Which of these restaurants are most difficult to reserve?

[queenofhartz]

Hi again everyone! I'm trying to get a gameplan for calling to make our ADRs. We'll be able to make ADRs for our trip next month (I know, I know...it's probably premature for me to even be thinking about this, but planning for our Disney trip just makes me happy ) Anyways, I'm wondering if any of these restaurants will require me to call at 8am right at the 180 day mark? These are the restaurants we're hoping to reserve. Unless noted, I'm hoping to get dinner ADRs:

Victoria & Albert's (thinking about the chef's table, but would be happy with any table)
O'hana
Kona Cafe (breakfast)
Grand View Lounge Tea (afternoon tea)
Le Cellier
Rose & Crown (lunch)
Liberty Tree Tavern
Narcoosees
California Grill
Jiko
Coral Reef (lunch)

We will be arriving April 26-May 3, and I've heard from my fellow Disers that the crowd levels are very managable at this time of year. But, which of these restaurants, if any, do you think will require me to be on the phone by 8am in order to reserve?

Thank you!

 

[Luv2Roam]

That time of the year should not be bad for you, not like with the approaching holidays, MNSSHP, and Free DDP.
The only one that might be sticky is Le Cellier. For the Chef's table you may have a little difficulty. But can't even say you will on that one.
Even Coral Reef should be fine if you want lunch.
Even now I make Afternoon Tea ADRs about 4 - 5 weeks in advance for a Saturday.
Should be a great time to come too. Before the heat sets in and during the Flower & Garden Fest!

 

[Mom2JoeyandBen]

Only the Chef's table at V&A might give you a problem. But none of the others would require a 7am call 180 days out. But don't wait too long, you can always cancel them.

 

[queenofhartz]

Ok, yay! Thank you for the advice! I think just to be safe, I'll reserve the chef's table (or regular table-I haven't really decided yet) at V&A on the 7am, 180 day mark. And, I think I'll reserve Le Cellier this way too just to be extra safe and make sure we get the ADR at the time we want. Thanks again!

 

[corgi_monster]

If you have a large party, I would call as soon as realistically possible. Getting a table for 4 is much easier than getting a table for 12.

We've only been to WDW during free dining and have had no problems getting ADR's at Ohanas, California Grill, Narcoossee's, and LTT.

We did have trouble getting a reservation at Le Cellier and Coral Reef. We are a party of 2.

 

[queenofhartz]

Luckily, we are just a party of two. I'm going to call at 7am for V&A and Le Cellier (unless anyone thinks I should call at 7am for any of the other restaurants).

I'm planning on calling to make ADRs for the other restaurants on the 180 day mark...I just won't bother getting up around 4:45am to make sure I'm on the phone by 7am est.

 

[homedad]

I booked at 180 days out for this September(after free dining) and never could get Le Cellier(sp?). Got all other times wanted at CG,FF, Spoodles. I was even able to get CRT breakfast for my 4yr daughter. FWIW.

 

[queenofhartz]

I booked at 180 days out for this September(after free dining) and never could get Le Cellier(sp?). Got all other times wanted at CG,FF, Spoodles. I was even able to get CRT breakfast for my 4yr daughter. FWIW.

That's nuts!! It's kind of funny how things change so much at Disney in just 4-5 years. When I joined the Disboards this summer, I was really surprised to find all the hype about Le Cellier. 4-5 years ago, I don't remember Le Cellier being a tough Priority Seating. I remember that CRT was difficult though....some things never change.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Victoria & Albert's requires pressing a different button on your phone's keypad (2) than regular reservations (enter your room/package reservation number, or phone number, followed by #). So you need to decide which is more important. Since you want the Chef's Table, obviously it's V & A's . There really ARE other places onsite that offer steak, if you end up not being able to get Le Cellier.

 

[byoung]

Le Cellier gets my vote.

 

[schoen]

I would "practice" calling for the chef's table. When we were trying to book my husband called a few times so he knew the buttons he had to press to get to the menu. He started calling at about 6:58. It took him three days of this to finally get the reservation. If the chef's table is a priority for you I would be prepared to put some effort into it. The main dining room is not hard to get. I have gotten in the day before, and even the day-of. It is a great dinner!

 

[engle]

If you are calling in for Le Cellier, why not just make all of your ressies then and you will for sure get exactly what you want??

 

[dalt01]

If you are calling in for Le Cellier, why not just make all of your ressies then and you will for sure get exactly what you want??

that is great advice. just make them all at 180 and your worrys are over.

