Can someone explain why at 180 days out I can get NOTHING?

mdutch39

Wannabe Pirate
Joined
Aug 19, 2013
Literally all dining I had planned is taken. Except Hollywood Brown Derby. How? How on earth is this possible? I saw someone say something like Touring Plans and other travel agencies take a bunch of them like robots, but is that true? Because if so, we paid an extra $1200 for the deluxe dining plan for nothing. Im genuinely so upset right now. I just do not understand.
 
I would ask first, did you try at the start of the day? 5am/central on the app/website? If not, then that's your problem.
Secondly I'd ask, did you start in reverse order of your vacation stay looking for availability? i.e. looking for reservations on the last park day, then working back to first day? Always try to get the hardest ADRs on the end of your trip as the first days of your trip will usually be gobbled up by the people who's vacations are ending as they were able to book those days a week ago.

But possibly they are having issues today? Obviously if you waited till this late in the day, all Be Our Guest, Garden Grill, Cali Grill ressies will be gone for the most part imo, but most other places should be there I'd think.

Also, put 2 that you value into here and as soon as they open up, book asap:
https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/reservation-finder

edit: Lastly as I recently learned and is talked about much on here as I've read, party size may be impacting your search results. What are you searching for party size? Try to search for 4, even if it's smaller, or a tad larger, and once you have the ADR you want with that party size, call and ask to have the party size changed to what you need.
 
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Things open up constantly with people cancelling, just try again later and again later. I wouldn't even bother trying every day, just every once in a while check in. We never make ADRs in advance and have always been able to get what we want. Now to be honest here, we don't do character meals or buffets and we are two adults so times aren't that important but my point that times open up still stands.
 
I agree with the previous posters. I had some trouble getting hard to get reservations at the beginning of my trip (I could only get BOG dinner on our last day). It's usually best to start at the end of your trip to snag the hard to get reservations and then get what's left for the beginning of your trip.

Plus people book way more reservations at the 180 day mark than they will actually keep. Use the Touring
Plans reservation finder! Its free and so helpful. My trip isn't until the end of October and TP's already found me a 5:25 PM Ohana, 8:25 PM Ohana, a couple of PPO breakfasts at Tusker House, and dinner at 1900 Park Fare.
 


Um, depending on your exact travel dates, some people have been able to book for 180+10, and there's also free dining out there. That tends to fill up the ressies pretty quick.
 
Sorry ur feeling Overwhelmed/angry/frustrated? With the dining issue ur having OP.
things will likely loosen up, there is hope and perhaps using some of the suggestions mentioned will aid you.

The deluxe dining plan is definitely for a true foodie, and you ll be eating all day and night at almost 2 hours a pop for the sit downs, but I suppose you know that, right? (We tried it and said never again, it was just way too much time spent sitting and eating way too much food rather than seeing and doing.)
But I digress....I hope you can get all the eateries you want because, Yes.. that's a lot of money to spend to eat your "Choice" Meals..
Best of luck!
 


Thank you all for your replies. What is interesting is that I got the reservations I wanted for 180 days out (December 10) but couldn't get the some of the others for the rest of my trip (December 11-15). So regardless of when I did or didn't wake up (midnight is that glorious time for me), I wouldn't have gotten the reservations I wanted anyway because somehow they are all mysteriously (I have literally never had this happen before. On site and off site, I have NEVER missed out on this many reservations) gone. Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, Akershus, Le Cellier and Trattoria al Forno. Now, I am aware that those are all difficult to get, but there is no reason that my 181, 182 and 183 days out should be unattainable. That is supposed to be a perk for paying so dang much more to stay on property. As far as choosing the Deluxe Dining Plan, my sister-in law wanted to eat at both Le Cellier and Cinderella's Royal table, so we decided to go all out with Signature and favorite restaurants.


Ive actually been on the website multiple times today, and I am almost 100% there is something wrong with the system. I cant make reservations for any of my days now. Not sure what the problem is, but its giving me more hope that I will be able to make my reservations soon rather than trying to rely on people cancelling.
 
