Booking a restaurant

tkeerl

New Member
Original Poster
This could be a dumb question. We have a 4 day stay in January with regular dining plan. As I try to make reservations for our table service, almost every place is unavailable (and I check all kinds of times). What good is the dining plan if I can't get in? Or am I doing something wrong? Last time (last year) I tried to just walk in and put my name in for a table but would be refused most of the time - wasted a dinner ticket and went to Disney Springs and paid
 

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
To add all restaurants on WDW property take the dining plan and that includes all at Disney Springs. Only ones not included on WDW property are Victoria's and Albert's and the restaurants in Swan and Dolphin and Four Seasons being those resorts are not owned by Disney. (Do not go by dining plan brochure/list for 2018 yet contracts have not been finalized and this happens every year until the list is finalized in late Dec or January) So that at least won't be an issue for you. But you need to make reservations and sure there is restaurants left but the most popular ones are probably full by now. People book starting 180 days out for the most popular ones. But you can keep trying and usually closer too more open up as people cancel and change things especially a few
Days before etc. ;)
 
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nickys

Premium Member
Try a different approach. Fill in the park, date, time and the box that says "takes ADRs" and see what comes up. Or look at nearby resort dining. Think about times. If you're rope dropping, you could be ready for lunch by 11:30 so try for a booking at 11:15. The busy times are typical meal times, so look at a mid afternoon meal and share a QS earlier to keep people going.
 

drwadadli

Well-Known Member
All the above are great suggestions. Try booking a TS at a resort instead or try making reservations during the less busier times (before 11:30 a.m., between 2:30 - 4:30, or after 8:00 p.m.). Also, don't give up and keep trying. Many people would book ressies and then never go to them. To solve this, Disney now charges $10 per person (up to $25) if a ressie is missed. Because of this and people booking ressies 180 day out, people's plans can change and therefore ressies do come available. Try again 60 days out when people start making there FP+ selections and find out that their prior dinning ressie doesn't fit with their day plan. Try again 45 days out when people's ressies for the resort/packages are needing to be paid off. If for some reason people have to cancel their trip, their dining ressies are cancelled too.

Big thing is.....NEVER GIVE UP
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
Are you trying to book for a large number (8+) of people? Many locations don't easily accommodate extra large parties and it can be difficult to book those online. It's easier to call in those situations.

Also, your dates and restaurant choices may help us track down your issues.

-Rob
 

kimberlymautz

Well-Known Member
Agreed with everyone else. Most people start booking the popular restaurants at the 180 day mark so they're almost always full, though you could get lucky and find something. We noticed that when we were there last year we were able to get quite a few last minute ADRs at popular restaurants as people must have canceled at the last minute.

Some more specific details would certainly help though. :)
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
All the above are great suggestions. Try booking a TS at a resort instead or try making reservations during the less busier times (before 11:30 a.m., between 2:30 - 4:30, or after 8:00 p.m.). Also, don't give up and keep trying. Many people would book ressies and then never go to them. To solve this, Disney now charges $10 per person (up to $25) if a ressie is missed. Because of this and people booking ressies 180 day out, people's plans can change and therefore ressies do come available. Try again 60 days out when people start making there FP+ selections and find out that their prior dinning ressie doesn't fit with their day plan. Try again 45 days out when people's ressies for the resort/packages are needing to be paid off. If for some reason people have to cancel their trip, their dining ressies are cancelled too.

Big thing is.....NEVER GIVE UP
Final payment is now due 30 days, not 45
 

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
I have a question related to this. My trip isn't until June of next year, but I've been playing around with the reservations and the OP is right, a lot of places are full 6 months out. In particular, I'm wanting The Plaza for 7 people. It seems to be full through March. I thought maybe it was because we have a large group so I plugged in 4 instead of 7, same thing, no reservations. Do you think I might have a better shot if I called it in? I'm willing to split our group up if need be, but I agree, it kind of sucks if even 6 months out you can't get in.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
I have a question related to this. My trip isn't until June of next year, but I've been playing around with the reservations and the OP is right, a lot of places are full 6 months out. In particular, I'm wanting The Plaza for 7 people. It seems to be full through March. I thought maybe it was because we have a large group so I plugged in 4 instead of 7, same thing, no reservations. Do you think I might have a better shot if I called it in? I'm willing to split our group up if need be, but I agree, it kind of sucks if even 6 months out you can't get in.
Plaza only takes reservations for the lunch hour otherwise it is a walk-up. :)
 

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