Waking up early to make online ADRs?

[Soarin' Mama]

This Sunday marks our 180 day, and I can't even believe how excited I am! But I have a question: is it really necessary/worth it to wake up early to do the 6am online reservations? 6am ET is 4am where I am, and I do not relish the thought of getting up so early to make ressies. When we went in 2007, I was able to call up there at about 8 or 9and we got everything I wanted with no trouble. Have things really gotten so busy that I have to wake up so early to get into the places we want?

I'm still finalizing, but we know for sure we want:

Chef Mickey's (breakfast)
Ohana (dinner)
Hollywood Brown Derby (lunch or dinner)
50's Prime Time (dinner)
Liberty Tree (lunch)
Whispering Canyon (dinner)

Possibly:
Kouzzina
Jiko
Le Cellier (lunch)

We are planning on doing early dinners, around 4 or 4:30.

Thanks!

 

[mcd2745]

This Sunday marks our 180 day, and I can't even believe how excited I am! But I have a question: is it really necessary/worth it to wake up early to do the 6am online reservations? 6am ET is 4am where I am, and I do not relish the thought of getting up so early to make ressies. When we went in 2007, I was able to call up there at about 8 or 9and we got everything I wanted with no trouble. Have things really gotten so busy that I have to wake up so early to get into the places we want?

I'm still finalizing, but we know for sure we want:

Chef Mickey's (breakfast)
Ohana (dinner)
Hollywood Brown Derby (lunch or dinner)
50's Prime Time (dinner)
Liberty Tree (lunch)
Whispering Canyon (dinner)

Possibly:
Kouzzina
Jiko
Le Cellier (lunch)

We are planning on doing early dinners, around 4 or 4:30.

Thanks!

The answer to the bolded question - probably. You want to do early dinners? You can most likely forget about that for 'Ohana, even if you get up at 4am...and your only chance will be on a day towards the end of your trip. Same goes for the LeCellier lunch. The rest you would most likely be okay waking up later and making your ADRs.

 

[summermac]

I think so, yes, especially with what you've chosen for some of your meals.

That said, last week there were still ressies available at Ohana for my May trip b/c I changed a date around and took Ohana at a different day.

However you are getting into the busy season with your trip so......

 

[SimplyGoofy]

It may not be a bad idea--especially for the Chef Mickey's breakfast, Le Cellier lunch, and Ohana dinner. All three of those are some of the most popular reservations in all of Disney Dining... and the most likely of those to be snatched up quickly! Since you're looking for specific meal times AND will be in peak season, the most likely way to get what you want is to make those reservations at your first opportunity.

You shouldn't have any trouble making your other reservations later that day.

(One note for you--Ohana doesn't open for dinner until 5:00, and Jiko doesn't open until 5:30. All of your other dinners should be fine at 4:30.)

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

I'd actually take the counter side and say no - our 180 day is the day after yours - no free dining is currently offered, and as long as you aren't trying to eat all those meals on, say Memorial Day all at once, crowds still look pretty manageable tues-fri that week.

I'm actually hoping it's not necessary, as I'm staying DVC and since they added the credit card requirement end of October, the +10 ability after 180 days isn't working. I have to call DVC Member Services when they open - which isn't until 9:00 ET

I was doing random checks the week before we go for things like even Cinderella's Royal Table, still plenty of openings.....

 

[Soarin' Mama]

Thanks!

Planning the meals seems so much more intense this time than it did when we went the first time. I wonder if it's that there isn't the air of "first time" magic in the process or if it just takes more finagling and finessing to get the good places. When we went the first time, I was able to get everything, including Le Cellier for dinner, on the days and the times I hoped for.

Later dinner times would be fine for us, I just figured that maybe an earlier dinner might be easier to get into than a later one.

After a family meeting with the giant white board, Ohana is still one we really want to do, Le Cellier has been bumped to a "maybe" and Tusker House has been added. Ds wants to try and do two character meals, which I think is really sweet for a ten year old! We can't decide if we want to try the new Tusker House character lunch or if we want to do the breakfast on an EMH morning. Oooh!!! The decisions! The indecision! I guess these really are the kind of choices everyone would love to make-myself included!

Aroundtheriverbend--It didn't even occur to me to check out availability for the week before our trip! I'll do that tonight!

I think that for the sake of Chef Mickey's and Ohana, I'll wake up early. Then, since I'll be up, I'll take my doggie for a walk and then head to an early morning Jazzercise class. Might as well make the most of being up a the pre-crack of dawn

 

[MisWal]

My 180 day was last a week ago and the only ressies I wanted was early 'Ohana and CP. I snuck down around 6:30 central time and got both that I wanted. A couple days later, I decided to change some days around and look for Chef Mickeys. Was able to get a different 'Ohana day (still got 5 pm) and had my choice of Chef Mickey times. A few days later, I decided to try for Le Cellier lunch and easily got that.

Short story long, I don't think you have to wake up early for ADRs for your trip.

 

[MisWal]

And just for fun, I checked CP, 'Ohanas and Le Cellier and all three still had openings at my preferred early breakfast/lunch/dinner time for May 18th.

 

[Soarin' Mama]

And just for fun, I checked CP, 'Ohanas and Le Cellier and all three still had openings at my preferred early breakfast/lunch/dinner time for May 18th.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

So, how'd it go today?