Do you need to use a park ticket if you have an ADR?

Zombie · Jul 31, 2015

If you have an ADR at a restaurant inside one of the parks do you have to have/use a park ticket that day? Or do they give you a limited admission to get to/from your meal?

Also, we aren't likely to have Park Hoppers -- so if you have a reservation in a park you aren't in that day, does that mean you won't be able to get to it?

Just curious. Suspect the answer is that you need to eat where you are located unless you have a Park Hopper. But hopping around for meals seems like wasted time and energy.

We aren't likely to use too many ADRs because we aren't touring plan type people. We wing it -- beyond the night before. We plan some of our route and action then. But otherwise ... we're pretty see where we went up. Eat where we can get a table.

But there are a couple restaurants we'd like to try this time and might try to get an ADR. But if it means we need to know what park we're going to be in NOW on a particular day -- likely aren't interested.

RedOne3781 · Jul 31, 2015

Yes.
You need valid park admission to whichever park you are dining in.

joannjoe · Jul 31, 2015

Yes you need a ticket.

PoohsHunnyBee · Jul 31, 2015

If there's no restaurant that you really want to try enough to schedule one meal on one day of your trip, then don't worry about it. But if you're considering hopping parks solely for a meal at a certain restaurant, I'm thinking that you probably do want to eat there badly enough to make an ADR. As noted, you cannot eat a meal in the park without using an admission there, so that's your park for that day or you have Hoppers.

You can always cancel the ADR the day before if it ends up not working for your spontaneous plans. Lots of people do this, so you will likely see plenty of restaurant availability the night before (when you like to make plans anyway), but there's no way to know if what you want will be there.

I'm trying to figure out what you meant by:

Zombie said:
might try to get an ADR. But if it means we need to know what park we're going to be in NOW on a particular day -- likely aren't interested.

Are you not planning on making FP+ selections until the night before also? Or are you OK with making park plans 60/30 days out, just not 180 days for dining?

If you tell us what the couple of restaurants are, we can also give you a better idea of what to expect. For example, an 8 am pre-park-opening CRT on a certain day is going to be a heck of a lot harder to get than Tony's for any of 3 MK days.

Zombie · Jul 31, 2015

We don't do our FP+ selections until the night before either.

The restaurants we are hoping to get to are likely Sci-Fi in HS, Coral Reef and/or the German buffet if we get to Epcot this time (might not bother), would love to try BOG but know that's a pipe dream at this point, and we'd like to do the buffet at AK.

We'd also like to try Fulton's in DTD or possibly Bongos or PH. We will definitely hit Rainforest Cafe and/or TRex Cafe too but we managed both of those last time without a reservation so we're hoping the same this time.

karrit2000 · Jul 31, 2015

Sci-fi is very difficult to get a reservation for as is BOG. The EPCOT ones you're interested it are easier to get especially Germany. The Buffet at AK seems mixed as some like breakfast or lunch & dinner but not both. we don't do TS at DTD so I can't comment on those

ncc1701 · Jul 31, 2015

FYI about DTD from what I read here and other sites for those restaurants it is best contacting those restaurants directly for reservations.

PoohsHunnyBee · Jul 31, 2015

Zombie said:
We don't do our FP+ selections until the night before either.

The restaurants we are hoping to get to are likely Sci-Fi in HS, Coral Reef and/or the German buffet if we get to Epcot this time (might not bother), would love to try BOG but know that's a pipe dream at this point, and we'd like to do the buffet at AK.

We'd also like to try Fulton's in DTD or possibly Bongos or PH. We will definitely hit Rainforest Cafe and/or TRex Cafe too but we managed both of those last time without a reservation so we're hoping the same this time.

BOG isn't a pipe dream exactly. I've seen plenty of availability pop up for my trip here and there when I've looked. And all those last-minute cancellations can benefit last-minute planners.

I think it's a fine way to go, by the way, planning last-minute. You just won't be able to count on getting a specific restaurant at an ideal time. I honestly think you have a decent shot at most of those and I wouldn't worry about DTD as I'm sure there will be availability for at least one of the places you want there on most any night. You can use OpenTable or contact the restaurant directly for many DTD reservations which tends to be better than Disney's ADR system all-around.

For the park locations, I would definitely make an ADR if available, but some days they'll take walk-ups, especially if you go right when they open. And if you really want one (especially BOG or Sci-Fi) I'd book one ADR now for midway through your trip. If you use it, fantastic! And if you make different plans and drop it, some other person who chooses where to eat the night before or later gets a great meal!

SaintsManiac · Aug 1, 2015

BOG has breakfast and lunch times available this weekend, so I don't think it's out of reach for you.

