Good Luck with Reservations

[StarshipDisney]

Wow! I was up at 0500 this morning ready to make ADRs for our December trip to Disney. I was at it the moment the reservations opened up for days 61 through 65 of our "60 + 10" day window. So, I was guaranteed to be ahead of anyone staying off-site who can only do 60-days. Again, only days starting after the day after we arrive were checked (days 61-65).

I could not believe the UNAVALABILITY:

'Ohana: Nothing available for days 61-65 lunch or dinner.
Space 220 Cafe: Nothing available for days 61-65 lunch or dinner including the lounge.
50's Prime Time Cafe: Nothing available except an 8:25 PM dinner on day 62. Time is unacceptable so nothing.
Tusker House: Nothing available for days 61-65 lunch or dinner.
Steakhouse 71: Nothing available for days 61-65. Changed the party to 3 and got a table on day 61. But will show up with 2. Hopefully they don't turn us away.

Tried changing the party to 3 on all others...no change.

I was able to get us a place to eat in each park, but not what we wanted. Had to settle for the likes of Chefs De France and Rainforest Cafe. I guess one positive was that I got the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at MK and the Caring for Giants Tour at AK.

Let this be a lesson to those staying off site that you are basically screwed regarding ADRs. Even staying on-site does not guarantee you any premium places to try.

Overall, this morning was not a positive experience. I really wanted Space 220 but nothing doing. I'll check continuously until the trip but do not have high hopes.

 

[ceecee101]

Ten years?!?

Get the genie. And I hate upsells…but you need it if you don’t want to fall into the Bobs mismanagement trap.

Yes we did and fortunately when we bought our tix months ago I added it to them for length of stay even though I didn’t really know WTH Genie+ or ILL were at that point! I have since been to WDW “college” (these boards and YouTube and wow. We used to go 1-2x per year, and in those days there was nothing. When paper FPS came out we were over the moon. Now this stuff is SO complicated but am sure we’ll figure it out more once we’re there. And thanks to the boards for all the help and information.

 

[Schweino]

While I feel fortunate I was able to get a lot of places on our wish list for our 11/30-12/7 trip, I do miss the 180 day window terribly. As a huge analytical person, I knew exactly what I wanted, when I wanted, way in advance. The downside to being analytical is that I had to change plans on the fly, which impacted the other days. It's certainly frustrating.

 

[DisneyfanMA]

Wow! I was up at 0500 this morning ready to make ADRs for our December trip to Disney. I was at it the moment the reservations opened up for days 61 through 65 of our "60 + 10" day window. So, I was guaranteed to be ahead of anyone staying off-site who can only do 60-days. Again, only days starting after the day after we arrive were checked (days 61-65).

I could not believe the UNAVALABILITY:

'Ohana: Nothing available for days 61-65 lunch or dinner.
Space 220 Cafe: Nothing available for days 61-65 lunch or dinner including the lounge.
50's Prime Time Cafe: Nothing available except an 8:25 PM dinner on day 62. Time is unacceptable so nothing.
Tusker House: Nothing available for days 61-65 lunch or dinner.
Steakhouse 71: Nothing available for days 61-65. Changed the party to 3 and got a table on day 61. But will show up with 2. Hopefully they don't turn us away.

Tried changing the party to 3 on all others...no change.

I was able to get us a place to eat in each park, but not what we wanted. Had to settle for the likes of Chefs De France and Rainforest Cafe. I guess one positive was that I got the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at MK and the Caring for Giants Tour at AK.

Let this be a lesson to those staying off site that you are basically screwed regarding ADRs. Even staying on-site does not guarantee you any premium places to try.

Overall, this morning was not a positive experience. I really wanted Space 220 but nothing doing. I'll check continuously until the trip but do not have high hopes.

Aside from the alerts sites which will get you everything you want , a Landrys membership guarantees you can call (and some say walk up day of) and get Yak n Yeti at AK. They also own and or manage T Rex over at Disney Springs. I signed up one time fee of $25 but they then sent a card and membership number with promotional $30 credit on it first new sign up. Called and picked my day and time for T Rex. Got Yak n Yeti via alerts.

 

[DCLcruiser]

Good luck! Time is on your side for something to come along.

