Window opening soon... veteran newb questions

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I have been planning Disney vacays for 20 years, but feel so out of the loop with COVID. I've seen some conflicting/dated info, so just looking for validation:

1. ADRs open up at 6am EST. I've seen varying reports that it sometimes opens sooner?
2. We are a party of 9. Has anyone successfully booked a large party for popular places like 'Ohana? We will be trying for 'Ohana, Topolino's, Via Napoli and Tusker House for the week of Thanksgiving.
3. If I have to split us up for 5 and 4, is there a special way I need to do this, as I thought it sometimes won't let you have two ressies at the same time.

Thanks for any advice!!!

ETA: Found the solution to question 3.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I have been planning Disney vacays for 20 years, but feel so out of the loop with COVID. I've seen some conflicting/dated info, so just looking for validation:

1. ADRs open up at 6am EST. I've seen varying reports that it sometimes opens sooner?
2. We are a party of 9. Has anyone successfully booked a large party for popular places like 'Ohana? We will be trying for 'Ohana, Topolino's, Via Napoli and Tusker House for the week of Thanksgiving.
3. If I have to split us up for 5 and 4, is there a special way I need to do this, as I thought it sometimes won't let you have two ressies at the same time.

Thanks for any advice!!!

1. Correct, some have gotten them as early as 545am EST, but definitely by 6am.

3. To do a split party, you'll need to book on the website. The first selection, you'll change the managed by to someone else in your party. The second one can be managed by you.

Initially, it will look like this with your info, followed by (me)


Change it to someone else in your party that is 18+ and that you can potentially set up an account for should you need to edit later.

 

[Figment1990]

Never in my 20+ years of planning disney trips have I ever experienced such an awful booking experience. This includes registering for runDisney races, calling and waiting on hold back when you had to call for ressies, and waking up at early hours to try to get CRT for my niece back in the early 2000s when online booking was still fairly new. I've even booked multiple SWGE boarding passes, and gotten in for AP previews. Nothing has ever been this glitchy.

I woke up at 5:30, just in case. Could not get anything to start showing up until 6am on the dot. But then from there it was just glitch after glitch. I would click on a time, it would just think and think and think and then never go anywhere. Or it would tell me that there was a problem. Or the page would disappear. My credit card has been saved and working with this site for months (including me checking it yesterday) - but I had to enter it every time until my very last ADR at 6:45. Nothing ever did work on my phone or ipad apps. I spent 45 minutes booking 4 ADRs. That's nuts. I couldn't get Cali Grill, S220, or Sci Fi but truthfully I wasn't really expecting to because of the timing of our trip. I did get everything else I wanted (including Beaches & Cream).

I have the second half of our stay to book later this week. I'm not looking forward to that. And if this is any indication of booking the paid individual attractions under the new Genie system... yikes!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Never in my 20+ years of planning disney trips have I ever experienced such an awful booking experience. This includes registering for runDisney races, calling and waiting on hold back when you had to call for ressies, and waking up at early hours to try to get CRT for my niece back in the early 2000s when online booking was still fairly new. I've even booked multiple SWGE boarding passes, and gotten in for AP previews. Nothing has ever been this glitchy.

I woke up at 5:30, just in case. Could not get anything to start showing up until 6am on the dot. But then from there it was just glitch after glitch. I would click on a time, it would just think and think and think and then never go anywhere. Or it would tell me that there was a problem. Or the page would disappear. My credit card has been saved and working with this site for months (including me checking it yesterday) - but I had to enter it every time until my very last ADR at 6:45. Nothing ever did work on my phone or ipad apps. I spent 45 minutes booking 4 ADRs. That's nuts. I couldn't get Cali Grill, S220, or Sci Fi but truthfully I wasn't really expecting to because of the timing of our trip. I did get everything else I wanted (including Beaches & Cream).

I have the second half of our stay to book later this week. I'm not looking forward to that. And if this is any indication of booking the paid individual attractions under the new Genie system... yikes!

I have Always backed Disney- this site has a lot of people who complain about Disney and feel the value slips year after year. I have never felt that way, and there’s obviously people like me and you who love coming back year after year. But I am finally at the peak of frustration and I couldn’t agree with @Figment1990 more about all of the problems as of late. I held for 8 hours to get upgrade to AP tickets (Which I was forced to do if I wanted a chance of rebooking my lost park passes for the week of Thanksgiving). Today, my dining window opened and I couldn’t find any availability past my first day, super glitchy, etc, etc. I then called and was on hold for 3.5 hrs. When they finally answered they said their systems are down and there is nothing they can do to book reservations. “Try again later” How about you put me in a queue to call me back when your system is working, Disney? And for the week of Thanksgiving- it’s just wrong to screw people over (at all) but especially during one of the most expensive weeks, and when so many large groups are traveling together.

I too can’t imagine what the Genie+ IT system will be like if dining is such a fiasco.

 

[BobaFettFan]

I got all my reservations by waking up at 215am pacific time and clicking refresh. Multiple days. Every day different. 230, 240, 3am on the dot.

My advice?

Make sure you save your password on the browser in case you get logged off. A couple clicks bring you back in. Same with credit card info on Disney world website.

Sit at the computer with the restaurant tabs open. Mouse in one hand, phone app in the other. Just casually refresh until time slots appear.


An early morning will get you dinner at 5pm on the day you choose instead of 830pm on an off day.

It sucked to lose sleep like I did, but my reservations look like a Thanos gauntlet. Every slot has a jewel. My family and inlaws were very appreciative and much better rested.

 

[BrotherCraig]

Also keep in mind, there is less than a 10% chance you will get any of your top choices. Patience is key. If you don't get what you want, keep trying. Also use *********** to help. If still no luck, try the day of.

 

[BrotherCraig]

I got all my reservations by waking up at 215am pacific time and clicking refresh. Multiple days. Every day different. 230, 240, 3am on the dot.



It sucked to lose sleep like I did, but my reservations look like a Thanos gauntlet. Every slot has a jewel. My family and inlaws were very appreciative and much better rested.

Lucky. I never had luck in getting anything we wanted. Always a bloodbath. lol I tried every trick in the book too. iPhone, iPad, and two web browsers (two difference machines). Nada.