On
Jul 16, 2008
John from PA
Asked
Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.
“
Travelin to WDW on April 5-12th. Can made ADRs in Oct but are confused as to the dates to call since we are not stayin in Disney. Also, do you pay for all of them up front. We are goin to schedule at least 4 character meals & 4 others & just want a”
Hi John,
This are extra confusing here because Disney is about to undergo a major overhaul of the reservation system. Right now, reservations can only be made over the phone, emerging on the other end of things, guests will be able to make reservations online. In the middle there will be some craziness that some guest will have to bear with. Absolutely none of this has anything to do with you staying off-site. Disney resort guests will experience this period of transition too.
Yikes, I just triple checked the information Mickey sent us and I almost told you some wrong info. Here's the real scoop. Because of your particular travel dates, things will be a bit wonky for you. Beginning on July 31, 2008, reservations for meals, tours, and recreation will only be accepted for dates up until January 25, 2009. This applies to EVERYONE. The only exception will be that reservations will continue to be accepted for Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's, and Victoria & Alberts for the full 180 days, for EVERYONE. Because of your particular travel dates, if you would like to dine at these restaurants, you'll need to call in early October.
Then, beginning on October 24, 2008. Reservations will again be taken again for the full 180 day window.
In a nutshell, for you, call 180 days in advance for Chef Mickey's, Royal Table, or V&A. For everything else, call on October 24.
You do not need to pay for any WDW meals in advance. There are a half dozen or so of the most popular WDW restaurants that require you to leave a credit card number to hold the reservation. But you are not actually charged for the meal until you dine there (or you incur the penalty levied on no-shows at these restaurants). The credit card holds for meals are on the dinner shows, the Royal Table, the California Grill, the Princess Storybook meals, and Victoria & Alberts.
I hope this helps. We Moms are learning this new stuff as we go too. Let us know if you have more questions.