How many times have you changed your mind on dining res...?

[TERRILYNN]

I feel like a lunatic, I cannot make up my mind! I've switched and swapped days, canceled, rebooked, canceled again, I've promised myself not to even check times anymore, I'm just keeping what have. It's not that I want the trip to be perfect, I'm sure it won't be, something always happens it seems, I just don't want it to be horrible. My husband is super picky on food, doesn't like to be on a schedule, and hates standing in line and waiting for anything (no patience!!) And yes, I've still decided to travel with him!! I think that's why I'm so indecisive. Does anyone else feel this way about making vacation plans? or do you know exactly what you want and stick to it? We didn't get the park hopper, and I think that's part of it too, it's hard to decide what park to do what days, and since we had to start over with our dining res last week, it's been really difficult getting times (hubby wont like to eat at "weird" times). Ugh.. I'm feeling more stressed than happy about finally getting a real vacation.

 

[Sunshineglow68]

I am happy with my ADR's but do look everyday for a time at Ohana on 1 particular date, hoping there is an available time. I also look to possible get an earlier time at some of the others. I wish I could just book them and forget them but that's not happening. Good Luck!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I figure out what I want, book it & have never once changed my mind about any ADR. I don't see the point of creating stress and drama over a vacation.

This is the part that usually gets people the most...it's not a stress or drama thing- at least not for me. I know it kind of sounds that way, but to me it feels more like a game. An odd, ridiculous, silly game... but a challenge nonetheless. I need better hobbies.

 

[copcarguyp71]

This is a good point...to those who have spare time it may be a form of creative outlet.

However speaking as someone who regrettably has little spare time on my hands on a day to day basis I would rather book it and forget it. No matter what I know I will enjoy my time at the world with my cell phone secured in the safe at the room and not attached at my hip as it is normally 80 hours a week. Eating is totally seconary to my time with the family away from my day to day grind. To each his (or her) own.

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

One of my friends always jokes that I need a group called ADR Changers Anonymous

Seriously though, if I'm booked before day 180...I have this amazing spreadsheet of dining that I've taken months to compile and fine tune. By day 180 is has every meal we intend to book, date, meal, ideal time, acceptable time range, back up plan, and are then ranked in terms of difficulty booking so I am booking according to demand. And of course there are spaces for the actual times/dates I got, confirm #s, etc. It's quite the masterpiece!

AND THEN...I get new and AMAZING (or crazy depending on how you want to see it) ideas. Usually, it's just me adding ADRs. i.e. I'll decide to add a breakfast on a certain day or decide I want to try some place soooooo badly that I'll work it in any way possible. I did this back in 2010- suddenly wanting 'Ohana dinner, Crystal Palace Breakfast, Tusker breakfast and 1900 PF breakfast. At least my stalking paid off and I got all of them! HOWEVER, this upcoming trip, I actually decided to restructure a couple of days about 2 wks after my 180 mark. In the 3 weeks following my 180 mark, I changed my ADRs over 20x! I've since calmed down w/this, but I've still had another 5 or 6 changes since then.

My other issue..."PERFECTION." There is no such thing, but it bugs me when I don't have my ideal times. I wanted a 6pm at 50sPT and the best I could get at 5:17a on day 180 was a 6:25p. So, I check every day, multiple times per day to try and upgrade this. Also, in changing my days around I lost my perfect Crystal Palace time and had to settle for a 8:20a. So, I search a lot in hopes that I will get an 8:05a to open up. This is at least one wher 15 min really does make a difference IMO. The last is LTT. I added this a few wks after my 180 mark b/c my idea of watching MSEP from Tony's just wasn't sitting well with me. I have rebooked LTT 4x so far. I currently have a 5:50p ADR, but I'd really like 6pm and while I know 10 min isn't going to matter here, I just want it.

Now the crazy...I have an 11:35a at Le Cellier. Every now and then I check for the 11:30a b/c that's what I really wanted. With this being only 5 min off, I could still easily arrive and hear them sing O Canada, but that 5 min off from ideal bugs me. I may even drop Le Cellier in favor of CS/snack hopping around the WS, but I still keep checking now and then for that 5 min change.

