Not sure who to be angry with

[whits_end]

(A bit long, sorry.)

Hey everybody - I'm looking for some advice (and, I admit, a bit of venting my frustrations.) I don't usually post, I'm mostly a lurker. But I need help.

My fiance and I are planning our Disneymoon for three weeks from today, Oct. 9 - 16. We've known we were doing this since Christmas. In the spring, my fiance and I had a discussion about using travel agents for this. I wanted to use a Disney-specific agent who knew the ins and outs of Disney World. My fiance insisted on using his agent who he had known for a while.

I gave in, but then impressed upon my fiance the importance of getting ADR's and MNSSHP tickets early. (I never realized until last night that I could make them online now without calling in.)

I was under the impression that ADR's were made months ago.

Last night, I found out differently.

Out of 8 requests, we got ONE that we wanted because his travel agent chose to wait until a month out to make the ressies.

I am, I admit, a bit heartbroken. There is nothing available for Le Cellier the ENTIRE time we are there. I know, some people think Le Cellier is overrated, but I've been there and it is my favorite restaurant in the entire world, not just Disney. I have been looking forward to our first dinner alone as a married couple for months. I managed to scrounge up a Raglan Rd ressie, but the loud atmosphere of RR is just not the same. I would even settle for Coral Reef, but there's NOTHING.

To top it all off, the travel agent seems very smug about the "alternative" ressies he got. But he obviously has NO CLUE about how WDW is laid out. He arranged for us to eat at the AKL on the day we're visiting Epcot. Or at the Beach Club for lunch on the day we're at the AK.

:

I'm just so frustrated and disappointed. I would settle for Le Cellier lunch or dinner at ANY time that week. But nothing is available.

I'm not sure who to be mad at - myself for not making the ADR's online, my fiance for not telling his travel agent not to wait, the TA for being an idiot, or WDW for making it so hard to just eat dinner!!

 

[npcougar]

Just keep using the website. Things open up all the time. Because people overbook their ADRs and don't go back to cancel them, you also might be able to get a walk up time.

 

[LVSWL]

Hi OP! I know you must be disappointed. I would be too. My advice would be to try not to be upset with anyone, that will just color the next few months for you and this should be a happy time. Try to just take charge now. People drop their ressies all the time, change them around. There is probably a thread here for October where people post when they are letting a ressie go and you can try to call and catch that one. If you have the time, I would just call OFTEN, checking for your restaurants, and be as flexible as possible. Routinely, Le Cellier is less crowded between 1:30-4:30, so you might have a better chance if you can do a late lunch/early supper. Good luck!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I would be mad at the TA. I'm so sorry!

Keep checking, people cancel all the time.

 

[ollyg]

Keep checking the October cancellation thread and WDW website. People cancel all the time.

Sending you pixie dust that everything works out.

 

[goofy4tink]

I feel your pain. On our first trip to WDW, back in '99, we really wanted to book CRT for my dd's 6th birthday..right on the actual day no less. We used a TA, here in town. She 'seemed' to know what she was doing. Back then, you had to book CRT 60 days out. We were going down the last week in Oct. Well....the TA called me in mid Sept to tell me that she hadn't been able to get CRT for us...that she had called that morning, but had no luck. Really??? Seriously???? You called one month before the dining date and expected to get it??? I was beyond disappointed since this was probably going to be our only WDW trip.
Well, I booked lunch in the Castle..no princesses at lunch but at least it was eating in the Castle. Lesson learned.

Keep checking out the options for your dates online. They do change, every day. You may not be able to get exactly what you want, but you may get some good substitutes if you're flexible.
Good luck with it..here's hoping you get some good ADRs and have a most wonderful time in WDW....no matter where you end up eating.

 

[notaclue]

Since it's just the 2 of you there is a chance you could just walk up and get seated. Esp if you go early. It's a long shot but we've managed to do it before. Don't give up.

 

[Sherrkel]

I went to Disney for my honeymoon too, and I know how perfect you want everything to be.

the advice you've been given here is great.

If you cannot get an ADR before you arrive; find out the direct phone number for LeCellier and program in your cell; then call them each day you are there and see if you can get in on a cancellation.

Good luck, not just with your trip, but with your wedding too . Don't let this spoil all the wonderful memories you will be making in the coming weeks; everything will work out for you.

 

[danceintherain]

The TA...you hired him for a service, and he failed royally. Sadly, its too late to hire someone else.

I would have been incredibly frustrated if the TA I hired for my Disneymoon didn't call at the 180 day point. Ultimately it might not have made a difference, because I hadn't experienced any of the Disney restaurants, but the hard to get ADRs ended up being some of our favorite meals.

Keep checking, something might open up. Have you thought about snacking around the World? The Food & Wine festival will be going on, so it could be a fun alternative to Le Cellier. I suppose it might not be if you're on the Dining Plan though...

