ADR Difficulties

Ok, just want to vent a bit. It has been absolutely horrible trying to make ADRs for party of 7 over Spring Break. With reduced capacity, have been forced to try to obtain two party of 4s and ADRs aren’t even readily available at this point anyway, esp at HS, with the 25% capacity. There is NOTHING available. Frustrating thing is that I got on at 60 days. The last day of our trip has a glitch on my main account (that Disney IT can’t even see little-lone fix) that makes it so I couldn’t select any days past the first two. Still does. (I can only hope after my trip, it will revert to normal for future trips). I have been forced to use back up accounts and try to balance ADRs across 3 different accounts, none of which seem to line up. We all know if something comes up really fast, trying to get Disney Dining to get/link is useless as it takes at least 30min to get ahold of them. And I need TWO reservations to come available at/near the same time.

Sooo…what are those of you with big groups doing at this point? Are you just planning mobile ordering? Are you planning to leave the park? Am I the only one this issue?

With HS being booked the entire week of spring break, it’s going to be crowded, certainly more crowded that the level 2 that TP predicts. Plus, I’ve got to say the uncertainty of BGs at HS isn’t making it easier. I would say the options are not strong with the HS CS.

Ok, rant over. Hopefully all of you are doing better at this!

We have a group of 8 for part of our spring break trip. We’ve gotten some reservations for the whole group and some overlapping 4 and 4. Not everything on the ideal day or time. But we are waiting for the reservation finder to do it’s magic. Only thing we haven’t gotten at all is Be Our Guest on Good Friday (anyone drops that, let me know!).

I have reservation finder set for just the 4 of us too. Sci-fi is our trickiest there.

No real advice, just commiserating. Don’t give up. People will cancel and change plans. There’s always QS at the skyliner resorts for HS days too.

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Hopefully the reservation finder will pull through and/or you get 2 ADRs close together.

Do you have to get reservations for parties of 4 max during COVID times? Are they not allowing larger groups like for 6? I had not thought about these possibilities.

@mom…not all restaurants can handle larger groups right now and may have to split party up (though hopefully at same time). Six will be easier than 8 (the ADR system seems not to see ressies for odd numbers so 8, 6, 4, etc better to search). Places like LTT can accommodate larger groups. It seems 50s diner cannot. And SciFi is hard to get anyways, even before covid. Toppolinos cannot accommodate a larger group…there is like one table there that can handle 6.

@ snow…glad you have something. I have more far problems than solutions at this time. In true liner fashion I have a spreadsheet with what I have on what days under which accounts…hoping to make something match. I currently have ADR finder set for 8am CM 4 top to complete my breakfast ressie (hey, I’m willing to release the 9am slot that is 1hr from the other!) and a 6 top for 50s Prime time. Do you think I should switch the latter to a 4 top and look for 2 slots (ADR finder twice)? Or is that an unlikely find on 3/15 no matter what I do?

You know, I often wonder if we were able to switch ADRs if there are people out there looking for the ones I have and I’m looking for theirs. ADR swap…that would be awesome.

there’s a facebook group “Disney World March 2021 Planning Group”

I see lots of posts there about switching ADR, what they have, what they are looking for.

I just did my ADRs on Saturday. Even with the ability to book for 10 days, I had a great deal of difficulty booking for our group of 7.
I had trouble at Trattoria, Grand Floridian Cafe, Rose and Crown, Yak and Yeti,
The Plaza, Hollywood Brown Derby. The site couldn’t do searches for dates/times. I had to keep clicking on a specific restaurant to see available times. It would tell me no times available at 103 restaurants, really at 60+9? I just kept clicking and then the times would show up.
I was able to easily get Be Our Guest, Whispering Canyon, Beaches and Cream, Chef Mickey’s, Ale and Compass for breakfast, Biergarten, and Hollywood and Vine.
At the time the phone lines were open I called to see were there even tables for 7 at the restaurants that I wasn’t getting. There was an option on the recording to conect to a cast member if you were not able to get ADRs due to group size. The most wonderful cast member made ADRs for a table for 3 and a table for 4 at all of those places and all on my MDE.

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We’re going with a party of 18 in April – our ADR window opens on Monday. I called the dining line to find out what the best practices / protocol / suggestions were for large groups and he said that we would need to break up into parties of 2, 4 or 6 and that not all restaurants can accommodate 6. He also said that each reservation would have to have a different lead guest, so I can’t make them all in my name (which I’ve done in the past, but it may have been over the phone vs website). If we can’t get the ADRs, we’ll just have to QS it. Which is a bummer because we like the time relaxing and decompressing from the parks at a sit down. I’m wondering if it’s easier to get ADRs at hotel restaurants vs in park?