And if BoG opens for our dates, I see even more changing in my future. Until then - I won't be checking more than 10x a day to upgrade times until we hit mid to late September...then I'll go into overdrive (b/c more people cxl when you get closer) and may allow myself to chking over 100x per day for those upgrades.

So yes....I change my ADRs - a lot!

I really hope you are joking. This kinda goes wayyyyyyyyy past nuts.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

This is a good point...to those who have spare time it may be a form of creative outlet.

However speaking as someone who regrettably has little spare time on my hands on a day to day basis I would rather book it and forget it. No matter what I know I will enjoy my time at the world with my cell phone secured in the safe at the room and not attached at my hip as it is normally 80 hours a week. Eating is totally seconary to my time with the family away from my day to day grind. To each his (or her) own.

Work surely plays a factor for mine as well. Although, even with my 1hr+ commute each way- my work week isn't as time consuming as yours... so I have a little more free time to play on there. I guess aside from the game mentality behind it, I think some of it helps keep me thinking about the vacay. i.e. a few visits onto the Disney Dining website each day is a pleasant reminder that I have a WDW vacay on the horizon and helps me feel a little better about all of my time at work & in traffic - i.e. this vacay is made possible by this time in traffic and at work.

And while not truly a hobby...checking the dining website is a lot less fattening than my main hobby...cakes well, at least until I'm actually eating at said dining that I've booked.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I really hope you are joking. This kinda goes wayyyyyyyyy past nuts.

You do realize there are MANY people who do this with ADRs. I'm not saying everyone does this or should do this, but there are people who do...and I'm one of them. If it's not for you- fine, but to call someone "wayyyyyyy past nuts" b/c it's not something you get is uncalled for.

 

[disneygirl76]

I feel like a lunatic, I cannot make up my mind! I've switched and swapped days, canceled, rebooked, canceled again, I've promised myself not to even check times anymore, I'm just keeping what have. It's not that I want the trip to be perfect, I'm sure it won't be, something always happens it seems, I just don't want it to be horrible. My husband is super picky on food, doesn't like to be on a schedule, and hates standing in line and waiting for anything (no patience!!) And yes, I've still decided to travel with him!! I think that's why I'm so indecisive. Does anyone else feel this way about making vacation plans? or do you know exactly what you want and stick to it? We didn't get the park hopper, and I think that's part of it too, it's hard to decide what park to do what days, and since we had to start over with our dining res last week, it's been really difficult getting times (hubby wont like to eat at "weird" times). Ugh.. I'm feeling more stressed than happy about finally getting a real vacation.

hee hee I do too. My DH and I plan out days and what we think we want and the times. Then we book at the 180 day mark. But as I tweak the schedule and the plan, then the ADR's change. But after a week or so, I get it all together and finalized. Usually, the ones that change, are on the same day b/c we really don't know what to do that day. So they tend to change a bit. Or I second guess the menu and the experience that we want to have. But usually after a week, I get it all finalized and no changes are made after that.

 

[boopuff]

I'm leaving in 12 days and I still doubt some of my choices! My kids laugh at me all the time! I changed our resort once (then left it alone!) and I had to re-work some dining spots because they had my party of 4 at two tables!!

 

[Ex-Floridian]

I feel like a lunatic, I cannot make up my mind! I've switched and swapped days, canceled, rebooked, canceled again, I've promised myself not to even check times anymore, I'm just keeping what have. It's not that I want the trip to be perfect, I'm sure it won't be, something always happens it seems, I just don't want it to be horrible. My husband is super picky on food, doesn't like to be on a schedule, and hates standing in line and waiting for anything (no patience!!) And yes, I've still decided to travel with him!! I think that's why I'm so indecisive. Does anyone else feel this way about making vacation plans? or do you know exactly what you want and stick to it? We didn't get the park hopper, and I think that's part of it too, it's hard to decide what park to do what days, and since we had to start over with our dining res last week, it's been really difficult getting times (hubby wont like to eat at "weird" times). Ugh.. I'm feeling more stressed than happy about finally getting a real vacation.