Jadyreen1282 · Aug 1, 2015

I'm curious as to how you thought you would get in and out of a park for a meal without Park tickets.

purple figment · Aug 1, 2015

Maybe the OP thought there was a system in place somewhat like the one for a person who wanted to do some quick shopping in a park. I've read a CM's post that at one time you could get a shopping pass good for an hour by specifying what you wanted to get at a particular store. You purchased a one day park ticket and if you returned within the time limit with the item and receipt, your ticket price was refunded. I don't know if it is still in effect and I don't know what would happen if you didn't find the item.

krc99080 · Aug 1, 2015

I managed to walk up to Sci-Fi right at opening time without a reservation and get seated rather quickly during free dining. So that's not an impossible dream to walk up to, you just might have to get there right at the time it opens.

PoohsHunnyBee · Aug 1, 2015

Jadyreen1282 said:
I'm curious as to how you thought you would get in and out of a park for a meal without Park tickets.

As purple figment said, there apparently used to be a shopping pass that would have been similar. Disney could have a special dining reservation line throughout the day like they do before the park opens and let you in 10-15 minutes before an ADR without a ticket and have a CM escort you out after your meal like they do on party nights at MK. If someone tried to exploit the system by entering and not going straight to the ADR, Disney would have the credit card used for guarantee and could charge no-show and park admission fees.

Disney does not (nor will they ever in my opinion) have such a system, but I don't think it was an unrealistic question.

FantasiaMagic · Aug 1, 2015

ncc1701 said:
FYI about DTD from what I read here and other sites for those restaurants it is best contacting those restaurants directly for reservations.

Really? Hm, I have never heard of this before. Is it known that if you book directly with the restaurant itself you are more likely to get the date/time you want?

PoohsHunnyBee · Aug 1, 2015

FantasiaMagic said:
Really? Hm, I have never heard of this before. Is it known that if you book directly with the restaurant itself you are more likely to get the date/time you want?

Yes, some of the DTD restaurants will release a relatively small number of ADRs into Disney's system and have much more availability if you call them directly or use OpenTable. Plus those reservations don't require the credit card guarantee like ADRs do.

FantasiaMagic · Aug 1, 2015

PoohsHunnyBee said:
Yes, some of the DTD restaurants will release a relatively small number of ADRs into Disney's system and have much more availability if you call them directly or use OpenTable. Plus those reservations don't require the credit card guarantee like ADRs do.

Wow! Thanks for this info. I'll remember it for the next time I am headed to Disney and want to make a ressie for DTD.

MickeyMinnie1971 · Aug 2, 2015

I have had success with both BOG and Sci-Fi last minute. We live here and we don't plan more than a few days out at most. I wouldn't count on it, but it's not impossible.

DisBuckMan · Aug 3, 2015

PoohsHunnyBee said:
As purple figment said, there apparently used to be a shopping pass that would have been similar. Disney could have a special dining reservation line throughout the day like they do before the park opens and let you in 10-15 minutes before an ADR without a ticket and have a CM escort you out after your meal like they do on party nights at MK. If someone tried to exploit the system by entering and not going straight to the ADR, Disney would have the credit card used for guarantee and could charge no-show and park admission fees.

Disney does not (nor will they ever in my opinion) have such a system, but I don't think it was an unrealistic question.

If Disney used to allow a shopping pass, and doesn't any more, then there's a good reason for it....most likely because it was a nightmare keeping up with people trying to beat the system. I can't see Disney turning down the opportunity for people to spend money in the parks unless it became un-manageable. I can only imagine the headache it would cause from all the folks attemptiing to beat the system.

chartle · Aug 3, 2015

Jadyreen1282 said:
I'm curious as to how you thought you would get in and out of a park for a meal without Park tickets.

I have read many "Strange things heard at WDW" and yes its popped up before, but its more like a story where someone meets a couple on say the resort monorail and they are talking about worrying about getting to their ADR in 30 minutes and thinking they should have taken a taxi directly to the restaurant. They find out from the couple that their ADR is in Epcot in Japan. :O

Some people like this couple completely rely on a TA to set everything up and don't understand the details. The reason I brought this up was this couple also didn't know they needed their tickets.

As a side note many ask if DTD requires a ticket.

Also it must be an issue at the gates since when you make an ADR they always warn you that you need park admission for those places in parks.

chartle · Aug 3, 2015

DisBuckMan said:
If Disney used to allow a shopping pass, and doesn't any more, then there's a good reason for it....most likely because it was a nightmare keeping up with people trying to beat the system. I can't see Disney turning down the opportunity for people to spend money in the parks unless it became un-manageable. I can only imagine the headache it would cause from all the folks attemptiing to beat the system.

They have in the past but it may be gone since most everything can be purchased at DTD.

But ChershireFigment who at least used to work at the gates of TL said it was still in effect there at least a year or so ago. It may still be in place at the Water parks because of the greater selection of swimwear there for those that forget a bathing suit.

Do you need to use a park ticket if you have an ADR?

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