My excitement is dulling somewhat......phone call from Disney

[pafer]

I had been very excited about our trip to the World. We are leaving on the 13th for 8 days. My dh has a conference to attend for half days the first three days but I was still excited. In the past week we have received 3 phone calls from Disney with offers of an upgrade to our vacation and free dining if we will consider changing the dates of our trip. We cannot take the offer as we have business while we are there but now I worry just how busy the parks are going to be.

I am unable to book many of our favorite restaurants as they are completely full and the Hoop Dee Doo is sold out until July. I have been to Disney many times and have never encountered such trouble booking things. Part of it I know is my own fault for waiting so long to get things done but geez. Someone please cheer me up and tell me it won't be that bad.

I remember many years ago we went on our honeymoon with no advanced planning and never once had trouble getting seated at a restaurant as a walk up diner. Now it seems that months ahead of time you are out of luck. Am I imagining things or do others find this to be true as well?

 

[Dicecatt]

It is definitely harder to get a seat at table restaurants in Disney than it used to be. BUT CHEER UP, you are still going to Disneyworld! You are going, and you are going to have fun. Just take it slow if it is really crowded, don't stand out in the heat for too long, drink lots of water, yadda yadda yadda...but really, Disney is MAGIC no matter when you go! And counter service isn't the worst thing in the world!

Also, I would keep trying for ADRs everyday! You never know when someone will cancel!

 

[Darian]

pafer if you can upgrade to concierge at any deluxe resort then your hopes for getting that illusive reservation get much much better. DW and I were staying at the YC concierge and we got ressies to any restaurant we wanted, including CRT with little if any advance notice. I had tried unsuccessfully on my own to accomplish this, but the concierge worked magic for us.

Best of luck!

 

[pafer]

Darian, Thanks for the advice but we just cannot afford the deluxe resorts right now. We are staying at the French Quarter which is kinda funny considering we have the real thing so close. We love that resort and are going back for a second time there. We are going to make do with what we have managed to schedule and hope for the best. It will be strange not doing Hoop Dee Doo this time though as we have been everyone of the past 6 trips. I guess if it is really crowded we will need the extra time in the parks anyways.

 

[SadieDog]

At least you know in advance that it is going to be very busy. That will be no unpleasant surprise. You can't change your date so you are going to make the best of it. Hey, you will be at Disney! Look at it this way...you can't go to your favorite restaurants so this will allow you to try new things. Things you might not have considered before and who knows, just maybe you will really enjoy the new choices. Be FLEXIBLE. Don't stay disappointed. Don't let the little annoyances bother you....go with the flow. My family could not afford to do any of the shows or eat at any table service restaurants. We always ate our meals at the food courts and we did not let this disappoint or bother us. You are lucky enough to be able to afford any show or table service. Maybe you won't be doing exactly as you planned, but there is no reason you can't have a wonderful time. Again, be flexible and enjoy. Stop worrying!!!

 

[TSR6]

What is making it so busy that week??????

I'm staying about a week later, and it seemed as if it wasn't going to be that busy. I could be wrong...but... if they are calling trying to get you to change dates, that makes me go HMMM.. and uh oh...

 

[HydroGuy]

Which conference? We will be there too, and I will be at a conference during those days.

 

[Tinkerbell10403]

DBF and I are staying at FQ, as well in September! I also live near NOLA...I saw pics today online and they reminded me of the RiverWalk Mall's HUGE Mardi Gras store!! Keep calling...people cancel ressies all the time, and there are even those that double book themselves in ADRs so that they can choose where to go. You will have a great time!

 

[zulaya]

I wonder if it's not that it's too busy during the time you are going, but that they are still trying to get people to take advantage of the free dining deal? Maybe sales for that time period are not as brisk as they would like.

 

[pafer]

We are going so my husband can attend a Pediatrics conference. We tried to see if we could book a room at some of the resorts for that week and have found that all those rooms are full. We did this to see if it would be crowded or not. Knowing that there are not rooms left at the Port Orleans or the French quarter makes me think it is safe to say that it will be very busy while we are there. I have to wonder if it has to do with the schools in this area finishing a few weeks earlier than normal this year. I wonder how many ppl from this area are going to be heading to the parks?

I am just going to go with a positive attitude and hope for the best. I worry less about the eating and more about the long lines for the attractions. I know it will be hot and humid and the girls patience will be lessened by the temperatures.

 

[Microcell]

OUr schools get out in May every year, just about all the plains states do, I believe.

