*****Official October 2011 Thread*****

[fuzzyjelly]

What time can you officially start making reservations in the morning?

 

[jjiillee]

I am love reading everyone ADRs and schedules! It is getting me so excited and also helping me plan mine! I get to make mine tomorrow! I can't wait!
I am thinking about getting the dining plan. I figured it would be about $800 extra. It might be worth it b/c we are doing at least 4 character meals. We are staying Club Level though so we will be eating breakfast in the lounge almost every day. Does anyone have an opinion on whether to get dining plan while staying Club level?

 

[jjiillee]

What time can you officially start making reservations in the morning?

I think it is 6 am.

 

[tlenzendorf]

I am love reading everyone ADRs and schedules! It is getting me so excited and also helping me plan mine! I get to make mine tomorrow! I can't wait!
I am thinking about getting the dining plan. I figured it would be about $800 extra. It might be worth it b/c we are doing at least 4 character meals. We are staying Club Level though so we will be eating breakfast in the lounge almost every day. Does anyone have an opinion on whether to get dining plan while staying Club level?

What meals are you planning on doing? With 2 kids(that count) under 9, it may very well be worth it. The dining plan for them is less than one TS meal by itself. Character meals are expensive if you are doing dinners, it may be a wash if you are planning on lunches. We looked over all the menus and did a guesstimate on how much we would spend and decided to go without it. We are a different story, though, as 2 of the kids are Disney dining "adults". They won't eat like adults, so we figure that we would have ended up spending more for the dining plan.

Although I see you are staying in a GV. Is that DVC? If so you can segment the DP. That's actually what we are doing. We have the dining plan for the last day only.

 

[jjiillee]

So far here are the restaurants we are planning on:
Ohana (dinner)
1900 Park Fare
Tusker house (breakfast)
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Hollywood and Vine (my kids love OSO)
T Rex -(or another DTD restuarant if we get DDP)
Plaza
Chefs de France


Another question, can you use dining plan credits at F&W festival?

 

[tlenzendorf]

So far here are the restaurants we are planning on:
Ohana (dinner)
1900 Park Fare
Tusker house (breakfast)
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Hollywood and Vine (my kids love OSO)
T Rex -(or another DTD restuarant if we get DDP)
Plaza
Chefs de France


Another question, can you use dining plan credits at F&W festival?

You can use snack credits for some F&W, but not all. I'd have to look at the prices, but I know that 1900 Park Fare definitely makes it worth the dining plan, along with Ohana. The Plaza isn't a great value for the DP, and I can't remember if Tusker House or Crystal Palace are for breakfast or not. I would really check out the menu prices and see what works, along with the CS places you would go to.

 

[SoScary'09]

Randomly posting our ADRs because I can!!

10/29- Ohana 7:00pm
10/30- Tutto 6:00pm
11/01- Garden Tea Room 3:00pm
11/04- Kona 8:00pm

 

[KEPE]

Catira, I did not ask how much the F! package was, we are on the dinning plan so it wasn't someting I would pay attention to. Just a guess, but..... would it even be extra? you don't pay to see F! do you? If not, why would they charge you more than your actual meal? I can't believe the latest you could get was 2:30. I think it all depends on which CM you get. Hope you can get a better time!!

 

[exwdwcm]

The CM told me the schedule just wasn't out yet for P&P's. She said they usually don't come out for the 180 days and to try calling back once MNSSHP tickets go on sale the P&P's tickets will go on sale. Because with MNSSHP fire works not on the official schedule yet they hadn't made the P&P schedule yet. I specifically asked if P&P's wasn't that night would she be able to tell and she said yes it would be blacked out and it wasn't. So we'll see. lol

that's so weird, they already booked me for my night and charged my credit card and everything- for 10/17. she just said that 10/21 was not available. don't you love how you get different info from different CMs? lol

maybe she said 10/21 wasn't available because it is a MNNSHP night (10/17 is a regular WISHES night). so maybe that is why she was saying it wasn't available? who knows. now i've changed my whole plans and they've already charged me- i guess i'll consider trying to get 10/21 then maybe still if i want to change my schedule back- at least once MNSSHp comes out- hopefully next week?

 

[sjs314]

Catira, I did not ask how much the F! package was, we are on the dinning plan so it wasn't someting I would pay attention to. Just a guess, but..... would it even be extra? you don't pay to see F! do you? If not, why would they charge you more than your actual meal? I can't believe the latest you could get was 2:30. I think it all depends on which CM you get. Hope you can get a better time!!

Just a thought - I know when checking online you can put in a specific time such as 1:30 pm or search by B,L,D but if you search by B,L,D you do get different results.

The other day when I had to call I noticed the CM would ask me after each place I mentioned B,L,or D? and I woujld reply with the time I wanted and I ended up getting everything I wanted within 5-20 mins of the time I asked for.

