We are going the first weekend in May and my dining window has just opened. I have tried to make reservations at Cafe Orleans all week and there is no availability during our entire stay. Is this normal? Did I miss something about it being closed for some certain dates? Or do you think there is a chance that availability will open up closer to our travel date? Sorry I am a WDW veteran, but I am unfamiliar with DLR.
That is weird. We can usually get reservations for Cafe Orleans the same day. Sometimes we even plan in advance and make reservations the day before. I would just try again. Sometimes the planning is off. I can’t think of one restaurant in the parks, with maybe the exception of Blue Bayou, that I can’t get a reservation the day before or the same day that we want to go.
I have found that reserving far out at DL can be more of a problem then when it is closer.
Someone on chat earlier this week posted that they went to go reserve right at 60 days out and also couldn’t find any availability. They soon reported back that Cafe Orleans would be closed for refurb. Not sure of the source of their information & I haven’t seen anything, but it may be that it is going to be down at that time.
Check again! I just saw on chat that someone who had been looking for the first week of May finally saw times available & got a 5:40pm for 5 people. There had been reports a couple of days ago that April 29-May 9 was unavailable and then May 10/11 was coming up with availability to book & now today it appears so is the time in between.
Cafe Orleans is closed for refurbishment May 6-16th. I had a reservation booked during that window that I guess somehow got by before they finalized their closure dates. I received a call yesterday from a manager at CO asking for me to change my reservation to Blue Bayou or cancel entirely.
Thanks for the update! Hope you are able to enjoy Blue Bayou or some other dining to replace Cafe Orleans! (The Monte Cristo is available at lunch ab Blue Bayou if that’s what you were after). If it was the views of Rivers of America, River Belle Terrace is also an excellent choice, just ask to be seated on the patio.