What is the best 180 day ADR Strategy

[Disney_momto2]

Ok, I might be going a bit overboard, but I have quite a few ressies to make and a lot of them are to popular restaurants

ie/
Le Cellier
Chef Mickeys
California Grill . . . you get the idea.

I usually make my ADRs by myself, but this year I think I might relinquish some control and let DH help. This is also the first year that online ressies have been avail to me.

I was thinking that I would call at 6am on the land line and have DH call on the cell phone.

I was also thinking that I could be on the computer at the same time and DH could be on the laptop.

Since we would be in the same room I was thinking that I would write out all the ADRs on a board and we could check them off as we get them so we don't double book. Also I would give each of us a priority list again to prevent double booking

Am I nuts, what strategies have you used.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I have been the only 1 to make my ADRs and usually what I do is the most important restaurant to my family 1st.
So I will ask for whatever date I wish during my stay for Chef Mickey's 1st
then move on to Le Cellier
our 3rd fav is tusker house breakfast
and keep going....
last year I remember I made Ohana's breakfast last, figuring out of all the reservations I was making, this was one of the least popular. 10AM was the earliest I could get when I was looking for an 8:30 adr.
thats what I do...I never had the on line system either, I am pretty anxious to try it out though in 2 weeks

 

[Mom2Elliot]

I did mine online a couple of weeks ago right at the 180 day mark. I could easily get what I wanted, within 10 minutes of my desired times. I didn't book LeCellier, but it was widely available. Ohanas popped up for me as an alternate suggestion several times. Chef Mickey's I had my choice of times. The only issue I have is that I really want my breakfast park ADR's right at 8 and the only one I can't get at that time is Crystal Palace - it is at 8:10, but I will check every day until I do get it! LOL! CRT I got within 10 minutes of my desired time. So, I wouldn't worry too much about it! My strategy was to do the more popular places and then go back and add in the others, and I didn't think to do Crystal Palace as one of the first when I probably should have as I really wanted the first sitting, so my advice is to do any where you have very specific times first! Good luck!

 

[goofy4tink]

I did all mine, online, right at 6am, EST. I got every single thing I wanted, including LeCellier, at the times I wanted. I'm going the first week in August. Now, if and when free dining is opened to the general public, it may get iffy when trying to book the most popular ADRs. I know I had an awful time last year, but it was still at the 3 month window then, and I was going to WDW at the very start of free dining..so had to make adjustments in my ADRs. I would go online, early on your 180th day..and make all you are going to need. Write them down, and have them right beside you...restaurants, dates, times, as well as some alternatives (just in case). You should do just fine.
I doubt you will need to be on two phones as well as online at the same time....over kill in my opinion.

 

[thej]

I booked ADRs online 5 months out for our trip in mid June, and most everything was avaliable close to the times I wanted (within 30 minutes). I think if you start right at 6am at the 180 day point (+10 if you are staying on site and have a res) you will be fine.

Though I will say your plan does give you an extra advantage!

 

[a1tinkfans]

My only TIP would be to not wait to confirm them...while waiting to add more, get your confirmation number as you go.
Book your most important ones first, try "off hours" like 4:45 instead of 5pm, ect....
I was veyr pleasantly surprised with an upcoming Late June July trip, I booked all ADR's online (first time) we got everything...it was almost Too strange, I mean: Ohana, LeCellier, Kona, Hoop Dee Doo, Whispering Canyon, Boma and a few more and all for dinner.......Only just booked them too (we were late on making firm decision to go as I usually do it at the "mark")

So good luck..I hope you get everything you want...by the way, even Calif Grill was available on July 4th for dinner

 

[BAST]

I have had no issues for the last few days booking our ADR's for our August trip (each on the 180 day mark). I have been reserving them by 8:00am (CST) online.

I had also been checking for the last few weeks, and could easily get reservations at the popular restaurants at the times that I wanted well into hte afternoon on the 180 day mark (again, online). I could even get online reservations (with slight time variations) at the popular restaurants back to about the 175 day mark.

 

[Aristocath]

I booked all mine online this morning at 6am EST and had no problem getting what I wanted and in the time frame I wanted. I started with the ones that were most important to us and most difficult to get. It was no problem and I love the online system!

 

[jjohnson]

I booked mine online 6 am this morning only thing I couldn't get on the day I wanted was LeCellier for 8/9 so we are going 8/7 instead

 

[goofy4tink]

I booked ADRs online 5 months out for our trip in mid June, and most everything was avaliable close to the times I wanted (within 30 minutes). I think if you start right at 6am at the 180 day point (+10 if you are staying on site and have a res) you will be fine.

Though I will say your plan does give you an extra advantage!

Just a point of clarification....you are still booking 180 days before your reservation actually starts..but you can book the first 10 days of your trip on the 180th day. There seem to be some who read that to mean that if they are staying onsite, they get to book their ADRs 190 days ahead of time.....not so.

 

[MrsLS]

that sounds like an awesome plan to have both doing it at the same time!
I do this with concert tickets sometimes when they go on sale - have 2 computers open.