Select a less desireable time or just keep checking?

[Delilah1310]

Making our first ADRs in about two weeks and I have a question about the personal philosophy of some of the "verterans" to this process --

If the time window I would like for a certain restaurant is not available, should I book whatever time I can get?
Or should I just leave it empty but keep checking online, hoping that something in the prefered window will open up?

The danger with the first option is that I might have to rearrange my touring plan, but the danger with the second option is that I might not get an ADR.

I'd like to at least try for my first choice of restuarants for this trip.
We are planning for mid-september.

thanking in advance for any help you can provide!

 

[Nadjalu]

It is forever a guessing game. Even veterans of the "game" can't predict everything.

My best advice is this: What is more important to you? Eating at your first choice or doing what your plans dictate?

Some go with food, others with their plans and then there are some like me who settle for a bit of both.

I can only speak for myself but what I do is pick my park (I don't do touring plans), then I pick my restaurant for dinner (TS) and the time we like to eat.

If I can't get exactly what I want I will loosen the hold on the time a bit. But I won't eat dinner anything past 8pm (to me that is too late), so I balence the time with the restaurant. If I can't get a good time then I go to my backup restaurant to get the perfect time. Usually this works. Very very rarely do I have to resort to my third choice to eat.

So it really becomes a personal agenda, what is it worth to you???? Only you can decide that.

Good luck and remember it is a vacation....these things shouldn't be so "stressful"....LOL

 

[Pakey]

With the exception of a few places, there is no place to dine there that is worthy of the juggling. If Option A is not available at the time I want, I select another place to eat.

 

[fairyprincess1]

I think it depends on how badly you want to eat there... Sometimes, I will book the ADR with the not so desirable time but will keep checking and a better time will open up... Then I book the new time & cancel the first ADR

 

[Delilah1310]

wow. thanks for the quick replies!

I just am not sure how the process works ... this is our first ever trip to WDW, so I have no clue what I'm in for ... in so many ways!!

I think I would rather have the right times that fit with our 3 YO's schedule.
Getting our first choices would be nice, but you guys are right ... for us - for this first trip - is really is more about the experience and the parks than it is about great food.

(and honestly, aside from a few character meals ... there's nothing that probably considered a tought-to-get ADR anyway!)

thanks for the insight!

 

[phabric]

I did my 180 day reservations this morning. I had no problems getting the times I wanted for my 15 reservations even the castle was open. Later in the day, I changed a couple of the times with no problems

 

[3pletprincesses]

I did my 180 reservations for 8 people yesterday morning 3 hours after it opened and din't have problems getting all my ressie for within the hour of what I wanted. you can always book the different time and keep looking for the desire time over the following months. I'm sure you will get what you want pretty much when you want it.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I can only speak for myself but what I do is pick my park (I don't do touring plans), then I pick my restaurant for dinner (TS) and the time we like to eat.

If I can't get exactly what I want I will loosen the hold on the time a bit. But I won't eat dinner anything past 8pm (to me that is too late), so I balence the time with the restaurant. If I can't get a good time then I go to my backup restaurant to get the perfect time. Usually this works. Very very rarely do I have to resort to my third choice to eat.

That's the plan that I go with also. I will plan which park we are going to for the day and then select a place for dinner. If I don't get the time range that I want I will book my second choice but I always keep watching for my first pick to open up. So far I have always been able to get exactly what I wanted. Since the online ADR system started up it's been super easy to find the exact ADR's that I want. I've even managed to score some hot ticket places right in prime dinner time. I just made a point of searching as many times a day as possible. LOL....last year I got Chef M's 2 weeks before our trip by checking online at least 6 times a day.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

The information you just gave about a 3 year old would make the decision for me. There is NO restaurant in all of disney worth altering a 3 year olds meal time. It will be MISERABLE for everyone and no one will enjoy their meal. If she normally naps at a certain time don't schedule a meal for then even if it the only meal you really want. I have learned the hard way. Try to stick to earlier dinner since the later you schedule the longer the wait will be. In general sticking to a good schedule in Disney is just as important if not more so than sticking to a schedule at home. Disney is a great place for 3 year olds and you will all enjoy your trip if you make sure to follow her cues and keep a realistic schedule in your head.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

Book the undesirable time *and* keep looking for what you want. Unless the time is really wacky. If you know for certain you would not eat at, say, O'hana's at 9:30pm, don't book it...but if you are dying to try something and you don't care what time as long as you get to eat there, then book it and keep looking.
There are great threads in "Disney Restaurants" on here that have ADR cancellations for every month. You can usually find something you want eventually between that and checking Disney's website.