It feels like we’ve been planning to do Space220 for years! Probably because we have over many many trips It kept dangling like a carrot each trip and then they’d move the date out each time. It was finally ready for our 5th trip and they held it back for the 50th. Pbbt.

Finally Might actually happen this time.

I just got a dinner res for the lounge! MouseWatcher worked. Got the text, clicked the link and immediately I was in the system and it worked.

 

[DCLcruiser]

I got 'Ohana last night via MouseWatcher. It's 9:30 PM, but we will take it. Never been and a better time could pop up.

 

[networkpro]

I feel fortunate for my reservation experience this morning after reading this thread, almost embarrassed. Knowing to have both a web browser and the mde on my phone (because they have different front end infrastructure and lag differently) I picked up almost everything we wanted (except the Gloria Estefan Candlelight dining package, but we hate Le Cellier but did get Space 220 for Lunch and Dinner).

 

[DisneyfanMA]

I feel fortunate for my reservation experience this morning after reading this thread, almost embarrassed. Knowing to have both a web browser and the mde on my phone (because they have different front end infrastructure and lag differently) I picked up almost everything we wanted (except the Gloria Estefan Candlelight dining package, but we hate Le Cellier but did get Space 220 for Lunch and Dinner).

You may have been lucky. Most are using both web and mobile and still getting thin pickings. My week in Nov has almost no sit down avail at most parks most days. So much for quiet early Nov.

 

[nickys]

You may have been lucky. Most are using both web and mobile and still getting thin pickings. My week in Nov has almost no sit down avail at most parks most days. So much for quiet early Nov.

When are you looking for?

I just did about 8 searches for random dates and times in the first couple of weeks in November, around both lunch and dinner and got lots of park options, in all 4 parks.

 

[DisneyfanMA]

When are you looking for?

I just did about 8 searches for random dates and times in the first couple of weeks in November, around both lunch and dinner and got lots of park options, in all 4 parks.

edit: I should point out, and I had overlooked this, I am booking for 5. So not exactly a common group amount. I would hope and guess more is avail for 2-4 people those days?

I'm booked for every day, way back at 60 days out I was down to 1 or 2 left per park to choose, but dining alerts got me better choices. But check lunch or dinner on Nov 9 at MK. I get absolutely nothing.

Same for Nov 7 at MK. HS renders Mama Melrose (only). Nov 7 AK no dinner, Tiffins only lunch.

Nov 6 AK, nothing lunch or dinner. I could go on and on.

 

[StarshipDisney]

I feel fortunate for my reservation experience this morning after reading this thread, almost embarrassed. Knowing to have both a web browser and the mde on my phone (because they have different front end infrastructure and lag differently) I picked up almost everything we wanted (except the Gloria Estefan Candlelight dining package, but we hate Le Cellier but did get Space 220 for Lunch and Dinner).

Congratulations. You did much better than I did.

After my reservation experience, I have not gone yet but am already losing my love for Disney.

I went ahead and made a reservation at Universal Portofino Bay for December 2023.

8-nights with a 4-day park-to-park ticket for $3500 along with free Express Pass during our stay. Disney can no longer even come close, not even close, to touching that. Yes, I will still likely visit Disney, but I will also enjoy coming back to a clean made-up room every day!

 

[networkpro]

Congratulations. You did much better than I did.

After my reservation experience, I have not gone yet but am already losing my love for Disney.

I went ahead and made a reservation at Universal Portofino Bay for December 2023.

8-nights with a 4-day park-to-park ticket for $3500 along with free Express Pass during our stay. Disney can no longer even come close, not even close, to touching that. Yes, I will still likely visit Disney, but I will also enjoy coming back to a clean made-up room every day!

Its a fun place to go, and should be even better in 3 years (maybe, who knows if the future plans will turn out fully populated or not).

I fear that a lot of Disneyworld customers are there due to keeping up with whatever socioeconomic group/person or FOMO just like upstate resorts, Montauk, or the Jersy Shore are. (but just warmer weather for 8 months out of the year)

 

[G00fyDad]

I just scored a dinner reservation with Sci-Fi Dine-In (My wife's primary dining tradition request) after weeks of searching and searching for a new one. The one we had overlapped with our Savi's reservation some and we were not going to be able to do both. I am so relieved and also happy that I signed up with the Stakeout app.

