Le Cellier ADRs - I honestly don't get the problem...

[CathieArms]

Since May - and really just for the fun of seeing what I can find in anticipation of my WDW vacation NEXT year - I've been doing random searches at some of the harder-to-get restaurants (i.e. Le Cellier).

I honestly don't know what the problem is in getting ADRs. Is it that people wait until the last minute? I've had about 75% (guessing at %) success when searching for ADRs at Le Cellier, especially if I look 100 or more days in advance. I think I'd venture to say that - if you WANT ADRs at Le Cellier and are wiling to plan a little bit - you shouldn't have a huge problem.

What am I missing?

 

[swebby8]

Perhaps part of the problem was the "old system," whereby you had to call Disney Reservations direct, and wait and wish for your restaurant of choice. Now, with all the reservations being posted online, it is a heck of a lot easier to make ADRs. Things change daily, and we have instant access to this info. Before, you would have to call WDW-DINE, wait and wait and wait, and then hope, and hope and hope. It is a WAY better system nowadays!

 

[catne]

If you're totally flexible about when you will eat at Le Cellier, sure you can find a table, especially if your party is "4". Not so easy for parties of 2, 3, 5 or more. And you also have to allow for the fact people may have specific time or date windows when they will be in the vicinity of Canada/Epcot and they need to fit the meal reservation in with their park plans. For example, if they are only going to be at Epcot one day of their 4 day trip...and they MUST do a princess meal for the twin 5 yr old girls...and they're booked for a 1:00 lunch...when the 4:00 Le Cellier reservations comes up they're not going to want it since it will be only about 2 hours after they finished lunch. So sure, Le Cellier is "available" on the day they're at the park, just not available when they can use it.

If you're trying to get a specific date, and you don't want to be eating during Illuminations, that cuts out a lot of time slot choices right there. Likewise, if you're not going to be in the park during the lunch hour, lunch availability won't help you. If you don't have park hoppers, and you want to go to MK on say, Sunday because that's MK evening EMH, then a Le Cellier dinner availability is not going to help you at all (which is probably why it would be available anyway...because people don't want to go to Epcot that night, they want to go to the park with EMH.)

I know so far I can't get a dinner slot on January 10 for a party of 3 unless I want to eat dinner 2.5 hours after we finish lunch. That's the only availability for dinner for Le Cellier that day...and that's 5 months out.

 

[mousey]

Our trips are totally last minute due to work and it is very difficult to get reservations a month before, but we can't help it. I just hope someone posts that they are going to cancel and I will try to obtain that reservation.

 

[PinkEars]

Were a party of 3 and had no problems getting a 11:50 reservation

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Maybe many people are too rigid in their times? I know lots of folks plan, plan, plan and don't want to deviate from what they have scheduled when it comes to parks. Now, DH and I on the other hand schedule parks around when we can get our ADR's...

Also, as Mousey said, some people may not plan the actual trip far enough in advance to get the best reservations. I know ours was, I think, 130 days in advance when we booked it. Not a big deal unless you're trying to book 'Ohana during Free Dining... Or Coral Reef for that matter. Otherwise we got what we wanted, when we wanted it.

 

[mcd2745]

Our trip (3 weeks from today) was booked less than 90 days out. Now, I don't necessarily consider that last minute. However, I realize many on here feel anything under 180 days is last minute.

When I first started trying to get ADRs, it was certainly slim pickings. But with a lot of persistance and some help from the Aug/Sept cancellation threads I managed to get dinners at Le Cellier, 'Ohana, Coral Reef, and Chef Mickey's...all on days that work for us location-wise. It can be done. But it's more work than any part of a vacation should be.

 

[debranator]

I found..to my surprise...
that if you are not fussy about the time..or the exact restaurant on the exact night...
you can always get a same day dining reservation...
I booked LC twice..2 hours before...during spring break week..
when they were supposedly sold out months before.
So..you can get last minute reservations.

 

[TheNewMrsB]

I found..to my surprise...
that if you are not fussy about the time..or the exact restaurant on the exact night...
you can always get a same day dining reservation...
I booked LC twice..2 hours before...during spring break week..
when they were supposedly sold out months before.
So..you can get last minute reservations.

We're reeeeeally hoping that this will work for us with 'Ohana. I would just love to try it there (regardless of the mixed reviews!).

 

[debranator]

It will.
I found if you are not fussy about the time....
say 8:00 to 9:00...
I never had a problem...
you CAN also walk in....
I have done that a few times.

 

[got2luvtink]

I honestly don't know what the problem is in getting ADRs. Is it that people wait until the last minute? I've had about 75% (guessing at %) success when searching for ADRs at Le Cellier, especially if I look 100 or more days in advance. I think I'd venture to say that - if you WANT ADRs at Le Cellier and are wiling to plan a little bit - you shouldn't have a huge problem.

