ADRs are a necessary evil at WDW. Because of the Disney Dining Plan program, many restaurants book up fast. Vacationers who purchase hotel packages which include Disney properties can purchase one of several plans. In essence, each person purchases the plan for the length of the package stay. Each day the person can eat two meals and one snack for "free", gratuity, when applicable, is not included.
Because guests using the plan want to be able to use their credits, they book up lots of ADRs. Because of the guests using the plan, those not using the plan need ADRs to be able to get into the restaurants they want to visit.
Initially I was very reluctant to consider the Dining Plan. Looking at the plan, it looked like a lot of food; certainly it was much more food than we could eat daily for 12 days. Secondly, the idea of planning my trip to make best use of the plan intimidated me. It created monumental levels of anxiety for me. On top of this, our eldest son is considered an Adult by Disney standards which would mean an additional expense.
Going into this trip with a limited WDW knowledge, I decided that I would rather skip the Dining Plan on this trip until I felt more comfortable with my WDW familiarity and knowledge.
As my 90-day window approached, I did start to anticipate which ADRs I would need in order to get into our "must see" restaurants. By the time my list was started, I found out that I was already using seven Table Service Dining Credits, only four fewer than I would own if I purchased the Dining Plan package. At Mrs. Swanie's urging, I planned a few more ADRs to schedule, just in case I decided later to add the Dining Package. She also urged me to review the restaurants on the dining plan. I mistakenly believed that several restaurants of interest to our family were double-credit restaurants. This gave me another reason to pause and reconsider the Dining Plan.
Two days before my window opened, the Swanie family's window opened for their trip. We planned two dinners together and Mrs. Swanie secured those ADRs when she made her family's ADRs. At 4:00 am on the first day of my 90-day window, Mrs. Swanie poked her head into "my" room and woke me up. Armed with an awesome trip planning Excel spreadsheet prepared by Mrs. Swanie, we, and by we I mean Mrs. Swanie, called the WDW dining reservations line. We spoke with an awesome operator who quickly and efficiently scheduled the remaining ADRs on my list, save breakfast on our last day (The ADR window "closes" 10-days from the 90-day. We had to call back the next day for our last breakfast ADR.) By 4:15 we were back in bed!
That said, being a little indecisive, we have called back to the system several times...
4:00 am: Made initial ADRs with wonderful CM Cheryl.
11:00 am: Called back to add two friends to breakfast at Kona Cafe. CM told us that it was impossible to get an ADR for 7, that it is against WDW policy to push tables together to create a set-up for 7 and that there was no way possible for us to have tables near each other at Kona Cafe. She even put us on hold to clarify with guest services several times.
11:15 am: Called back to try another CM. Guess what? Cheryl answered again! Cheryl clarified what the previous CM grossly misrepresented: Kona was booked out for parties of seven on our preferred date. With this information, and with Cheryl on the phone, we decided just to ask if a very hard to get ADR might be available for the last evening at Le Cellier restaurant in Epcot. We could!!
Now off the phone we lamented that our friends would not be able to join us for breakfast at Kona Cafe - but wait! I still had to call back and get my last "outside the window still" ADR!
The next morning while waiting for me to wake-up, Mrs. Swanie called back and booked my ADR for seven for Kona Cafe.
At about 10:30 am she called back to change my original Kona Cafe ADR to Cape May. The CM (wrongly) informed Mrs. Swanie that unless my family had already purchased the Disney Dining Plan, we were not allowed to make ADRs 10-days into our window, despite the fact that we had made such arrangements the day before. The CM also reported that the computer system had been 'down' earlier. Mrs. Swanie thanked the CM and hung up.
At 4:00 pm, Mrs. Swanie called back and spoke with yet another CM. She told him that we would like to change the Kona Cafe ADR, giving him the confirmation number for that ADR. He did ask if we were on the Dining Plan but did not object when she said no. However, he then said that we were outside the 90-day window to change the ADR. Mrs. Swanie persisted and offered our vacation package confirmation number as a starting point to try again. This time the computer allowed him to make an ADR for Cape May and then he went back and cancelled the original Kona Cafe ADR.
Are you still following all of this?
After making the initial ADRs, I sat down with Excel and crunched the numbers. Based on reviewing menus and prices of several counter service locations and the menus and prices at our "must see" table service restaurants, I estimated our food budget and compared those numbers to the price of the Dining Plan for our 11-night stay.
If we purchase the Dining Plan, we will actually save a considerable amount of money. All of our snacks will be free and the snack credits can even be used at our resort food court for milk and things to keep in our hotel room for on the go breakfasts. In addition, we would essentially eat several meals for 'free.'
By backing into the Dining Plan, by seeing if the Dining Plan would fit into our plans rather than trying to plan our vacation around the Dining Plan, I have eliminated several degrees of anxiety and stress. Before I made my initial ADRs and spoke with Mrs. Swanie, I never even imagined that Le Cellier would fit into our vacation budget, let alone that I might take my entire family to dinner there!
Reviewing our schedule, I am pleased as punch and so excited, even a little bit proud of myself! See what you think:
- Raglan Road for dinner (Irish Pub)
- Biergarten for dinner (German Buffet)
- Marrakesh for dinner (Morrocan Buffet -- They have couscous with lamb shanks! Yummmm)
- Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for lunch (Hello, they have a reuben on the menu!)
- Whispering Canyon for dinner for a large group - two families plus our friend! (BBQ with Western slapstick interactive entertainment.)
- Boma! for dinner with two families (International/African themed buffet)
- Cape May Cafe for breakfast (Character meal buffet)
- Artist Point dinner - double date to celebrate a couple of monumental but unmentioned birthdays) The kids will be at a Kid's Club this night.
- Le Cellier for dinner
- Kona Cafe for breakfast for our family plus two special friends (Polynesian)
I think it's a pretty good plan. We have scheduled around Extra Magic Hours and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. All that is left to do is to call my travel agent and add the Disney Dining Plan to our package.
I will choose not to let her give me the bottom line number. I really do not need to see it. I am saving money. Those numbers I have seen. They are on my spreadsheet.
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2 comments:
I think the dining plan will make you a lot less stressed since everything except your souvenirs are paid for before you ever set foot in your room! And I've SEEN Mr. Genus eat...I'd be more 'annoyed' at having to pay adult prices for Miss B than Mr. G!
I followed your whole ADR adventure, but my head is still spinning because of all the planning y'all did.
Glad the dining plan is going to work out for you.
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