i>seamless transition</i> with <I>no changes</i> next time? That should do it.

LOL, this is Disney we're talking about. If I did that I'd be wrong almost 100% of the time instead of just occasionally.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Mickey needs to do a better job of organizing on his end so planning isn't such a nightmare on OURS! At 90 days out, park hours need to be available as well as all seatings for restaurants, even those later in the evening. Newsflash -- it has been years since 9-11 and the "downturn" in travel. It's crazy-busy again and they need to accomodate those of us trying to plan ahead!

I agree colleen!!

I also agree that the OP consider changing the title. Almost gave me a heart attack!

I think the changes being made is an attempt by Disney to release park hours earlier. The new best rate program and AP discounts all have cancellation penalties. This will lock more guests into their ressies, so they can plan better. I hope this is what they are trying to do!

 

[CarolA]

One other thing, I wonder if the OP would consider changing the titel to DVC included or some such thing since that is so obviously the case. And I did forget about your experience too when I wrote my post.

Hopefully, you're good to go now too.

I was wondering if I was crazy... I thought this said excluded yesterday LOL!

 

[mstec]

It is crazy that they let you book 90 days out but won't commit to park hours that far ahead. How do I know what restaurant to book if I don't know what park I will be in that day? Then they start with the "No dinners past 6pm" crap... OF COURSE the popular places are not closing at 6, but for weeks that is the latest they'd book. Finally, last week -- barely two weeks before my trip -- they admit the places will be open later and give me later seatings. So here I go writing all the new numbers and times down and cancelling the old PS's -- now THAT ties up their phones!

I saw your post and started laughing, because like me, you sound like you love to plan out your day way ahead of time. My family always laughs at me, because I have to sit down and try to guess what parks will be open when and I have to pratically use psychic powers to predict what parks we will be visiting on what days, so that I can book the right dining ressies. And this new evening magic hours has totally thrown me. Since we usually go around the same time every year, I usually would save my old park schedules and work off those as a loose guide, but now with the magic hours, and how they can change whenever, I'm having a tough time. I think that's why we decided to do more lunches in restaurants this time, and more quick dinners in the rooms.

I hadn't even heard about the issue with "no dinners past 6pm"...I'm not sure what the purpose would even be with that, unless that was just for parks that hadn't set their magic hours yet. Anyway, good luck...

 

[BCV23]

I hadn't even heard about the issue with "no dinners past 6pm"...I'm not sure what the purpose would even be with that, unless that was just for parks that hadn't set their magic hours yet. Anyway, good luck...

Actually, I think that those later dining times are not released for MK and Disney Studios until all hours are finalized. At some point, WDW gets the final estimates on crowds and sets the hours. This is well past when hours are first released.

I know it can be frustrating to try to get later dinner times but wouldn't you be even more frustrated if you made a PS for LTT or Mama Melrose at 8pm and then received a call 2 weeks before the trip to say the park would be closing at 7 and you would need to change your dinner plans. That would be frustrating for guests and expensive for WDW.

 

[emmasmom]

Okay..please help me understand this. I rented points to stay in a 2BR WLV. I have a reservation number. Can I book CRT at 10 days out of the 90 day window, too. Is this possible? Thanks. Amy

 

[BCV23]

At the 90th day before you check in, you can call and make dining reservations for up to 10 days of your vacation. So if you were checking in on 1/1 and staying unitl 1/10, you could make all of your ADRs at that 90 day mark.