Trader Sam's reservations opening before 6am

[dismsn]

3am edt? Or pdt?

PDT

 

[twodogs]

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.

Did you try for a party of 6? I think I read that sometimes the dining reservations system doesn’t like odd party sizes?

 

[dismsn]

Did you try for a party of 6? I think I read that sometimes the dining reservations system doesn’t like odd party sizes?

Yes, I did but also had no luck. I had no problem with a party of 5 at any other location.

We'll just show up early and see if they can seat us near each other or squeeze in an extra chair at the table for 4.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

Thank you all for your updates. I truly hate this.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

Welp. I have a reservation Sept 18 at DLH & I checked on both the app & web browser at midnight, 3am, 5am, 6am…the 18th became available to press for just a moment on the browser at midnight, but showed no times, then went grey again when refreshed. The 18th could not then be selected until 6am on either device at which time there were zero evening options & the lunch times were gone as soon as I clicked one. I really wish I knew what the secret sauce is to be able to get early access!

 

[dismsn]

Welp. I have a reservation Sept 18 at DLH & I checked on both the app & web browser at midnight, 3am, 5am, 6am…the 18th became available to press for just a moment on the browser at midnight, but showed no times, then went grey again when refreshed. The 18th could not then be selected until 6am on either device at which time there were zero evening options & the lunch times were gone as soon as I clicked one. I really wish I knew what the secret sauce is to be able to get early access!

Are you searching for Trader Sam's and trying to make the reservation from the Trader Sam's page? That's where I did it from and I think it was mentioned by someone earlier in this thread. I didn't have luck finding Trader Sam's reservations using the dining reservation page.

 

[DizMe]

Welp. I have a reservation Sept 18 at DLH & I checked on both the app & web browser at midnight, 3am, 5am, 6am…the 18th became available to press for just a moment on the browser at midnight, but showed no times, then went grey again when refreshed. The 18th could not then be selected until 6am on either device at which time there were zero evening options & the lunch times were gone as soon as I clicked one. I really wish I knew what the secret sauce is to be able to get early access!

Oh wow, that's so frustrating! How many are in your party? If it's 4 or fewer you should be able to put your name in in person and get inside that way, especially as a hotel guest. You can always do a walk up, which I've done several times. It's also nice to sit outside at Tangaroa Terrace, which adjoins TS's outdoor terrace. It has both an outdoor bar and table service and I think the menu is the same. If you're hoping for the fun indoor stuff, get there early and put your name in.

Good luck!

 

[Elle23]

Welp. I have a reservation Sept 18 at DLH & I checked on both the app & web browser at midnight, 3am, 5am, 6am…the 18th became available to press for just a moment on the browser at midnight, but showed no times, then went grey again when refreshed. The 18th could not then be selected until 6am on either device at which time there were zero evening options & the lunch times were gone as soon as I clicked one. I really wish I knew what the secret sauce is to be able to get early access!

Same for me. When I clicked on it right at 8, all of the evening reservations were already gone, and I couldn’t click on the other ones fast enough before they were gone.

I also tried all through the night and nothing was ever available.

 

[DizMe]

Forgot to add that you can often get a reservation shortly before your trip, as people often overbook reservations and drop many of them as they get closer to their trip.

 

[dunkindonut]

I got a reservation and decided to cancel since I don't drink, keep checking to see if it pops up. It was for 1:05PM. Wanted to get a mug but I heard mixed reception about the availability of them.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

Oh wow, that's so frustrating! How many are in your party? If it's 4 or fewer you should be able to put your name in in person and get inside that way, especially as a hotel guest. You can always do a walk up, which I've done several times. It's also nice to sit outside at Tangaroa Terrace, which adjoins TS's outdoor terrace. It has both an outdoor bar and table service and I think the menu is the same. If you're hoping for the fun indoor stuff, get there early and put your name in.

Good luck!

Just a party of two. Our kid can’t really do restaurants so our timing has to be exact for childcare. Unfortunately the variability of walk up won’t work for us.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

So I called tech support to see if there was a problem with how my hotel reservation was connected to my account or something, and SHE said the restaurant releases the times whenever they feel like it - so it is variable. She said if I saw no dinner times ever, they might not have even released them yet. She said a hotel reservation does NOT allow you any earlier access, but may show more available times (although she wasn’t sure about that second part).

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

Are you searching for Trader Sam's and trying to make the reservation from the Trader Sam's page? That's where I did it from and I think it was mentioned by someone earlier in this thread. I didn't have luck finding Trader Sam's reservations using the dining reservation page.

I’m not sure I know the difference between the trader Sam’s page & the dining reservations page. I find Trader Sam’s page & hit check availability (browser) or “reserve dining” (app).

 

[dismsn]

I’m not sure I know the difference between the trader Sam’s page & the dining reservations page. I find Trader Sam’s page & hit check availability (browser) or “reserve dining” (app).

Sounds like you're looking at what I consider the Trader Sam's page.

 

[Scott C.]

I have been trying to get a reservation since 60 days out for TS and staying at DLH and had no luck for 8/22. I used the app and maybe that was my problem. If going at lunch time is the wait list viable to get in? We are just going to be at the pool that day so don’t mind the wait. Also, it’s a party of four.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I tried for 9/21. Got up at 3 AM PDT which wasn’t great. Nothing then. Woke back up at 6 AM and still nothing. I also have a dining alert set and didn’t receive a notification.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

I tried for 9/21. Got up at 3 AM PDT which wasn’t great. Nothing then. Woke back up at 6 AM and still nothing. I also have a dining alert set and didn’t receive a notification.

