So upset over food planning, might not go at all!

[jlynne01]

I am just so frustrated and wanted to blow off some steam!!
I started calling on the 1st exactly 90 days out trying to set up adrs and from day one they have told me there is nothing available at any of the parks for our dates!! Can you believe that? From what I understood the week we are going is suppose to be one of the least busiest of the year!
I've been calling off and on trying to get ressies but have only been able to get one for our entire trip and that really upsets me to no end!!!
I understand they cant do anything about it but come on... We are paying the same as everyone else but wont be able to eat?? I think they should give people major discounts when they cant offer them food service
We went back in June when dh came back from Iraq and he has another visit in Dec so we thought we would go and celebrate thanksgiving and christmas together in disney since he will not be home for either of those and I just can't see not being able to eat table service meals when he has been eating mess hall food since January and will be going back to the same nasty food until April.
Has anyone ever had a simular problem and did you eventually get adrs?
Sorry for the rant, I'm just so irritated!

 

[Nadjalu]

So sorry to hear about what you are going through. I do agree that Disney should discount something or somehow give compensation to those who can't get any sit down meals when they have paid in advance for DDP.

There is hope, I have heard many saying that right around 45 days out alot of things open up. Not sure if people cancel about that time or some speculation that DW holds back some adrs for people. Either way don't give up hope. Don't cancel your trip!
Please know that I personally thank you for your DH's service and your family's sacrifice for our country. Please go celebrate together!!

 

[tami82]

What restaurants did you have trouble getting?
When I called on my 90 day mark got everything i wanted but i got 3 late dinner times which werent good for us. 6 weeks later when online dining came out I was able to modify my places (all early dinner times which included CM @ 5:00, two Ohanas one at 4:30 another at 5:00, 1900 park fare at 5:00. You have to be very persistent and check constantly througout the day, you never know when there will be a cancellation. Yes around the 45 day mark you should come across something. I will say this, there were times when i went on even early in the morning and found blocks of times for places which they must have just put on. The last week before our arrival they put on a block of new times for Chef Mickey, 1900 park fare, Ohana, and they seemed to come out in the early afternoon etc.....Again you have to be very persistent in getting what you want, I did but it took alot of time & patience. You have to be willing to change around your park schedule if need be. I changed mine so many times but in the end worked out perfectly.

 

[mickey2000]

I am just so frustrated and wanted to blow off some steam!!
I started calling on the 1st exactly 90 days out trying to set up adrs and from day one they have told me there is nothing available at any of the parks for our dates!! Can you believe that? From what I understood the week we are going is suppose to be one of the least busiest of the year!
I've been calling off and on trying to get ressies but have only been able to get one for our entire trip and that really upsets me to no end!!!
I understand they cant do anything about it but come on... We are paying the same as everyone else but wont be able to eat?? I think they should give people major discounts when they cant offer them food service
We went back in June when dh came back from Iraq and he has another visit in Dec so we thought we would go and celebrate thanksgiving and christmas together in disney since he will not be home for either of those and I just can't see not being able to eat table service meals when he has been eating mess hall food since January and will be going back to the same nasty food until April.
Has anyone ever had a simular problem and did you eventually get adrs?
Sorry for the rant, I'm just so irritated!

Know how you feel! I have just cancelled my second trip to Disney in November. I decided to take a NON Disney cruise for 10 days. Just got tired of them dumbing down the menus year after year. Guess they are looking for new guests who have nothing to compare with, or folks that say Disney can do NO wrong
As a friend told me " There is life after Disney"

 

[vicki_c]

When are you going? Is it during a free dining time? But even so, I think it's surprising that the CM told you nothing was available on the 90th day out.

Have you tried the online dining system? Most people seem to be having pretty good luck with that.

And if it's just "in the park" restaurants that are booked, I would try expanding to the resorts, or trying some of the less "hot ticket" places and I bet you will find available sit down meals.