 

[ElizabethB]

I hope things work out for you. Keep trying on-line as many times a day as you can. Also, check the Oct. cancellation thread as often as you can.

In the meantime, I would book some alternatives. You can always cancel if other choices come through. At this point, it will help if you are willing to eat dinner late or lunch early. Also, if you have park hoppers, try to book Epcot dinners when it is not late night there, same for other parks. When I check various evenings for Epcot, I find late dinner availability for Chefs de France, Marrakesh, San Angel Inn. Marrakesh and San Angel can both be romantic for dining.

I wish you the best.

 

[TDC Nala]

I do not think you have any reason to be angry with anyone. Le Cellier is difficult to get a reservation for under the best of circumstances. It also seems that you are restricting your Le Cellier wish list to dinner, and that it must be your FIRST dinner. If you had made that reservation yourself at 180 days plus 10 you were still not guaranteed to get it. I know you weren't able to even try, but you don't have that opportunity now. If you want to eat there, don't limit yourself to eating dinner there or to just one day. I had lunch there on September 4 and it was NOT full. Try just walking up without a reservation, as soon as they open for lunch, or as soon as they open for dinner.

Get on www.disneyworld.com/restaurants and try to book the restaurants you want in the parks you want. Then, after you book them, ask the travel agent to cancel the old ones.

 

[itchin2go]

Two things:

(1) I tried to book dinner at Le Cellier at 180 days out and got NOTHING. So yes, the travel agent handled this poorly but TDC Nala is right - it was a long shot even at 180 days. The problem with October ADRs is that even though free dining hadn't been announced 180 days prior, people booked their ADRs anticipating free dining.

(2) That said, I snagged a Le Cellier ADR for 10/20 TODAY - so there is hope. A kind DIS-er posted some cancellations over on the October cancellation thread and I snapped it up. So - watch that thread for sure, and bookmark the disney dining page so you can check periodically to see if something opens up.

GOOD LUCK!

P.S. Someone reported getting into Le Cellier as a walk-up recently. I wouldn't count on it, obviously, but there's a chance. I'm thinking the beginning of service would be the best time to check.

 

[extravaganzamom]

My two daughters and I were able to have lunch around 1:30 as a walk-up around June 8th of this year. I was very surprised. I even enjoyed my lunch there more than my previous dinners! They had a kiosk of some sort at the entrance and those cm's told my daughter for a walkup to check in around 4:30 for dinner. Since we were there already, we saw the movie and on the way out of that my daughter went inside the restaurant and they said they could work us in at that time! Suprise!!

 

[whits_end]

TDC Nala - I know my post was long, but if you look towards the bottom, you'll see where I stated that I would accept ANY Le Cellier reservation that week, whether lunch or dinner. My beef with our first day there was that all of the quiet, dark, romantic restaurants in the parks themselves seem to also have no reservations available at all on Saturday evening, when we first arrived. I'm definitely doing some calling around from the airports as we go down.

Thanks for everyone for the kind words and advice. I will definitely be checking the cancellation thread and doing a lot of calling. In between making programs and dress fitting and music editing and teaching seventh graders..... GAH.

 

[GovieMom]

In between making programs and dress fitting and music editing and teaching seventh graders..... GAH.

Wishing you the best of luck ... on teaching seventh graders.
Actually though, I do hope everything turns out wonderfully, for your wedding and Disneymoon ... please accept an early congrats from me!

 

[itchin2go]

OP - these came up with availability on 10/9 for dinner at Epcot:

Biergarten Restaurant
5:00 PM 7:00 PM

Bistro de Paris
6:00 PM 8:15 PM

Les Chefs de France
4:50 PM 8:20 PM

Nine Dragons Restaurant
6:15 PM 6:30 PM 6:45 PM

Restaurant Marrakesh
5:40 PM 6:20 PM 6:40 PM

Teppan Edo
4:00 PM

Tokyo Dining
6:20 PM 6:40 PM

The dining page has a great feature that allows you to search for any restaurant in a park. Again - good luck! I know it's disappointing - I HATE it when I get my heart set on something and can't book it - but I think you'll find some great dining options and who knows - maybe you'll find a new favorite.

 

[larryz]

If you haven't BLISTERED your TA by now, you've got far more patience than I...

 

[whits_end]

itchintogo - THANK YOU! I'm not sure how those weren't showing up on my computer last night, but then the Disney website was being a bit glitchy. I'm going to try for one of those. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

 

[itchin2go]

Someone posted on the cancellation thread that they were cancelling a reservation for Le Cellier on the 12th. Don't know if you were able to snag it, but if not, subscribe to that thread and watch it close!

 

[robinb]

My vote goes to the TA. I wouldn't beat yourself up about it and I wouldn't blame your husband-to-be. Both you and he did your best and the TA dropped the ball.

I know it's pretty disappointing, but I think you need to take a DEEP breath and go with the flow. There is no use stewing over not getting the "perfect" ADR because the LAST thing you want to do is ruin your honeymoon over it.