So are you just SOL if you book a trip < 180 days?

[Kevlar10]

If you go with reservation finder, make sure you go with the text message option for the ones you really want. The email notification can’t take several hours. Needless to say those will be gone by the time you get the email.

 

[Freeroam]

Just yesterday evening more spots were opened. Hope you checked!

 

[mself145]

I went in December and 2 weeks before we were there an opening for supper at ohana opened up. It was one of my must do’s.
Keep looking. I took the ohana reservation and I canceled a coral reef. It can happen.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think it is more the time of year you booked than being under the 180 day mark.

Keep checking for ADRs, they open up all of the time. Good luck!!!

 

[crabbygal902]

I have a party of seven arriving on 11/26 and can't book 99% of the meals we want. So far I have only been successful scoring lunch at 50's Prime Time at 11:00 AM on a day we're supposed to be at MK. Give me some encouragement! My wife thinks this is a sign the place is going to be miserably packed and we should just cancel now .

1. I booked 23 for ‘Ohana during marathon weekend after the 180 day mark. It can be done.

2. We often go at Thanksgiving, it’s our favorite time to visit. We are always able to find something great even if I don’t start sniffing around until late summer. It may take some time, but keep checking. Maybe I’m lucky in that I think it’s kind of fun to hunt.

3. I’m assuming that you’re looking at places that are more challenging to book, maybe ‘Ohana, Cali Grill, etc. Make some alternate ADRs that you’d be happy with until the place you really want opens up. If nothing else opens, you might discover some new favorites. There are so, so many great places besides the most popular and there isn’t one place on property that will make or break a vacation.

4. For reference, I did a quick search for dinner on 11/26 for 7 and there are fantastic places all over that are available! I would be thrillled with Homecomin’ or Boma, for example. Maybe those places aren’t your first choice but they would stilll be terrific.

Good luck in your search!

 

[AngiTN]

Goodness no. We don't book ADR at all till the morning of and we eat 90% TS meals.
We open the AP and find lots of options for our meals for that day.
Now, we are often just 2 but even when it's been 4 of us, I've had no problems with doing that

 

[fla4fun]

I would agree to try rounding up to 8 people. I am always booking for either one person or three people, and have had to round up to two and four at times for openings to show up. I wouldn't do it for anything that has to be pre-paid, but for regular restaurants there's no penalty for showing up with one less than the reservation.

 

[Haygar2]

We booked our trip less than 60 days out. I was able to get Beaches and Cream, California Grill, Homecomin', and could have had 'Ohana. I used restaurant finder through Touring Plans. You will be fine. Patience. It will happen.

 

[Monykalyn]

I've had more luck with Mouse dining than the TP reservation finder (I think MD searches more often while TP is more in sweeps every 4 or 6 hours). I've had alerts at 2 AM MD and i've logged on and gotten my ADR.

Have booked trips more than 6 months and less than 3 weeks-have gotten what we want when we want. people change/cancel all the time.

Heck-a CRT for same day showed up for 3 on 12/30. I opted for LTT instead.

Even if you don't get top pick you may be pleasantly surprised by the choices you do have. Hard to get doesn't necessarily mean "best".

 

[Nancyg56]

Even if you don't get top pick you may be pleasantly surprised by the choices you do have. Hard to get doesn't necessarily mean "best".

Best advice ever! I know we all have our own ideas about "must do" restaurants, btu tehre are so many that are not as "well known" but that offer a wonderful dining experience. Be open to those restaurants that are not so sought after and you might be very pleasantly surprised.

 

[loves to dive]

We don't even book a week in advance even when we go the week before Christmas, we book the day of in the afternoon while walking around the parks. Instead of thinking you are SOL think of it as an opportunity to maybe try new places. We don't do character meals or buffets because we are two adults and I don't like buffets and we have eaten at BOG at breakfast and lunch and both were one and done for us but otherwise we have had no problems finding something day of. We had been able to get California Grill, Chef Paul, Flying Fish, Tiffins, HBD, every single TS at Epcot other than Canada (which we could have gotten but we don't like it) and I even got V&A's two weeks out. People hoard ADRs until they make their FPs so don't worry, something will open up.

 

[krose4]

I had -really- good success with touring plans. I booked 180 days out but didn't get times and restaurants I wanted. I was able to get O'Hana at the exact time I wanted, and got an illuminations timed reservation at rose and crown by setting up touring plans reservation finders. I also got a BOG dinner reservation, but ended up canceling it because I wasn't as interested in it in the end. I've had no problem at all with not getting the reservation once I'm alerted, as long as you get the text alerts and have MDE on your phone, I would just modify quick and easy. That in itself paid for my subscription because I was really stressed about how few reservations I wanted that I got. In the end I've changed nearly every reservation just by checking back and through TP and have every reservation I want at the exact time I want to be there. After I got my FP at 60 days TONS of reservations opened up as well as people drop reservations that dont work for them anymore.

 

[dachsie]

More will open up when they release the CP packages as well

 

[Arielfan98]

In January 2017 my sister and I booked a trip 60 days before last minute. It was easier because it was only 2 of us. I will say that people always cancel right before their reservation, so you're still "lucky" in that aspect, but a party of 7 seems tough even with the 180 day advantage. Remember there are other hacks. For example, if you purchase a Laundry's Select Club membership card, any of their restaurants (The Boathouse, Rainforest, T-Rex, Yak n' Yeti, etc.) will have to seat you within 30 minutes of arrival to the host station. You could check out their website for more details. I've also heard success stories with walk-ups and there are plenty of WDW restaurants that I'd vouch for that if you went super early for a dinner service or super late, I bet they could accommodate you (I have dined at The Wave so many times with plenty of empty tables).