What am I missing?

I guess you just won't get it, until you're the one that can't get the reservation. I have personally tried to book Le Cellier for a friend for the week of Dec. 12th and have not been able to find a time slot for lunch or dinner. I booked at more than 100 days out, so I don't consider that last minute.

I found..to my surprise...
that if you are not fussy about the time..or the exact restaurant on the exact night...
you can always get a same day dining reservation...
I booked LC twice..2 hours before...during spring break week..
when they were supposedly sold out months before.
So..you can get last minute reservations.

I checked for the FULL week of Dec. 12th--not a single reservation to be found, and while I realize that time is close to Christmas, it shows that even with a flexible schedule and booking well in advance, (but not the 180 day mark) it can still be very hard to get a reservation.

When I first started trying to get ADRs, it was certainly slim pickings. But with a lot of persistance and some help from the Aug/Sept cancellation threads I managed to get dinners at Le Cellier, 'Ohana, Coral Reef, and Chef Mickey's...all on days that work for us location-wise. It can be done. But it's more work than any part of a vacation should be.

I couldn't agree with you more!!! After, two solid weeks of checking multiple times a day. I was more work then I was willing to continue to do.

 

[CathieArms]

I know so far I can't get a dinner slot on January 10 for a party of 3 unless I want to eat dinner 2.5 hours after we finish lunch. That's the only availability for dinner for Le Cellier that day...and that's 5 months out.

Is 8:30 too late? They currently have an 8:30 available.

 

[griergirl2]

I'm with the "unless you are the one who can't get it" camp!! We are going on my husband's dream trip and I can't get a reservation there for Sept. 18th to save my life!! I have been trying every day a couple of times a day to get one and can't!! I'd love to know your secret!! I was hopeful today with Via Napoli opening and thought some people might cancel, but so far no luck!

 

[Lilo&Stitch]

Since May - and really just for the fun of seeing what I can find in anticipation of my WDW vacation NEXT year - I've been doing random searches at some of the harder-to-get restaurants (i.e. Le Cellier).

I honestly don't know what the problem is in getting ADRs. Is it that people wait until the last minute? I've had about 75% (guessing at %) success when searching for ADRs at Le Cellier, especially if I look 100 or more days in advance. I think I'd venture to say that - if you WANT ADRs at Le Cellier and are wiling to plan a little bit - you shouldn't have a huge problem.

What am I missing?

What are you missing ? seriously ? LeCellier is a reservation that quite a few people will reserve as soon as they are able to make ADR's, not only that, people make multiple reservations for it on different days since it's so early yet they don't even have their park days planned out.. so take any busy time of the year (free dining) factor in the size of LeCellier, and there ya go, no reservations to be had unless you are lucky enough to be able to check for cancellations at least a couple of times a day

 

[vanreg]

I don't understand the problem either....I made a ressie there today. It is the 3rd time we will be eating there and I've never had a problem getting the day or time (within 1/2 hr) I want.

 

[Minne's Friend]

I have 2 trips planned one in September 12th through 17th and December 12th through 17th have tried over and over again both with MS and on line - there is nothing available at Le Cellier during either of these 2 weeks. We keep looking everyday and started trying to book both trips at 180 days out.

We could also not get reservations in January of 2010 or September of 2010. Please don't tell me it is easy because it is not - you just got lucky.

 

[vegasjulie]

I booked our trip more than 90 days out, and I can truely say that I have checked at least daily for a Le Cellier reservation for the date we are scheduled to be in Epcot (8/23). I obsessively check the cancellation tread as well as the dining reservations online (and there are days I even call in reservations, just to check).
It could be because we are a party of 5, but I dunno. I really want to try this place out, but I am starting to get a little tired of it.
Who am I kidding, I love a challenge, I am sure I will be obsessive up until we are there.

 

[debranator]

8:30 is great...
but..it is during Illuminations....
You can usually always get a table..during the show.

 

[CathieArms]

I booked our trip more than 90 days out, and I can truely say that I have checked at least daily for a Le Cellier reservation for the date we are scheduled to be in Epcot (8/23). I obsessively check the cancellation tread as well as the dining reservations online (and there are days I even call in reservations, just to check).
It could be because we are a party of 5, but I dunno. I really want to try this place out, but I am starting to get a little tired of it.
Who am I kidding, I love a challenge, I am sure I will be obsessive up until we are there.

Want some help? I don't know how I could book it for you if I found it, but I'd be willing to if I find it..

 

[NaturalLove]

Wow...I'm in a daze. I can't believe I juste booked it about 5 minutes ago. I've checked all day todayand finally! Woohooo! It's going to be on our arrival day. What a way to start our trip!