I truly believe there is some sort of background answer as to why reservations have been so difficult for this Nov/Dec season. I know I will be told (I have many times) that it is just the way it is or it is all due to Free Dining, etc, but I agree. I have gone many times before during much busier times and with Free Dining and have never had such difficulty. I know part of it is that Disney WAS holding back some availability and has been releasing it since our 180+. However, if they are going to make us book that far in advance you would think they would know what they have available. I agree, it is a perk of staying on property (they advertise it that way) but when all the availability isn't released until way after your 180+10 mark, the perk is no longer there. The best part is that when you talk to the CM, they will all agree that it has been hard this fall but none of them know why.
 
I have seen multiple people with this problem, and, while I don't doubt that it is real, I don't understand it. I have been booking dining for a trip that starts on Dec 9 and runs for almost three weeks. I have gotten everything that I want. And have had multiple times to choose from. Today I booked for Dec 21st - everything that I wanted was available at every time that I wanted. And I book a lot of the hard to get ones (BOG, CRT, Ohana, Beaches and Cream, Trattoria, and a few others).

Edited to add - what browser are you using?
 
Literally all dining I had planned is taken. Except Hollywood Brown Derby. How? How on earth is this possible? I saw someone say something like Touring Plans and other travel agencies take a bunch of them like robots, but is that true? Because if so, we paid an extra $1200 for the deluxe dining plan for nothing. Im genuinely so upset right now. I just do not understand.

Others have given you good info--I just want to address the bolded, at least as pertains to Touring Plans (proud subscriber since 2006). Touring Plans created its ADR Finder working in cooperation with WDW. They find ADRs, contact you about availability but do not do anything to "hold" or "take" the ADR. It's still up to the individual to act on the info sent from Touring Plans, and if you happen to wait too long (which may be only a few minutes with high-demand restaurants), the ADR will be gone because some other guest has taken it.

It can be frustrating not to get what you want at 180, but as others have said, keep looking and be flexible and you should get most of what you want eventually.
 
I'm in the same situation. We'll be there from December 3-14 and when my ADR window opened, there was essentially nothing to pick from. I was able to secure dinner at Narcoossee's and Yachtsman, and a 10:40 am breakfast at Tusker House. All of the character meals aside from TH were gone for all three meals.

It's a free dining period and I've come to dread our December trip because of it. I have issues every year and wind up making 98% of our ADRs the night prior, while we're at WDW. I think people hoard ADRs until they see which restaurant fits with their plans. Then, the bots also come into play too. It's really irritating and inconsiderate.
 
Up at 6am this morning. I wasn't able to find a single lunch or dinner on our HS day except for Hollywood Brown Derby which is outside my party's budget. And the best Via Napoli reservation I could find was an 11:30am one. A bit early for pizza on an Epcot day. Couldn't find a GF Cafe dinner reservation all week. Looked for a Bon Voyage breakfast for 3 (so my niece could go with her parents after failing to find one for our whole party) and couldn't find one our entire week.
 
I have seen multiple people with this problem, and, while I don't doubt that it is real, I don't understand it. I have been booking dining for a trip that starts on Dec 9 and runs for almost three weeks. I have gotten everything that I want. And have had multiple times to choose from. Today I booked for Dec 21st - everything that I wanted was available at every time that I wanted. And I book a lot of the hard to get ones (BOG, CRT, Ohana, Beaches and Cream, Trattoria, and a few others).

Edited to add - what browser are you using?

Im glad you have been able to secure your reservations! Truly, I am. But you are staying for three weeks, whereas I am staying for 5 nights. You don't have nearly as much competition to make your reservations. Now, is this my fault for not having more time to spend at WDW? Yup. But again, I have never had this problem even staying off property and not getting the jump on making reservations past 180 days. Now we are paying thousands more for the real Disney experience and getting poohed on?

I agree with PP that it is almost making me dread my trip. Because we cant get that money back for the dining plan, and we dont need to be eating at three one credits a day. The plan (because Disney requires you plan every aspect of your trip to get your monies worth) was to do a one credit for breakfast and a two credit for dinner. Because that is what we paid for. I don't know. I guess if you feel no sympathy for the many people who have paid and are now being screwed, then I don't think there is anything that will change your mind. The only thing I will admit I shouldn't have done was purchase our dining plan before making our reservations. Other than that, there is nothing more that I could have done to secure the dining that we wanted. Going forward, I will obviously be vigilantly scouring for good dining, but unfortunately, so will everyone else.
 
