When are reservations released?

[tor29c]

I've seen many folks advise to check for dining reservations at 45 days out if you missed the 180 day opportunity. I'm thinking this is because people start canceling reservations the closer they get to their vacation. I'm also thinking that some people simply can't get the vacation paid in full within the time frame. So my question is about those people. Does Disney go in and cancel any dining reservations made by the party who is canceling? While I would hate to benefit at the expense of another family having to give up their dream vacation I'm thinking that may be advantageous to me who is trying to get reservations to a couple of restaurants I wasn't able to get when first planning this trip. Thanks for any advice you have!

 

[DVCPluto]

I would check every day if you really want something. You might get lucky. It's really just depends if someone cancels when you check.

Good luck!

 

[Cassandra]

I believe that once you cancel your reservation that any other reservations attached to your main res will be cancelled. I would definitely keep checking back on the reservations you would like. You never know when someone may have to cancel.

 

[stevehousse]

Not true! U have to go in and cancel them yourself unless u ask them to do it for u at the time of canceling ur trip. Ur ADRs r not connected to your hotel and ticket reservation at all. They r separate.

 

[MissingDisney]

Not true! U have to go in and cancel them yourself unless u ask them to do it for u at the time of canceling ur trip. Ur ADRs r not connected to your hotel and ticket reservation at all. They r separate.

THIS. Friends cancelled their trip but not ressies. She changed her email due to moving and internet carrier changes, so she didn't get the normal email reminders and got charged no-show fees for all of their reservations.

 

[FrostyNaples]

The moment someone cancels an ADR, it becomes available for booking by someone else. ADR's are created and cancelled like car reservations, on the fly. Especially with MDE and on mobile MDE, these things can change in a moments notice.

I was looking for a dining slot for an ADR for weeks. One day I kept checking every 5 minutes or so out of boredom and them BAM, it showed up, i grabbed it, its all mine, you can't have it, i'm not cancelling.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Exactly as everyone here has said, keep checking availability is constantly changing and you could get lucky!!! Marie

 

[Weather_Lady]

Not only keep checking online, but be sure to call, as well. CMs on the phone lines can tinker around with options to accommodate you in ways that the online system can't. (For example, last year, I was trying to get a CRT dinner reservation for 6. The online system said there were no tables available, but on the phone, a CM was able to combine a table for 2 and a table for 4 and get us the ADR. This is known as "split tables" because technically it is virtually reserving two different tables for a single party, but in reality it doesn't typically result in your party being seated at 2 different tables -- either it will be 2 adjoining tables pushed together, or, as in our case, you get a table for 6 anyway.)

 

[tor29c]

Not true! U have to go in and cancel them yourself unless u ask them to do it for u at the time of canceling ur trip. Ur ADRs r not connected to your hotel and ticket reservation at all. They r separate.

Thank you! This is exactly the opposite of what I was thinking to be true. Thanks for setting me straight!