 

[DisDreaminMom]

Keep trying! Tip about calling at 45 day mark is right on the money. I went same time as you last year and had same thing happen. I just kept calling at and after 45 day mark. Try online booking to get a foot in the door. Also, try not eating at regular times. 11am lunch, 5pm or 8 pm dinners. That opens up a ton of things. Good luck. Also, dining in the resorts is a good option during busy times. Try AKL and WL for some good dining experiences.

 

[princessmom29]

I find it hard to believe that there was nothing out there at any time. How many restaurants did you try? Did you try a range of times?? What are your trip dates? Mabye some of us can help you out checking the online system. There are still ressies for thanksgiving week open, so I would think there has to be something there for your dates as well. You may have to be willing to take a place that was not your first choice, or at an off time,but bout you CAN get something. Don't give up!!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Something is not right. I decided on the dining plan with less than 90 days to go for our June trip and got plenty of ressies at the last minute.

Here are some things to try:
Check on-line
Keep calling again and again
Show up at the resturants when they first open and ask to be seated.
Check out resturants on the Boardwalk that are not Disney owned and do not take ADR's. ESPN and Brewery.
Try for 2 TS resturants (they are many times not booked)
When all else fails and you have extra TS order room service if avaliable at your resort.

Will Disney let you cancel your dining plan or is this free dining? Maybe they will let you use your TS at a CS if it is the free dining.

 

[cfknight]

I am just so frustrated and wanted to blow off some steam!!
I started calling on the 1st exactly 90 days out trying to set up adrs and from day one they have told me there is nothing available at any of the parks for our dates!! Can you believe that? From what I understood the week we are going is suppose to be one of the least busiest of the year!
I've been calling off and on trying to get ressies but have only been able to get one for our entire trip and that really upsets me to no end!!!
I understand they cant do anything about it but come on... We are paying the same as everyone else but wont be able to eat?? I think they should give people major discounts when they cant offer them food service
We went back in June when dh came back from Iraq and he has another visit in Dec so we thought we would go and celebrate thanksgiving and christmas together in disney since he will not be home for either of those and I just can't see not being able to eat table service meals when he has been eating mess hall food since January and will be going back to the same nasty food until April.
Has anyone ever had a simular problem and did you eventually get adrs?
Sorry for the rant, I'm just so irritated!

you are exactly right. I did the same thing, got up at 6am on our 90 day mark and nothing available, so i called when they opened phone lines at 7am. I think i got 1 out of a 10 day trip that a actually wanted, We have been going to wdw twice a year and have always decided against the DDP. Well we thought this was our chance to try it(finally). Well after all this planning and unavailability we will NEVER do this joke of the DDP ever again! After this adventure of what I would call a ruined trip, I have decided to stay an extra 7 days without the DDP so we can enjoy wdw the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

This is my very biggest fear - we are there for fourteen days, and although I'm in a huge panic over ADR's for the first ten days, the last four I can't book until 90 days out which are the 26 to 29th of December -there will be NOTHING left. I guess we'll be standing in line and eating at Beaches and Cream every day.

 

[MouseMomx2]

This is my very biggest fear - we are there for fourteen days, and although I'm in a huge panic over ADR's for the first ten days, the last four I can't book until 90 days out which are the 26 to 29th of December -there will be NOTHING left. I guess we'll be standing in line and eating at Beaches and Cream every day.

Are you staying offsite for the last four nights? If not then you shouldn't have to wait until 90 days out to make your ADRs. You'll be able to book 90+10 on the day your window opens. Then, on the next day you'll be able to book your 11th day's meals and so on. We'll be there for 14 days in Nov/Dec and I had all my ADRs completed within 4 days of my original window opening.

 

[jlynne01]

Our dates are the Dec 1-6 and we chose those dates for dh to come home because we read that the week after thanksgiving to the week before christmas was the least busiest time for disney and also because he was denied coming home during either holiday...

