Something strange about booking Oct dining

[las3888]

Hi all,

I am trying to book out at the 180 day mark for some restaurants. I am finding that anything in EPCOT is already booked until 6 or 6:30, at 180 days out! I know it's F&W...we've been there during that time many many times, but have never had a problem making ressies like this. Plus we usually are never this on the ball at booking 180 days out and STILL we've had no problems. It's not even during the weekend that I'm encountering problems either. All the other locations outside of EPCOT have lots of availability during the 5pm hour, but just not at EPCOT. It is really strange! Is something going on here other than F&W???? I also am noticing that Biergarten is always N/A, and we can almost always get in there. I am guessing it will be closed for refurbishment?

 

[chocolateMinnie]

that's a worry - I know some people will have booked at 180+10 but surely not all venues - where are you trying to get?

 

[las3888]

I am searching on 'EPCOT' and everything comes up as 6:00 or beyond. Norway had open times at 5pm and 5:30, but of course they require a credit card. The French restaurant that requires 2 table credits also had a little more availability, then Le Cellier and Biergarten come up as N/A. EVERYTHING else is booked until 6:00. The earliest ressie I could see was 5:55 for ANYTHING else in EPCOT. What could it be????

 

[kristenrice]

I got LeCellier this morning for Sunday, October 16 at 5:50pm. I wanted 5pm, but 5:50 was the earliest that came up. I gladly took it, but I also wonder why nothing earlier is available.

 

[catne]

I am searching on 'EPCOT' and everything comes up as 6:00 or beyond. Norway had open times at 5pm and 5:30, but of course they require a credit card. The French restaurant that requires 2 table credits also had a little more availability, then Le Cellier and Biergarten come up as N/A. EVERYTHING else is booked until 6:00. The earliest ressie I could see was 5:55 for ANYTHING else in EPCOT. What could it be????[/Q


Just wanted to mention an FYI on this portion "The French restaurant that requires 2 table credits"...

um, sorry...if you're talking about Les Chefs, it takes one credit. If you're talking about the upstairs French restaurant... Bistro - it does not take dining plan at all.

 

[sjs314]

I noticed yesterday that Biergarten showed nothing We so want to eat there again, this is the first I have heard of it being closed???

Also Via Napoli was showing only one lunch time 12:45 no matter what day I picked ................a glich? in the system perhaps

 

[las3888]

Well, I called wdw-dine to find out more. I am EXACTLY 180 days out (looking at 10/13, but had the same problem with 10/12). CM thought it odd too. I asked about the closing of Biergarten and she told me that it is open through the entire month of Oct. I find it extremely odd that it is booked the whole time we are trying to book dining (10/10-13). She mentioned that maybe there is some kind of Eat to the Beat package or some kind of Food and Wine seminars that are booking the restaurants, but she couldn't confirm this for sure. She did confirm that no restaurants in EPCOT were available from 3-6 PM (except for Norway and the French restaurant). Sorry to the PP, but I just assumed Bistro de Paris was 2 table credits since it is pricey.

Something strange is going on...some kind of dining thing that is tying up the restaurants at EPCOT perhaps but I'm still not sure what it is. I am bummed since we are travelling with my elderly parents who anything past 5pm is a huge stretch for them to eat. We will have to punt on this one or keep trying.

Any other info would be appreciated!

 

[squirrel]

I managed to get Coral Reef at 4:55pm, the week before you arrive.

 

[sjs314]

Well, I called wdw-dine to find out more. I am EXACTLY 180 days out (looking at 10/13, but had the same problem with 10/12). CM thought it odd too. I asked about the closing of Biergarten and she told me that it is open through the entire month of Oct. I find it extremely odd that it is booked the whole time we are trying to book dining (10/10-13). She mentioned that maybe there is some kind of Eat to the Beat package or some kind of Food and Wine seminars that are booking the restaurants, but she couldn't confirm this for sure. She did confirm that no restaurants in EPCOT were available from 3-6 PM (except for Norway and the French restaurant). Sorry to the PP, but I just assumed Bistro de Paris was 2 table credits since it is pricey.

Something strange is going on...some kind of dining thing that is tying up the restaurants at EPCOT perhaps but I'm still not sure what it is. I am bummed since we are travelling with my elderly parents who anything past 5pm is a huge stretch for them to eat. We will have to punt on this one or keep trying.

Any other info would be appreciated!

I am really upset over this too, I make my ADRs on Friday 4/22 and have spent the last couple of months going over my plans and finally narrowed down where and when we want to eat.

Biergarten and Via Napoli are two of the ones we are looking forward to the most. It really disturbs me that if you call the Dining number that the CM's are not seeing anything open either. It seems almost like Oct did not load properly since up to Sept 30 seems fine.

I have never done F&W Fest before, I know they hold back tables at Christmas for the packages, but Biergarten and Via Napoli packages during F&W

I don't know now what to substitute for those two if I can not book them, I saw at least one person on the Oct Thread booked the 12:45 for Via Napoli but .................since that is the only time that shows up for lunch time on any day there is gonna be one long line outside the door of Via Napoli or possibly a riot

 

[squirrel]

Are you clicking on a time or are you selecting dinner? I heard if you select dinner they end up giving later times.

 

[sjs314]

Are you clicking on a time or are you selecting dinner? I heard if you select dinner they end up giving later times.

