Embarrassingly Basic Question about Reservations

[Dylan Ann]

I've been to Disney several times, but this is my first time booking so far in advance. We're staying at POP from Dec. 11-17 and have the free Dining Plan (we upgraded for TS). I keep reading that I'll have the option to start making reservations for dining at 180 days, FP+ at 60 days, etc. I've logged onto the site and app a few times and basically understand what I have to do.

My question is - is there anywhere on the site that states how many days you have left? I know I'm at like 190ish, and I can count backward to get to 180 (which is what I'm assuming I will do), but I wasn't sure if there was an obvious countdown spot I'm missing. I'm scared I'm going to count the days wrong and look on 179, lol!

Will my restaurant dates for my whole trip become available at soon as I hit the 180 day mark? It sounds like yes, but since the dates aren't available yet I wasn't sure.
And just to clarify, I'll have to wait to book dining packages for the shows until the 180th day, right?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Clamman73]

View attachment 144499

I've been to Disney several times, but this is my first time booking so far in advance. We're staying at POP from Dec. 11-17 and have the free Dining Plan (we upgraded for TS). I keep reading that I'll have the option to start making reservations for dining at 180 days, FP+ at 60 days, etc. I've logged onto the site and app a few times and basically understand what I have to do.

My question is - is there anywhere on the site that states how many days you have left? I know I'm at like 190ish, and I can count backward to get to 180 (which is what I'm assuming I will do), but I wasn't sure if there was an obvious countdown spot I'm missing. I'm scared I'm going to count the days wrong and look on 179, lol!

Will my restaurant dates for my whole trip become available at soon as I hit the 180 day mark? It sounds like yes, but since the dates aren't available yet I wasn't sure.
And just to clarify, I'll have to wait to book dining packages for the shows until the 180th day, right?

Thanks in advance!

You should see it in the My Disney Experience part off the website when you're signed in.

 

[Dylan Ann]

Thanks!!!
I logged in a million times and thought I clicked on every variation of My Vacation, but that worked! 192 days to go Thank you!

 

[Huglife]

I've been to Disney several times, but this is my first time booking so far in advance. We're staying at POP from Dec. 11-17 and have the free Dining Plan (we upgraded for TS). I keep reading that I'll have the option to start making reservations for dining at 180 days, FP+ at 60 days, etc. I've logged onto the site and app a few times and basically understand what I have to do.

My question is - is there anywhere on the site that states how many days you have left? I know I'm at like 190ish, and I can count backward to get to 180 (which is what I'm assuming I will do), but I wasn't sure if there was an obvious countdown spot I'm missing. I'm scared I'm going to count the days wrong and look on 179, lol!

Will my restaurant dates for my whole trip become available at soon as I hit the 180 day mark? It sounds like yes, but since the dates aren't available yet I wasn't sure.
And just to clarify, I'll have to wait to book dining packages for the shows until the 180th day, right?

Thanks in advance!

I'm going the exact same time and staying at Pop too! We can book on June 14th. I thought it was the 11th but it told me the exact day in that little trip planning booklet they sent. It also tells you the days you can book FP+ and a few other important dates.

 

[Jon81uk]

I don't know if its becuase I booked with UK Disney, but we got an email on our 180 days to go reminding me to book dining.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I don't know if its becuase I booked with UK Disney, but we got an email on our 180 days to go reminding me to book dining.

I'm in the U.S. and I got one, too -- but not until mid-afternoon on the appointed day, so if I'd waited until then (several hours after reservations opened up online), I'd have missed out on a lot of opportunities.

There's a handy calculator here - just put in your arrival date as a "preferred dining date" and it will give you your 180-day, 60-day, 30-day dates, etc.: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html

 

[cdeev8690]

Yes, MDE like everyone else said and also the lovely Touring Plans sent me an email today to remind me that I can begin making my ADR's tomorrow! I also have a countdown app on my phone and an alert on my calendar

 

[JohnD]

As everyone said, as long as you have a resort reservation, MDE will tell you how many days left. However, unlike FP+ which will automatically tell too that your 60 day window has opened, dining doesn't do that. Just know it's at 180 days and start making ADRS.

 

[Dylan Ann]

Thank you all so much! I finally got something in the mail yesterday with all the information and dates in it - helpful for those who don't scour the Disney message boards trying to figure it all out themselves

Yay, Huglife - that's cool that we'll be there at the same time! I'll look for the woman with the Mickey gloves and ears, shouldn't be too hard to find

One more question - do reservations open at midnight on the 14th? I've read some things about it changing to 7am, but I wasn't sure if that was just for FastPasses. I do better at midnight than 7am, lol!

Thanks!

 

[Huglife]

It's 7am ET.

 

[Rob562]

One more question - do reservations open at midnight on the 14th? I've read some things about it changing to 7am, but I wasn't sure if that was just for FastPasses. I do better at midnight than 7am, lol!

Thanks!

FastPass+: 7am

Dining reservations: 6am online, 7am via phone

-Rob

 

[Dylan Ann]

FastPass+: 7am

Dining reservations: 6am online, 7am via phone

-Rob

That's good to know Rob - thanks! Looks like I'll have to set my alarm even earlier that day!