I am thinking some CM must search by the B,L,D method so fewer times come up as available perhaps?

 

[Bookmomhp]

Well, I never heard from the AKL IPO today, and when I looked at the Disney World web site to see if any reservations had been made for us, it showed that we had no reservations So... I went ahead and made the ADRs myself, 7 hours after our window opened. Thankfully, we still got everything we wanted. I'm still hoping to hear from IPO in regard to the Illuminations Cruise and Sunrise Safari I requested. Here's what our trip looks like now....

10/22/2011
Arrive at AKL early evening. CS dinner and early bed.

10/23/2011
Animal Kingdom.
6:50 dinner at Boma.

10/24/2011
Epcot (mainly Future World).
5:25 dinner at Akershus.
Illuminations Cruise.

10/25/2011
Resort day and DTD.
6:00 dinner at Raglan Road.

10/26/2011
DHS.
5:45 dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe.

10/27/2011
Sunrise Safari in a.m.
Epcot (mainly World Showcase).
Les Chefs de France at 6:20 p.m.

10/28/2011
MK.
Crystal Palace at 11:30 a.m.

10/29/2011
Departure day. Hang out at resort then maybe mini golf?

 

[Catira]

Catira, I did not ask how much the F! package was, we are on the dinning plan so it wasn't someting I would pay attention to. Just a guess, but..... would it even be extra? you don't pay to see F! do you? If not, why would they charge you more than your actual meal? I can't believe the latest you could get was 2:30. I think it all depends on which CM you get. Hope you can get a better time!!

Kepe I called again This time the latest was 3:30 p.m. but I talked with my friends and they said lunch was fine. We will eat somewhere else for dinner. I finally asked the price.. $37.30 for lunch $40.30 for dinner.

 

[sjs314]

Well, I never heard from the AKL IPO today, and when I looked at the Disney World web site to see if any reservations had been made for us, it showed that we had no reservations So... I went ahead and made the ADRs myself, 7 hours after our window opened. Thankfully, we still got everything we wanted. I'm still hoping to hear from IPO in regard to the Illuminations Cruise and Sunrise Safari I requested. Here's what our trip looks like now....

10/22/2011
Arrive at AKL early evening. CS dinner and early bed.

10/23/2011
Animal Kingdom.
6:50 dinner at Boma.

10/24/2011
Epcot (mainly Future World).
5:25 dinner at Akershus.
Illuminations Cruise.

10/25/2011
Resort day and DTD.
6:00 dinner at Raglan Road.

10/26/2011
DHS.
5:45 dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe.

10/27/2011
Sunrise Safari in a.m.
Epcot (mainly World Showcase).
Les Chefs de France at 6:20 p.m.

10/28/2011
MK.
Crystal Palace at 11:30 a.m.

10/29/2011
Departure day. Hang out at resort then maybe mini golf?

Congrates on getting the places and times you wanted and hopefully you will hear from IPO soon about the safari and cruise.

Wow you have patience, I do not think I could have waited 7 hours, but then I do not think I could let IPO make my ADRs for me I just like being in control too much

 

[Catira]

Congrates on getting the places and times you wanted and hopefully you will hear from IPO soon about the safari and cruise.

Wow you have patience, I do not think I could have waited 7 hours, but then I do not think I could let IPO make my ADRs for me I just like being in control too much

This morning when I was doing my ADR's I first had a panic attack because I was getting a message saying " I could not book yet". Then it asked for my resort confirmation which I had doubled checked last night. Finally entered the confirmation, and I was set to go. After I am done, I go to "my reservations" and shows "you have no reservations" !! What???? I then update reservations and...... VOILA!! There they were. I too can not imagine letting someone else make my reservations.

 

[LJD2143]

What time can you officially start making reservations in the morning?

Online = 6am Eastern
By Phone = 7am Eastern

I am thinking about getting the dining plan. I figured it would be about $800 extra. It might be worth it b/c we are doing at least 4 character meals. We are staying Club Level though so we will be eating breakfast in the lounge almost every day. Does anyone have an opinion on whether to get dining plan while staying Club level?

In 2009 we stayed Club Level and bought the Dining Plan. For us, it was way too much food and based on all our ADRs, we felt that we did not get to "fully" enjoy the Club offerings......Just our experience!

We are a different story, though, as 2 of the kids are Disney dining "adults". They won't eat like adults, so we figure that we would have ended up spending more for the dining plan.

Same with us. Our twins will turn 10 just before our trip in October and there is no way they could eat off the adult menus! This will be the first time in 5 years that we won't have the Dining Plan because it just will not be worth it this year.

Another question, can you use dining plan credits at F&W festival?

Yes (at least in prior years)! Actually, F&W is a great use of Snack credits because some of the items that qualify can cost as much as $8.

