New Advanced Dining Reservation System & Effects on Booking **Updated 1-14-09**

[wendy*darling]

I was so hoping to hear that they would use this opportunity to revert to a 90-day booking window. I am disppointed to hear that it will go back to 180 days.

I told them I thought they should release the calander at 4 months out and take adr's at 3 months out so that everyone would have plenty of time to look over the calander and make their plans. This would also give Disney some wiggle room, if they needed another week to release the calander no big deal people would still have 3 weeks to plan.

I LOVE this idea - and will be writing to Guest Relations to share my opinions as well.

It will be interesting to see what "other" features come out of this switch-over.

[Figment!]

It will be interesting to see what "other" features come out of this switch-over.

Apparently, on-line booking will be one.

Just added a further announcment to the original post.

[dlpmikki]

Making online ADRs! Hope the system can cope with tons of people trying to do this at once for popular dates. Will it be quicker / safer than ringing up? Time will tell.

[ElenitaB]

Thanks, Jason!

That's an interesting development and one that's definitely overdue. Online reservations for excursions, dining and the kids' clubs are already in place on DCL. Hopefully, they'll have learned some lessons from the DCL side of the house and improve on their experience there.

[Flower]

I like the 90 days better, but I am more interested in the online booking thing. I hope people will not be able to book overlapping ressies, but in the same instance, what if you are trying to book for a large party and need to book 2 tables - will the online system allow you that flexibility?

[Giselle]

I guess they'll have a system for keeping people from booking 10 ressies a day? I guess you could do that on the phone too, but seems more likely on line. Any ideas on how they will regulate that?

[sillyolbear]

I'm looking forward to the on-line enhancement. Provided the bugs are worked out and there are abuse safeguards, this is good news IMHO.

[Disneyatic]

I guess they'll have a system for keeping people from booking 10 ressies a day? I guess you could do that on the phone too, but seems more likely on line. Any ideas on how they will regulate that?

I was thinking the opposite, that it would be more difficult to double book online because it could track what you have previously booked and flag it if times or time frames overlapped.

[disneymom07]

So, if my arrival date is Jan. 23, can I make reservations for the whole trip (Feb 1)?

[thumperbug]

I realllllly hope that the online ADR's work like we all want them to. It would be so nice to be able to go online and see whats available when without having someone on the other end of the line getting all annoyed. Come on, we all know that when you call Disney Dining you only have a 50/50 chance of getting someone nice and helpful on the line. I always have my list of first choices and at least 2 back ups in case, so I at least have options.

Ok, I do admit I am one of those freaks who looks at the park schedules 6 months ahead and plans out ADR's. I've gotton a lot better, really I have but I just like having the ADR's for our fav's firmed up (not matter how far ahead) so I know that we will be able to enjoy them and not get shut out.

But alas, as our trip is for Feb, I will have to wait to make our ADR's until Nov if they stick to the 90 day mark or the end of October when they new system goes live.

In the meantime, I can wait for the park hours and try to get an idea of where we would like to eat. LOL.

[Sunshine1010]

This may be a stupid question....

Suppose you are at the resort. And you decide you want to make a few reservations for that day and the next. Who would you call if it will all be done via the internet?

[brewcrew26]

I'm a bit confused. We're planning on going down March 4-8. I think the 180 would fall somewhere in September, but the 90 would fall in December. When would I have to make reservations? Can I do it in October? By then, I would think most of the places we'd want to try would be booked, or am I missing the point of the changes.

Can someone demystify this for me???

[Figment!]

So, if my arrival date is Jan. 23, can I make reservations for the whole trip (Feb 1)?

According to what has been released, no. Reservations can not be made past January 25, 2000 until Late October 2008.

I'm a bit confused. We're planning on going down March 4-8.

The Advanced Dining Reservations window is being frozen at January 25, 2009. Reservations will resume at their standard 180 day window in Late October 2008.

During the "freeze" no one will be able to book dates beyond January 25, 2009. Once the freeze ends in Late October 2008, reservations will be bookable up-to 180 days in advance of that date, which includes March 4 - 8, 2008.

[DisneyorBust]

Since there is no such thing as a 'dumb' question if you don't know the answer.....
what is the '90 + 10' that some have mentioned?

[eas423]

The Walt Disney World® Resort will release a new reservation booking system for dining, recreation and tour reservations in late October 2008. As a result of the system upgrade, effective July 29 through late October 2008, Guests will be able to book dining reservations up to Jan. 25, 2009 arrivals. In late October, booking processes will return to normal, allowing Guests to book up to 180 days of arrival.

Ok, so is the freeze for any reservations that need to be made beyond Jan 25?

I have a trip planned for Sept (this year), I can still make and change ADRs all the way up to this trip, right?

[SAHDad]

The Advanced Dining Reservations window is being frozen at January 25, 2009. Reservations will resume at their standard 180 day window in Late October 2008.

During the "freeze" no one will be able to book dates beyond January 25, 2009. Once the freeze ends in Late October 2008, reservations will be bookable up-to 180 days in advance of that date, which includes March 4 - 8, 2008.

I'm a little confused on this. We arrive on Jan 25th - will we be able to make ADRs at all, only for the 25th, or for the entire trip?

[DebC]

I called today to see if I could change my party size on one ADR for late October, from 2 to 4 people, as we just found out that some friends of ours would be there at the same time.

I was told no revisions were being made at this time. I figured I got someone new and tried again twice, got the same answer each time.

I booked everything at 180 days out, hope it's all still here!

[magicofdisney]

I'm super excited about making reservations online. I wonder if that system will be available 24/7 and how that will play into booking popular meals such as CRT.

[SAHDad]

I'm super excited about making reservations online. I wonder if that system will be available 24/7 and how that will play into booking popular meals such as CRT.

I like the idea (hate the timing though, since our trip starts Jan 25, 2009 - so our ADRs could have been made next week.). I suspect, however, that the first few weeks or months will be fraught with bugs - someone will write a script that makes ADRs for 10 or 15 locations per day, people slamming the ADR system at 12:01 EST and bringing it down on a nightly basis, etc.

By this time next year, we'll accept it, and by 2010, we'll love it. The transition phase, not so much.

[DisneyBabies]

I called Disney Dinning yesterday and was told that even once the online reservation system rolls out, you will still be able to call Disney Dinning to make reservations. The online reservations will be great (after all the kinks are worked out ) but since the system is going to be new, I think I'll be one of the multitudes (3 months worth of people who have had to wait to make ADR's - almost all of whom are less that 180 days from their trips) who will be calling to make ADR's at the end of October. I am really glad they are changing the system, I'm just frustrated because the freeze falls during the time I should have been making my ADR's. this is my son's first trip to Disney World along with it being his 5th b-day and I don't want him to miss out on the things he's indicated he wants to do but the changes may make getting reservations even more difficult. At least reservations for CRT and Chef Mickey's can be made even during the freeze period. The cast member I spoke with yesterday said that I should start calling at the beginning of October to see if they have finalized the date for the roll out of the new system. She also said that reservations will continue to be 180 days out, which some have indicated they don't like, but suits me better, so if anything changes in regards to my trip, I have plenty of time to fix things. But, like all things, that could change. I have to say though, I would prefer to have all the info in advance, so I can deal with any problems all at once instead of taking care of one thing, then having something come up again a few weeks later. And you have to admit, Disney has got to have all the plans in place now if they are causing this much trouble for guests and the cast members who get so many calls asking what is going on, so I really wish they would just tell us everything.