So I guess offsite people are just SOL at 180?

[rastahomie]

I was able to score a spot at BoG (second week of December) with no problem, although I wasn't able to get the specific day I wanted. However, I've had zero luck with Ohana or 1900 Park Fare.

 

[Shanti]

I'm on day 3 of the 6am search and it's really really bad. I knew it would be but wow. Yes, I've signed up for the reservation finders but still I'm in shock. It was a lot easier just 1-2 years ago. And I'be NEVER had an issue getting BOG lunch! Same with CP late breakfast.

Even onsite guests have been complaining about the difficulty of booking for November & December, so you're not alone. It looks like November & December are going to be crowded this year. And you are going during Free Dining, as well, which makes it harder to get ADRs.

 

[DrunkJam]

We were lucky on our 180+10 for Dec. We got *nearly* everything we wanted as a first choice, that said, we are extremely flexible over times, and generally want less popular times anyway. But, I am getting anxious that this years is going to be super busy when we are there, like even more than ever before. Which could be a big problem for our ASDer.
I have very strong feelings about the practise of booking loads of ADRs and then cancelling. So, I do feel very luck to have got nearly everything, and there are enough choices that we just made new choices for the ones we couldn't get, but, it would be really galling to have spend HUGE on trip of a life time, and then try booking restaurants 6 MONTHS out, and not get something really important to us.
I don't know what the solution is, but, it seems this system is not working well right now.

 

[IsThatYouTigger]

My 180+10 opened today and I spent an hour and a half searching because my first choices were not options. I knew Epcot would be more difficult because of Candlelight, but only 1 Garden Grill reservation for our party size the entire week is not the norm. Be Out Guest lunch or dinner were not options any day...We've usually had good luck checking in on Sundays...Not so much this time!

 

[clarklink]

The hysteria comes from trying to coordinate so many different reservations over so many different days. Between table service, BOG, Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique, and Lilo's Playhouse I'm slotting nine reservations over five days. Since we're staying onsite I was able to get all but Akershus when our reservation window opened up. I'm confident tables will open up closer to check-in, but until I know what day we will be at Epcot I don't know which extra reservations I can cancel. At the last minute I switched my arrival date from Sunday to Saturday since both were free dining and it gave me a one day lead on Sunday arrivals.

 

[mnamna]

We booked our trip next week at the very end of May. We have managed to get pretty much everything we wanted for dining.

People aren't "SOL" if they don't stay on site. They just might have to be a little more persistent.

 

[tcufrog]

This is why I use a free travel agent for my Disney trips. I don't have time nor the desire to camp out on the phone or computer to get reservations. So far it's working for me.

 

[Shanti]

This is why I use a free travel agent for my Disney trips. I don't have time nor the desire to camp out on the phone or computer to get reservations. So far it's working for me.

For me, Touring Plans reservation finder acts as an electronic travel agent, texting me when availability pops up, so I don't have to stalk the website.

 

[DisMommyTX]

They need to stop with the 180 days out non-sense. It would be better for everyone to wait until about 2 months out when hours and schedules are actually set, then people won't have to book multiple options trying to guess what Disney is going to do. We have two different days that we could do EPCOT or AK. Which one we choose will depend on AK hours, RoL schedule (every night like summer or only a few nights a week like Sept), and the Candlelight Processional narrators. Because Disney has not yet announced enough info for us to know which park we will attend on which days, we had to book duplicates of some reservations. Of course we will cancel the extras once Disney announces the rest of the schedule, but the whole process is horribly inefficient. They should wait to release dining until 60-75 days out AND commit to having hours and schedules relatively final at that point! Then, we would all have a single hectic week of scheduling, but there would be a lot less guess work, no need to book duplicates because of lack of info, and far fewer cancellations and moving stuff around because of last minute changes.

 

[CrazyHare]

I booked at 123 days. We got CRT, Akershus, and Tusker House ROL package right away.

I kept checking and we now have a breakfask, lunch and dinner at BOG that I have picked up at times we wanted. I got the dinner yesterday at 67 days. And I'm sure at 30 days more places will open up as people cancel their vacations. And even more when we get there because people have their plans change.

