Hardest ADR's and your tips for getting them

[Flower2603]

Good morning lovely Dibbers,

It's been 5 years since I've had to book ADR's and I'm really looking forward to it! Makes it seem more real.

Just wondering which ADR's did you find hardest to get? I'm not after any character meals, we've done dozens them when the boys were small.

We're more thinking about, Le Cellier, Cali Grill brunch, Hoop do doo, Morimoto.

What were your difficult ADR's to get and what tips do you have for getting the ones you want!
Many thanks.

[Wigan Lass]

California Grill brunch is hard to get. Ohana is also still a tough one.

Plan the hard to gets for later in your holiday...most stays at Disney aren’t more than 5 days so you’ll find reservations much easier beyond that.

I got Cali Grill brunch at day 6 and again at day 13. I wanted the day 13 one but had done the day 6 just in case there was some issue. I cancelled day 6...and wished I’d done it twice when there, lol.

Ohana wasn’t available until day 7!

I don’t see any of the others you’ve listed as being hard to get

[DisneyDaffodil]

As above try to book your more difficult ones (Cali grill then Ohana) for later in your holiday but book them as soon as the booking window opens. Then go back and fill in the other days with your other options.

We find that if you book on exactly 180 days out, you will get all you want, even if this means being a little flexible with your times.

An example being we wanted Bon Voyage breakfast at Trattoria al Forno on our first morning as it was DD’s 18th birthday choice. We booked it first, but couldn’t get the time we wanted (somewhere around 8.30am) so had to book a 7.30 am instead.

[YLL]

I agree Ohana is tough to get... I wanted an ADR for our first night. It took 2 months of checking the app constantly to finally get a table. But as others have said, it's easier to get it in the later part of your stay.

Another one I found difficult to get for dinner was Sci-Fi Dining, but it all worked out in the end.

I'd say Cali Grill at fireworks time is really hard to get too - I still have not managed it, but went for drinks in the lounge instead!

[Flower2603]

Thanks all, I'll take your advice, especially for the brunch at Cali Grill.

[Guest]

We couldn't get ohana any day for dinner in the first week of may for the two of us, put in for a table for three and got loads of choices.

[Tinkermom]

In 20 + trips we have never failed to get the ADR’s we’ve wanted. Even if they’re not available keep checking back, people are always changing their plans.

[Guest]

The only ADR in your list that can be difficult to get is the California Grill brunch. The others are easy to get, you don’t need a strategy.

CG brunch will be harder if you need it towards the beginning of your onsite stay as that will have meant more opportunity for other onsite guests to have booked it up before you. I needed it six days into my next trip and I got exactly the time I wanted plus other options with no difficulty at all in the end but I did make sure it was the first ADR I looked for.

Storybook Dining was not tooo difficult to get when I booked in my +10 window but it got booked out within a week or two. Pre park opening BOG breakfasts tend go quickly, best to try and get them early, although they will pop up later on and I have had no problems getting last minute ones either.

I am surprised people have had trouble with ‘Ohana, I have been able to pick and choose that one at will and have chopped and changed it loads of times. I currently have it down for breakfast, booked about three weeks ago so we’ll into my 180 days, I wonder if dinner is harder to get.

I have never been unable to get a particular ADR, it is not as difficult as maybe it can seem on the dibb. There are a tiny number of things that get booked up but even these, more often than not, will become available again nearer the time, my first trip to CG Brunch was booked the day before.

[princessnicki]

I agree with CG brunch I think I will struggle next year as I fly on Friday 30th April and need Sunday 2nd May as the following Sunday is Mothers Day and it looks like they won't accept the Dining Plan anymore for that day (although they did last year as that's when we went)

[Flower2603]

I need CG brunch for the end of our trip, so I am hoping I will be lucky. What is a good time to go? We want a lay in on the Sunday and so want it to be more of a 'lunch' really.

Also, BoG before park opening breakfast is something I hadn't thought of before. We had dinner there when it first opened. I'm glad we did it but wouldn't bother with dinner there again. But interesting thoughts on the breakfast, although if it's too, too busy not sure we'd like it.

Thanks all for your tips.