90 days for dining confused

[LiloLovesTheKing26]

How is it that if you are not allowed to make reservations until 90 days before and when people are calling right when they open they are already booked? How can every seat in a place be totally filled up within 5 min? Or maybe that is possible! Ugh! I am getting worried about making my ressies for my December trip!

[faline]

I just recently called for reservations and pretty much got what I wanted with just a little bit of flexibility. I needed to move one restaurant to a different day because it was booked the day I wanted it and needed a later time at another.

Keep in mind that those who are staying at Disney can book at 90 days plus 10. That means someone who is staying for 10 nights can book their dining reservations for all 10 nights on the day that is 90 days from their arrival day. So someone who doesn't arrive until the next day will find that some of the reservations have already been taken by those who arrived the day before. If this makes any sense?

[TheRustyScupper]

Keep in mind that those who are staying at Disney can book at 90 days plus 10. That means someone who is staying for 10 nights can book their dining reservations for all 10 nights on the day that is 90 days from their arrival day.

1) SURRRRRPRISE!
2) Others just got your ADR.
3) And, people thought 90+10 was a good idea!

[disneymom2000]

I like the fact that intercot helps people with information on how to get around and the little tips that helps make an experience the best it can be.

BUT - by having all the polls on the best places to eat hurts when trying to set up your reservations. Due to the posts you can hardly ever get a reservation at Le Cellier or a lucky seat at the Rose & Crown for viewing Illuminations. I won't even discuss trying to get in at the Castle. And also the people who make the reservations "just in case" they happen to be in that park for a meal but forget to cancel when they know they can't make it afterall or make another reservation for that meal somewhere else and don't cancel.

I wish they would change where you could make your reservations that morning at the park entrance or the day before from your hotel. Maybe people would be a little more considerate in making their ressies.

[pixiesmimi]

My call in date is tomorrow and I'm scared to death that I won't be able to get some of the places we have planned after reading some of these threads. I have never had problems before getting what we wanted when it was 180 days call in. I thought today was my day because that is what my countdown timer said. I called early this morning and was on hold for about 45 minutes just to find out that I can't make reservations until tomorrow so I have to start all over again and am afraid it will be even harder tomorrow to get reservations. I agree that I can't figure out why everything is booked up so easily for a whole week or 10 days if everyone has to call in at 90 days. There can't be that many that overlap like that. Just really strange to me. We'll see what happens.

[Donald's Girl]

I don't understand the confusion on this since it's no different than when it was 180+10 days out. Same thing happened then; you may be calling on your 180th day and someone who was arriving the day before had been able to book their 10 days out.
If anything this is much better because, I don't know about all of you, but I really don't know what I'm going to be in the mood to eat 6 months ahead of time!

[Seasonscraps]

I don't understand the confusion on this since it's no different than when it was 180+10 days out. Same thing happened then; you may be calling on your 180th day and someone who was arriving the day before had been able to book their 10 days out.
If anything this is much better because, I don't know about all of you, but I really don't know what I'm going to be in the mood to eat 6 months ahead of time!

I am with you on the 90 day thing - I can barely decide what to have for dinner most days.

BuI I think everything is getting booked so quickly because more people are calling when their ADR window opens up at 90 days. When guests had 180 days to make the ADR, some would call that day others would wait a few days/weeks/months - it was just easier when not everyone was calling at the same time.

[pixiesmimi]

I have to agree with you on that. I think the last time I called later than 180 days and pretty much got what I wanted. I think the 90 days puts a time constraint on everyone that makes it harder. I called this morning and waited over an hour. When the CM finally came on, took me about 30 minutes. I actually did get O'hana. Not the day and time I wanted it but there are some dates available for dinner. She said she didn't think everything was loading right and that they had closed it down Sat. night to load everything. She told me to keep calling and maybe get what I wanted and change it. Basically I will only have to change two. Was able to book my Keys to the Kingdom tour through her also. By the way, they have gone up. It was $130 for two instead of $120. Don't know if it went up or if that was just tax. I'm pretty happy though, all in all. Not happy about having to get up at 6:00 on Memorial Day though.

