So continuing my topic from last week’s blog wherein I asked you to share your “Top 5” advance dining reservations (“ADRs”) with me, I wanted to quickly let you all know about some issues I had this morning with the Walt Disney World (“WDW”) online dining reservation system.
You May Have to Call!
So I was up before the birds this morning, not-so-bright-eyed and not-so-bushy-tailed, in order to make my online ADRs — as I’m 180 days out from checking in for our trip this Fall.
Unfortunately, the system is having some technical difficulties, literally.
It seems that guests’ resort reservations are not being associated properly with the online dining reservation system. This is means that anyone trying to make ADRs for any of the 10 days beyond their check-in day — *points to self* — cannot do so online. We have to call in!
Now, it’s not the end of the world; however, when you’ve been sitting up since sometime before 6am EST, waiting with building anticipation for the clock to promptly tick over only to then be met with utter disappointment, this is a very long hour to wait (because the phone reservation system does not open until 7am EST). 🙁
Regardless, though, I obviously waited and got through the phone queue by about 7:10 am, making as many of my ADRs as I could. I was then told I could call the WDW Internet Technical Support number at (407) 939-7765, in an effort to see if they could get my reservations to link properly.
They Know It’s an Issue
Upon calling technical support, this is exactly what I was told, that this is a “known issue.” Apparently all guests are dealing with this glitch; it’s not strictly Disney Vacation Club members, who some may recall were affected by a similar issue when the online dining system was first implemented, or just me. 😛 It’s happening for everyone.
So, I wanted to post this week’s blog with a warning to not panic if you get this error message; i.e. an on-screen notification stating, “Please continue to search and book available dining locations online without associating your dining plan. We were unable to link your Resort reservation to dining reservations.”
Just go ahead and make your 180 day (that is, your check-in day) ADR, and then get ready to call Disney Dining at (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) right at 7am EST for the remainder of your trip’s reservations.
Hopefully this will be fixed soon, but, in the event you are making your own ADRs in the near future, good luck finding a little more patience with waiting out the clock — and being on hold! I know I will be checking back regularly with their website to see if they get this issue resolved prior my making the remainder of my ADRs next week.
However, if anyone finds that they become able to make ADRs beyond their check-in date, please let me know — and I will definitely do the same. 😉
So, until next time…
Hyper Smash
I hate to be the one to to bring the bad news, however, this has been going on for at least a month to six weeks when I started trying to make dining plan reservations. I received the same response “we are aware of the issues and are working to resolve, at this point you may make reservations by calling” Being a retired IT person I asked a few more questions and was told they updated some software which was the cause of the “glitch” everyone was experiencing.
Wow, six weeks?! Hmm. I hope it means that since it’s been so long that they’re getting closer to a resolution of the issue. *crosses fingers* In the meantime, good luck to everyone else who’s also dealing with the effects of this glitch! Thanks for the info! 😉
We are arriving at WDW on the 27th of Nov. Our (package), starts on the 28th. So far we have been able to book all show and meal reservations except for Le Cellier and the Coral Reef. It has been a pain because we live in Calif. and have had to make several long distance phone calls. Forget trying to make reservations on the computer!!! We Love WDW this will be our 20th trip there, and if old age and all that goes with it does not slow us down we will probly make one or more. The need to get their act together on the meal reservations though.
Gulp – I am very near to my 180 day mark, and I live in the UK! Which means that calling them to make the reservations could be a pain in the proverbial – what with time differences and all!! Oh help – I hope this is fixed in the next day or so ……….
I had the same problem this Saturday 4/21/12. Got up at 530a finally had to call and was on hold for 30+mins but finally got my reservations made.
Still going on yesterday when I was 180 days out and then again today. :/
I am sad to report that this was the same exact experience I had in February. Really amazing that with such resources, they can’t get this problem fixed. But then I suppose if they fixed all their technology then people would no longer be able to get adult counter service meals with their kids counter service dining credits:)
Seems to be fixed as of 2:30 this afternoon. Site and phone ressies were down all day prior to that. Was able to finally get mine done and Dining plan linked without a hitch to my adr’s. Hopefully this is the case for everybody.
Yeah I’m getting conflicting responses from people I’ve discussed this with, and I can’t tell if it is primarily only DVC members, like myself, or not? As of 7pm, when I was able to re-try the online dining system, it still seems that this latest system upgrade did not fix the issue. 🙁 My attempts to yet again make any of our “+10s” still gave me an error, and I ended up needing to call in for a CM to assist me. Are there any of you still having issues? And, if so, are you also DVC members or are you guests staying on cash? I’d love to know. Thanks to everyone for all of the updates in the meantime!
I had no problem booking online yesterday for 180 +10 but some friends had trouble online this morning and by the evening even the phone reservation system was down and CMs were issuing apologies.
I had the same problem back in February. I’m a DVC member, and the on-line dining system would not recognize DVC reservations. I had to make all our dining reservations over the phone.
I’m renting DVC points for this trip. Still not letting me book the +10 days. I ended up calling in; in a couple more days i’ll be 180 from the last day so I won’t be able to check anymore. 🙂
I made my dining reservations (not dining plan, not DVC member) for the 4th of July week back in January. I booked at least 6 dining reservations, which I was able to bring up on the Disney site, and see in a list. Handy! By February, it couldn’t even bring up any of my reservations. However, if you kept your email confirmations, you should be able to enter the confirmation number to view each individual dining reservation. The moral of this story?
KEEP YOUR RESERVATION CONFIRMATION NUMBERS IN A SAFE PLACE!
Definitely! Always, always, always write down your confirmation numbers (for ADRs, your resort, tickets, etc.) and don’t just rely on the Disney website/your Disney account to hang onto it all for you because you *never* know! 😛 Better to have it written/kept in a few places; i.e. emails, online, etc., then in just one spot. Also, it’s a good idea to make sure you have them with you when finally head down to WDW! I keep mine in my (passworded ;-)) phone, but I know others will keep them in their PassPorter, on laminated cards, on their spreadsheets, etc. that they take with them to the restaurants.
I booked our 180 day Reservations online yesterday without any issues. Maybe I was just lucky.