Yeah, okay...online ADR's were a nightmare!

SurferStitch · #1 09-04-2009, 08:06 AM

So, I was able to start booking my online ADR's at 5:55 this morning. Glad I was ready to go a little early because about 30 seconds after I logged in, the 10 day window opened up.

Got Le Cellier for the end of our trip like I planned, with the time I wanted. Great! This is going to be easy (I foolishly thought).

Next, Teppan Edo for the second night of our trip. HA! Wanted 6:00 or 6:30 pm, only time available at all was 4:50 pm. Took it. Okay, one bad time is okay. One minor bump in the road.

Then, 'Ohana for breakfast at 9:00 am on 12/4....NOTHING available. Okay, I 'll try for later in the week. All is well. Was able to get an ADR.

Dinner at 'Ohana on 12/5 at 5:00 pm? NOPE - Nothing available at all that night. Booked Narcoossee's instead, with the only time available being 5:30 pm.

Crystal Palace on 12/6 (before MVMCP) for 5:00 pm? NOPE - took 4:30 (only time left). I did get breakfast here on 12/11 at the time I wanted, though.

Donald's Safari Breakfast on 12/8 at 8:00 am? NOPE - did get 8:20, though. Will miss rope drop for safari, but I'll survive. (Have NEVER had a problem getting 8:00 am before)

No problem with the Poly luau at 8:00 pm on 12/9.
No problem with Narcoossee's at 7:00 pm on 12/3 (This is the first night of our trip, so I though for sure I'd have problems).

California Grill at 6:30 pm on 12/7? NOPE - Did get 7:00 pm, so that's okay.

Since there were no ADR's available for 'Ohana on 12/5 for dinner, we moved that to 12/8 at 5:00 pm (We wanted an early dinner since this night is our backup night for MVMCP in case there's lousy weather on 12/6). We booked a second dinner at Narcoossee's for 12/5 (which should have been 12/8 to have a nice time gap between dinners there).

No problem getting Fulton's on 12/10 at 7:00 pm. Also able to book a breakfast at Chef Mickey's on 12/6 at 9:10 am.

(The reason my dates are out of order above is because I booked in order of popularity, not my dates. Just shows how some of the favorites are so coveted anymore.)

I can honestly say I've NEVER had to make so many adjustments to our dining plans before. EVER!! After striking out several times in a row, I really started to worry we wouldn't get our favorites, but some really quick shuffling and flying by the seat of my pants got us all of the places we wanted, even if they weren't the most convenient times or days. I hate when I have to make decisions so quickly.

Ugh!! I really thought it would be easier.

I also can't pull up any ADR's other than the last couple I booked, too. At least I have all of my email confirmations with the ressie numbers, so I can proved I made the ADR's if necessary.

Glad that's over. Not fun at all.

I went back at 7:00 am just to see what was still available, and Teppan Edo, 'Ohana breakfast and dinners, and a couple others were completely gone. I feel bad for those who waited until 7:00 am to call in.

Another thing that was a pain...I could only add 10 meals to my "cart" at a time. Then I had to checkout, log back in, and finish my ADR's. In the process, I forgot to book the one Narcoossee's ressie. I only discovered it after comparing my confirmation emails to my Excel spreadsheet. I quickly went back in and booked it. Whew!

sgdisney · #2 09-04-2009, 08:40 AM

I was there with you this morning, and was also slightly frustrated. Nothing available at Ohana when I wanted it. I did book most of what I wanted though. Also called WDW Dining at 7:00 am to book a CP dinner package and had to hold for 24 mintues before speaking to someone. Got that taken care of and checked on Ohana again but still no luck.

Jasper · #3 09-04-2009, 08:54 AM

I understand why Disney is doing things like free dining and 7 nights for the price of 4. However, I think your experience is a direct response to programs of that nature.

As these promotions put more people into the parks and into the restaurants the competition for seats gets tougher and tougher. Couple that with the fact that there seem to be a certain set of restaurants that are the real "must dos" for people and it gets really tough to get in.

The real trick is to be as flexible as you possibly can be. But even with flexibility you still may not get what you want.

GOOD LUCK!!

BMan62 · #4 09-04-2009, 08:56 AM

Remember that there is a 'free DDP' offer going on in this time frame as well, so bookings will be up.

I would hold off on condemning the online dining reservation routine until there are no 'free DDP' offers. This is the only way to figure out how well/badly it will REALLY work.

kwhitt3202 · #5 09-04-2009, 09:02 AM

I called a couple days ago as well as being online in the wee hours in the morining (time differences). It was my 90 days out and I was verry flexible on the dates and times of our dinning and there were many places that were booked our entire trip (le cellier, garden grill,coral reeef, cape may cafe...) . I wonder if they are having trouble with the system or just manys double bookings?

