Strategy for reservations

[Phillyfan]

Looking for some advice on your strategy for making dining reservations when staying on property? I understand you can make them 60 days ahead for your entire trip? Do you start making reservations with the first day of your trip and then book subsequent days after that in order? And do you try to get harder reservations first or later in your stay? Thank you for the advice!

 

[Her Dotness]

Looking for some advice on your strategy for making dining reservations when staying on property? I understand you can make them 60 days ahead for your entire trip?

As long as your stay doesn't last more than 10 days, yes, you can make ADRs for your entire stay.

If staying longer, you must wait to 60 days out from Day 11, etc. to continue booking ADRs.

Do you start making reservations with the first day of your trip and then book subsequent days after that in order?
And do you try to get harder reservations first or later in your stay?

Definitely DO NOT go in order from 1st night on to its end. Decide which ADRs are the most popular, hardest to get and book those first thing, wherever you can find them that's workable for you.

Then, plug in the easier ones.

Before these frustrating park reservations, we chose what park we'd like to start each day in since we always get ParkHoppers. That makes it a bit easier, we think, to decide what ADR we want when.

We also have traditional ADRs. Crystal Palace breakfast is on our first full day there since MK is our startup park. 'Ohana will generally be departure day breakfast. So, if you've any favorites you'd like on a specific day, you may want to do those after booking as many super-popular ones as you can get.

We've had good luck retrying the hot ones early on weekend mornings when more sensible people sleep in. Also, you can sometimes score those within the last hour online booking is open. Around getting off work time has gotten some for us, too. From 5:30-7:00 p.m. ET for that. I guess some have been mulling a cancellation or switch at work and make the change upon leaving work. No idea really, but we've found that can be a good time.

Don't give up entirely if you can't get something hot that you really want. Check often while there. People cancel or modify all the time. While waiting for your order and having nothing else to do may get you that plummy ADR.

The hotter ones also may have something later that day if you stop by and ask if there are any openings. Shortly after BOG opened, we overheard another guest do that at lunchtime and get an early dinner--at 4:30. But, hey, you do what ya gotta if you really REALLY want a very popular restaurant.

Good luck

 

[Fitzwoman27]

What I am going july 28 but I have to make ADR each day for next 7 days since I check out Aug 5? They don’t give you option for anything past July 30 right now.

 

[Boardwalk_Bound]

What I am going july 28 but I have to make ADR each day for next 7 days since I check out Aug 5? They don’t give you option for anything past July 30 right now.

Hi… going 7/27-8/4! The system can be very glitchy. You have to find multiple ways to search.. sometimes going through My Plans in MDE, try freshly login in, search by restaurant and last go through things to do, make reservation. Keep trying and the system will recognize. I got everything I wanted except a prime 8pm for Cali Grill. I got 7:10 but I’ll keep looking. I love the hunt! I also use mouse dining to search for me - as well as touring plans. Good luck!

 

[Boardwalk_Bound]

Looking for some advice on your strategy for making dining reservations when staying on property? I understand you can make them 60 days ahead for your entire trip? Do you start making reservations with the first day of your trip and then book subsequent days after that in order? And do you try to get harder reservations first or later in your stay? Thank you for the advice!

Hi.. I use search engines after I am done for those ressies I didn’t get - Mouse Dining and Touring plans. Mouse dining has a free plan but they only notify you by email so you have to enable notifications. Touring plans requires a subscription but if you have it already you can search for dining as well. Good luck!