The Dining Plan & LeCellier Steakhouse

[Princess Stitch]

I was un-educated last year when we booked our free dining trip and didn't end up making ADR's until about a month out. I was able to get LeCellier and CRT for dinner. This year we made ADRs as soon as we booked, about 4 months out and I still was able to get Le Cellier. Both times the dinner is before 5pm but we're just happy to go! Maybe I'm just lucky?

Two tips I will give you... first, dont' be picky on the time, take whatever you get! Second (and please don't get TOO angry at me) if they don't have any tables for two...ask for a table for three. They will not seat two people alone at a larger table, so they may have room at the restauarant, just not a table for two. Then you can call back later and let them know that you will now only have two people in your party. Now, I'm not saying to pretend you're a party of 6 or anything, just try for the one extra person and see how it goes. The only reason I knew about this is because a CM actually suggested this last year when we were having trouble getting one of the ADRs we wanted.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Two tips I will give you... first, dont' be picky on the time, take whatever you get! Second (and please don't get TOO angry at me) if they don't have any tables for two...ask for a table for three.

I tried that, too, for the last week in September. No luck. But I refuse to give up

 

[disneyjunebug]

I called at 182 days and got my ressie. When I talked to the CM, she breathed a sigh of relief when I said I wanted a table for 2 (after booking tables for 3 for my first 2 ADRs!) She told me then (Mid May) that October was booked solid and November was heading the same direction. She told me she turned away more people from there than she got to book!

Keep trying and good luck!

June

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Be very flexible about what day during your stay you want to eat there and then call at the 180 day mark first thing in the morning (7am EST) and take advantage of the 180 + 10 rule (if you have a reservation at a Disney hotel you can make your ADR's for up to 10 days during the same call). Then just check each day until something is available. Le Cellier is one of the restaurants you have to plan everything else around it!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

I can always get into Le Cellier!

I guess the trick is that I book really early and make my ADRs right at 180 days. I put it on my schedule.

Oh, and I eat dinner early... around 5-5:30.

 

[ktbugsmom]

We go each January (for the last 3 years and again in 2008) and last year I decided I wanted to try LC. Because of the reports here, I decided to book 180 outs. I was able to get my choice of times during the entire week.

But - keep in mind, this was January about 10 days after New Year's (slow time). When we went to sign in for our ADR, there were some people sitting there and they immediately said to us "You better have a reservation. They are booked solid." So - even in Janurary they fill up.

It was a lovely meal BTW. I am booking it again next week for our Jan. 08 trip!

But - if you are looking for an alternative - we also ate at the Yachtsman Steakhouse that trip and my DH and I thought it was even better. Just amazing. If you are on the dining plan, it would be a 2TS meal though - but I think well worth it. We were not on the plan last year and it was a big "ouch!" - but yummy.

 

[KelsiesMommy]

Yikes! I better pressure DH into making a firm decision on Jan 08 dates and a for sure we're going b/c this and Coral Reef are the 2 places he wants to eat at!!

 

[metsno1]

I feel really really lucky to have gotten a 6:30 at Coral Reef during free dining after reading this thread!! We've managed to get ressies for dinner every night. We planned our trip using the Unofficial Guide, and tried to stick to the "best bet" parks for each day, avoiding EMH, etc. So we ended up getting Coral Reef and Garden Grill at EPCOT, Kona for the MK day, Prime Time and Hollywood/Vine for MGM Days, Boma for AK day, plus Spoodles, Cape May and Raglan Road for the "off park days." We just planned the trip about three weeks ago, right before the free dining offer ended.

I could have had 'Ohana for one of the MK days, but not until 9:30 or so. Too late for us, unfortunately.

But I'll keep calling and I'm willing to rearrange things if we can find a day to get into LC! You never know....

 

[rstamm]

We book there each trip and never had a problem.
We do 180 + 10 and this last trip was off property and did 180 with no problem.

We will be eating there for free dining on Aug. 11 and Aug. 17.

 

[mstew99]

Second (and please don't get TOO angry at me) if they don't have any tables for two...ask for a table for three. They will not seat two people alone at a larger table, so they may have room at the restauarant, just not a table for two. Then you can call back later and let them know that you will now only have two people in your party. Now, I'm not saying to pretend you're a party of 6 or anything, just try for the one extra person and see how it goes. The only reason I knew about this is because a CM actually suggested this last year when we were having trouble getting one of the ADRs we wanted.

I don't know about that one... I was down last year for the free DDP and it was only myself and a friend. Every restaurant we ate at, we were seated at a table intended for 4.

Last year, I made all the ressies about 120 days out and got all the restaurants I wanted at the times I wanted them (including Le Cellier). This year we didn't decide to go until about 90 out and had a rough time getting into any of the restaurants I wanted. I called back the next day, and was able to find a cancellation for one on my list. Next day tried again, and found a cancellation for Le Cellier, and it was even on the day and time I had originally wanted. Just keep trying, you never know when it may be your lucky day.

 

[Irishhockey]

We're traveling during Free Dinning. To be honest though, we called a week or two before the promotion was even released. Worst case scenerio, we would cancel (asap to be fair) if the promotion never came out.

I believe we called during the last week or two of March, so right around the 6 month mark of our reservation.

I had my choice of times for Le Cellier (9/8) I was so shocked! They had about 80% of the time slots available! On that same phone call, I got all 7 of my reservations and desired times, including Coral Reef, but the only available time slot was 4:30p for dinner. I'm happy with my ADRs, can't imagine the frustration I would be going through if I needed to cancel or change them!

Sorry your having such a tough time... keep calling! Even when your down there, call in the morning and see if there are any openings. Theres no harm in asking!