Those that booked Jan 2010 meals already....

[autismgoesdisney]

Did you get what you wanted? Did you call or use the online reservations? If you didn't get what you wanted, what did you find hard to reserve? I'm trying to decide if I should book at 3:00 am on Thursday OR if I can wait until a decent hour to book. I hear January isn't that busy so I am hoping I can hold off until say 8:00???

 

[Mickeyfollowers]

After having a hard time of getting good ADRs last month, I didn't want to take any chances so I was one of the ones up at 3 am online making my ADRs for January. This trip is going to be only my DH and I know sometimes the good times for the tables of two go fast. I think I read somewhere they use couples as fillers. My first ADR I did was La Celliar, I wanted it for 1/10 and the only time they had was 8:50pm, so I tried for my second choice date 1/16 and got 5:55. So I think it was worth getting up. Good luck with yours and have a good trip.

 

[tippy77]

My trip is 1/7 to 1/12 and unfortunately, the online reservation system would not recognize my reservation confirmation number. (I got the same error code that others have posted about.) I called a few minutes after 7 a.m. on Friday and was able to get everything I wanted: Kona Cafe, California Grill, Il Mulino, and Jiko.

Although, yesterday I decided to check availability for Le Cellier for 1/10 and of course it was not available!

 

[yost1931]

I tried the online reservations at 3am but got that same error code that everyone else was getting. So I called right at 7am. For January 5-11 I was able to book Chef Mickey's, Ohana, CRT breakfast, Sci Fi Dine In Theatre. At the time Chefs de France was not loaded into the system more than 90 days out so I had to wait for the 90 day mark to book it, but got it with no problem. My one problem was Liberty Tree Tavern on our arrival day. No availability for dinner at all...I checked it every day in our trip and it had no availability. I have no idea why. I did get it for a late lunch on our arrival day though. So all in all, I got everything within about 15 minutes of my request by calling in.

Also, I was able to book Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for the exact time I wanted (8:45am) the morning we go to CRT and I booked that around 88 days out? So I would guess that maybe the parks won't be that busy when we are there, since we got everything so easily.

Hope that helps!

 

[mousefan215]

Booked yesterday @ 3pm for our Jan 10-17 trip and got everything we wanted at the times we wanted...Chef Mickey, Ohana, WCC, PrimeTime, LeCellier, Biergarten, Yak and Yeti

 

[katlamar]

FYI...have spoken to a few CM's and all of them told me that there was no dinner on the schedule for LTT from Jan 3-31. I asked if they might open it up for a character dinner since CP will be closed-they said they had heard the rumors, but they are always the last to know. They told me to just keep calling and asking...
I was lucky to get all the adrs I wanted for our Jan 5-14 trip!!!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

FYI...have spoken to a few CM's and all of them told me that there was no dinner on the schedule for LTT from Jan 3-31. I asked if they might open it up for a character dinner since CP will be closed-they said they had heard the rumors, but they are always the last to know. They told me to just keep calling and asking...
I was lucky to get all the adrs I wanted for our Jan 5-14 trip!!!

Oooh, interesting thought! I look forward to hearing what develops.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Honestly I think it depends on what you're looking to book. If you're after LC then yes get up early.

When we went spur of the moment-ish (booked 6 weeks in advance) in January 2007 (our first trip). We made all of one ADR in advance. After we arrived on site we literally made ADRs day by day and got everything we wanted. In fact one day we had no plan and walked up to CP and had no trouble getting a table for dinner.

January is a great time to visit. Unless you're looking for something really hard to get like LC or CRT I'd sleep in until 6 -ish

 

[LoveKermit]

I agree--it's what you want. It even looks like CRT isn't too hard to get on the phone. But LeCellier.....that's another story. Glad we ate there years ago before all this nonsense. I mean, we still had a ressie, but it was not this difficult.

I am getting nervous, though.

 

[GovieMom]

FYI...have spoken to a few CM's and all of them told me that there was no dinner on the schedule for LTT from Jan 3-31.

I take this to mean there are no openings for dinner during that time, as we have an ADR for dinner there January 8 at 6:00 p.m. I know LTT booked up fast, since CP will be closed then. Good luck!

 

[imLissy]

I had to do my resies over the phone since the online system gave me an error like one of the previous posters.

I got everything I wanted including LeCellier. Well, almost everything. Prime time and kouzzina weren't in the system yet. I should try again at some point...

Oh, I called at like 9am btw. But there's only two of us, so I imagine that made things easier.

 

[TDERadulski]

I did mine both on the telephone and online - started trying at 3:00am and then spread it out over the next few days. We are traveling from 3 Jan - 8 Jan. I was unable to have the online system see more than the 90th day out. I was able to get all I wanted (very happy about that!)

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[*~PrincessBelle~*]

I just booked my trip for Jan 3rd-6th Sunday, so I missed my 90 day mark and thought I would be screwed for ADR's. However, yesterday using the online ressie system I was able to snag some popular and not so popular spots:
Mama Melrose
Tony's
Jiko
CRT
I was really shocked at the availablity that was still left....maybe not the most ideal times. My dinner ressies all landed around 4:30-5:30 ( I like to eat later) and my breakfast ressie at CRT was for 9:30 (I normal like to eat before rope drop) but considered myself lucky.

I though the online system worked great (when it was working). I even had seen Ohana, Cali Grill, 1900 PF, Tusker House, Chef Mickeys etc all available for me too (just can't brave too many character meals when travelling solo)

I would call in the morning and if you can't get through I wouldn't panic too much I would hope that you could still find some of your choices through the online system (gives you other choices if your first choice is unavailable).

Good Luck!!!

 

[Disuser]

Jan 2 - 8
We are staying off property. I got up about 2AM Central Time each day to make our daily reservations. I got every reservation we wanted at close to the wanted times. There are 8 of us.
I really like the online reservation system.

 

[AnninIowa]

We are going January 5-12, and I've been making my reservations online without any problem. The system wasn't recognizing my confirmation number, either, but you can still make online ressies (after all, people staying off-site do). I've been logging in later in the day; I've gotten LeCellier, Boma, Chefs de France, and The Plaza. Today when I was making our Plaza reservations, they system shot back TWO openings for Cinderella's Royal Banquet for lunch.

My advice is to try not to stress out and wait till later in the day to make ressies. Everyone is getting up at 7 am and overloading the system. Wait for things to calm down and you should be able to get in.

 

[zhazhazsu]

I booked my ressies for our 1/4-1/11 trip using the phone system at the 90 plus 10 mark at 7am, and the online system whenever for the ressies the cast member said weren't available more than 90 days out. I got everything I wanted within 30 minutes of the time I wanted.

4:00 50's PTC
7:15 Ohana
7:35 Tusker House
12:40 San Angel Inn
5:35 Le Cellier
6:00 Kouzinna
10:45am 1900 PF

 

[bostontim]

50's Prime Time hasn't released any lunch spots for January yet.

 

[purpliequeen]

We're staying concierge level Jan 9-15 and were fortunate to have the concierge staff make all of our ressies. (They're utterly amazing.) However, I've looked online since then and found that there are a lot of openings at the restaurants for tweaking if need be. I hope Jan. isn't too crowded!