Would you Make ADRS online or by Phone???

[Wendybird55]

I'm getting close to my 180 day mark and planning dining reservations for a 10-day trip. Last 2 trips (last year) I found making reservations online to be convenient, easy and flexible. Especially when I was looking for the elusive 'Ohana or Chef Mickey reservation and could easliy check a few times a day online to see if anything opened up.

BUT NOW...I've been checking out the new My Disney Experence website and finding it to be not as "user friendly" as the last reservation system. Plus I've been reading complaints about it on the boards. I'm mostly concerned about the popular restaurants such as 'Ohana, Chef Mickeys (DS favorite), etc and maybe losing out on a reservation because something went screwy with the website.

But, by doing it by phone I need to be more prepared and decisive on where I want to eat on whihc days..can't "look around" as I can online.

So what would you do...phone or online? What has your experience been with the new online booking? We'll be at WDW beginnin Aug 18 for 10 days.

Thanks

 

[gtpoohbear]

I've still found it to be quicker online, even with the new site. Occasionally I will get a "Server Busy" error, but not very often, and when it does happen I can go back and submit again, and it's worked every time. The only ADR I called to make for our April trip, ended up being wrong after I checked it online. So I much prefer to do it myself, where I can see all the details and know that it's right.

 

[PacoDF]

If the website works, I prefer to do it online! I really hate phone calls!

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

I like the flexibility of doing ADR's online at my leisure.

I made part of my ADR's on the old system, and I have made the rest within the new updated My Disney Experience. I started making them a day or 2 after my 180 day mark.

It is slower, and works best if you click off exactly the areas you are looking for ressies for a specific time such as resorts or parks etc. instead of letting it load all the restaurants on property with ressie times.

I don't like that we can't add in a celebration any more.

If you are making ADR's a the 180 day mark or even slightly after that you shouldn't have any problem getting ADR's at Ohana, Chef Mickeys, CRT and BOG. I had no trouble getting BOG and Chef Mickey's.

I wasnt looking for Ohana and CRT.

Sending good thoughts and your way.
Hope you get all the ADR's you are hoping for!

 

[danceintherain]

I think online opens up before the phone lines, so I'd start there, then call if I was having trouble.

It really depends on when you're going, but I was able to get both Ohana and Chef Mickey's less than 4 months in advance for a trip in April.
Just make sure to keep track of reservation numbers, and double check everything shortly after.

 

[GoHerbie]

There's other threads about the stinkin Disney website not allowing you to online reservations for the 10 days after your arrival. I can make ADR's for my arrival day but no farther, even though I'm logged in and it shows our resort reservation. So you can try online at day 180, but you might have to call to actually get results.

 

[TNixon123]

I can confirm what GoHerbie said. The website would not allow me to go past day one of my trip arrival this morning (179 days out). I had to call in to make ressies for the whole week. The agent confirmed that the site is still flakey.

She also had a good point, that calling in helps keep her in a job. I'm a techy guy, but I still can appreciate the good human service aspect of things.

 

[Wendybird55]

Thanks for the input...I was wondering about making ADRS past the first day of your trip at 180 as when I look at the calendar on the site I notice the dates are highlighted only up to the 180 out for the day you are looking.

I too enjoy the flexibility of making adrs online....but there are some places I want to make sure we get, plus I think I'll also be making a Fantasmic dinner ADR. I think I'll call to make the "important" ADRS like Chef Mickeys, 'Ohana, etc. and then try online for the rest. In the past it wasn't too bad doing ADRS on the phone for a 6-day trip, but this is a 10-day trip and it will be a long time on the phone to make the ressies...as a PP say it does keep someone employed...

I guess with everything it will just take time to get use to the new website and fix the kinks...I a also missing the calendar info on the old site...it was much wasier being able to see an entire month at a time then day by day...well at least I can go to wdweasy for that info.

Thanks