ARG! I can't get dining reservations!

karenj2 · Post by **karenj2** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 9:02 am

Last year, I made reservations for my September trip in July, and was pretty much able to get dining wherever I wanted... This year, I'm trying to get reservations, and everything is booked!

What are my chances of being able to get reservations while actually at the park?

Post by **js3901** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 9:10 am

karenj2 wrote:Last year, I made reservations for my September trip in July, and was pretty much able to get dining wherever I wanted... This year, I'm trying to get reservations, and everything is booked!

What are my chances of being able to get reservations while actually at the park?

when is the trip? as for the ADR, it depends on where you're looking to eat... there is a chance that you can get reservations while down there, but you have to get to Guest Relations EARLY in order to grab any available reservations. If you just wait at the restaurant - good luck.

karenj2 · Post by **karenj2** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 9:13 am

The trip is at the end of August- and the first week of the DDP, which is why we're having problems. I'll keep trying, but the last CM I got at the reservations was less than helpful. (Of course, it was the end of the day, so I can't expect anyone to be chipper...)

foldmama · Post by **foldmama** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 10:24 am

My sister-in-law is going down for a few days in mid September and they are also having a hard time getting ADR's. Free Dinning has made it almost impossible to get what you want when you want it!

Post by **rdeacon** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 10:27 am

Keep trying!! This is the evil of the dining plans.

Two other tips.

1. If you can't get a reservation you can try when you are at WDW, just call from the room phone.
2. The very last resort would be walking up to the restaurant the day of.

Now Walking up the day of may not work for Cinderella's Royal Table, but it does work for other places. For Example on my last trip down we were on the fringe of Spring Break so towards the end of the trip everything was booked. One day I called for Chef Mickeys from the room phone, and they told they were booked with no availability. So we went over to Contemporary anyway since we were staying at Wilderness Lodge it was just a short boat trip. I went up to the podium and got us a table, we waited 10 min max. I think the reservations are only allowed to fill so may slots per hour. This will lead to some openings for walk ups. Of course this is only a guess.

So don't lose all hope if you can't get a reservation.

Rich

JWG · Post by **JWG** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 12:08 pm

Are you going during free DDP?
Once that deal becomes available and those people book their meals, good luck!

I hate having to make dinner reservations 4-6 months in advance. I'm all for planning my vacation and reserving those places I must see, but really? I can't just go to the park and plan my dinner around attraction wait times and go when I go? I can, but then I wait longer than if I were in the Soarin' standby line queue.

netslave · Post by **netslave** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 12:13 pm

You should always keep trying for reservations. I think people make multiple reservations because it doesn't hurt to have two or three different reservations for the same day just to make sure you have some options. When those people figure out where they want to go, then hopefully they'll cancel their unused reservations.

GoofyInOhio · Post by **GoofyInOhio** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 12:37 pm

Simply put just keep trying. Be open to a early dinner or late dinner or even a late lunch or early lunch. Another option is calling on your cell phone and checking for anything to be open. We have done this multiple times and even during the free dining last year, but walk up as soon as the place opens you would like to eat at and try and get in.

People cancel all the time. We got LeCellier just a couple weeks ago, but haven't been able to score Coral Reef. Good Luck.

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 4:57 pm

Remember when you are down there you can call the Dinning Number from a resort phone an hour before the lines open to "outside numbers." The other thing I do is concentrate on Epcot and the Resorts. (MK all year round seems to be totaly booked for sit down, because they only have 3 places, Tony's, LTT, and CP. )

Also I've had some luck with my Cell Phone.

"Hi, can I get a reservation at Coral Sea in the next 20 minutes?"

"Well can you get there in the next 5 minutes?"

"I'm by the Land right now, so I would say yes."

"Then yes I you can..."

Basiclly I call from my cell just so I don't have to walk all over the park to figure out who has space.

Remember the old video phones at Epcot. Those things ruled.

johno

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Jul Wed 11, 2007 5:00 pm

netslave wrote:then hopefully they'll cancel their unused reservations.

This is why the signature and very popular places have started to take a Credit Card number.

This is also why it's best to call right in the morning and again about the time you want to eat. Some people make overlapping reservations at multiple parks (depending on which park they are in.) So they release right before they use the one they are going to use.

johno

Post by **subsonic** » Jul Thu 12, 2007 10:24 am

rdeacon wrote: 2. The very last resort would be walking up to the restaurant the day of.

I think the reservations are only allowed to fill so may slots per hour. This will lead to some openings for walk ups. Of course this is only a guess.

I believe you're right, also there's cancellations. I would definitely suggest walking up to where you want to go.

On my visit I tried to book the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater but it was full so we booked the Italian place. While walking to the Italian place I stopped by the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater and asked if they had anything available for 5 people. They said something just opened and we were seated immediately.

It was a very good move on my part, everybody loved it

*pats himself on the back*

jiminycricket · Post by **jiminycricket** » Jul Thu 12, 2007 10:49 am

I am going in September this year also and I have found that many places have been booked. I was told to take whatever I could get at this point and then continue calling to see if there were cancellations. So far this has worked. I just booked a table for dinner at Cinderella's Castle a few weeks ago and there were none available when we made the reservation several weeks before that. Also, when we booked that reservation we had to cancel another one that we had made at the same time, so there may be others who are doing the same thing. So I would definitely say keep calling!

Tricia1972 · Post by **Tricia1972** » Jul Thu 12, 2007 11:09 am

I agree that you should take what you can get right now. That way you have a sit down meal guaranteed.

Keep on calling, people call to cancel and change every day. Things will open up and you can change your reservations as this happens.

I made ressies for LeCellier just past the 180 day mark for October, after free dining, and everything was full. By persistent calling I was able to get in - eventually. (Even with a good dining time

)

Croaker · Post by **Croaker** » Jul Thu 12, 2007 4:17 pm

I'll sell mine if you want. i'll be there the 4th through the 10th. i'm kidding of course...i wouldn't sell them..i'd give them...or share them! laugh imagine...what....reservations for 2? no i specifically said 6! oh no...oh you can fit us...thank you so much! Try Morrocco, they told me that one is usually open. Liberty Tavern was open on Saturday too..i was so suprized

PudgetteD · Post by **PudgetteD** » Jul Thu 12, 2007 9:37 pm

After reading about all the ADR worries, I guess I've been lucky. DH and I are driving down for a week in September for our anniversary. Had no problems making ADRs, and have even changed them twice with no problems. Maybe we just go to the places that aren't that popular (we have ADRs for Liberty Tree, Sci-Fi, Biergarten, Plaza, and Whispering Canyon)

Subsonic Radio

ARG! I can't get dining reservations!

ARG! I can't get dining reservations!

Re: ARG! I can't get dining reservations!