Trouble with ADR's 180 days out - 1st week in Dec

[JMars]

Traveling to WDW 1st week in December(checking in Mon Dec 2nd - 5 nights)... I understand that first week in Dec is on the less crowded side of things and was surprised that we had trouble getting our ideal times for ADR's at 180 + 10 days out - 6AM. Able to get CRT (although not on the day of our first choice) and couldn't get any time at all for Be Our Guest for Dinner. not one available dinner reservation all week (at 6:15A on the first day). Very Limited availability at the other popular ones. I will say we had no issues at Chef Mickey's.

Only thing I can attribute it to is party size (7 of us) and possibly the fact that we are at a disadvantage because we check in on a Monday (and people that check in on Fri/Sat/Sun had a head start on making their 180 + 10.) Never thought of check-in date causing an issue like this (well never thought of it until this).

Thoughts? Is this surprising to anyone? Is first week in Dec more crowded than I originally understood? (previously we've traveled in May twice, Oct once and March once - on short notice - less than 180 days out - and have been able to get most of the reservations we wanted)

Thanks!

 

[ktlm]

You are lucky you got CRT. We were unable to get CRT for lunch any day the entire week. Couldn't get Akershus for lunch either. We have gone that week the past 3 years, and I have never not been able to get what I wanted on my 180th day, and usually at the exact time I wanted.

I've heard a lot of people received a "free dining" pin that included that week. I don't think that the parks will be that much more crowded than usual, but I do think that alot more people received a pin earlier than usual this year, or have gone ahead and made ADRs and tenative room reservations in hopes that a general free dining offer comes out. We have noticed that once a general free dining offer comes out, it becomes very difficult to change ADRs around for that time period. In our experience, normally the parks aren't bad (except for MK around the Friday and Saturday parade taping), but the restaurants are very crowded because of free dining.

 

[JMars]

You are lucky you got CRT. We were unable to get CRT for lunch any day the entire week. Couldn't get Akershus for lunch either. We have gone that week the past 3 years, and I have never not been able to get what I wanted on my 180th day, and usually at the exact time I wanted.

sorry that you couldn't get CRT...we were trying to go the same day the girls had their BBB appointments but couldn't (had very limited choices on BBB appointments as well 180 out - and couldn't book it at same time as Cinderella since BBB is via phone @ 7A and ADR's are @ 6A), but fortunately got Akershus for dinner the day of their appointment and doing CRT later in the week.


thanks for the heads up on the parade taping - didn't even know about that but can keep an eye out for that to avoid MK on that day.

 

[GinnerD]

It might have something to do with the Christmas Parade taping that will be on the weekend of Dec 7/8. This seems to be shaping up to be a busy week. I have seen a lot of posts about people going the week after Thanksgiving. Including me!

 

[eeyoresnr]

we are going the same timeframe...not staying onsite this time so have to do ADRs one day at a time... I'm thinking it has more to do with a faulty reservation system at this time.... our 180 day mark for Mickeys backyard BBQ was Sat and I have tried online (old and new) as well as calling and have been told that the seating times have not been loaded into the system yet, to keep trying back... never heard this before and thought it sounded like bull, then yesterday I saw a post for Crystal Palace for first week of Dec and she was told same thing? this makes no sense, Disney know well in advance when the 180 mark is ... making ADRs was easier 5 years ago than it is now... every time they "upgrade" their system it is more of a DOWNGRADE

 

[eeyoresnr]

also I was going to say we have gone during MUCH busier timeframes and never had this much problems trying to book an ADR

 

[JMars]

also I was going to say we have gone during MUCH busier timeframes and never had this much problems trying to book an ADR

which was what I was getting at. I was able to get pretty much what I wanted on an impromptu trip memorial day week about 60 days out (granted no CRT, but could get Cali Grill and other signature restaurant no issue). I know CRT is a different animal and BOG is new, but I thought I'd be ok on day 1 at 6AM, I should get something....that's why I thought maybe there was something amiss.

The new my disney experience interface has its issues (constantly have to re-login plus I was seeing in days prior that it only allowed 180 days out...it grayed out the "+10" part, but eventually the system properly tied to my reservation and allowed booking for the whole trip.), I got all my ducks in a row on the system weeks ahead of 180 so that I could book online (since you get a 1 hour head start) and thankfully they got their issues worked out re: the 180+ 10.

 

[ktlm]

sorry that you couldn't get CRT...we were trying to go the same day the girls had their BBB appointments but couldn't (had very limited choices on BBB appointments as well 180 out - and couldn't book it at same time as Cinderella since BBB is via phone @ 7A and ADR's are @ 6A), but fortunately got Akershus for dinner the day of their appointment and doing CRT later in the week.


thanks for the heads up on the parade taping - didn't even know about that but can keep an eye out for that to avoid MK on that day.

You definitely want to avoid MK Saturday if you can because that is the day they tape the parade itself. It is also the day the PopWarner kids start arriving, and they all seem to flock to MK that night and it gets packed. Friday, they just tape the performances in front of the castle. Friday isn't nearly as bad as Saturday, but we still like to avoid it. The rest of that week is usually pretty good at MK. WDW is beautiful during the holiday season! Don't miss the Osborne lights at DHS!

I was able to pick up a CRT lunch today for the day I wanted. It isn't until 2:05, but I'll take it for now and see if I can get something better. Of course, now we can't get into the BBB. I should have called earlier on that, but I usually forget or am too busy to make that call on day 180, and I've never had any trouble getting an appointment as long as I call within a week or two of the time reservations open. I found another CRT lunch time that opened up on Friday, but there was not any BBB that day either. UGH- it drives me crazy that BBB can't be booked online, so I will have to call every day on that one instead of just checking online! I'm glad you were able to at least get a BBB on your Akershus day! Sorry you couldn't get it on your CRT day!

 

[auger]

I have been wondering if there is something wrong with the system, as I have not been able to get any breakfast ADRsfor the 1-8 of dec.

 

[gatechfan99]

I too, will echo what everyone has said. I'm going that first week at December and had tremendous troubles with getting reservations. I've never been that week, but have been at times that historically are much more crowded (like post-Easter week this year) and never had the trouble getting reservations I did this time.

I got online early in the AM on day 180 from my arrival date. No BOG, CRT had no dinner on the day I wanted it, no Akershus lunch.

Then, to top it off, I called about noon on day 180 from the day I wanted BBB. Earliest time that day was 5:50 PM. We've done BBB 3 times before and I know I've routinely booked that about 3-4 months in advance every time and gotten somewhere around mid-day as the time each time. The free dining might explain the restraunt reserveration problems, but I don't know what made the BBB so booked up given that it isn't off time for schools. Not sure if there's computer issues or it's just going to be a lot more crowded this visit than any prediction would have guessed for that week.

 

[vek239]

I'm having the same problem! Don't see how just about everything is already booked; do TAs book a bunch of ADRs for "just in case" scenarios for their clients?

 

[Espiritolindo]

Same problem! I was online at 6 a.m. exactly 180 days (+ a few, since we're staying at a Disney resort) before our trip and there was no availability for many restaurants. My 5 year-old daughter had really wanted to have dinner at BOG, and there was nothing. So disappointing!