Remember to keep calling disney dine daily and give them a day and ask what times they have, you might eat lunch at 11 but who cares, it is Disney! It was really busy Presidents day 2005, but we were able to get a time at fifties walk in, again at 11 in the morning.

I have been there in the height of busy season, and it is not so bad if you plan some and get fast passes, and realize you may not just walk on to things, that you may wait more.

When we are there during busy times my DH and my rule is if the line is longer than 20 minutes it is not worth the wait. Get a fast pass if you want to ride it, then go to something with less of a wait and come back.

I have been there late June and on president's day and one hint I want to pass on about MK if you don't care about having the best ever viewing spot for Wishes, they set up for it at 815 or so and you can walk on Philharmagic and Cindys carousel, Pooh, Snow White and Small world and Peter Pan several times between 815 and 845 when everyone else has gone to the front of the castle. Just get gone from there by the time fireworks start, because you will get the "rain of fire" if you stay back there during the show!

The less you expect the more fun you will have!

 

[slo]

I would keep calling everyday to see if there are any cancellations at the restaurants you want to go to. I know this seems like a pain, but it has worked for some. Good luck, and have a great trip!!!

 

[Tissa]

I think the op means June 13th and from what I have been reading this is the busiest June in recent memory.

 

[Microcell]

I think the op means June 13th and from what I have been reading this is the busiest June in recent memory.

Thanks, I changed my post so as not to look like an idiot!

 

[keishashadow]

Know that the CR has dental hygentist then dentist convention when we'll be there in June - went off-site partial trip because we couldn't get codes/AAA rates @ any deluxe or value.

 

[pafer]

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. I wondered if anyone knew about the crowds this year. I thought early June was not supposed to be too bad. We went the first week of June for our honeymoon 7 years ago and walked on almost every attraction and into almost any restaurant except Cindy's. They did seat us there though when they realized we were on our honeymoon. I have been hooked on Disney ever since.

Dh says we are never going in the summer again just because of the trouble this week with reservations for dinners. He used to say we were never taking the girls out of school to go. I think I have made him change his mind. We have usually gone in October and in early spring around March. There are Peds conferences there at least once a year so we go when they have those. This year we were stuck with this conference in June. So not only will the parks be busy but my favorite attraction is closed. I am hoping that Pirates is open way sooner than they are anticipating as I would love to see the new characters. Anyone have any inside information on that for me?

 

[keishashadow]

no insider info but, you could always walk past to see if they're having any "soft" opening opportunities ...it's what we're hoping for.

 

[miss missy]

Keep in mind. A lot of people make DOUBLE ressies for dining. Bad but true. As it gets close, you may see some cancels so keep checking!

I was there DEC 31, the busiest time, they call it elbow to elbow. It was the best trip ever! It wasn't bad at all.

 

[Amy&Dan]

The travel industry in general is just up right now and Disney is probably leading that trend. Its the 50th anniversary gala at all the Disney parks and every time I turn on my tv it seems like there is some commercial for WDW. I think the advertising seems to be paying off. June, even early June is the beginnng of summer vacation for most schools. It seems as though more and more schools are letting out earlier for summer vacation. From what I have read on these boards, mid August is now the less busy time of summer since the schools let out early, they go back early too! As for dining, the Disney Dining Plan is so hugely popular that people are adding it on to their packages in droves which means full service restaurants are booked months in advance. You can make your dining reservations 180 days in advance now, whereas it used to be 90 days. I would do as others have suggested. Keep calling, people do change and cancel their plans. Also when you get to the parks go to the restaurants and see if they can get you in for later that day. You never know. Also, try making reservations at some of the restaurants at Downtown Disney. They don't take the dining plan so they aren't affected by that. Some of the resort restaurants like Kona Cafe are also good bets and just a short monorail (and nice break) from MK. Good luck, I hope it all works out and you have a great trip!

Also, my husband was on Mice Age this morning and it said there would be no soft openings for Pirates as it is hooked into the opening of the movie more than getting the refurb done. We are in the same boat on the opposite side of the country as its closed at Disneyland too for our visit in two weeks!

 

[erikthewise]

Definitely continue to try for ADRs even after you arrive (without becoming obsessive about it). Except for character meals and a few very popular restaurants (and perhaps even them), you may be able to get an ADR calling the same morning.

If you are not successful, and you have a rental car, there are any number of perfectly good restaurants in or within a mile of the Crossroads Shopping Center, which is no more than a 10 minute drive from POFQ. I stayed there with a rental car in March, and found it remarkably easy to get around.