We will have a party of 5 or 6. How to know if the restaurant can’t accommodate 6 or there just aren’t reservations available for a 6-top?

I’m wondering the same. We have 6.

Depending on the restaurant I think that if that table size is unavailable at 60 days out, but there’s plenty of 4-tops, that it’s probably not available at all, or they are so limited in numbers that they fill up fast. 50’s prime time, sci-fi and cinderella’s royal table are three that come top of mind for me that you may have trouble with.

I have a spreadsheet too! Wanted, currently have, back up booked, reservation finder set, and on which account. Great minds!

Wanted to pop in and give a update on the ADRs for our large group. We had to split up into multiple tables everywhere but were pretty successful in getting the same or close times. # of people in parentheses

Sat 4/17 Ogas
10:30 (4), 10:40 (4), 10:50 (2tables 1@6, 1@3)

Sat 4/17 50s Prime Time
5:50 (2 tables, 1@4, 1@5), 5:55 (4), 6:05 (4)

Sun 4/18 La Hacienda
5:15 ( 4 tables 3@4 , 1@5)

Mon 4/19 Sanaa
7:00 (3 tables 2@4, 1@3). 7:05 (6)

Tue 4/20 Ogas
1:05 (8) 1:15 (6) 1:20 (4)
5:35 (8) 5:25 (6) 5:35 (4)

Tue 4/20 Via Napoli
6:45 (4 tables 2@4, 1@6, 1@3)

For the odd number tables we had to book them as the next number up to be even, so a 6 top and a 4 top. Then remove the extra person in a modify. The system just did not know what to do with the tables otherwise and no results came up. We’re going to drop the duplicate Ogas once we figure out what we’re doing. It depends on BGs and whether we think we need to go back to HS a second day. It also took us close to an hour and a half with 6 computers/devices and 4 MDE accounts. I feel like I have a PhD in ADRs. :joy:

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There are a lot of restaurants that aren’t open. HS doesn’t have a lot of options either, I would leave the park that day, or eat at a resort if you can get the reservation.

Some restaurants to consider if eating on property (not at HS) that can push tables together:

  • Ale and Compass
  • The Wave
  • Grand Floridian Cafe
  • Olivia’s Cafe (I think they are open)
  • There are more I’m sure… lol

In the parks (if you can hop after 2pm)

  • Epcot
    • Biergarten (served at your table)
    • Via Napoli
    • The Mexico restaurant (on the water, not in the pyramid)
    • Garden Grill
    • Teppan Edo (hibachi grill)

Good luck!

No doubt! Congratulations :laughing:

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I mentioned in this another thread recently, but note that VERY FEW restaurants are allowing seating for groups larger than 6. Like just a handful. We managed to find one for Homecomin’ in August, but most of our trouble was NOT due to availability, but simply that they weren’t allowing groups of 7 to book. I think, all told, I found something like 7 restaurants total on all of Disney property that would allow more than 6. I don’t remember what the others are off hand, other than Homecomin’ because we only actually booked Homecomin’.

How did you figure out which restaurants would allow larger groups? We’re going to be a group of 8 in July.

Well, when I was searching for ADRs, I found tons of restaurants for our trip with availability for 2, 4, and 6, but when i tried for 7/8, almost all of them disappeared. I think it would be harder to determine which ones they are now because availability is much more limited by comparison.

So it was basically just trial and error then? Ugh. Thank you for the info though!

Yeah. But as I said, it wasn’t hard back then. There was pretty much wide-open availability during our trip days, so it wasn’t like I had to hunt and peck too much to discover which ones would be possible. Once I had it narrowed to those few, then I just had to wait until our specific date to open up and try to book.

I wish I could remember what some of the others were, but that’s many months ago. Sorry!

I actually just went on the app and searched reservations for 8 and quite a few restaurants popped up…Be Our Guest, Garden Grill, Sanaa, Liberty Tree, Raglan Road, Via Napoli, Homecomin’, Tutto Italia, Rainforest Cafe, Mama Melrose, Tony’s, Rix, The Wave, Cali Grill, San Angel, and more that I just can’t remember off the top of my head. I’m hopeful more will continue to open up over the next few months.