Arrrrrg! I am so sorry. This system really sucks. I got a res for Sept 21 at 1:25am. I’m going to post our scenarios & results trying for 4 nights in a row a little later today when I’m at a keyboard.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

Arrrrrg! I am so sorry. This system really sucks. I got a res for Sept 21 at 1:25am. I’m going to post our scenarios & results trying for 4 nights in a row a little later today when I’m at a keyboard.

I couldn’t even click on the 21st at 3 AM. I tried the web and the app. It wasn’t available to click until 6 AM.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

Ok. Here's all our info on trying to get this dang res. Maybe this will be helpful to someone sometime.

We have 2 reservations at DLH: One checking in Sept 18, and one DTD view checking in Sept 20. Our ultimate goal is to get a reservation for 2 at 10pm on Sept 21st.

On the night of July 19, my husband and I decide to "we don't really need sleep, do we? Let's figure this out!"
Midnight (July 20): In the browser we see Sept 18th become available to click, but no dining times after that. When refreshed, the 18th goes grey again. On the app on my phone: I never see the 18th turn black.

We try again at 3am, 5am, and 6am. At 6am we both see the 18th become available, but only lunch times are available. As soon as I click on one, they are gone.

Night of July 20th we decide we do, in fact, need sleep, especially because the night we REALLY want the reservation is Sept 21st. So we go to bed before midnight, but I wake up at 4am July 21th anyway, check my phone, and the app shows lunch and dinner available! Only until 9:25pm, but too bad we don't want to go that day!

Since the internet is so much faster on the laptop plugged in to our ethernet, I'm just doing this on the browser here on out. I think the CM who told me that dates release first in the app was just wrong. Although she wasn't wrong about midnight! Glad I got that tip!

Night of July 21st! At Midnight (July 22nd) Sept 20 becomes clickable! But...no dining times available. I keep refreshing and trying over and over for about 10 minutes, then set my alarm for 2:55am and go to bed. In the minutes before 3am, I go to check and it's all there before me: lunch and dinner times! But...10pm and 11pm are still greyed out. Hmmm...maybe Trader Sam's doesn't release the last seatings of the night until later? Maybe they'll be closed earlier in Sept?? I am able to nab one for 9:25pm.

Night of July 22nd. The big dance. Here we go. At Midnight (July 23rd) Sept 21st becomes clickable, but again no dining times. I set my alarm for 1:55am and tell my husband to check again before he comes to bed. He comes I'd guess about 20 minutes later and says there still wasn't anything. At 1:55am I pop up and dash to the laptop - they are there! Well...until 9:25pm. I click it AND...

I get a notice saying it conflicts with a reservation I already have for 9:25pm on the 21st. Am I dreaming? I'm clicking around trying to understand what's happening when my husband comes out of the bathroom. He'd been up again with our son and already got it. He says it was there at about 1:25am.

I also had dining alerts set with 2 different sites and never got a notification of anything becoming available.

 

[AndrewC]

Ok. Here's all our info on trying to get this dang res. Maybe this will be helpful to someone sometime.

We have 2 reservations at DLH: One checking in Sept 18, and one DTD view checking in Sept 20. Our ultimate goal is to get a reservation for 2 at 10pm on Sept 21st.

On the night of July 19, my husband and I decide to "we don't really need sleep, do we? Let's figure this out!"
Midnight (July 20): In the browser we see Sept 18th become available to click, but no dining times after that. When refreshed, the 18th goes grey again. On the app on my phone: I never see the 18th turn black.

We try again at 3am, 5am, and 6am. At 6am we both see the 18th become available, but only lunch times are available. As soon as I click on one, they are gone.

Night of July 20th we decide we do, in fact, need sleep, especially because the night we REALLY want the reservation is Sept 21st. So we go to bed before midnight, but I wake up at 4am July 21th anyway, check my phone, and the app shows lunch and dinner available! Only until 9:25pm, but too bad we don't want to go that day!

Since the internet is so much faster on the laptop plugged in to our ethernet, I'm just doing this on the browser here on out. I think the CM who told me that dates release first in the app was just wrong. Although she wasn't wrong about midnight! Glad I got that tip!

Night of July 21st! At Midnight (July 22nd) Sept 20 becomes clickable! But...no dining times available. I keep refreshing and trying over and over for about 10 minutes, then set my alarm for 2:55am and go to bed. In the minutes before 3am, I go to check and it's all there before me: lunch and dinner times! But...10pm and 11pm are still greyed out. Hmmm...maybe Trader Sam's doesn't release the last seatings of the night until later? Maybe they'll be closed earlier in Sept?? I am able to nab one for 9:25pm.

Night of July 22nd. The big dance. Here we go. At Midnight (July 23rd) Sept 21st becomes clickable, but again no dining times. I set my alarm for 1:55am and tell my husband to check again before he comes to bed. He comes I'd guess about 20 minutes later and says there still wasn't anything. At 1:55am I pop up and dash to the laptop - they are there! Well...until 9:25pm. I click it AND...

I get a notice saying it conflicts with a reservation I already have for 9:25pm on the 21st. Am I dreaming? I'm clicking around trying to understand what's happening when my husband comes out of the bathroom. He'd been up again with our son and already got it. He says it was there at about 1:25am.

I also had dining alerts set with 2 different sites and never got a notification of anything becoming available.

For the last few years they've gone live basically any time. It used to be pretty rock solid at 6am, but now it's midnight, 10am, whatever. I don't know if it's randomly when each location's systems update to the main system or what, but there isn't really a pattern to it. I would keep checking all the time, especially the days leading up to it, people often change or cancel.