So don't panic. You still have plenty of time to get what you want.

 

[IrishNYC]

I booked our last trip at 140ish days out, and with persistence got everything we wanted. I just booked ADRs for my sister at 50 days out and got what she wanted. No BOG or Ohana, but she didn't want those. Everything else was a go, and all with decent times.

 

[Gentry2004]

This time of year is always terrible. Were you booking for the same general dates the past few years?

My last two offsite stays were spring break 2016 and July 2016. No issues either time, even less than 180. The one time I went in fall, I was onsite. So maybe it is time of year.

And I agree BOG lunch isn't all that. But I like skipping the line. Looking forward to trying mobile ordering on the next trip. Thankfully my kids are basically done with character buffets.

 

[clarklink]

For me, Touring Plans reservation finder acts as an electronic travel agent, texting me when availability pops up, so I don't have to stalk the website.

Touring Plans provides the same reservation finder service to travel agents for a fee. I inquired with several travel agents and could not get answers to the questions I needed such as: 1) will you personally be making my ADRs at 6:00 AM when my window opens on Memorial Day, 2) Will mine be the only (or at least) first ADRs you will be making at that time, and 3) Can you successfully slot nine reservations in five days based on availability for each day with two days having three each in specific order. Free Dining sold out within hours for our dates and hotel despite the fact their server kept locking up do to volume. If I had relied on a travel agent who got busy that morning we might not be going to Disney at all.

 

[Minnesota!]

We have the best luck the day before/of...

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Agree. I am an off-siter and was ready to book at 6am on my rolling 180-day as well. This year was nuts!!! My theory:

1. More people over-booking/hoarding until they know their definite plans. I think in general more disney visitors are becoming hip to the need to plan ahead. Of course these will eventually be cancelled but it sucks for planning purposes.

2. May be something glitchy this year. Like I keep hoping a whole bunch of openings will be released.

3. Increased popularity of touring plans dining finder=increased competition. I've had a few ressies pop up that were gone in minutes before I could grab them. It was a bit more of an underground secret a few years ago and I usually had 15 min or so to get it once I was alerted.

Good luck

 

[MakiraMarlena]

if you're trying to book Epcot restaurants between Thanksgiving and NYE, they sometimes hold those back until they have arranged the capacity allocation/staffing related to the Candlelight Processional packages.

 

[Haygar2]

You will get what you want. Might not be the "exact" time you want but pretty close. We booked our trip 63 days out. I was able to get PPO Be Our Guest, a Be Our Guest lunch (which I will be cancelling but it won't help you at all), Homecoming, and California Grill. Be patient. You will be just fine.

 

[bettybooplove]

I'm an onsite guest and I signed up with Touring Plan's and Mouse Dining's services. I also checked the Disney app once an hour and eventually I was able to get hard-to-get Chef Mickey's for one dinner, Be Our Guest lunch reservations for one day and an 'Ohana dinner during our stay. I was also able to find a few Crystal Palace lunches and dinners which was surprising but I didn't book them. And this is for a large party.

The only reservation I haven't been able to get for the entire party is Beaches and Cream and I know that's because it's such a small restaurant.

It really has nothing to do with onsite vs offsite. There are just incredibly popular restaurants which will always be a struggle to get, especially if you're booking for more than 4 people.

 

[PSULion]

1. More people over-booking/hoarding until they know their definite plans. I think in general more disney visitors are becoming hip to the need to plan ahead. Of course these will eventually be cancelled but it sucks for planning purposes.

We have traveled to Disney every year for the past 8 years. Our upcoming December trip is the first time I've EVER made double adrs, meaning I've got the same place booked more than one day, knowing full well I'll cancel one. I hate to do that, but Disney has made it so hard. What are the evening hours for AK going to be? Is ROL going to be every night? Is EMM going to be offered at MK? Is Jingle Jam going to return to HS or will it be Star Wars fireworks? Disney has opened adrs 180 days ahead... but they don't give us near enough other info that early to firm up our plans.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Guilty when my family made adr 2 years ago we thought we were going to the mk for a day but we changed our minds and cancelled bog lunch at the last minute did I feel bad yes but I also did not hold the reservation with the intent to cancel either