Belster · #6 09-04-2009, 09:23 AM

I am sorry to hear of your frustrations. For me persoanally, I like the online ADR system...I am in controll...lol. I never liked giving windows and being told no then asking what they can see is available....I would much rather do it myself. But I can see your concern is with the amount of resis not available...I think this is due to the free DDP.

Enjoy the rest of your planning.

bcornette · #7 09-04-2009, 09:24 AM

I had a similar but in my opinion much worse (initially) experience this morning. I logged in at 6:00am got CRT in my cart, then I was unable to book past my date of checkin.
CRT was in the middle of my vacation but I was able to go ahead and finish it but nothing else.
I tried from 3 different computers and never could get it to let me do the 90 +10 booking window.
I kept trying and anxiously awaited the phone line to open up and called in. I then got everything we wanted, Ohana breakfast and dinner, chef mickeys, and 50's primetime close to the times we wanted. The guy then asks me if we want the candlelight processional package with our tutto italia dinner, so I say "If it is 1TS, I'll do it but not for 2TS" as he is looking it up he lost all of our ressies without finalizing them and gettin a confirmation number. So I had to start all over, still got all the places but times were shifted by 5 or 10 minutes for each one.

So in the end I basically got everything I wanted, but had to stress and retry 3 different times.

SurferStitch · #8 09-04-2009, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMan62

Remember that there is a 'free DDP' offer going on in this time frame as well, so bookings will be up.

I would hold off on condemning the online dining reservation routine until there are no 'free DDP' offers. This is the only way to figure out how well/badly it will REALLY work.

Oh, I don't condemn the online booking for making it difficult to get the times/days I wanted. I just happened to use it to make my ADR's. Some of the glitchy things like limiting the amount you could book, or not being able to look back on my ADR's, and not making it easy to just check out your shopping cart in the middle of booking...things like that were annoying.

I'm an internet junkie, and do everything via the internet that can be done (shopping, pay bills, etc.), so I am very comfortable doing stuff like this online.

I do think, though, that making the ADR process so convenient does make it more difficult to get what you want.

SurferStitch · #9 09-04-2009, 09:44 AM

I'm really surprised at how many people were able to easily get 'Ohana for the times (or very close to) that they wanted.

Dinner and breakfast there were my most difficult ADR's to make. I had to do a lot of shuffling and was VERY flexible, and STILL had a hard time getting anything that fit into our schedule.

I'm going to keep checking back on Teppan Edo to try to get a later time, but I have a feeling that endeavor may be futile.

When we booked this trip, I never dreamed they would have the free dining at that time. I mean, most of the restaurants we normally eat at were booked solid anyway even when we didn't go during free dining, so it's really no different this time, but still makes the ADR process much more difficult.

ibelieveindisneymagic · #10 09-04-2009, 09:46 AM

I'm sorry to hear you had a frustrating experience, but you were able to get most of what you wanted, at generally good times.

I've found that whether on-line or over the phone, you just have to be flexible - there are so many people trying to get ADR's now.

SurferStitch · #11 09-04-2009, 10:44 AM

I just wish I could retrieve my ADR's online now. I just keep getting an error when I type in my confirmation number and phone number.

It's a good thing they email the ADR confirmations to you, or I'd have nothing to prove I made them.

MNNHFLTX · #12 09-04-2009, 11:39 AM

Heavy participation in the dining plan has made it frustrating to get some of the more desirable times--true whether it's online or by calling Disney Dining. A friend called bright and early a couple of days ago for an upcoming trip in December and had to adjust some times around. But she actually had better luck getting an early ADR for the Kona Cafe online than she had calling.

wildernesslady · #13 09-04-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferStitch

I just wish I could retrieve my ADR's online now. I just keep getting an error when I type in my confirmation number and phone number.

It's a good thing they email the ADR confirmations to you, or I'd have nothing to prove I made them.

The first time I booked online I did not log in. I just didn't think about it. The sysem took my resort reservation so I did not give it a second thought. I tried a couple of days later to change some ADR's and did log in that time. Those ADR's are the only ones showing up. Thankfully I have all the confirmation numbers for my first set. We wanted 'Ohana for 12/3 and all we could get was 8:55. I'm thinking it will be pretty busy then.

MonoMan · #14 09-04-2009, 10:15 PM

I was all ready to make our ADRs online this morning - up and ready at my computer at 6am only to find that the system would not retrieve our resort reservation. I was logged in and it would retrieve it under the "My Disney Vacation" but not the ADRs. I was so frustrated

I had familiarized myself with the system earlier in the week and actually called and spoke with a CM - I was told it would not allow me to retrieve my reservation until it fell into the 90 day window. I waited and called at 7am and booked our ADRs the old fashioned way. Thankfully we were able to get almost everything we wanted with only a few slight variations in time. The CM did try both O'Hana and Kona Cafe for us as alternatives options and they only had very late night opens.
The CM was unable to determine why the system wouldn't retrieve the resort reservation. I think it might have something to do with BLT no being listed on the pull down menu.