I have called several times and got the same information from all the cm's so I am confused.. I dont mind eating at a resort one night but I dont think I should have to leave every park to to go eat! Some of the places we requested I didnt even know were very popular lol....
Either way they didnt say the restaurants we wanted were not available
they said there was nothing available!

I did plan to continue to try for a while but if I cant get anything by the cut off to cancel I might end up doing just that...

Like I said we went in June and was actually able to get all of our ressies including Le' cellier so I guess this is pay back

 

[BrookeTx]

That is strange!

We are going the same time as you with another family. We did 1/2 of our reservations seperate and were all able to get the exact places and times we wanted (within 30 min.)

Have even modified times/dates with no problems.

I just skimmed...but did you try online?

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

I'm going the same week and had no problems getting what we wanted. I was online at 5am Ct, and on the phone at 6am Ct on August 31, 90 days out.

You may have to modify you "wanted locations and time" You might have to be flexible on the times. Say you want Crystal palace for 6pm you might not get it. Try 3pm or 4pm. Same for all your other places. For example Epcot try one of the less popular restaraunts, Nine Dragons or Beirgardten. The CM was probably lieing to you when they said "nothing" is availalbe. There is always something, it just might not be what you want or the time you want.

 

[MarkinNM]

With over 100 restaurants onsite and you cant find anything??

With Disney dining be very flexible is the key to it all, and not giving up. I was able to adjust Le Cellier ADR’s 2 times, add a Tusker House, CP & Ohana breakfast AFTER calling in on my 90 day window when none of them were available when I called in. SO keep on trying, make other plans just in case and go and have fun!!!

 

[nancycg56]

Definitely try online ~ I plugged in December 1 at different times in the MK (as an example) and got loads of places for lunch and 2 places for dinner but it looks like it's a MVMCP night so that will cut into the reservations.

Try having a big lunch at a TS place and CS for dinner or something like that.
We do that quite a bit anyway.

Keep trying!!!!

 

[jlynne01]

No I have not tried online.. I dont even know how or where but I will try that. I am going by what cm's told me and I was flexable on times to an extent... I'm sorry I am not eating dinner at 10pm or later..
I was told there was absolutely nothing available ???? I will call again and try online too..

 

[djp0630]

Sorry to hear that, did you try online. Are you trying just popular character meals, and Le cellier type places? Did you try places like The Wave at Contemporary, Nine Dragons, Biegarten, Morroco in Epcot, they should have availability.

Don't let the food planning upset you enough to not go to the Happiest Place on Earth. You are going to WDW, that is so special!

Keep trying online & calling, and definitely around your 45 day mark! Things will open up if you are persistent.

 

[MouseMomx2]

No I have not tried online.. I dont even know how or where but I will try that. I am going by what cm's told me and I was flexable on times to an extent... I'm sorry I am not eating dinner at 10pm or later..
I was told there was absolutely nothing available ???? I will call again and try online too..

First, take a deep breath. I've plugged your dates into the online system and there seems to be lots of availability. There are dinners in EPCOT at Mexico, Italy, Germany and France. I've also found dinner ADRs for Kona at the Polynesian, the Grand Floridian Cafe, The Wave at the Contemporary, Jiko & Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom and the Plaza at the MK.

Just go here... http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/ to get started. If you have trouble just PM me and I'd be happy to help.

 

[cfknight]

No I have not tried online.. I dont even know how or where but I will try that. I am going by what cm's told me and I was flexable on times to an extent... I'm sorry I am not eating dinner at 10pm or later..
I was told there was absolutely nothing available ???? I will call again and try online too..

here you go, but it doesnt help, one person said you have to be flexible. But to what point? I want to eat dinner, im NOT going to settle for a LUNCH time. I have been on this website everyday trying to get in, thinking maybe there have been cancellations. of course im sure it does depend on how many are in your parties....good luck
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/?CMP=EMC-WDWFY09CMRPDC12553209