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Hollywood and Vine
- Thread starter tuan vu
- Start date
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I can't say, but it likely has a lot to do with the size of your party. When I've visited even with 5 or 6 people, getting ADRs is twice as hard as when I'm making them for my family of 4.
My suggestion is to call the Disney dining line (that's (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463) and speak with someone. They can look into options that the online system can't (like breaking the party into two "split tables," which runs the risk, however unlikely, that you'll be seated separately -- in most cases you'll end up at adjacent tables, sometimes ones that can be combined). They can also tell you whether a different mealtime, a different date, or a different Fantasmic! package restaurant is available as an alternative.
Also, touringplans has a free restaurant reservation finder tool that will check every few hours and send you a text if a reservation opens up. (You'll have to jump on it immediately if that happens, so someone else doesn't get to it first.) It's enabled me to get last-minute reservations (Hoop-Dee-Doo, Be Our Guest) that I could never have gotten otherwise. I don't know if it will look for reservations for special "package" meals (like Fantasmic dining, Rivers of Light dining, etc.), but you might want to see. https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/reservation-finder
Good luck!
My suggestion is to call the Disney dining line (that's (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463) and speak with someone. They can look into options that the online system can't (like breaking the party into two "split tables," which runs the risk, however unlikely, that you'll be seated separately -- in most cases you'll end up at adjacent tables, sometimes ones that can be combined). They can also tell you whether a different mealtime, a different date, or a different Fantasmic! package restaurant is available as an alternative.
Also, touringplans has a free restaurant reservation finder tool that will check every few hours and send you a text if a reservation opens up. (You'll have to jump on it immediately if that happens, so someone else doesn't get to it first.) It's enabled me to get last-minute reservations (Hoop-Dee-Doo, Be Our Guest) that I could never have gotten otherwise. I don't know if it will look for reservations for special "package" meals (like Fantasmic dining, Rivers of Light dining, etc.), but you might want to see. https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/reservation-finder
Good luck!
Last edited:
21stamps
Well-Known Member
I could not get a dinner reservation at H&V for a party of 2 last year. Apparently Minnie’s Holiday Dine is extremely popular.
I would try calling and splitting up your party size, maybe that will help.
Dafid Duck
Well-Known Member
Is the Dining Finder really free or do you have to pay to join Touringplans? I've been trying for Ohana. I got a 9:30 reservation next month but would love to get one earlier in the day. I check on line constantly and called the reservations line often. Would calling Ohana directly help?
Pixieish
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if you have to be a member to use it, but the membership is relatively cheap. We've been to Disney a bunch of times, but I keep my membership - I find it worth it at less than $15 a year.
You have to sign up to join/register, but you don't have to pay. When I used it and it snagged me several reservations, I went ahead and paid the $15 as a thank-you.
nickys
Premium Member
Agreed, it is free to use.
However it won't help the OP because it cannot search for Dining Packages. A shame but I think it's because these have a separate booking page and it would make life somewhat harder for the person who picks up the search, having several possible restaurant options to check.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
You don't have to be a member to use the reservation finder. (You have to sign up for a touringplans account, but only at the free "basic" level.)
I have a membership, too, and find it more than worth it. I use many of the features -- researching hotel rooms finding particular foods on Disney menus, etc. -- but the personalized touring plans would be worth it to me at twice the price, all by themselves! We're so spoiled by it, and by all the time it saves us in lines, that we've come to see a 15-minute wait for anything at WDW to be borderline outrageous.
Coaster Lover
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Just one credit last I was there... my personal recommendation would be to get your Fantasmic dining package at Mama Melrose... much better food in my opinion...
Anthony Timberlake
New Member
It still is one credit !
How about trying the Fantasmic Dessert Party and VIP viewing? You are then not limited to certain times at a restaurant, get the same reserved ticket area as the dining package and the box of snacks plus alcoholic beverage is definitely worth the money. Kids a beverage in a cup with a light cube. The Fantasmic package restricts you to an earlier time than most people eat dinner plus is more expensive. Last year we had 6.00 pm reservations for dinner then picked up our Dessert Party snack boxes which were so big we ended up taking them back to the hotel.