180 day ADR question.

[thetodd]

We have a trip planned for the beginning of Feb. and now with the ADR date going back to 180 days we will be able to make ours when it starts Oct. 27th. However, we will actually be in Disney on the 27th. and I want to make sure I get my ADR's done that day, I won't have my laptop so I will have to call. What time do they start taking calls and will I just be able to call from my room phone by pushing the dining button?

 

[Monty]

7AM local time and you should be able to call from your room.

Good luck getting through. Three months' worth of diners all become eligible to call at 7AM that morning, it's going to be a nightmare.

 

[thetodd]

I know I was thinking the exact same thing. Well maybe the only thing I have going for me is we're not trying to book Chef Mickey or any other highly sought after ADR's. Luckily we only have to book 3 ressies so hopefully it won't be too painful. Thanks for the info.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

If you're staying at a WDW resort at the time of making your ADRs - do the staff at Resort reception have a priority line to make them for you - or do they use the normal extension number and wait in line along with the rest of the world ??

 

[thetodd]

Good question. I plan on talking to someone the day before to see what I can do, not trying to cut in line but I don't want to miss making my ADR's. I'm spoiled with this new online system but as I said I won't have my laptop and I can't justify paying for internet access for a couple minutes of use just to make dinner res.

 

[Master Yoda]

For booking on 10/27/2009.....I would not even attempt online. Right now the system shuts down quite frequently with only 1 days worth of guests logging in. I can only imagine what will happen with 90 days worth of guests trying to make ADR's at 600 AM. As you can also guess the phones will be backed up as well. If at all possible I would recommend trying guest services at your resort. Providing the entire system does not crash this might be your best bet with the shortest wait time.

 

[thetodd]

That was my plan Yoda, you pretty much nailed it, the whole thing is probably going to end up being one big mess. I figured I may as well use my resources right there on property.

 

[bugsbunny]

These ADRs are being abused online and the DDP is making harder and harder to get in the good places. After YEARS of great success, I got my first 10 day shutout on Le Cellier. I go in the first week of December when crowds are the lightest? How can it be booked solid for the 10 days I will be there and I called at 90 days out at 7AM? :shrug:

 

[wdwwdeagle]

These ADRs are being abused online and the DDP is making harder and harder to get in the good places. After YEARS of great success, I got my first 10 day shutout on Le Cellier. I go in the first week of December when crowds are the lightest? How can it be booked solid for the 10 days I will be there and I called at 90 days out at 7AM? :shrug:

I'm curious to know about possible abuse of the system, as well.... What's to keep people from booking 10 days of resort reservations just so they can make TS reservations? In other words, say I know I'm planning to come in on the day before Thanksgiving, but I make my resort res. beginning the week prior, book my ADRs w/the 90 + 10 so that I can get Thks. day res., and then cancel those first several days of my supposed trip before the 45 day window.....Is this what people are doing?...Will moving back to 180 ADR eliminate something like this, or will resort guests still get the +10 thing?

 

[Master Yoda]

I'm curious to know about possible abuse of the system, as well.... What's to keep people from booking 10 days of resort reservations just so they can make TS reservations? In other words, say I know I'm planning to come in on the day before Thanksgiving, but I make my resort res. beginning the week prior, book my ADRs w/the 90 + 10 so that I can get Thks. day res., and then cancel those first several days of my supposed trip before the 45 day window.....Is this what people are doing?...Will moving back to 180 ADR eliminate something like this, or will resort guests still get the +10 thing?

While I am sure this does happen from time to time it is quite rare. Quite honestly 90% of the general public will not know that Disney even takes dining reservations let alone know how to work the 90+10 system by artificially extending a reservation. Even less will do it because they view it as cheating. I think what we are seeing right now is the online system, when it works, is allowing considerably more people to book ADR's then when it was done only over the phone. When it was done over the phone you were limited by the number of CM's manning the phones. With online dining that limit evaporates and you have entire restaurants being booked up in one hour or less.

I think going back to 180 days will help a bit as fewer people plan their trip more than 180 days out but the same restaurants are still going to be booked solid by 179-180 days.

 

[wdwwdeagle]

While I am sure this does happen from time to time it is quite rare. Quite honestly 90% of the general public will not know that Disney even takes dining reservations let alone know how to work the 90+10 system by artificially extending a reservation. Even less will do it because they view it as cheating. I think what we are seeing right now is the online system, when it works, is allowing considerably more people to book ADR's then when it was done only over the phone. When it was done over the phone you were limited by the number of CM's manning the phones. With online dining that limit evaporates and you have entire restaurants being booked up in one hour or less.

I think going back to 180 days will help a bit as fewer people plan their trip more than 180 days out but the same restaurants are still going to be booked solid by 179-180 days.

Okay, that makes sense, and it makes me feel better, sort of. Thanks for the explanantion.
I'm going to give the online system a whirl for our next trip.... 5 am, here I come (yawn!).

 

[Master Yoda]

Okay, that makes sense, and it makes me feel better, sort of. Thanks for the explanantion.
I'm going to give the online system a whirl for our next trip.... 5 am, here I come (yawn!).

Do not be surprised if it does not work. The system becoming unresponsive about 15 minutes after it comes on line is not uncommon. All you can really do at that point is call right at 7:00 AM EST.

 

[bugsbunny]

I know for a fact its getting abused, its just to what degree. I have read on these forums as well as others about how people make multiple reservations at several places at once and even at different times so they can "better manage their time and pick that day where they want to eat". So they make multiple reservations at 3 places and end up using one of them, if that. And of course, they don't bother to cancel ANY of them which screws us all no matter how you look at it.

