3 Ways Disney Could Make Booking ADRs Even Easier
I woke up early today to book Disney World dining reservations. I’m happy with our haul, which includes favorites (Via Napoli, Liberty Tree Tavern) and new-to-us meals (Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Topolino’s brunch). I reserved five restaurants in about 10 minutes, easily the most efficient ADR morning I’ve ever experienced. My speedy session was all thanks to recent improvements in the My Disney Experience (MDE) app. In particular, seeing an entire week’s worth of a restaurant’s availability on one screen was very helpful. But that doesn’t mean the process couldn’t be improved. While no one asked, I have three suggestions that could make booking Disney ADRs even easier.
Share ADR availability beyond the 60-day mark
Guests can make Disney dining reservations up to 60 days in advance. However, those staying at a Disney hotel can make reservations for their entire stay (up to 10 days) 60 days before check-in. This is one of Disney’s best hotel perks (now that the Magical Express has tragically gone away). Unfortunately, you won’t be able to see restaurant availability for your vacation dates until your booking window opens.
What happens if your ideal restaurant is unavailable? Will your sleep-deprived brain be able to pivot? If you’re like me, you won’t be operating at peak efficiency.
You’ll soon learn that MDE’s park calendar shows 70 days’ worth of content. The dining calendar could easily show the same number of days, the last 10 for informational purposes only. DVC owners are used to this model. We can see availability even if we’re outside our booking window.
Share the same park calendars everywhere
This is an easy fix. I’m unsure why, but Disney shares three different park calendars depending on the device. The most comprehensive calendar is in the MDE app, showing 70 days of park hours. If you use a browser on a computer, you’ll see 65 days of content, while the mobile website only displays 60 days of information.
In addition to park hours, these calendars also let you know where and when Extended Evening Hours are offered. Starting this fall, Animal Kingdom is getting those Extended Evening Hours, which last from 6 to 8 PM (also known as dinner time). Imagine booking your favorite restaurant after checking the mobile website, only to find out later that you could’ve enjoyed a mostly empty park for two hours if only you had gone to the MDE for that information.
Open ADR reservations later in the day
I’m not an early riser. I’m not a runner. I don’t need to see a sunrise. And I haven’t been on diaper duty in almost two decades. But a couple of times a year, Disney forces me to wake up before 6 AM (Eastern US) so I can enjoy their restaurants 60 days later. It’s bad enough that I’m setting an alarm for 4:55 AM my time, but West Coast residents are rising before 3 AM to book a Disney restaurant. That seems punitive!
I think I know why. Disney IT doesn’t want a tidal wave of users hitting the servers in the middle of the day (Disney has created this MDE digital dependence, so they should be prepared for large server loads). Disney’s various reservation windows are spaced throughout the day. Disney Cruise Line gets the midnight slot. Lightning Lanes can be booked at 7 AM while the DVC window opens an hour later. Let’s keep those where they are and move ADRs to a very reasonable 9 AM.
I’ll probably get pushback from early risers and Disney travel agents. But I stand by my request. Let’s make ADRs work for everyone, even night owls.
Okay, that last one is a pipe dream. I doubt Disney ever changes the ADR booking time, but I can hope. The other two items should be no-brainers. Again, Disney created this vacation planning digital dependence. Doesn’t it make sense that we have all the information before we have to act?
