September 2011 - The Planning Has Started!!!

[basketkat]

I love the countdown board!

Quick question for everyone... where do you find menu's to the restaurants?

http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm

 

[basketkat]

Ok September pals...I have a question about 180 day ADRs... (our last trip I booked at 66 days out so I could make mine right away)

Do you guys call that morning or do you do it online?

I thought I read somewhere that the phone lines open at 7:00, but you can do it online at 6:00??? Is that true? I'm sure I could ask this in the dining section...but I figured this chatty goup would have the answer...

 

[L-Harper]

I love the countdown board!

Quick question for everyone... where do you find menu's to the restaurants?

Thank you!

Here is what I use for menus: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm

 

[mayfam2010]

Thanks so much for the links!

 

[MissLiz]

The last time I made ADRs 180 days out was for our May trip last year. Unfortunately, my 180 days came while we were visiting my parents in Iowa for Thanksgiving and (AAAH!) they still had dial-up, so I ended up calling.

We didn't have any problems getting any reservations we wanted. We actually ate at Ohana and Le Cellier that trip, too, which seem to be a couple of hard ones to get.

This trip, we are booked early for club level and I have been debating on letting the IPO do my ADRs, but I don't know if I can give up that much control. DH doesn't think so.

 

[JoBird]

Oooh, I know what you mean! I know that it is a huge perk having someone get your ADR's for you by staying CL- I just am too much of a control freak to let someone else do it for me. (Plus I think I enjoy doing it myself a little too much.... I have been known to make ADR's for trips that only *might* be happening and then cancelling them later when the plans don't go thru. Right now I'm holding onto a few in May....)


I now use the online system. I have found that I really hate calling - and never have had any trouble (so far!) getting what I want.

Hoping that's the case this time- I can make mine on March 6th-- it's a Sunday.

 

[sjs314]

Good Morning

I see the topic of conversation is ADR's..................I do not call until March 30th, but never too early to start planning. I am still up in the air about whether we want to do lunch or dinner at Le Cellier it will be our first time eating there but until I see the new Dinner menu for when it goes to Signature Dining on March 1st, I can not make that decision, not sure if using 2 credits will be worth it. All that being said I have to assume lunch ADR's might be harder to come by after the change.
One mistake I made last year when using the online system - plan the more popular restaurants further into your vacation , utilizing the 180+10 it is easier to get the times you really want. The more popular places like Le Cellier were pretty well booked on my first couple of days into my trip last year (days 180-183)
Anyone else have stratagies when calling?
I like the fact that now you can book some of the previous ADR's that were call only before.
I hate calling .

 

[MissLiz]

I can book mine on March 20th which is a Sunday, so I may be getting up and getting online that day.

Jo--I know exactly what you mean! When I'm bored at work (which is most of the time), I play around to see what ADRs are available for different times. It's a disease! But a good one.




I had to call last year to verify my ADRs because DH threw away some papers that had all of our times and conf #s on them and the CM sounded like he was jumping for joy that we got Le Cellier. Before he went over anything, he said "Well now, how the heck were you able to get that?" And when I asked him what, he said "Le Cellier? Dinner at 6:30? Really? How early were you up that day?"

I thought it was amusing.

Most of the places we are planning to eat now are bookable well into the 180 days. The one I am focusing on is CRT. And we are considering 1900 Park Fare for dinner one night later in the trip.

BTW, 1900 was all DH's idea. He thinks the menu looks good. I reminded him that it's a character meal and he shrugged his shoulders and said that the food looked good enough to suffer.

 

[KellyWasHere]

We are going Sept 12-16, staying at All-Star Movies.

Hoping to go a few days beforehand to Disney's Hilton Head resort, if they release discounts like they have in the past!

 

[L-Harper]

We are going Sept 12-16, staying at All-Star Movies.

Hoping to go a few days beforehand to Disney's Hilton Head resort, if they release discounts like they have in the past!

I have you added!

 

[sjs314]

I can book mine on March 20th which is a Sunday, so I may be getting up and getting online that day.

Jo--I know exactly what you mean! When I'm bored at work (which is most of the time), I play around to see what ADRs are available for different times. It's a disease! But a good one.




I had to call last year to verify my ADRs because DH threw away some papers that had all of our times and conf #s on them and the CM sounded like he was jumping for joy that we got Le Cellier. Before he went over anything, he said "Well now, how the heck were you able to get that?" And when I asked him what, he said "Le Cellier? Dinner at 6:30? Really? How early were you up that day?"

I thought it was amusing.

Most of the places we are planning to eat now are bookable well into the 180 days. The one I am focusing on is CRT. And we are considering 1900 Park Fare for dinner one night later in the trip.

BTW, 1900 was all DH's idea. He thinks the menu looks good. I reminded him that it's a character meal and he shrugged his shoulders and said that the food looked good enough to suffer.

We have no little kids unfortunately or I would have an excuse to book character meals, I use to all the time even though my DS's were older, DH has never cared for them he does not want "bothered" while eating, but I want to do Cape May and Akersush and CP for breakfast, need to feel DH out before time to book

Our first time at Disney, eating at Cindy's castle DH was doing his "grumpy" impersonation, we came time to order and he asked the server what type of beer did they have , not knowing there is no alcohol in the MK. We still laugh about how the server looked at DH and quite matter of factly said "Sir, there is no beer in the Magic Kingdom" the look on DH face was one of those priceless kodak moments.