You dont show up, they hold the table for 15 minutes. Then they might sit someone else at it, but the thing is now 15 minutes late as far as schedule goes. If this happens a few times in one day, your 5PM reservation is not really 5PM. You show show up and wait 30-40 minutes for your table since the whole scheduling system is now out of sync. I had to wait 60 minutes at Le Cellier one time even though other people got there 30 minutes after me! It was explained that I didn't have just "any" table at 5PM, its that I was preassigned where I would sit. And if that table was late due to cancellations, slow eaters, etc; I would then have to still wait since that table was assigned to me on such and such date at such and such time. Complete crap if you ask me!

Anyway, I know its being abused and the online reservation system makes it even easier since now you don't have to worry about talking to a human being who might realize what you are doing and give you a guilt trip.

 

[Monty]

I know for a fact its getting abused, its just to what degree. I have read on these forums as well as others about how people make multiple reservations at several places at once and even at different times so they can "better manage their time and pick that day where they want to eat". So they make multiple reservations at 3 places and end up using one of them, if that. And of course, they don't bother to cancel ANY of them which screws us all no matter how you look at it.

You dont show up, they hold the table for 15 minutes. Then they might sit someone else at it, but the thing is now 15 minutes late as far as schedule goes. If this happens a few times in one day, your 5PM reservation is not really 5PM. You show show up and wait 30-40 minutes for your table since the whole scheduling system is now out of sync. I had to wait 60 minutes at Le Cellier one time even though other people got there 30 minutes after me! It was explained that I didn't have just "any" table at 5PM, its that I was preassigned where I would sit. And if that table was late due to cancellations, slow eaters, etc; I would then have to still wait since that table was assigned to me on such and such date at such and such time. Complete crap if you ask me!

Anyway, I know its being abused and the online reservation system makes it even easier since now you don't have to worry about talking to a human being who might realize what you are doing and give you a guilt trip.

I'd be interested to read any posts you can point to where people on these forums have said they were multiple booking using the on-line reservation system or even by phone since the new ADR system was established.

The new ADR system is supposed to cross-reference to ensure that double or multiple bookings aren't there and if it finds them [as I understand it] it cancels all of the bookings. I suspect you're remembering from before the new system was put in place and extrapolating those memories onto a new system that isn't allowing that abuse.

I have read posts of people complaining that the system cancelled double bookings before the person had a chance to cancel the one they didn't want.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

I had some of the same problems with getting into my first choices [several we just didn't get...i had better luck over christmas week last year]. I'm going back to wdw the first weekend in december for 3 nights/4 days and went online 89 days prior to the first day of our trip and had several i couldn't get into...even at weird hours. i did the date range thing a day later and got one place we'd wanted but it's crazy right now. our time there is supposed to be the value/less crowded season for goodness sake. i'd be super careful with reservations around the october date that they change over as well... a lot of people complained when they went from 180 to 90 days so i'm sure it will be problematic when they change again.

 

[thetodd]

Just a personal opinion, if you can't get into La Cellier, a still somewhat secret is Kona Cafe for dinner at the Poly. We've been to La Cellier a number of times and have had great dinners but once couldn't get in so we decided to try Kona Cafe, omg what a huge surprise, one of the best dinners we've had at Disney, and it's pretty easy to get the time you want.

 

[bugsbunny]

I'd be interested to read any posts you can point to where people on these forums have said they were multiple booking using the on-line reservation system or even by phone since the new ADR system was established.

The new ADR system is supposed to cross-reference to ensure that double or multiple bookings aren't there and if it finds them [as I understand it] it cancels all of the bookings. I suspect you're remembering from before the new system was put in place and extrapolating those memories onto a new system that isn't allowing that abuse.

I have read posts of people complaining that the system cancelled double bookings before the person had a chance to cancel the one they didn't want.

I'm not going to go searching, but I know for a fact I have read it here and heard it first hand from people planning thier vacations.

Cross reference? By what? Social Security number? :ROFLOL: If I make multiple reservations, I can just use multiple names very easily and the fact that I have about 6 different email addresses makes it real easy for me to get all the information sent right to me if I do it through the web page. But there is still the easy way of calling 407-WDW-DINE and doing it that way, too.

Between all this free dining and ease of online ADRs, its become a ridiculous track meet to get ADRs at 7AM 90 days out.

 

[Bolna]

In recent days online ADRs became available at 3 am Eastern time. I am in Germany and am 6 hours ahead and checked the last five days every morning. And at the latest by 9 am my time, i.e. 3 am Eastern time, the next day was available after refreshing my browser. Yesterday it was even before that.

Since I am one of those who will be able to make ADRs on 10/27 (otherwise would have been 10/29), I am intending on monitoring this. I am hoping to be able to make my ADRs online on 10/27 at 3 am! :king:

 

[lebeau]

In recent days online ADRs became available at 3 am Eastern time. I am in Germany and am 6 hours ahead and checked the last five days every morning. And at the latest by 9 am my time, i.e. 3 am Eastern time, the next day was available after refreshing my browser. Yesterday it was even before that.

Since I am one of those who will be able to make ADRs on 10/27 (otherwise would have been 10/29), I am intending on monitoring this. I am hoping to be able to make my ADRs online on 10/27 at 3 am! :king:

Definitely keep us posted. If 3am is a possibility, I'll be up at 3am with you on 10/27!