I have tried every way possible, putting in the date, Epcot and time, date Epcot and either Lunch or Dinner

date, restaurant name time, date restaurant name and either lunch or dinner

I was just over looking at the various dining events they offered last year during the F&W Festival that could be why no times available but last year such events as wine parrings were held at specific restaurants but also specfic times say 2:30-4:30(just an example) and on a specific day Saturday. So unless they are having events all day everyday at these restaurants during the month of October it is still a mystery about the missing ADR time frames

 

[LilyWDW]

I am really upset over this too, I make my ADRs on Friday 4/22 and have spent the last couple of months going over my plans and finally narrowed down where and when we want to eat.

Biergarten and Via Napoli are two of the ones we are looking forward to the most. It really disturbs me that if you call the Dining number that the CM's are not seeing anything open either. It seems almost like Oct did not load properly since up to Sept 30 seems fine.

I have never done F&W Fest before, I know they hold back tables at Christmas for the packages, but Biergarten and Via Napoli packages during F&W

I don't know now what to substitute for those two if I can not book them, I saw at least one person on the Oct Thread booked the 12:45 for Via Napoli but .................since that is the only time that shows up for lunch time on any day there is gonna be one long line outside the door of Via Napoli or possibly a riot

Bet that was me.

When I made my reservations this morning, the ONLY issues I had (besides computer related) were with the Epcot restaurants. Both of the reservations in question (Via Napoli and Les Chefs) had VERY limited options when it came to times. I had options of 11:45, 12:45, 1:45 and a few later for Via Napoli. I had wanted between 12 and 1 so I took the 12:45. For Les Chefs, it was also limited. I had wanted 5:00 to 5:30, but took the 5:50 it offered. Neither one is that huge of a deal for me since the times will work out fine... it was just strange that there seemed to be such little availability.

I am going to keep checking to see if anything pops up that works better.

 

[kungaloosh22]

I wonder if Disney has closed off certain times while they finalize some F&W plans. Then when they figure out what they're doing, they'll open the slots they aren't using?

 

[mrspopeye]

Not sure why you are having that problem -I was able to book Le Cellier on10/12 for 7:40pm online on Fri 4-15 and Via Napoli on 10/10 at 6:20pm online on Wed 4-13.

I just now did a random search online for Via Napoli Date & Time 10/12/2011 6:00 pm Party Size 4 Guests and a 6:20pm availability came up.

If you are using a bookmarked link maybe you could update it, use a different browser or computer. That is so weird! I hope it gets worked out for you.

 

[squirrel]

Not sure why you are having that problem -I was able to book Le Cellier on10/12 for 7:40pm online on Fri 4-15 and Via Napoli on 10/10 at 6:20pm online on Wed 4-13.

I just now did a random search online for Via Napoli Date & Time 10/12/2011 6:00 pm Party Size 4 Guests and a 6:20pm availability came up.

If you are using a bookmarked link maybe you could update it, use a different browser or computer. That is so weird! I hope it gets worked out for you.

The posters want earlier dinner times -around 5 pm.

 

[sesame_123]

I have also been having trouble booking epcot. I'm trying to get garden grill for oct 15 for 7 people (6 and an infant). Nothing is available. I could find one for 6 people but nothing for 7. I just got off the phone with the dining reservation and he was equally confused by the lack of availablility. All he could say was check back, maybe they haven't released all the tables yet. His words not mine.

Very frustrating!!

 

[sjs314]

Not sure why you are having that problem -I was able to book Le Cellier on10/12 for 7:40pm online on Fri 4-15 and Via Napoli on 10/10 at 6:20pm online on Wed 4-13.

I just now did a random search online for Via Napoli Date & Time 10/12/2011 6:00 pm Party Size 4 Guests and a 6:20pm availability came up.

If you are using a bookmarked link maybe you could update it, use a different browser or computer. That is so weird! I hope it gets worked out for you.

The problem with Via Napoli is with the Lunch hour ADRs, the only time you can book online is 12:45pm and that seemed to be everyday from Oct 1 to Oct 14th. On the Oct thread someone called and was able to book a 11;30am, so it seems it is just an online problem with Via Napoli

 

[las3888]

The CM at wdw-dine did confirm for me at 180 days that nothing in EPCOt was available for all of 3-6pm except for Norway and Bisto de Paris. I plugged in a lot of different options and times, and not only is it strange, but it looks strange because the first two columns online are blank for all restaurants (except Norway and Bistro) and they have times after 6:00 (or 5:50) that show up in the right column only. I really don't know what's up with Biergarten either. I think we are going to go ahead and book Norway because we were leaning on being on the dining plan anyways. My parents will enjoy this because they used to go there years ago before it turned into a Princess thing.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

I am having a really hard time also, as we are there the last few days of Sept and the first few days of Oct.

I logged on my 190 day very first thing and there is no avaliability for like 5 of the places I tried, nothing from 4:30-10:am

 

[n2mm]

I got up this AM to make my ADRs for October (15-29) and had no problem getting anything I wanted. I got 2 Lecellier (one for 2 and one for 6) lunch ADRs and Coral Reef.

Made some others too with no problem getting the times I wanted (YSH, Liberty Tree, 50s Prime Time).

I don't know if there is free ddp during my timeframe or not (I don't use ddp), but I think there is for late Sept/early October which could contribute to more booked up locations.