dining reservations question

[accord99cutie]

Would it really be all that hard for me to get my dining reservations at noon versus 7am? My 90 days is tomorrow, but I need to be clocked in to work at 7am, therefore I wont be able to call right at 7. My lunch break is at 11:30, so I am planning on calling then. Would it really be that big of a difference in getting what I want for meal times? If it would, then I will just go in late to work and sit in my car outside while on hold! But if not then I would really rather get to work on time and call at my lunch!

 

[mousefan1972]

I think you will be fine calling at 11:30. I called at 7 a.m. on my 90 days, which was last week, but then 2 days later I wanted to change something and there was plenty of availability, even at Le Cellier. No need to be late to work! :wave:

 

[accord99cutie]

Thanks for the quick reply! Thats what I was hoping to hear!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Unless you are going for something big ticket like Cinderella's Royal Table or Victoria and Albert's, you should be more than fine.

 

[mousefan1972]

Thanks for the quick reply! Thats what I was hoping to hear!

Sure! Always glad to help out a fellow Sox fan. :animwink:

Unless you are going for something big ticket like Cinderella's Royal Table or Victoria and Albert's, you should be more than fine.

True, and those could actually be booked now, because their (and Chef Mickey's) booking window is open till June 19, then it reverts back to 90 days like all of the other restaurants.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Sure! Always glad to help out a fellow Sox fan. :animwink:



True, and those could actually be booked now, because their (and Chef Mickey's) booking window is open till June 19, then it reverts back to 90 days like all of the other restaurants.

Ahh...very true. Nothing like a lapse of memory.

 

[KC82271]

It shouldn't be a problem at all - unless of course its one of the two mentioned above. I have always gone that same week (my 90 days i tomorrow too) and sometimes call 1 month out and still get what I want. You might have to be a little flexible. For example, Chef Mickey's has been open for the bookings already from the 180 mark, so when you call and ask for 7pm, you might need to take a 6:30 or a 7:30 - that's the worst case.

My DD is also 3.5 and this is trip #6 for her. She has enjoyed Crystal Palace for breakfast, Chef Mickeys for dinner. This year we are talking about going to the 1900 Fare dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming. Her idea!!!

Enjoy!

 

[accord99cutie]

It shouldn't be a problem at all - unless of course its one of the two mentioned above. I have always gone that same week (my 90 days i tomorrow too) and sometimes call 1 month out and still get what I want. You might have to be a little flexible. For example, Chef Mickey's has been open for the bookings already from the 180 mark, so when you call and ask for 7pm, you might need to take a 6:30 or a 7:30 - that's the worst case.

My DD is also 3.5 and this is trip #6 for her. She has enjoyed Crystal Palace for breakfast, Chef Mickeys for dinner. This year we are talking about going to the 1900 Fare dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming. Her idea!!!

Enjoy!

Its so nice to hear from someone going the same time, and with a daughter the same age as mine! I am looking to book Chef Mickey's for dinner, Ohana, Crystal Palace, and Akershus for Breakfast, I hope I can get them all! Im so excited to bring my daughter this trip! I forgot about CM being 180 still, so hopefully I can get a decent time! Im hoping this will be the least busy trip that I have ever been on, since my last ones were always August or the week between Christmas and new years. Im hoping it can be a bit more relaxed and easier to just go with the flow with my daughter!

 

[Uncle Lupe]

I don't understand how you figure out where you want to eat 90 days in the future. I don't even know where I am going to eat lunch tomorrow. Seems like doing that would make your entire day revolve around that event, no fun! I want to take a vacation, not stress about getting to a restaurant @ 1 pm on Tues .

What if you get stuck on a ride and miss your reservation?

Do you have to have a reservation for all table service restaurants?

Or will my do everything on a whim make me choke on turkey legs and chicken strips all week?

 

[accord99cutie]

Depending on your luck, and you would need alot of it, this is the more likely outsome if you dont have any TS reservations.

Or will my do everything on a whim make me choke on turkey legs and chicken strips all week?

I personally, only have one dinner res. because like you, I like to just go with the flow on vacation. However, this is my first trip with my daughter, and I really want her to be able to see the characters without having to "waste" park time standing in lines to meet them. Kill 2 birds with stone, breakfast and the characters first thing in the morning, then enjoy the parks all day

 

[dizzney]

We dont mind making those reservations 180 days out - now 90. We make dinner ones for our usual dinner time between 6:30 and 7:00 and alternate food choices from day to day. If we change our mind, thats fine, but usually go for 8 nights (DVC) and book 8 dinenr reservations. My family looks forward to this, we even have spirited family discussions about where to eat, everyone from 10 year old twins to teenager to DH and I all have input, its part of our vacation experience.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I don't understand how you figure out where you want to eat 90 days in the future. I don't even know where I am going to eat lunch tomorrow. Seems like doing that would make your entire day revolve around that event, no fun! I want to take a vacation, not stress about getting to a restaurant @ 1 pm on Tues .

What if you get stuck on a ride and miss your reservation?