 

[StarshipDisney]

That's good to know Rob - thanks! Looks like I'll have to set my alarm even earlier that day!

From experience, be sure to be ready, awake, and logged on at 0600 just waiting to trounce. By 0630, likely thousands of reservations will already have been made since 0600. I did that @ 0600 on my 180-day mark and was amazed at what was already gone and how 1000+ reservations were made in just 14 minutes. I had all my reservations made by 0617 but even then it was difficult to get the times you wanted and sometimes you had to take what was available.

 

[Yelloweaver]

I've been to Disney several times, but this is my first time booking so far in advance. We're staying at POP from Dec. 11-17 and have the free Dining Plan (we upgraded for TS). I keep reading that I'll have the option to start making reservations for dining at 180 days, FP+ at 60 days, etc. I've logged onto the site and app a few times and basically understand what I have to do.

My question is - is there anywhere on the site that states how many days you have left? I know I'm at like 190ish, and I can count backward to get to 180 (which is what I'm assuming I will do), but I wasn't sure if there was an obvious countdown spot I'm missing. I'm scared I'm going to count the days wrong and look on 179, lol!

Will my restaurant dates for my whole trip become available at soon as I hit the 180 day mark? It sounds like yes, but since the dates aren't available yet I wasn't sure.
And just to clarify, I'll have to wait to book dining packages for the shows until the 180th day, right?

Thanks in advance!

I use these sites:

Fastpass:
http://wdwuntangled.com/fastpass-calculator/

Dining:
http://wdwuntangled.com/advanced-dining-reservation-calculator/

 

[bsiev1977]

That's good to know Rob - thanks! Looks like I'll have to set my alarm even earlier that day!

I would also suggest you prioritize which reservations are most important to you.

Don't necessarily try to get them in date order, try to figure out which places will be more in demand than others

Edit: in addition, I'd also tell you that if you don't get exactly what you want at the 180mday mark you can keep checking over the coming months. Cancellations occur and you. Ought be able to find a better time for your group

 

[Dylan Ann]

I would also suggest you prioritize which reservations are most important to you.

Don't necessarily try to get them in date order, try to figure out which places will be more in demand than others

Edit: in addition, I'd also tell you that if you don't get exactly what you want at the 180mday mark you can keep checking over the coming months. Cancellations occur and you. Ought be able to find a better time for your group

Thanks - I am literally sitting down right now with a few blank week schedules, marking up some drafts with my first choices, and my alarm i set for bright and early tomorrow AM I am pretty flexible on most of my dates/times, and I'm actually going to try for lunch over dinner in man places. Last time I was there, I felt like the day was over as soon as it was time for dinner, because it took time to get ready and get there on time for our reservations. This time I figured we'd have a really nice lunch, and then have some flexibility with choosing a good QS for dinner, instead of just going to whatever we were closest to at lunch time.

Right now, my list includes: 1) Boma dinner; 2) Mama Melrose Fantasmic lunch package (not sure if I can book tomorrow or not); 3) Marrakesh Candleight Processional lunch when it becomes available.

So then I'm trying to narrow down 4 out of this list: 1) Ohana (not so much because it's high on my list, but because everyone seems to want it, so I figure I should try to get a reservation); 2) Yak &Yeti or Tusker House; 3) Rose & Crown, 4) Bongos; 5) One of the Mexican restaurants at Epcot; 6) Raglan Road; 7) Morimoto Asia for lunch
It's like one of those logic puzzles - if I choose restaurant X, then we'll need to be in park Y for lunch, which means we have to go to park Z on a different day....
But that's half the fun

 

[bsiev1977]

Thanks - I am literally sitting down right now with a few blank week schedules, marking up some drafts with my first choices, and my alarm i set for bright and early tomorrow AM I am pretty flexible on most of my dates/times, and I'm actually going to try for lunch over dinner in man places. Last time I was there, I felt like the day was over as soon as it was time for dinner, because it took time to get ready and get there on time for our reservations. This time I figured we'd have a really nice lunch, and then have some flexibility with choosing a good QS for dinner, instead of just going to whatever we were closest to at lunch time.

Right now, my list includes: 1) Boma dinner; 2) Mama Melrose Fantasmic lunch package (not sure if I can book tomorrow or not); 3) Marrakesh Candleight Processional lunch when it becomes available.

So then I'm trying to narrow down 4 out of this list: 1) Ohana (not so much because it's high on my list, but because everyone seems to want it, so I figure I should try to get a reservation); 2) Yak &Yeti or Tusker House; 3) Rose & Crown, 4) Bongos; 5) One of the Mexican restaurants at Epcot; 6) Raglan Road; 7) Morimoto Asia for lunch
It's like one of those logic puzzles - if I choose restaurant X, then we'll need to be in park Y for lunch, which means we have to go to park Z on a different day....
But that's half the fun

As of right now, the Fantasmic packages aren't available yet for December. I'm waiting on that for my trip as well. I just checked the website, and booking availability stops at November 30