I have learned over the years - but prior I used to change them up until the last time I could! LOL You are not crazy...it gets overwhelming..

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

You do realize there are MANY people who do this with ADRs. I'm not saying everyone does this or should do this, but there are people who do...and I'm one of them. If it's not for you- fine, but to call someone "wayyyyyyy past nuts" b/c it's not something you get is uncalled for.

I shouldn't have said that. I apologize for that.

However, uou say you check numerous times per day over 5, 10, 15 minutes and you think MANY people do this? I don't think so. If 5 minutes bothers you that much, imo that's an issue. I have OCD and even 30 mins doesn't bother me. If it gets to you that much, how can u enjoy your vacation?

 

[dreamfinder]

I don't think I have changed a properly booked reservation. Changed 2 as they were booked for the wrong time or wrong party size, but thats about it. We discuss well in advance of the 180 days where we want to eat and work with that.

 

[GoochDSA]

To me, I look at making ADR's almost like a game. We will book our initial ADRs at 180 or whenever we book our trip if it is less than 180 days. Then we start to tinker around, changing times, days, whatever the case may be. We will tinker and change at random times for whatever reason. Out of pure boredom I have even cancelled all of our ADRs just to make them over again and see what we have that is the same and what is different. Now, with the ADR system easily available on our cells, we will make and cancel ADRs up to about an hour before our ADR time. We have ended up eating at places that were never on our radar. I should note that we don't really do character meals, don't care for some of the crowd favorites (like 'Ohana) and there is only 2 of us.

 

[JCtheparrothead]

I always know exactly what I want, and then I change my mind and make changes to the itineraryagain and again and again. It's like a game for me

But it is such a fun game and it passes the time. My wife thinks i am a dining reservation nut case.

 

[melflip8]

Every time I ask my DBF (dear boyfriend?) if he wants to know what we are doing, he says not until the day before because I know you will change it right up until the last minute. lol....so, yes...this is me to a T.

 

[jlsHouston]

So funny, I have cancelled and rearanged so many ressies for the past 60 days! I had 2 CM 's booked for about a month trying to figure out which morning I really wanted CM, and just decided that the other day and let the other one go..Decided to give up dinner at Whispering Canyon this time for dining at the resort we are staying in that evening and doing the campfire and movies on the beach ..But I will make my way to that restaurant one of these visits! I have 2 places I want to eat and no reservation for them yet, Napoli and Rose&Crown..since I have no park hopper and only doing Epcot Thursday and the following Tuesday... those places may wait too...

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I shouldn't have said that. I apologize for that.

However, uou say you check numerous times per day over 5, 10, 15 minutes and you think MANY people do this? I don't think so. If 5 minutes bothers you that much, imo that's an issue. I have OCD and even 30 mins doesn't bother me. If it gets to you that much, how can u enjoy your vacation?

Thank you for the apology.

As for the timing...there are situations where 5-15 min can impact things...at least enough for us to make a difference and make some of this worthwhile. I'm not going to rattle off every scenario, but things like pre-park opening ADRs and restaurants with fireworks views while you dine are things where timing is more crucial. Is the vacay a failure if I don't get perfection here...no, but it's fun for me.

When it comes to enjoying our vacay...I once made the mistake of worrying about the timing of things while we were there...and it's a mistake I will never make again. So, the rebooking insanity stops as soon as I'm en route to WDW.

 

[jlsHouston]

I love meal planning for my trips to the World! The first 3 trips it was all about CHARACTER DINING! This trip, the longest, we only have ressies for 3 Character dining events and I am not even going with DD31 and grandkids for the first one! So I am evolving !!..Wait does Mickey Backyard BBQ count as Character Dining? Because if it does, we have 4 of those type of dining events scheduled... I am really excited about trying some new places this visit and revisiting a few of our faves from the previous visits!