Trader Sam's reservations opening before 6am

[got2travel]

I have been up early for months trying to “practice” getting a reservation & never seen the date open before 6am PST (in fact usually almost a minute AFTER 6am), and the evening slots are always already gone as soon as the day becomes available. This is so beyond frustrating for me (as is that stupid Ahoy Skipper pop up you have you close every time you refresh the page ). Due to having a child with special needs, we aren’t flexible enough to just plan on walking up. The only way we’ll be able to go is at a pre-planned time. I wish I knew the secret to seeing these days open up early!!

Today it showed up for me at 5:11am PST and was gone in just a few minutes. Never saw anything past 3pm when looking yesterday and today so I’m still wondering about those evening time slots.

 

[imadjnasn]

My last attempt for this trip. Today I checked at 4:53am eastern. Had to refresh and 9/8 was available. Logged out, then back in with my daughter’s account. 9/8 was greyed out. Logged out, then into my sister’s account. Refreshed again and 9/8 was available and is still available right now at 6:55am eastern. The difference between my daughters and my sisters accounts are my sister has a good neighbor hotel reservation that is in the 60 day window. So I believe previous poster was correct regarding requirement of the hotel reservation and being in the 60 day window in order to have the date enabled before 6am pacific time.
I also checked Goofys and while I could select 9/8 before 6am, there was no availability.

 

[got2travel]

I saw TS beginning at 3am Pacifc today, was finally able to grab a late afternoon time, but that is our departure day so might give that one up. Still mad at myself for not setting my alarm to get a reservation for our arrival 9/5. That’s the day I really want.

@imadjnasn I’m also looking for Goofy’s that weekend. At the moment there are no reservations past Aug 22. Since Halloween kicks off 8/23 and Goofy’s will have a Halloween theme, my guess is we won’t see those open up until some time in August.

 

[Czardas]

Trader Sams shows at 3am PST for me, both for my current September trip and my previous May trip, with a GHC reservation . Because I’m in Australia that’s 8pm for me, so I came across the anomaly by a fluke of trying early, just in case and it’s worked both times.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

My last attempt for this trip. Today I checked at 4:53am eastern. Had to refresh and 9/8 was available. Logged out, then back in with my daughter’s account. 9/8 was greyed out. Logged out, then into my sister’s account. Refreshed again and 9/8 was available and is still available right now at 6:55am eastern. The difference between my daughters and my sisters accounts are my sister has a good neighbor hotel reservation that is in the 60 day window. So I believe previous poster was correct regarding requirement of the hotel reservation and being in the 60 day window in order to have the date enabled before 6am pacific time.
I also checked Goofys and while I could select 9/8 before 6am, there was no availability.

Thank you so much for sharing your investigation & findings! It’s incredibly helpful

 

[sjb95u]

So let's say you're a WDW veteran and Trader Sam's there doesn't take ADRs, so you missed any opportunity at 60d because your simply didn't realize. Let's say you're saying at DLH. What is the best way to try and get a table inside? Literally walk up and put your name in? Use the walk up option on the app?
Thanks!

 

[Huskyfan860]

A data point for folks - reservations opened up extremely early this morning. I grabbed a reservation 60 days out because I randomly decided to check the app just after 5am eastern. I couldn’t believe they were live, and some were already taken.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Weird I live in CA, and 60 days out did not refresh until 6 AM PST at least for me, and checked both my app and PC

 

[maleficent55]

So let's say you're a WDW veteran and Trader Sam's there doesn't take ADRs, so you missed any opportunity at 60d because your simply didn't realize. Let's say you're saying at DLH. What is the best way to try and get a table inside? Literally walk up and put your name in? Use the walk up option on the app?
Thanks!

I would walk up at opening, I think it's 11am, and nicely ask the cast member to be placed on the waitlist for an inside table

 

[kittylady1972]

I would walk up at opening, I think it's 11am, and nicely ask the cast member to be placed on the waitlist for an inside table

Thanks for the advice...we also didn't realize the difference and that we'd need an ADR (and staying at DLH) so we'll be trying this too later this month.

 

[soniam]

When I booked for our D23 Expo trip, it was up before 6am PT at least by 15 minutes maybe even 30+. There were times that were already gone too.

 

[DizMe]

When I booked for our D23 Expo trip, it was up before 6am PT at least by 15 minutes maybe even 30+. There were times that were already gone too.

When I booked last year for Dec, I was away from home and afraid I'd not get my ADRs. I couldn't sleep so I figured as long as I was up I'd try out how to use my phone for reservations. I found TS's reservations open at 3am Pacific time. As I made my reservations over the next few days, it seemed pretty random, but others were noting the same thing with TS's. It's kind of annoying because then I felt compelled to check every night at 3 am.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

When I booked last year for Dec, I was away from home and afraid I'd not get my ADRs. I couldn't sleep so I figured as long as I was up I'd try out how to use my phone for reservations. I found TS's reservations open at 3am Pacific time. As I made my reservations over the next few days, it seemed pretty random, but others were noting the same thing with TS's. It's kind of annoying because then I felt compelled to check every night at 3 am.

The mornings you saw them available at 3am - was that 60 days out from a hotel reservation?

 

[sophy1996]

Just a data point, for what it’s worth: we have reservations at DLH in Sept and never had Trader Sam’s reservations open before 6 am Pacific time on the 60-days-out dates.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

I called DLH and the lady I spoke with said the APP shows availability before doing it on a web browser. So now I’m curious if everyone up thread was on the app or a browser! She also said they become available at midnight…so maybe she doesn’t know what she’s talking about? Tonight’s my first night to start trying. I’m going to try to do it on my phone in the app and on a web browser and see if there’s a difference in what shows as available.

 

[DizMe]

The mornings you saw them available at 3am - was that 60 days out from a hotel reservation?

Sorry for the delay in answering! On vacay with the fam in Mass.

Yes, I was 60 days out and had an on site reservation, though I did a practice run and honestly can't remember if I saw anything come up early that time.

 

[DizMe]

I called DLH and the lady I spoke with said the APP shows availability before doing it on a web browser. So now I’m curious if everyone up thread was on the app or a browser! She also said they become available at midnight…so maybe she doesn’t know what she’s talking about? Tonight’s my first night to start trying. I’m going to try to do it on my phone in the app and on a web browser and see if there’s a difference in what shows as available.

I was on the app, but I have seen it come up early on my desktop browser, too. I told you wrong--it was year before last that the reservations came up at 3am. Last year, same time (I always go the same week in Dec), Trader Sam's came up early for my date but only by a few minutes. I actually check on both my desktop browser and the app on my phone. Sometimes I have an easier/quicker time on one or the other, but it isn't consistent as to which works better for me.

 

[dismsn]

I was using a web browser on my phone when making Trader Sam's reservations at 3 am last week for our upcoming trip in September. It opened at 3 am each day I checked. We are staying at GCH. I was never able to get a reservation for our party size of 5 so I made my husband get up at 2:55 am on the day I really wanted a reservation and he made one reservation for 2 people and I made one for 4 with times off by 5 minutes.

 

[dunkindonut]

I was using a web browser on my phone when making Trader Sam's reservations at 3 am last week for our upcoming trip in September. It opened at 3 am each day I checked. We are staying at GCH. I was never able to get a reservation for our party size of 5 so I made my husband get up at 2:55 am on the day I really wanted a reservation and he made one reservation for 2 people and I made one for 4 with times off by 5 minutes.

3am edt? Or pdt?

 

[sophy1996]

I was on both the app and the computer. Neither opened early.