Trouble booking dining reservations for Thanksgiving 2020 week? Thoughts on Thanksgiving week this year?

Jennifer Underwood

Earning My Ears
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Hi, All!
So I was booking the restaurants for our this Thanksgiving week trip day by day as we’re staying off property, and today it said I can’t book dining reservations at this time. Any idea when this will come back? And why this is happening? Also, wondering thoughts of us getting into parks if staying off property. We have tickets already for a while now and some dining reservations in the parks up to what I could book today. Will this improve chances of getting in? I know it’s hard to know this far in advance but just wondering if anyone has thoughts or is going at this same time of year. Should we just rebook for next Thanksgiving? Thanks in advance!
 
No one knows yet with all the changes, it would not take any dining reservations this morning either. They must be working on how many tables they can have in certain restaurants and still provide social distancing. In the past when they did phase closings - usually only the day of the holiday or day before - they closed it to guests without a ticket, then guests without dining reservations, then offsite, the onsite, etc. or something like that.
I would book dining , when it comes back on. Then take a look come September and see what’s happening and make your decision then.
 
I am going Thanksgiving too and made all ADR's on Sunday. (staying at the Dolphin) Part of the fun of going to Disney World is planning so it is more painful to not being able to make plans. I feel your pain. I am now worried that Dolphin won't be treated with the same priority as other Disney properties. We can just hope for the best. I had no trouble making any ADR's because everything was available so you will probably be ok when they open ADR's again.
 
Just saw the same thing. Not taking any dining reservations right now. I have my whole trip booked with dining res, but I wanted to modify (have a couple of buffets I would like to switch if possible). Hopefully they get it figured out in the coming weeks.
 


I booked yesterday for 5 days, and I had trouble getting all my reservations. I figured it must be due to capacity issues. I was unable to get Storybook and Sci-Fi. Bigger venues were not an issue.
 


Disney basically shut down the whole system yesterday. No new dining reservations, FastPass reservations, resort reservations, or ticket purchases for now. I imagine it will be this way until they are able to iron out the details of the new park reservation and restaurant system.
 
I booked yesterday for 5 days, and I had trouble getting all my reservations. I figured it must be due to capacity issues. I was unable to get Storybook and Sci-Fi. Bigger venues were not an issue.
Interesting. You could book yesterday? You’re on property I assume? I could book up until yesterday and then it shut down saying no reservations at this time. We’re off property so have to do day by day. I couldn’t get Sci-Fi either a few days ago which I thought was interesting since it seems like that would be the most spaced out with cars.
 
Just saw the same thing. Not taking any dining reservations right now. I have my whole trip booked with dining res, but I wanted to modify (have a couple of buffets I would like to switch if possible). Hopefully they get it figured out in the coming weeks.
Happy to hear though that at least it’s not just me. Wondering if some of the buffet type places will be switched over to more sit down or you hold your plate and the employee scoops on plate trying not to touch the utensil to plate maybe? Probably best to have backups just in case though.
 
And why this is happening? Also, wondering thoughts of us getting into parks if staying off property. We have tickets already for a while now and some dining reservations in the parks up to what I could book today. Will this improve chances of getting in? I know it’s hard to know this far in advance but just wondering if anyone has thoughts or is going at this same time of year. Should we just rebook for next Thanksgiving? Thanks in advance!

You touched upon some very valid concerns. Right now they have closed down everything - booking resorts, ADR's, FP and ticket sales. This is their effort to limit capacity to those who already have reservations and help their efforts to limit crowds. So at this point all we know is that even at Disney springs if you have a dining reservation and they are at capacity you don't get it. I would presume it will be the same situation with the parks, if you don't have your reservation to get into the parks then you don't get to go in ADR or not.

The reservation system is all new to us so we don't know how they will prioritize. It will likely be resort guests first, then it might move on to those with date based tickets then local or off property AP holders. So there is a chance with it being such a busy time that you might not get in or not get into the park of your choice.

We are also going thanksgiving week but are arriving on Sunday so we were able to make our ADR's on tuesday, but now I can't go in and make any changes, so who knows if those were all for nothing.

With all the unknowns it is tough to make an informed decision, so the best thing you can do is determine the latest possible date by which you could cancel. If things are too up in the air then it might be best to reschedule and not stress about whether you will get into a park or not.
 
I wonder if it we will be able to book once the park opens (July 11 ) or once they get approval for reopening?
 
Well they are going to 60 days out for dining now so maybe we will get a chance for thanksgiving week at that point.
 
We are going Thanksgiving week. I booked all my ADR on Monday and got everything I want (though that was only 4 places). Not happy that they are cancelling them.
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top