When do people REALLy make up their minds to go or no go on ADRs?

[Buckimion]

Have ADRs made for DW & I on our mid-September trip although since we didn't start until this past week I've already missed out on the preferred places & times for a handful of restaurants. Although I subscribed to the September thread, has anyone felt they see an increase in people changing their minds or deciding not to go at some point, like 45-30-14-7 days out? I get depressed when day after day and several times a day of checking, nothing seems to ever open up different.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Have ADRs made for DW & I on our mid-September trip although since we didn't start until this past week I've already missed out on the preferred places & times for a handful of restaurants. Although I subscribed to the September thread, has anyone felt they see an increase in people changing their minds or deciding not to go at some point, like 45-30-14-7 days out? I get depressed when day after day and several times a day of checking, nothing seems to ever open up different.

I feel your pain. I booked our dining for our Dec 2010 trip right on the 180 mark...thought I had it PERFECT...and then 1) my brother and SIL decided to join us 2) I started to have all of these revelations about what my "perfect" dining plans would be. Naturally, by that point there was very little available- especially since the online system still allowed double bookings and required very few credit card guarantees in 2010. While I had some luck getting an 8:10a adr at Crystal Palace, it wasn't until early November that I started to have some luck stalking the website for openings. It had me so depressed. I was wondering if that Crystal Palace adr was it, but then BAM I was finding openings left and right. It wasn't as bad with other trips. I remember w/our Aug 2011 trip I was finding openings left and right...everything from prime spots at 'Ohana dinner and Cali Grill to CRT dinner, prepark opening Crystal Palace, etc. Sure, I was probably checking more than the avg person, but it was nothing like the Dec checking and nothing.

It's still worth checking every day- multiple times per day- but I think August is when you're going to see more things open up. Of course, if you're going during free dining- that may make it more difficult...but never impossible! Good luck!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Have ADRs made for DW & I on our mid-September trip although since we didn't start until this past week I've already missed out on the preferred places & times for a handful of restaurants. Although I subscribed to the September thread, has anyone felt they see an increase in people changing their minds or deciding not to go at some point, like 45-30-14-7 days out? I get depressed when day after day and several times a day of checking, nothing seems to ever open up different.

I've always heard that around the 45 day mark is a good time to check because that's when you have to make final payment on resort package reservations. If people decide to cancel their trip, hopefully they will remember to cancel their ADRs as well. With the new cancellation policy, I think there are a lot more cancellations within a week of the travel time. So keep checking.

But I really think cancellations can happen at anytime. I made my ADRs at 180 days before our checkin date. There were two reservations that I ended up changing. One, I couldn't get my preferred time even at 180+ days out, but kept checking and within a week got my preferred time. So the ADR at my non-preferred time got cancelled at that point. If I hadn't kept checking, even at 180 days out, I would have missed when my preferred time became available.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree with the PP that there does seem to be some increased availability when the packages are due to when you're there. There isn't a lot of change initially, but I keep looking and have gotten almost everything I wanted in the past. My family also had pretty good luck getting day of or day before ADR, so that's an option (but I know that doesn't really help those that like to pre-plan, like me).

 

[stepdisney]

I had my package with dining for August booked since last August. I had the kind of year at school that made it impossible for me to concentrate on anything other than teaching and missed my 180 day mark by months. In fact, I just started booking dinner ADR's about 1 month ago. I managed to get Ohana, Boma, and Cape May Cafe all at great times. People cancel every day. Check early in the morning. Also, I have made ADR's while on site/ We have changed at the last minute due to schedule changes and had no problem swapping ADR's while on site. The concierge at YC last year was very helpful.