Just a thought - I know when checking online you can put in a specific time such as 1:30 pm or search by B,L,D but if you search by B,L,D you do get different results.

Interesting!!!!

 

[Mommison]

Okay, so I'm now mildly freaking out.

MIL, who is the person making the reservations (hotel, plane, etc) seems to be of the opinion that we should just make one ADR - for CRT if we can get it - and that's it. She wants to do one day at Sea World and thinks we should just wait and see what the "best day is weatherwise" and go that day.

I am a total planner by nature and this is going to make me nuts for the next 6 months. I don't care if we have a plan and decide to scrap it mid-trip, but having no plan at all is going to make me crazy.

I am picturing us spending a LOT of time waiting for my two SILs, who are staying out at ASMu (we are staying at Poly with the ILs), to take the fourteen stops and transfers etc to get to our resort, then an hour while everyone argues about who wants to go to what park and who wants to eat where and when... and spending half the day texting back and forth to figure out where everyone is and when they want to meet back up.

Ugh... have any of you guys ever done a no-plan-at-all trip? Am I doomed to disaster? It might not be so bad if it was just us and my ILs, since we'll be in adjoining rooms of the same resort, but add my two sisters-in-law who are staying somewhere else entirely and it just seems like a recipe for disaster...

 

[Leleluvsdis]

We make a rough draft, and then barly stick to it lol... DH and I are huge planners, but for some reason, when we are on vaca, we hate following a schedule lol I think you will be fine!!

 

[Mommison]

We make a rough draft, and then barly stick to it lol... DH and I are huge planners, but for some reason, when we are on vaca, we hate following a schedule lol I think you will be fine!!

Do you think so? That helps me feel a bit better, LOL! If I thought we would even be at least planning ahead of time as far as which park we wanted to do on which day, I'd feel better. I just picture us spending a TON of time "planning" while we're actually there - and that seems like a) a huge waste of time since we really only have 4 full days to spend in the parks (since we're losing one day to Sea World) and b) a daily screaming argument waiting to happen. While I sit there like this and wishing someone would have listened to me back in April and at least let me make some freaking ADRs. LOL...

 

[Catira]

Do you think so? That helps me feel a bit better, LOL! If I thought we would even be at least planning ahead of time as far as which park we wanted to do on which day, I'd feel better. I just picture us spending a TON of time "planning" while we're actually there - and that seems like a) a huge waste of time since we really only have 4 full days to spend in the parks (since we're losing one day to Sea World) and b) a daily screaming argument waiting to happen. While I sit there like this and wishing someone would have listened to me back in April and at least let me make some freaking ADRs. LOL...

When I travel with just my family I am not a huge planner. But we do try and lay out a simple plan to decide what parks we will visit. This last xmas, I also traveled with my sister in law's family. As soon as they arrived at my house, which was 3 days prior to trip, we made the plans for each day we would be at disney. We went for 10 days. We did not have ADRs for every day, but we at least had a plan. With your group consisting of so many, I would definitely try and make a basic plan so you don't end up every morning attempting to decide where to go. Maybe send everyone some parks maps and hope they get the hint.

 

[sjs314]

Okay, so I'm now mildly freaking out.

MIL, who is the person making the reservations (hotel, plane, etc) seems to be of the opinion that we should just make one ADR - for CRT if we can get it - and that's it. She wants to do one day at Sea World and thinks we should just wait and see what the "best day is weatherwise" and go that day.

I am a total planner by nature and this is going to make me nuts for the next 6 months. I don't care if we have a plan and decide to scrap it mid-trip, but having no plan at all is going to make me crazy.

I am picturing us spending a LOT of time waiting for my two SILs, who are staying out at ASMu (we are staying at Poly with the ILs), to take the fourteen stops and transfers etc to get to our resort, then an hour while everyone argues about who wants to go to what park and who wants to eat where and when... and spending half the day texting back and forth to figure out where everyone is and when they want to meet back up.

Ugh... have any of you guys ever done a no-plan-at-all trip? Am I doomed to disaster? It might not be so bad if it was just us and my ILs, since we'll be in adjoining rooms of the same resort, but add my two sisters-in-law who are staying somewhere else entirely and it just seems like a recipe for disaster...

I think since you are staying at two different resorts, to have some sort of basic plan as far as park days and ADRs would be a big help. At least then you could all meet at breakfast or at the park then split up , meet for lunch or dinner etc but without a plan it just seems to me it might be a bit stressfull.

Say you and the inlaws want to have breakfast at Kona then you meet up with the Sils at MK and they have not eaten yet anyway it will probally all work out I just hate not having a plan.

My last trip my Ddil was incharge of the trip and only made one ADR it was hit or miss as far as finding places to eat and led to a lot of tension which I think could have been avoided had we had a better plan.

You can always cancel the ADRs later but it will not be easy finding a table for a larger group last minute.