Lots of ADR advice/feedback needed!

[CoryBelle21]

My fiancé and I are going on our first vacation together in Sept. This is also our first trip as real-life adults (meaning no one’s parents are involved) so this is the first time we’re doing any serious vacation planning on our own. We’ve both been to WDW several times, but it’s been a few years. We’ll be there 8 nights on the regular dining plan with park hoppers. We make our ADRs next Thursday and we could use a little advice.

Here’s what we’d like to do:

California Grill, Dinner (during fireworks, maybe Hallowishes)
Boma, Dinner
Crystal Palace, Breakfast (1st seating , if possible)
Le Cellier, Lunch (late lunch)
Akershus, Breakfast (1st seating, if possible)
Via Napoli, Lunch
Biergarten, Dinner
50s Prime Time, Dinner
Raglan Road, Dinner
Lunch with an Imagineer

First, how do these sound? Thoughts? Any advice? Are we missing anything big? We've intentionally picked places we haven't been (Crystal Palace being the one exception, fav memory from my childhood).

Second, what should we pay out of pocket for? We know we’ll pay for the Imagineer lunch for sure. We were planning to pay OOP for Cali Grill just because we probably won’t eat enough to justify two credits each. I think we’re more likely to split an appetizer and each get an entrée. The desserts there don’t sound like anything special. But then we started looking at menus and saw that Crystal Palace is only $22/person. That doesn’t seem like the best use of a dining credit either, especially since juice isn’t even counted anymore.

So, if we pay OOP for Lw/I, Cali Grill, and Crystal, we’ll only use 7 TS credits and would need to add another restaurant. Would you do this? If so, which restaurant should we add? We don’t have anything in Animal Kingdom, but we’re already doing Boma. Or should we use the dining plan on Cali or Crystal?

Finally, in which order should we try to make these. I know I’m asking for the impossible trying to get all these. I know Lw/I is difficult, as is Cali during Wishes. Pre-park opening seatings at the character breakfasts are popular and I’m expecting lunch at LeCellier to be hard to get now that dinner is 2 credits. So what should I try for first? I plan to be online at 6 next Thursday and ready to call at 7 if I have problems with the website.

I know this is a ton of questions for one thread, but any help or advice would be much appreciated. I’ll pay everyone back with food porn pics when we get back.


Thanks in advance!

 

[Diegosmom]

No advise but wanted to say that I was able to get Le Cellier for a 1pm ressie on labor day and i booked it at like 175 days. First time I checked so might not be so difficult,

 

[lesabrowning]

Your choices look great. I think if you book them at exactly 180 days out you will get them all. I was able to get all of mine today and I think I booked all of the "hard to get" ones with the exception of the castle : )

 

[focusondisney]

Hi! YC IPO made our ADRs yesterday for Sept 10-15. We got Le Cellier lunch, Castle dinner, Flying Fish dinner, Crystal Palace lunch, plus others, all within 20 mins of what we asked for. Checking the website there seems to be lots of availibliity at least for 2 at everything I check. So hopefully you'll have good luck next week, too.

Since you will have another table service credit, I'd probably use it for California Grill. Then pay OPP for a less expensive meal, if you need to. Maybe check prices online & decide what is the most cost effective for you. Don't forget you can split meals without a charge at most places. So you can add an appitizer (pay OOP for that & second person's beverage), split an entree & dessert & save a credit for later. We have done this before with no problems.

Good luck & have fun planning!

 

[focusondisney]

Missed your question about the order to do the ADRs. I have never done the Imagineer's lunch, so can't help about that. Think I'd start with California Grill then Le Cellier. All the others you have listed should be easier to get. A trick people talked about last year was going later in your week for the hard to get places. Less people have been able to book them at that point. If you try for Cal. Grill on your first night, for example, it is your first night to book. But others have been booking it got 10 days, leaving less available for you. But if you go for it 6 days later, others have only been able to book it for 4 days, hopefully more available for you.

Hope I didn't just totally confuse you!

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I'd pay oop for Via Napoli for sure. There pizza's are large enough to split. Then I would pay for 1 CG oop. I'd use my last two credits to pay for one person and just pay oop for that app and drink. You could split the entree and dessert.

California Grill, Dinner (during fireworks, maybe Hallowishes) 8 (for 1 person)
Boma, Dinner 1
Crystal Palace, Breakfast (1st seating , if possible)2
Le Cellier, Lunch (late lunch) 3
Akershus, Breakfast (1st seating, if possible) 4
Via Napoli, Lunch oop
Biergarten, Dinner 5
50s Prime Time, Dinner 6
Raglan Road, Dinner 7
Lunch with an Imagineer oop

 

[CoryBelle21]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Will they really let us pay OOP for 1 person and use the DDp for the other at Cali Grill? I didn't know you could do that.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

Yup not a problem at all!

 

[focusondisney]

Hey, OP, how did it go? Did you get what you wanted?

 

[CoryBelle21]

I make them NEXT Thursday. The 24th. Sorry for the confusion. But I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

I know it's crazy, but I'm really nervous. I actually had a nightmare that I couldn't get my computer to work and didn't get any of the places I want. How silly is that?

Hopefully, all will be well. I really appreciate everyone's advice.

 

[CoryBelle21]

I made my ADRs this morning. I was able to get everything I wanted for almost exactly when I wanted them. No sweat.

Here's my list:

9/20, 8:30 p.m: Raglan Road
9/21, 1:05 p.m: 50's Prime Time
9/22, 6:00 p.m: Boma
9/23, 8:10 a.m: Crystal Palace
9/24, 8:15 a.m: Akershus
9/24, 2:50 p.m: Le Cellier
9/25, 12:45 p.m: Via Napoli
9/26, 11:30 a.m: Hollywood Brown Derby (Lunch w/ Imagineer)
9/26, 6:45 p.m: Biergarten
9/27, 7:55 p.m: California Grill

Thanks so much to everyone for helping me get prepared. Apparently, I was much more nervous than I needed to be.

 

[focusondisney]

Glad you got everything you wanted. Everyone is still posting on how easy it has been to get their preferred ADRs. Hope that means low crowds!

Thanks for coming bck & updating! It's always nice to hear how things went. Have a great vacation!!

 

[smiths02]

Glad you got what you wanted.

I would use the credits as follows (You have 16 Adult TS)
9/20, 8:30 p.m: Raglan Road (2 TS)
9/21, 1:05 p.m: 50's Prime Time (2 TS)
9/22, 6:00 p.m: Boma (2 TS)
9/23, 8:10 a.m: Crystal Palace (2 TS)
9/24, 8:15 a.m: Akershus (2 TS)
9/24, 2:50 p.m: Le Cellier (2 TS)
9/25, 12:45 p.m: Via Napoli OOP
9/26, 11:30 a.m: Hollywood Brown Derby (Lunch w/ Imagineer)-OOP
9/26, 6:45 p.m: Biergarten (2 TS)
9/27, 7:55 p.m: California Grill (2 TS for 1 person, OOP for other person and share)

Even if it doesn't save you the most money, I would go OOP at the last meal b/c there is always the possibility that you cancel or miss one of your planned ADRs during the week and it wold stink to have leftover credits