 

[n2mm]

I often call for my LeCellier ADR first and if I have time I'll do the rest. Often folks will call for an ADR for LeCellier and have one particular night set for it, then it's not available and they get upset. I call and asked to check the times available for LeCellier for the entire week, and then choose the best time available. I'm not a EMH person and could care less what time the park closes. I do like to NOT be at the park having the EMH, but it doesn't really affect my dining. After I get the perfect time for LeCellier, then I sit down and "backfill" the rest of my choices into my plan and call back in the afternoon when it's less of a wait time and get my other ADRs. We take 4 vacations a year there (we had to cut back from 6), and this always works well for me. If I'm not sure which LeCellier day I want, especially during my 2 week trips I book two different nights. Also, I never book my most important or special dining ADR on my checkin day because with the airlines you never know what might happen and I would not be happy to miss the ADR that is the most special to me. My next trip (4 weeks away) I have an ADR for LeCellier twice, Kona Cafe twice, and Concourse SH twice. With a 12 night stay, I often will dine more than once at some of my favorites. Of course I also have Narcossee too (another favorite) but only once!

 

[pigby]

The only one that might be sticky is Le Cellier. !

But you never know, we walked up to Le Cllier last year at the end of August during free dining and walked stright in - but this was a late lunch. We did have a ADR later that evening but we were hungry, so changed our booking.

 

[queenofhartz]

that is great advice. just make them all at 180 and your worrys are over.

Hi engle and dalt01! Thank you for the advice! I am definitely going to make all of our ADRs at 180 days. But, I was really wondering which ones required me to be up and on the phone by 7am eastern time to secure the reservation. 7am eastern time will be 4am my time. This is me at 4am

So, truth be told, I'm really just being lazy and wondering which days I can sleep in and which days I'll need to set my alarm.

 

[queenofhartz]

Thanks again everyone!! Ok, so I've decided that I'll be on the phone at 7am eastern time for the Le Cellier reservation and the V&A reservation (we decided that we are just going to do the regular dining room instead of the chef's table since this is our first trip to V&A). The V&A reservation is the one we are looking the most forward to, so I want to make sure we get an ADR at a time that we want.

By the way, n2mm-Have a great trip!! It sounds like you're going to come back very happy and very full.

 

[n2mm]

Thanks again everyone!! Ok, so I've decided that I'll be on the phone at 7am eastern time for the Le Cellier reservation and the V&A reservation (we decided that we are just going to do the regular dining room instead of the chef's table since this is our first trip to V&A). The V&A reservation is the one we are looking the most forward to, so I want to make sure we get an ADR at a time that we want.

By the way, n2mm-Have a great trip!! It sounds like you're going to come back very happy and very full.

And alot heavier too!!

 

[ReggieB]

When I called for our 180 days for V&A, I actually spent some time with the CM decided about the chef's table. It was available, but I decided that it would take far to long to eat (our DS will be in kids club) So I think you stand a reasonable chance of getting it. Go for V&A first then go back to the main reservations for Le Cellier. I have never had any trouble getting what I want at the 180 day mark.

 

[Inkmahm]

Hi again everyone! I'm trying to get a gameplan for calling to make our ADRs. We'll be able to make ADRs for our trip next month (I know, I know...it's probably premature for me to even be thinking about this, but planning for our Disney trip just makes me happy ) Anyways, I'm wondering if any of these restaurants will require me to call at 8am right at the 180 day mark? These are the restaurants we're hoping to reserve. Unless noted, I'm hoping to get dinner ADRs:

Victoria & Albert's (thinking about the chef's table, but would be happy with any table)
O'hana
Kona Cafe (breakfast)
Grand View Lounge Tea (afternoon tea)
Le Cellier
Rose & Crown (lunch)
Liberty Tree Tavern
Narcoosees
California Grill
Jiko
Coral Reef (lunch)

We will be arriving April 26-May 3, and I've heard from my fellow Disers that the crowd levels are very managable at this time of year. But, which of these restaurants, if any, do you think will require me to be on the phone by 8am in order to reserve?

Thank you!

I just called this morning at the 180 day mark for our trip March 15-20. Of those on your list, I made reservations at Coral Reef for lunch, Jiko's California Grill, and Narcoosssees. I was reserving for 5 people and I had no problem getting any of the restaurants or times I wanted even though this is the week before Easter and I expect it to be jammed everywhere. I even got Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast on 3/18 at the time I wanted.

You should be fine.