ADRs and Reduced Park Hours

[Bittersweet & Strange]

I just learned that Disney will be reducing park hours in September. I have several ADRs booked for park closing time, and several of those restsurants no longer have availability on my dates. Has anyone ever had an ADR cancelled because the park hours changed? Do you think Disney will be able to get me an earlier reservation even though they're booked, or will I just be out of luck?

 

[Bjkandma]

Your dining reservations are basically no more. (You may want to make sure you aren't charged a "no show" fee). You can ask Disney , but if their dining is already full, you are out of luck. With limited capacity and social distancing they only have so much room.

You can keep checking for an earlier time. Lots of guests are cancelling reservations

 

[Leigh L]

Sorry about your dining plans.
In addition to checking daily for cancelations, I've always had good luck with Touring Plans reservation finder. You can search for 2 for free at any time. Sometimes I find them, sometimes TP does. My best luck has been the week of the trip.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

Sadly, you're just going to be out of luck. Keep checking frequently though, as people are always moving dining reservations around. We've had a lot of luck checking in the 24 hours prior to when we want to go.

 

[tnolan]

Anyone going early Oct, I just successfully changed dining reservations from 6 pm to 5 pm on 2 park days, so the openings are there! Keep trying!

 

[mykidssaraalex]

Well, I called Disney Dining Reservations today and the person I spoke to seemed surprised when I mentioned that I had 3 ADRs that were nearly 2 hours after the new park closures. While I was on the phone, she had to get on her own system and either emailed or texted someone within Disney to get confirmation and guidance. She came back and said that the ADRs would need to be cancelled. This is now the 2nd time my ADRs are cancelled. And this one stings because La Cellier and Brown Derby have no availability for my trip now. SO, the shortened hours have forced me out of my dining reservations. I went online and cancelled a couple park passes and redid my park reservations so that I could salvage my La Cellier, just on a different day... but it is not at the end of the day now... it is 2 hours before closure. So, an 8 hour park day will now be made even shorter with the dining reservation. SO frustrating and sad.

 

[dbtex83]

How close to closing are reservation times available?

 

[nekonekoneko]

How close to closing are reservation times available?

Usually the last ones available are 5 minutes before park close.

 

[paults]

I can't believe Disney is cutting back hours but not ticket cost.

 

[Bittersweet & Strange]

I'm most upset about Le Cellier and Be Our Guest. I thought it would be a great strategy to have all my dinners at park closing but I guess the joke's on me. I've been checking incessantly for two days and everything in the evenings is booked solid. I've grabbed a couple lunch and early dinner slots so I have something in case nothing else pops up but that is really going to screw up my other plans. I know if I keep checking I'll probably get lucky eventually, especially with people continuing to cancel or holding multiple reservations. But I'm such a planner I just want to have it squared away. I hate the uncertainty.

 

[Jess.stw]

I'm most upset about Le Cellier and Be Our Guest. I thought it would be a great strategy to have all my dinners at park closing but I guess the joke's on me. I've been checking incessantly for two days and everything in the evenings is booked solid. I've grabbed a couple lunch and early dinner slots so I have something in case nothing else pops up but that is really going to screw up my other plans. I know if I keep checking I'll probably get lucky eventually, especially with people continuing to cancel or holding multiple reservations. But I'm such a planner I just want to have it squared away. I hate the uncertainty.

Same! I had Le Cellier, Be Our Guest, Rose and Crown, San Angel Inn, Tiffins, Hollywood Brown Derby.... had then all at closing time and now can't replace any of them! I want to cry....this may indeed be the final straw for me for my September trip.

 

[Bittersweet & Strange]

Same! I had Le Cellier, Be Our Guest, Rose and Crown, San Angel Inn, Tiffins, Hollywood Brown Derby.... had then all at closing time and now can't replace any of them! I want to cry....this may indeed be the final straw for me for my September trip.

Keep checking! I've been able to recoup a couple of reservations and move some other things around. It's a huge pain but people do cancel. I've just been keeping tabs open on my computer for each restaurant and then checking in several times a day.

 

[Jess.stw]

Keep checking! I've been able to recoup a couple of reservations and move some other things around. It's a huge pain but people do cancel. I've just been keeping tabs open on my computer for each restaurant and then checking in several times a day.

I am and I have reservation finders set... so far nada.

 

[Tormania]

I keep wondering who the genius is making these decisions? Now if they had done this 10 days earlier I think it would have prevented a lot of issues. It seems like they tried to do it 60 days before the first day of reduced hours but obviously the decision maker has never booked ADRs on a multi-day stay and doesn't realize that you can book ADRs at 60(+14) depending on the length of your stay and I'm thinking that those are the ADRs that are being impacted. Just poor planning on WDW's part and not thinking things through all the way. I saw that someone mentioned that hours are usually shortened in Sept normally so WDW should have already had this thought out. Not the first time WDW has left us scratching our heads with their decisions over the past few weeks/months.

Feel bad for those people impacted. Is there ANOTHER known hour reduction coming later this year? We can make our ADRs beginning Sept 29th but I would hate to get caught out like others have with another time change.

 

[Jess.stw]

I keep wondering who the genius is making these decisions? Now if they had done this 10 days earlier I think it would have prevented a lot of issues. It seems like they tried to do it 60 days before the first day of reduced hours but obviously the decision maker has never booked ADRs on a multi-day stay and doesn't realize that you can book ADRs at 60(+14) depending on the length of your stay and I'm thinking that those are the ADRs that are being impacted. Just poor planning on WDW's part and not thinking things through all the way. I saw that someone mentioned that hours are usually shortened in Sept normally so WDW should have already had this thought out. Not the first time WDW has left us scratching our heads with their decisions over the past few weeks/months.

Feel bad for those people impacted. Is there ANOTHER known hour reduction coming later this year? We can make our ADRs beginning Sept 29th but I would hate to get caught out like others have with another time change.

wasn’t even close to 60 days before our stay. Our stay starts Sept 8, the first day of early close. Announced maybe 30 days tops.

 

[Tormania]

wasn’t even close to 60 days before our stay. Our stay starts Sept 8, the first day of early close. Announced maybe 30 days tops.

Oh your right, my brain air-mailed that we are already in August. So it was only 30 days notice, they should have already had reduced hours before the parks even opened. They really screwed up.

 

[MikeRx]

So, you can now book MK table service restaurants (Skippers, BoG and LTT) up to 6:55p for days they close at 6p??? I checked Friday, October 9th as we will be there. I have a 4:50p at LTT and added a 6p to see if the system will allow me to keep it. Are they re-extending hours in October?
Mike

 

[Jess.stw]

So, you can now book MK table service restaurants (Skippers, BoG and LTT) up to 6:55p for days they close at 6p??? I checked Friday, October 9th as we will be there. I have a 4:50p at LTT and added a 6p to see if the system will allow me to keep it. Are they re-extending hours in October?
Mike

I don't know they just cancelled mine in September that were after park close, got emails today

 

[kanerf]

Yes, I am looking at Oct 9th right now, just for fun. I don't go until Oct 22nd. I am seeing full availability around 6:40 to 6:50 or so at both MK and Epcot restaurants.

 

[Bittersweet & Strange]

I got an email canceling my Epcot reservations but even tonight I am still seeing new reservations after 6 available for Magic Kingdom. I don't know if this means the restaurants will stay open after closing or if their system just hasn't caught up yet.