"There's got to be a better way!"

[Showmenmickey]

So, coming up in February is the first Disney trip I have taken that I will be fully in charge of planning.

Dining has always been one of my favorite parts of going to Disney and I would really like to try some of the higher end restaurants this go around.

Frankly, I have found the reservation process to be terrible. Unless you plan your life out 6+ months in advance you are basically out of luck for a reservation.

I'm really keen on just sitting here and refreshing the Disney site constantly. I have a life!

During this whole process repeating in the back of my mind is that TV ad guy that seems to be on every TV ad and says something like "UGH, Hot coffee on your shirt! Everyday the same thing! Crappy coffee cups always be spilling!!! THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY! Introducing.... (insert product)"

Anyway, I was just looking to get some tips on how to snag reservations without having to waste my life away refreshing Disney's site.

Thanks in advance!

Chad

 

[figment forever]

personally i don't see how checking a few times a day is really "wasting your life away".
it takes only a minute to pick the restaurant and check for the time frame you want.
if you are unwilling to (or can't) make your reservations 6 months in advance then really checking several times a day is about the only option you have. UNLESS you want to pay a travel agent to look for you.


if you book your ADR's 180 days in advance its extremely easy to get the reservations you want.
i find it very easy to choose which restaurants i want to eat at even that far in advance.
i simply decide what type of experiences i want and then look at the menus to see what meals sound good to me and i'm happy to commit to those choices.

 

[EmilieK]

Just go for the less popular ( but in most cases not in any way inferior ) choices, you can go and check right now for the dates you are thinking about and you will still find many openings. Unless you want the super popular places you can wait untill pretty much last minute and still find some pretty good reservation.

Just don't expect to get everything the way you want it, like a last minute Be our Guest reservation withouth having to work for it.

 

[figment forever]

figment forever,

Personally, I have no idea where I will be in 6 months. I guess that is just part of being young.

i don't think being young has anything to do with not knowing where you will be in 6 months.
i'm not sure of your exact age but i myself am in my 20's and am not the type of person that goes where the wind takes me.

 

[maxiesmom]

It is not true that you have to settle for less popular places, or have to check multiple times a day. For my last trip I was able to snag Le Ceiller only a few months out, just by doing a random check on line. And then a few days before the trip, when I decided I didn't like the time for that ADR, I was able to change it.

Plus, with the new app, I was able to make same day reservations while in the parks. I was able to get Liberty Tree Tavern for the same day, right before the Halloween Party we were attending!