 

[Uptoit21]

First time going to WDW. Dreamed of it as a child but never went.
Sept.27 - Oct.04
All Star Music.

 

[MissLiz]

Oh, I'm sure that look was priceless!!! That's awesome!




We try to do one or two character meals each trip. I'd like to try Cape May sometime, but that probably won't be this time. Maybe sometime if we stay over that way, we can try that.

Has anyone eaten at Via Napoli yet? We are trying to decide if we want to try it. The menu looked good, but I'm curious about the size of the pizzas. We are considering meeting some friends at Epcot for IllumiNations and having dinner together first and that is one of our options.

 

[Smile4Me]

Do they really make a lot of changes?! GRR! I am waiting so patiently to do our plans until the schedule comes out. I don't want to have to re-do them again and again. haha

Not usually alot, but this time of year they may cut or add Fantasmic performances and change Magic Kingdom hours to allow for the Halloween party. I know a number of people schedule around some of these things...especially Fantasmic!

As far as ADR's, I called last year before the online system came about,,then did some tweaking online when it was available. Loved being able to go online, makes checking back alot easier if you're waiting for something to open up. Can't wait to use it again this year...my boyfriend suggested I keep the laptop next to the bed that night and get up early log on and make the adrs at 6 a.m. online!

 

[pinkle]

Okay...I should have this figured out. This is my 6th time doing the DDP but there are still some restaurants that i haven't tried and I would like some input please!! I will list them and put a * beside the ones that are new to me, the others I have tried and Loved
Kona*
O'Hana's
Le San Angel
Markeesh*
Boma's
Park Fare*
Kouzzina*
Tutto Itali

 

[mayfam2010]

I'm sneaking in some quick lunch hour planning

I was thinking last night that I have another newbie question I've been meaning to ask.... what shows are there and how often do they run? I know I've heard mention of Illimunations, Fantasmic, and Magic... are these all evening shows with fireworks/water? Also, how often do they run? Nightly or just a few times a week? I know the official times will be on the schedule when its released, which leads me to my next question... where do you find the park hours once they are released?

TIA.... I'm so excited but there is so much to learn!!!


ETA: One other similar question.... what about parades in each of the parks and parade times?

 

[sjs314]

L Harper-

I noticed my dates on the front of this thread are wrong, we are leaving on Oct 2. I added a day to our trip today so if you could fix my dates I will be ever so grateful
We are now going Sept 25 to Oct 2, still at the Beach Club

TIA

 

[lemonsours]

Good Morning

One mistake I made last year when using the online system - plan the more popular restaurants further into your vacation , utilizing the 180+10 it is easier to get the times you really want. The more popular places like Le Cellier were pretty well booked on my first couple of days into my trip last year (days 180-183)
I hate calling .

I had thought of that because DD wants to do CRT for her birthday, which luckily is later in our vacation. Hopefully that will give us an edge.

I can book mine on March 20th which is a Sunday, so I may be getting up and getting online that day.

Most of the places we are planning to eat now are bookable well into the 180 days. The one I am focusing on is CRT. And we are considering 1900 Park Fare for dinner one night later in the trip.

BTW, 1900 was all DH's idea. He thinks the menu looks good. I reminded him that it's a character meal and he shrugged his shoulders and said that the food looked good enough to suffer.

I really want to go to 1900 too b/c Chef TJ is there now (he is a vegetarian GOD) but we have a ton of other buffets that we want and I don't know what his schedule is (no use in going if he's not there!)

Marce

 

[lemonsours]

For those of you with pin collectors:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...P=SOC-DPFY11Q2TwitterDisneyParks20-01-11@0008

 

[sjs314]

I'm sneaking in some quick lunch hour planning

I was thinking last night that I have another newbie question I've been meaning to ask.... what shows are there and how often do they run? I know I've heard mention of Illimunations, Fantasmic, and Magic... are these all evening shows with fireworks/water? Also, how often do they run? Nightly or just a few times a week? I know the official times will be on the schedule when its released, which leads me to my next question... where do you find the park hours once they are released?

TIA.... I'm so excited but there is so much to learn!!!


ETA: One other similar question.... what about parades in each of the parks and parade times?

I normally look at the previous years calendars to get an idea of the shows/parade times so I can start to plan early then adjust my tentative park schedule accordingly when the actual park hours for the current year come out.

Here is a link to the Travel Agents Calender for last year which you might find helpful. In past years Disney had more or less kept to scheduling certain events on certain days in the parks, ie: Fantasmic is usually on Sundays and Thursdays and then as the time gets closer they might add another day or and extra show on a day when it is already scheduled, Illuminations is every night, with MK Wishes is normally every night with the exception of during parties such as MNSSHP or MVMCP or when they close early for private events etc

The calendar also lists parade times at the different parks which might vary but not by much from year to year

hope this helps http://www.disneytravelagents.com/StaticFiles/DTA-Domestic/pdf/ParkHours/WDW_Operating_Calendar_Sept.pdf