I have seen multiple people with this problem, and, while I don't doubt that it is real, I don't understand it. I have been booking dining for a trip that starts on Dec 9 and runs for almost three weeks. I have gotten everything that I want. And have had multiple times to choose from. Today I booked for Dec 21st - everything that I wanted was available at every time that I wanted. And I book a lot of the hard to get ones (BOG, CRT, Ohana, Beaches and Cream, Trattoria, and a few others).

Edited to add - what browser are you using?

If you are staying on site you had the benefit of a much longer stay and could book 180+10. I am lucky that my trip is 11 days so I was also able to get everything I wanted. But for people who aren't able to book that far ahead it's harder.

That said, I truly believe most people will get 99% of what they want if they keep trying. The reservation finder is great!
 
Im glad you have been able to secure your reservations! Truly, I am. But you are staying for three weeks, whereas I am staying for 5 nights. You don't have nearly as much competition to make your reservations. Now, is this my fault for not having more time to spend at WDW? Yup. But again, I have never had this problem even staying off property and not getting the jump on making reservations past 180 days. Now we are paying thousands more for the real Disney experience and getting poohed on?

I agree with PP that it is almost making me dread my trip. Because we cant get that money back for the dining plan, and we dont need to be eating at three one credits a day. The plan (because Disney requires you plan every aspect of your trip to get your monies worth) was to do a one credit for breakfast and a two credit for dinner. Because that is what we paid for. I don't know. I guess if you feel no sympathy for the many people who have paid and are now being screwed, then I don't think there is anything that will change your mind. The only thing I will admit I shouldn't have done was purchase our dining plan before making our reservations. Other than that, there is nothing more that I could have done to secure the dining that we wanted. Going forward, I will obviously be vigilantly scouring for good dining, but unfortunately, so will everyone else.
In the same boat. Staying the 10th-15th. Really only wanted to ensure we had one princess character meal (AK or CRT). No luck so far.
 
I'm going 12/3 to 12/10. I got up at 6am 180 days out. I'm not new to planning disney vacations or booking ADRs. I was shocked at how little was available. Like some others, I also believed something is wrong with the online system because it's hard to believe something as unpopular as the plaza, Tappan edo or even liberty tree tavern had hardly any availability that far out. I have never had this much trouble booking any ADR ever! I've gotten CRT, BOG, Le Cellier years past with no difficulty. Now there's nothing. I couldn't even get Garden Grill bfst. Some people are blaming that disney is holding back ADRs because of the CP pkges but I'm pretty sure the CP pkges are only offered for bfst or lunch. I even called and they still didn't have nothing over the phone! What is the perk of staying onsite? Of getting up early? Of purchasing the deluxe dining plan?
 
While I book budget trips (stay value and eat quick service), I do think that those staying deluxe and springing for the deluxe dining plan really shouldn't have to work so hard to get their preferred dining reservations. Even if they are able to eventually get their preferred arrangements made, it is insane to me that it isn't a smoother process for those who are spending so much money. I completely understand the frustration of the OP.

I am getting the free quick service dining plan so wanted to see if I could get a BOG breakfast and/or lunch during our trip. While successful just this morning, I found all the clicking to check available options and book a bit ridiculous. I can only imagine trying to book multiple restaurants on multiple days and finding limited to no availability. Ugh!
 
I agree with PP that it is almost making me dread my trip. Because we cant get that money back for the dining plan, and we dont need to be eating at three one credits a day.

Why can't you get your money back for the DxDP? It's not a non-refundable thing.
 
Tomorrow is our day to start doing dining reservations. I've done some research and i think it's going to be hard to get reservations for 6 people. I think this is going to be my dads last trip to Disney due to his age, I just dont think he will be able to do it anymore, too much for him. So i'm hoping getting up early to do reservations first thing in the AM will help us get the restaurants we want.
 

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