Do you have to have a reservation for all table service restaurants?

Or will my do everything on a whim make me choke on turkey legs and chicken strips all week?

Unfortunately the days of getting a table on a whim are long gone. Just as you day, if you do plan for sit down dining, you have to schedule that into your day. What most people do is identify a few special dining experiences then plan their park visit schedule around that. There is some leeway in arrival time, but I would not expect the reservation to be honored if you show up 1/2 or 1 hour late.

So you are also correct, that if your most important part of the vacation approach is to take the entire time free and easy, your menu choices will be turkey legs, burgers, pizza and hot dogs.

The only alternative I can suggest for you is that on lower attendance days, you can go to guest services when you first enter the park and have some success at making reservations. If you are set on having a dinner at 50's Prime Time or Le Cellier, ya gotta lock yourself in early.

 

[Mystic]

I don't understand how you figure out where you want to eat 90 days in the future. I don't even know where I am going to eat lunch tomorrow. Seems like doing that would make your entire day revolve around that event, no fun! I want to take a vacation, not stress about getting to a restaurant @ 1 pm on Tues .

What if you get stuck on a ride and miss your reservation?

Do you have to have a reservation for all table service restaurants?

Or will my do everything on a whim make me choke on turkey legs and chicken strips all week?

My suggestion to you would be to make up a list of all the various table service restaurants you're interested in and where they're located and take the list with you, then the day before you want to eat someplace, give Disney Dining a call and see what they have available. It's much easier to get last minute seating if you call than if you walk up to a restaurant. I know from experience. On our last trip, my mom and I ended up cancelling half our dinner reservations while we were there as we had a falling out with our travelling companions. I was standing in the American Adventure talking to Disney Dining on a payphone 90 minutes before our Candlelight Processional showing trying to make new reservations. I managed to snag a reservation for each of the remaining nights we were there. The key is be flexible in both restaurant and time. We got into some restaurants by calling Disney Dining while others who tried to get walk ups to the same restaurants were turned away.

 

[Mystic]

Would it really be all that hard for me to get my dining reservations at noon versus 7am? My 90 days is tomorrow, but I need to be clocked in to work at 7am, therefore I wont be able to call right at 7. My lunch break is at 11:30, so I am planning on calling then. Would it really be that big of a difference in getting what I want for meal times? If it would, then I will just go in late to work and sit in my car outside while on hold! But if not then I would really rather get to work on time and call at my lunch!

You shouldn't have any trouble making reservations if you wait until 11:30 to call. I find the lines at Disney Dining are usually not that busy if you call later in the day as opposed to calling first thing in the morning when you can expect to be on hold sometimes up to 30 minutes or more. You may just need to be a little more flexible in your times/restaurants.

 

[CleveRocks]

We make a few ADRs for meals that are important to us, and do counter-service for everything else. WDW counter service doesn't have to be limited to burgers and chicken fingers and the like. There is a lot of yummy and healthy counter service food out there!

 

[accord99cutie]

So I got everything I wanted today! Well, accept Chef Mickey's for a dinner since the earliest time they had was 8:10, and with a 3 year old, that is a bit late to eat dinner! I will call back to try to get an earlier time for CM's hopefully something will open up! But What I did get was my 3 breakfast choices, Ohana's 8:35am, Crystal Palace 9:05am, and Akershus 9:15. I am so happy with those times since we wont ahve to get up super early for them! Just had to share my excitement! Making the call at 11:30 didnt end up being too bad, and it has made me even more excited for the trip!

For Breakfast reservations, what is the earliest they will let you in to go to the restaurant? Like my 9:05 at CP, assuming the MK opens at 9, how much before the ADR time will they let us into the park?

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Thanks for the info, this place is so helpful!

 

[ClemsonTigger]

So I got everything I wanted today! Well, accept Chef Mickey's for a dinner since the earliest time they had was 8:10, and with a 3 year old, that is a bit late to eat dinner! I will call back to try to get an earlier time for CM's hopefully something will open up! But What I did get was my 3 breakfast choices, Ohana's 8:35am, Crystal Palace 9:05am, and Akershus 9:15. I am so happy with those times since we wont ahve to get up super early for them! Just had to share my excitement! Making the call at 11:30 didnt end up being too bad, and it has made me even more excited for the trip!

For Breakfast reservations, what is the earliest they will let you in to go to the restaurant? Like my 9:05 at CP, assuming the MK opens at 9, how much before the ADR time will they let us into the park?

Congrats! glad it all worked out.

 

[KC82271]

So I got everything I wanted today! Well, accept Chef Mickey's for a dinner since the earliest time they had was 8:10, and with a 3 year old, that is a bit late to eat dinner! I will call back to try to get an earlier time for CM's hopefully something will open up!

We must have tried for the same days - that was the same time they gave me and I told them no way with a 3 year old. I just saw that the MK is open on Sunday until 11 and then has teh 3 hours late night. I may call back and book for 8 something. We will just have to nap all day. We leave on Monday, so it's not the worst thing.