I finally was able to make our ADR's for our trip. If you aren't familiar with ADR's it means Advanced Dining Reservations.
On my last trip I said that you absolutely had to reserve your dining experiences 180 days out and that has not changed. Things sell out so fast.
Plus, now there is a new restaurant. Be our Guest. It is almost impossible to get.
I have been so anxious while I was waiting for my ADR day. So worried I wouldn't be able to get everything we wanted.
Well, I woke up on ADR day at 3 am ready to try doing it online for the first time so I would have a better chance of getting the reservations that I wanted.
Doug came down at 3:30 to help out if I needed it.
I got online. We were refreshing the page over and over. 4 am hit and suddenly there were the times for Be our Guest. Super excitement.
I pushed the time we wanted and the page refreshed itself.
What the?
Tried again. It did it again.
We tried over and over again. Then we switched restaurants to see if we had any luck with any others. It turned out that the only day I could actually make ADR's for was our very first day rather than being able to do the +10 that you are supposed to be able to do if you are staying onsite.
I was so frustrated.
I figured everyone must be having the same problem and so maybe I would still be able to get the ones I wanted. But then I read some people talking about having got their ADR's that morning. Yikes!
We knew we just needed to call in but we had to wait until the phone lines opened at 5am.
We both began dialing over and over a few minutes to 5. I finally got through right at 5 and was only on hold a few seconds before a Cast Member answered the phone. Yippee!!
She quickly got my info and we started making the ADR's.
Her name was Linda and she was fantastic.
I was able to get everything I wanted except the Be Our Guest was for after my parents left and Bibbid Bobbidi Boutique is later than I had hoped for. But I just wanted to be grateful for what we got.
Then a little while ago Doug called me and told me to call again about Be Our Guest because he could see times online that were on the day we wanted.
I called in and sure enough, I got the night we wanted! Woo hoo! I cancelled the other one.
I am SO excited!
Once ADR's are made I can really start planning my days because then I know for sure that we will be in the park I want to be in that day.
So, what reservations did we get?
We are sticking with some of our favorites from last time and trying a few new ones as well.
1) For Abigail's 5th birthday we did breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle with princesses) and dinner at 1900 Park Fare as well as an appointment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We decided we wanted to do the exact same thing for Maddy's.
I was able to get CRT for a late breakfast/brunch and the BBB appointment a couple hours afterward. I wish the BBB was early morning so I didn't have to worry about carrying around their dresses half the day in the park but I am just glad we were able to get one.
2) I also got the 1900 Park Fare dinner with Cinderella, the prince, the Stepmother, and stepsisters that night.
3) We are doing Crystal Palace again. That is the character breakfast with Winne the Pooh and friends.
4) We are going to Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner again as it was one of our favorites last time.
5)We are going to the princess breakfast at Akurshus banquet hall in Norway (Epcot) again.
6) We are trying 'Ohana at the Polynesian resort for the first time. I am so excited about this one.
7)We are trying Garden Grill- a rotating restaurant for dinner with Chip and Dale for the first time.
8)We are doing dinner at Chef Mickey's with Mickey and friends again.
and last
9) We are going to the Beast's castle to dine in Be Our Guest restaurant for dinner.
YAY!! I can't wait!!
2 comments:
I read your last post and thought...we really should do Disneyworld once. I always want to but we have done Disneyland so many times that I always seem to put it off for other things. Then I read this post and thought...yikes, is it really that much work to plan a Disney trip? I think I may be too spontaneous to ever do anything that far in advance. Plus, I am sure that Seth would have little to no interest in most of the cutesy stuff. I would love it...so many fun things to take pictures of, but unless you plan it for me I don't think it's going to happen. I am excited to live it again through you though. Also, just in case I ever decide to go...how do you find out when the free dining plan is available?
You know, there are tons of people that do it spontaneously and I'm sure have an awesome time.
You can get into restaurants if someone cancels but most of the time with the most popular ones you really do have to go through the 180 day out thing.
For me, Disney world is perfect. It has the magic and fun, it is fun for everyone, we love all things Disney, and I am super planner.
It really is one that needs planning... but I'm sure some people would disagree with me.
With the free dining, there are times that it is traditionally offered every year and I went off of that this year when I originally made the reservation hoping that we would be getting there during the time it was offered (if it starts after you are there you can't get it. But if it starts the day you arrive or you arrive any day after it begins up until the last day of offer you can get it your whole stay).
This year they didn't have it for the same time we got it in December last time though so you can't always go by that.
Basically if you follow a few Disney type blogs/ facebook people or are on the disboards that is how you will find out when they release the offers.
This year they offered it at less hotels than normal and did all of fall at the same time so I wouldn't have been able to get it had I not been plugged into the disboards and knew it was coming and was up bright and early to call and add it to my reservation.
But this all said, with your kids I think if you ever decided to go you could just show up and stay offsite or on and just ride rides and eat the counter service where you don't need reservations and you would probably love it.
I just couldn't do it.
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