[Wayne]

I wish they would change where you could make your reservations that morning at the park entrance or the day before from your hotel. Maybe people would be a little more considerate in making their ressies.

Believe it or not, this system worked quite well for a number of years. This mad dash for ADRs at 90+ days out is ridiculous.

[LiloLovesTheKing26]

I never had any trouble when it was 180!! I am mostly worried about Ohana's and Lecellier! Those are our 2 favs!!!! THe 90+10 does kinda explain alot though I did not know about that!!

[jrpersinger]

I don't understand the confusion on this since it's no different than when it was 180+10 days out. Same thing happened then; you may be calling on your 180th day and someone who was arriving the day before had been able to book their 10 days out.
If anything this is much better because, I don't know about all of you, but I really don't know what I'm going to be in the mood to eat 6 months ahead of time!

But you answered the the question to part of the problem/difference in 180 or 90 days. Most people don't plan at 180 days. Sure, most seasoned Disney travelers will, but alot don't even know to do ADRs that early. But at 90 days, almost all are planned and ready.

I liked 180 days. The +10 never hurt me then. It did get us this year with Le Cellier and F! Package. But I got everything else at the EXACT times I asked for.

[Aggie97]

I am with you on the 90 day thing - I can barely decide what to have for dinner most days.

BuI I think everything is getting booked so quickly because more people are calling when their ADR window opens up at 90 days. When guests had 180 days to make the ADR, some would call that day others would wait a few days/weeks/months - it was just easier when not everyone was calling at the same time.

I completely agree. We've never even had a resort reservation at 180 days out, but we've always had everything booked more than 90 days in advance. So now I would be one of the people calling at exactly 90 days, whereas I never would have called at 180 days.

[Daisy'sMom]

According to a cast member, we are going to be able to make our ADRs online very soon. Has anyone esle heard this?

[kathiep]

I heard it in September 2008 when I booked my next trip...

[kathiep]

I was disappointed when trying to make my reservations 90 days out. I had much fewer options and had to be more flexible.
Sure it was the same 90 + 10 or 180 + 10; same thing; someone may already have booked something for during my dates because the check in a few days earlier. But some people used to book at 180, some a little later, some would wait until 90 or even later than that. But at least those diehards who knew they wanted certain things at certain times had more of a chance to get them. Now at 90 days, everyone is cramming in at the same time trying to get their ADR's made.

I guess if you look at it in the right light, it's probably more fair to newbie's etc. but I couldn't get everything I wanted and this has never happened to me before. (But as DH keeps telling me - "we'll still be at Disney!)

[DisneyWFan]

My 90 days came today. Called at 7:00AM waited 20 minutes and made my ADR's with no problem. I got everything I wanted. I only had to shift two ADR's by a couple of days but I had no trouble getting the times I wanted

[hokies4life]

I know I got really frustrated last week when I tried 3 different days at 'Ohana and couldn't get in. I think I'll call back sometime this week and see if there have been any cancellations or at the very least call that day and see if we can get in for that night.

[joonyer]

No doubt, the free dining offers make the reservations system more difficult trying to get ADR's for those dates.

But year-round, I'll bet it would be easier to make ADR's if a credit card deposit was required. Billing someone $50.00 if they failed to show for an ADR would reduce the number of those who make several ADR's for one meal then only choose one to go to without canceling the others. On the other hand, that gives walk-ups a chance.

A system allowing a person to make only one ADR within a 3-4 hour block would also be helpful.

[Seasonscraps]

I don't think free dining should impact the volume of calls since the dining plan is available all year. I would be more persistant in getting my ADRs if I paid for the plan - it would be a complete waste of money to not use credits I actually paid for.

A system allowing a person to make only one ADR within a 3-4 hour block would also be helpful.

I don't know if this would/could work. Sometimes families split up - 2 go to a princess breakfast and others go to the resort restaurant (or some other example).

[disneymom2000]

You know - ChristineC68 - I think they ought to inquire if your dining was paid for or part of the free dining. Those that actually paid for their dining, should have preference over those getting it for free.

And I also agree, that a deposit should be put down on a reservation (like at the Castle) when making your ressies.