Difficulty booking 6 months in advance?

K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
Hi 🙂 we’re coming for our third visit in October this year, and have the free DDP (staying at the Beach Club Resort). We’ve always had to be a bit flexible when booking our table service meals six months in advance, but have ultimately been able to get all of the character meals etc that we wanted. We’re able to start booking next Friday, and have been checking ahead, just to see availability for the latest dates currently showing. We’re pretty concerned to see that, for example, today’s latest available date to book is 18th October, and there seems to be pretty much nothing left to book! We’ve never seen it look this busy, and are worried it’s due to Disney opening the early booking up to other non Disney hotels this year.
Has anyone been booking their table service meals recently, and have you had a problem getting what’s you want?
Thank you.
 
James J

James J

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I got everything I wanted at the 180 day mark last time I went to WDW in 2015, and this coming Monday it's that mark for my trip this year!

What you have to remember is that the 18th October will have been available to book for all guests arriving on 8th October onwards (somebody correct me if I'm wrong on that date please!) so the dates closer to your arrival date will have more bookings.

If you don't get what you want, don't panic as people cancel reservations closer to the time their trip is coming around and their plans are firmed up. You just have to keep checking day by day, or set up alerts for reservations using Touring Plans' Reservation Finder: https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/reservation-finder
 
K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
James J said:
I got everything I wanted at the 180 day mark last time I went to WDW in 2015, and this coming Monday it's that mark for my trip this year!

What you have to remember is that the 18th October will have been available to book for all guests arriving on 8th October onwards (somebody correct me if I'm wrong on that date please!) so the dates closer to your arrival date will have more bookings.

If you don't get what you want, don't panic as people cancel reservations closer to the time their trip is coming around and their plans are firmed up. You just have to keep checking day by day, or set up alerts for reservations using Touring Plans' Reservation Finder: https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/reservation-finder
Click to expand...
Thanks James
 
K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
Thanks James. It just looks much busier this year! The Royal Table, Akershus House and Be Our Guest dinner have nothing. We’re happy to be a bit flexible, but have friends arriving four days before us, so are hoping to meet for a couple of those special dinners. Fingers crossed! Hope it goes well for you on Monday 🙂
 
James J

James J

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Klhogan said:
Thanks James. It just looks much busier this year! The Royal Table, Akershus House and Be Our Guest dinner have nothing. We’re happy to be a bit flexible, but have friends arriving four days before us, so are hoping to meet for a couple of those special dinners. Fingers crossed! Hope it goes well for you on Monday 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks, hope you get everything you want too!
 
RememberWhen

RememberWhen

Well-Known Member
Just a note. Anyone can make a dining reservation 180 days out. You do not need a hotel reservation to make dining reservations. The benefit of having a resort reservation is that you get to make all your dining reservations at once on that first day. Effectively giving you an extra 10 days before other guests.
I know Disney opened up FP booking to some Disney Springs area hotels. Did they also open up 180+10 ADRs?
 
K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
RememberWhen said:
Just a note. Anyone can make a dining reservation 180 days out. You do not need a hotel reservation to make dining reservations. The benefit of having a resort reservation is that you get to make all your dining reservations at once on that first day. Effectively giving you an extra 10 days before other guests.
I know Disney opened up FP booking to some Disney Springs area hotels. Did they also open up 180+10 ADRs?
Click to expand...
 
K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
I thought so James, but am going to ask Dining when I call them with a few questions I have. Thanks for your help 🙂
 
S

StarGirl

Member
Our booking window opened on Monday for our trip 13th to 27th October and we got everything we wanted including Be Our Guest and Dine With An Imagineer both in the first few days of our trip.

I've just had a look at availability for the restaurants you mentioned on 25th Oct and they all have decent availability so hopefully that's reassuring for you.
 
DfromATX

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
I got everything I wanted when I booked. I was worried about it beforehand like you, but it all worked out. I even saw multiple Be Our Guest dinner slots (even though I didn't want any).
 
HwdStudio

HwdStudio

Well-Known Member
Klhogan said:
Hi 🙂 we’re coming for our third visit in October this year, and have the free DDP (staying at the Beach Club Resort). We’ve always had to be a bit flexible when booking our table service meals six months in advance, but have ultimately been able to get all of the character meals etc that we wanted. We’re able to start booking next Friday, and have been checking ahead, just to see availability for the latest dates currently showing. We’re pretty concerned to see that, for example, today’s latest available date to book is 18th October, and there seems to be pretty much nothing left to book! We’ve never seen it look this busy, and are worried it’s due to Disney opening the early booking up to other non Disney hotels this year.
Has anyone been booking their table service meals recently, and have you had a problem getting what’s you want?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Nothing has been opened to “other non Disney hotels” regarding dining. It is the same for on and off site. It is 180 and has been for many years since it changed from 180 to 90 and then back to 180. October has become one of the busiest times of the year and free dining is one of the reasons.
Also the reservation agents that I know personally swear that the availability they can see is exactly the same as guests can see online.
 
K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
HwdStudio said:
Nothing has been opened to “other non Disney hotels” regarding dining. It is the same for on and off site. It is 180 and has been for many years since it changed from 180 to 90 and then back to 180. October has become one of the busiest times of the year and free dining is one of the reasons.
Also the reservation agents that I know personally swear that the availability they can see is exactly the same as guests can see online.
Click to expand...
 
K

Klhogan

New Member
Original Poster
Thanks for your answer. We thought that as well as opening out the fast pass plus booking to other hotels, they’d also opened up the reservations. Wonder if the fast pass bookings have become harder to make 60 days before (assuming we’ve got that bit right!).
 
Kristopher Rannells

Kristopher Rannells

Active Member
Klhogan said:
Hi 🙂 we’re coming for our third visit in October this year, and have the free DDP (staying at the Beach Club Resort). We’ve always had to be a bit flexible when booking our table service meals six months in advance, but have ultimately been able to get all of the character meals etc that we wanted. We’re able to start booking next Friday, and have been checking ahead, just to see availability for the latest dates currently showing. We’re pretty concerned to see that, for example, today’s latest available date to book is 18th October, and there seems to be pretty much nothing left to book! We’ve never seen it look this busy, and are worried it’s due to Disney opening the early booking up to other non Disney hotels this year.
Has anyone been booking their table service meals recently, and have you had a problem getting what’s you want?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
We just booked all our reservations on 4/17 for our October 17-24 trip. I was concerned as well after seeing the same thing. We were able to get everything we wanted except House of Blues for dinner on the 24th. Some we were able to get that were showing no availability leading up to the trip were Chef Mickey's breakfast, Ohana dinner, Crystal Palace breakfast, and Be our Guest dinner.
 

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