Dining Reservation help, please! About This Page:

[lovemy2tots]

Hi! I am a total newbie and would love your help planning my family trip - I am posting questions here and there and am thrilled with your responses and the sharing of your experiences!
My current question after all that blabbing is.........
what is the deal with dining reservations? I have heard they are tough and you have to know what you're doing, but......I don't know what I'm doing!
I think we are going the 3rd week of April 2010....am I right that you can't schedule them until 90 days before your trip? Or I thought I saw on allears or something that it changes to 180 days in October?
So.......when/how do I do the reservations? Do they need a deposit or cc#? And what happens if you book a reservation and you can't make it for some reason (child is sick)??
Finally.......I have 2 daughters who will be 5-going-on-6, and 3 1/2........what are the must-see places for character/special meals? And which meals for which places (B/L/D) if it matters.....
Thanks so much if you have read all of this and even more thanks if you respond!

Joanie

[Ceara's mawmaw]

Originally Posted by lovemy2tots

Hi! I am a total newbie and would love your help planning my family trip - I am posting questions here and there and am thrilled with your responses and the sharing of your experiences!
My current question after all that blabbing is.........
what is the deal with dining reservations? I have heard they are tough and you have to know what you're doing, but......I don't know what I'm doing!
I think we are going the 3rd week of April 2010....am I right that you can't schedule them until 90 days before your trip? Or I thought I saw on allears or something that it changes to 180 days in October?
So.......when/how do I do the reservations? Do they need a deposit or cc#? And what happens if you book a reservation and you can't make it for some reason (child is sick)??
Finally.......I have 2 daughters who will be 5-going-on-6, and 3 1/2........what are the must-see places for character/special meals? And which meals for which places (B/L/D) if it matters.....
Thanks so much if you have read all of this and even more thanks if you respond!

Joanie

Yes end of october going back to 180 days prior to make ADRs. You can go online or call disney dining. Only a few like
California Grill for example take a credit card number, then if you don't cancel they charge your card something like 20 dollars per person. For little girls Crystal Palace at MK with Pooh and gang, Playhouse Disney at Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood studios, Cinderella and gang at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian dinner those are a few of our favorites. Hope that helps....

[Wolfy6688]

Welcome to the boards! They are sometimes hard to get, depending on which you're trying for. Generally speaking the two hardest ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) to get are Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom, and Le Cellier, a steakhouse in the Canada section of Epcot.

In April you will be able to make the reservations 180 days before your arrival. There is a site where you put in your check-in date and they tell you what the exact date you'll be able to start making ADRs.

If you intend to dine at Cinderella's table, they would need your credit card number and I believe you have to actually pay for it when you make the reservation, as it's a set price. It's unbelievably hard to get a reservation there, and if you are on the dining plan, it takes two credits each. If you were going to try for an ADR there, I'd make that your absolute first one to try and get.

Other than that, nothing happens if you don't go to the restaurant that you had an ADR at. We skipped one last year just because we were too tired, and I called ahead to tell them we weren't coming and they said that calling isn't necessary. Technically, ADR's aren't reservations in the sense that you would think. They don't reserve a table for you at that certain time. It's more of a call-ahead-seating situation, where they put you ahead of walk-ins. Personally I haven't had to wait for a table for restaurants where we've had ADRs, but I've heard other people waiting over an hour for a table that they already had an ADR for.

HOW you do the reservations is also a matter of preference. This year they started to allow you to do them online, through Disney World Restaurants | Walt Disney World Resort. The online reservation system opens at 6 am EST, and you would make the reservations on your 180th day out. You also could call 407-WDW-DINE and make reservations through their phone line by speaking to someone, but the phone lines don't open until 7 am.

Hope I helped answer at least a few of your questions! Good luck planning

[B.M.]

You will be able to make your ressies at 180 days out.

Certain places like Cinderellas Royal Table and Hoop Dee Doo not only take your credit card, but they charge it so that you will have paid for the meal in advance. If you cancel these places, there will be a "penalty " fee and if you wait last minute to cancel, you could still be charged for the entire thing.
Other places such as the Fantasmic Meal Pckg require a cr. card , but do not actually bill/charge you. They take this so that they can charge a "cancellation fee" if you don't show.
However, the majority of places will not take your cr card info and there is no cancellation fee.
If you do the dining plan, these places will still take your cr card info, but will not charge your card unless you don't show.
You have lots of time to investigate what places you want to eat! I'd start by taking a look at the menus and reviews on Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Vacation Information Guide - WDW Planning Guide - Walt Disney World
Have a great trip!

[SARH7]

Just wanted to add that ADR's are really important...a must do...so please don't think you can go without them and show up and get seated. It may happen...in slow times and at off times during the day, but it's extremely rare.

We made an ADR for Akershus and had to give a CC#.

Some of our kids favs: Crystal Palace, OHana (DD loves doing the hula and playing games), Biergarten (dd had so much fun dancing to the music and both my kids pigged out on the food!), Chef Mickey's, Whispering Canyon Cafe.

[DisneyMom87]

Ahh, the first trip with the little ones.... still the best trip for us ever! Enjoy & take gobs of photos! My daughter was 5 going on 6 & son was 4 for our first trip and the LOVED it & did great.

That trip we were fortunate to have an awesome travel agent who booked Cinderella's Table breakfast w/the princesses for us. It was our first character meal ever & on our first day at WDW as a family too, truly magical! If your girls love princesses I would try for that one. Another alternative is Akershus which has princesses, but, imho, the food is not all that great. The only reason we went bec Ariel was there (she is not at Cinderellas Round Table). Other favs are: Crystal Palace, Tusker House (Donald's Safari Breakfast - excellent food!), Ohana breakfast (Lilo & Stich good food too!) & Chef Mickey (Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Donald).
Go to allears.net for menus, reviews and to find out which characters appear at which meals. Character meals are the best way to get autographs, if you are planning on doing that - no line, no waiting! In my experience, the only meals requiring a CC# for Cinderella's Round Table and Akershus. Those had to be cancelled w/in a certain amount of time (24 hrs, I think?)to not get charged.
Making these ADRs can be daunting, every time I do it it makes me crazy! You might do well to call and speak to a live person (vs. online) - they are usually very helpful, knowledgeable & friendly. They can answer your questions and will do so gladly. If not, call back and talk to another one! And something I realized our last trip, you can make multiple ADRs for the same time if you are not sure - just so you can get them. Don't put off doing it till the last minute, book at 180 days & you can cancel anytime.

Have fun!

[lovemy2tots]

Thank you guys so much! Now I have to find out what all those names/places mean! Off to check out dining info/reviews........thanks! Hoping my friend who is a AAA travel agent can book my ADRs so I don't have to get stressed out about it! lol

[cattayhi]

Originally Posted by lovemy2tots

Thank you guys so much! Now I have to find out what all those names/places mean! Off to check out dining info/reviews........thanks! Hoping my friend who is a AAA travel agent can book my ADRs so I don't have to get stressed out about it! lol

All these abbreviations are confusing - but you will get the hang of it.
Take some time to read your Passporter, allears.com and browse the Disney dining site. You will be more familiar with the food at each restaurant, the character meals that your children would enjoy and what you would enjoy.

Part of the fun is the planning - so relax and do some research
You will also find lots of information here on the board.

Welcome

[SARH7]

Yes, it does take some time to learn what everything means, but stick around these boards and in no time you'll be a pro!