 

[Yodasnuggs]

I'd like to jump off some points being brought up here that hopefully someone can help with.

I am trying to get a Savi's reservation (need two, have one currently) using Mousewatcher. I absolutely do get alerts from them so I know it's working. But every time I get the text and the link redirects me, I do see a time available and am able to click on it, but then I'm asked to login and by the time that processes, I then get an error message saying the time is no longer available.

Is there a way anyone knows of to stay permanently logged into either the app or the website? During the day I will occasionally log myself back in in the hopes that a time will become available, but that hasn't managed to line up and each time I get a text I have to do the login process.

 

[G00fyDad]

I'd like to jump off some points being brought up here that hopefully someone can help with.

I am trying to get a Savi's reservation (need two, have one currently) using Mousewatcher. I absolutely do get alerts from them so I know it's working. But every time I get the text and the link redirects me, I do see a time available and am able to click on it, but then I'm asked to login and by the time that processes, I then get an error message saying the time is no longer available.

Is there a way anyone knows of to stay permanently logged into either the app or the website? During the day I will occasionally log myself back in in the hopes that a time will become available, but that hasn't managed to line up and each time I get a text I have to do the login process.

I'll stay logged in on my phone (Android) but that may not be the case for everyone. I can't remember the last time my phone logged me out. It keeps me logged in. However, I have noticed that Mousewatcher tends to be a little bit behind on sending alerts to some people. You may be getting the alert shortly after someone else does and they're just simply completing the process before you are. Try the Stakeout app.

 

[Yodasnuggs]

Thank you! I'm not sure if it's a lateness issue, because I do get as far as selecting an available time and saying who in my party will be attending. So it's not like it's gone gone when I click. It's just the login process that ends up making me lose out. I will try Stakeout as well though, can't hurt.

I have an android, I assume there is a very easy function I'm just continually missing that would let me stay logged in lol. But I have yet to figure out what it is.

Edit: Literally moments after I typed my original response I got an alert. It was 36 minutes between alerts and I was already logged out of the app again. Craziness!

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

I’m bummed because I’m on the west coast so very early hours for my bookings and it just so happens that my 60 days hit while I’m at Disneyland in a room with friends. So I have to try and do it quietly and still try and get some sleep for a long Disney day. I hate the 60 day craze. Really want to go back to 180 days.

 

[DCLcruiser]

I’m bummed because I’m on the west coast so very early hours for my bookings and it just so happens that my 60 days hit while I’m at Disneyland in a room with friends. So I have to try and do it quietly and still try and get some sleep for a long Disney day. I hate the 60 day craze. Really want to go back to 180 days.

What is the difference between 180 days and 60 days? You still have to get up early. Also, 60 days at least give more people a chance. Not everyone has their trip planned 6 months in advance.

 

[Weather_Lady]

What is the difference between 180 days and 60 days? You still have to get up early. Also, 60 days at least give more people a chance. Not everyone has their trip planned 6 months in advance.

I'm pretty sure that's exactly why the member you were responding to wishes it would go back to 180 days -- because fewer people had their trip planned that far ahead, those who did have their planning done had a better chance of getting the ADRs they wanted. We early birds would love to get some worms for our trouble!

 

[Schweino]

I'm pretty sure that's exactly why the member you were responding to wishes it would go back to 180 days -- because fewer people had their trip planned that far ahead, those who did have their planning done had a better chance of getting the ADRs they wanted. We early birds would love to get some worms for our trouble!

Exactly this. At 180 days, yes you still need to get up early, but the availability was exponentially better than what it is at the 60 day mark.

 

[curry767]

I’m also in the embarrassed camp. Got pretty much everything we wanted for 12/9 to 12/18 including the hard ones like 220 lounge, sci fi and beaches & cream.

My strategy was that I had each restaurant open in a separate tab on my computer and had pre-searched the date and time. I then pre-ordered the tabs with hardest to get first (220) favouring dates further into our stay. When the clock hit 6, I hit search again and bang, got what I wanted at the times I wanted. Only missed on sci fi for lunch on 60 + 2 but got one for later in the trip.

Feeling very lucky.