Making ADRs from UK- booked with Virgin

[Spencerfamily]

Evening all,
Ok, I may be feeling slightly on edge as 180+10 is less than 48 hrs away! I would really appreciate if someone could explain the UK site to me! I know those from the US are turning to it to make successful bookings but I am failing with it!

Our booking is through Virgin- I feel that this may be my stumbling block!
I have rung Virgin and have my 12 digit dining reservation number. I have previously been able to pull up my whole booking on the Disney UK site using it, however now I can't That is annoying but what I am worried about is trying to get reservations for those places that require credit card payment if not linked to the dining plan.

I rang Disney today and they said I can't link them to my dining plan online as I have booked through a UK travel agent and so don't have a resort booking number to link to my account. They said I will need to phone to make ADRs as if I book them on my card they will not be able to refund them (they said due to the currency exchange) and link to dining plan.

But my problem is I can't ring at BANG ON the hour as I am in charge of our school summer fair this Saturday and won't be free of the building until 3pm. DH is at work and unable to call. We are going Christmas week and I am slightly concerned they'll be nothing left at the table service places we would like to eat at!!

Any advice?!!! Anyone had joy linking their Dining Plan without the booking number Disney say I need but Virgin say I can't have?!

Failing that- pixie dust this way on Saturday at 3.01pm please!!

 

[ninamouse]

I was given a separate reservation number for booking ADRs and I booked through WDW.
It seems crazy you can't get your number if you are staying on resort.

I am not sure what to suggest really but if you do what to book the more popular ADRs you do need to try and be on the phone at 12noon :-/ I know that doesn't help you in your situation but do you have someone you trust who can call for you or cover you for half hour? I had problems booking Crystal Palace online for a certain day online...by the time I got through on the phone the availability was gone.

If you have everything written down ready to go, booking everything up on the phone doesn't take long.

Wishing you loads of luck with it x

 

[MarkF0wle]

I've never managed to do 180+10 with Virgin. In 2012 I had the Disney reservation number with plenty of time but could not link it up to get the +10 days. Then last year Virgin didn't provide me the Disney reservation number until about 170 days out. Which speaking to them & a friend who works for Virgin is because Disney now do not provide them with the rooms until about then. So technically you haven't a room with Disney until somewhere between 180-170 days out, you just have an agreement with Virgin to give you one of the rooms when they get them.

So, that's the bad news. The good news is that using the website to book my ADRs at 180 days out, it's annoying to have to do it each morning I know, but by doing that I have never missed an ADR that I wanted. Just takes some perseverance.

I think it's a bit silly as it's a marketed benefit to staying on site; but it is what it is.

 

[flortlebap]

I couldn't get my +10 last year either, but we weren't looking for the crazy popular restaurants!

Even now, 4 weeks before we go, the Disney site won't recognise my booking except for ADRs.

 

[tinks_1989]

I have booked ours through virgin holiday this years I was told I can't have my confirmation number until 181 days. For the same reason you just explained that's when the room is actually booked with Disney. I hope this won't be a problem then. I really don't want to have to fight for a BOG reservation again.

 

[Spencerfamily]

Hi all,
Thank you for all the replies. I just wanted to update people on how it went.


Firstly- after speaking to Disney on the UK number again who said that they could not see my reservation with either my Virgin booking number or by using my dining reservation number I resigned myself to the fact that I would just try and book each ADR on its 180 day mark by phoning and using my dining reservation number from Disney.

Secondly- I scheduled with my Mum to have my DD and asked a colleague if they would hold the fort at the school fair for 'just a few minutes' whilst I rang Disney at 12 to make my reservations for the 26th Dec (180 days).

I felt prepared!

So what happened?!

I got up and decided on a whim to try linking my dining again on the UK disney site. I tried my 12 digit number... no joy... it said booking number so I just thought I'd try my Virgin booking reference again (even though this had failed before and Disney hadn't recognised it yesterday)- IT LINKED!!

So...armed with DD and a full list of reservations that I wanted I turned up at my parents this morning and turned on the charm. Whilst my Dad entertained my DD my Mum was under strict instructions to try and book as many ADRs as she could...but not to stress if it didn't work as I was fully prepared to ring and do each day on its own. Well.....I LOVE HER SO MUCH! Whilst I was having wet sponges hurled at me my wonderful mother booked every single one of my ADRs within a 15 minute window of what we wanted!!!
So we are staying Christmas week and got everything we wanted, 15 table service or character meals using the deluxe dining plan, including BOG, all linked so nothing on credit card except to hold bookings. I take back everything I said and feared- it is possible!

I rang 40 minutes ago and booked DD's BBB and PL appointments too for the times we wanted. The CM did have to spend most of the 40 mins though taking my details. I gave her my Virgin booking ref and like the CM said the other day she said 'it needs some letters on that reference too' but she eventually found booking. She said it was blank as Virgin have supplied no details yet (I guess they haven't sent them through) so she had to fill it all in which took the time. I wouldn't have wanted to be doing this if I was trying to get dinner ADRs as it took ages! When I asked if she had a booking ref I should use in future she said to still give the Virgin number but to persist and ask the CM to look it all up.

So I guess the moral of the tale is, don't despair.
My booking wouldn't link until today- my 180 day mark- but it was possible to link it before the ADRs opened at 11am our time. I didn't even have to use my 12 digit dining number- it all linked on my Virgin booking number
It is possible to get all your bookings as I was worried as I had heard free dining has been released for christmas dates for some people and I had paid rack rate and thought everything may be gone by +10 people.
It is possible to get BOG.

So thank you for all of your advice and help and I hope that everyone else manages to get what they want too.

 

[ninamouse]

That's great news!!!


Really pleased you got what you wanted! Now it's a case of counting down to the holiday! X