Planning our first trip, not planning any ADRs - is this a mistake?

[traveljunkie2]

OK, here's the story. We have 10 people going Jan 11-18 (all first-timers), including two kids (6 and 3). We're staying offsite. Our plan is to have one meal at the park each day (probably lunch) at counter service places. At this point, I have no intention of booking ADR's, mainly because I can't imagine the food being worth the extra cost and my kids aren't interested in character meals. After seeing all the hub-bub about ADR's, I'm wondering if I will regret not making any? Are there any ADR places within the parks that are really worth it? I've grown up going to Disneyland and I can't say that any of the food there is worth going through all the trouble! Can you make an ADR and then just go for desert (like someplace you want to watch fireworks from?) What happens if you don't show up for an ADR?

Also, if part of our group decides last minute to go to a sit-down place, how realistic is it that they will be seated without too much of a wait in mid-January? I realize trying to get seating for all 10 of us would be asking alot!

[Cruz Family]

I can only speak from personal experience but table service meals are a must. Nine of us went last year and we loved having time to all sit together, take a break from the heat and enjoy each others company. Talking about what we liked and disliked, what we are looking forward to, etc. At our counter service meals some people would just be sitting down while others were just about done. We also felt a little rushed because there were almost always people looking for seats. If I had to name a few places that we enjoyed as a group, and I think you all would as well.....I would say 50's PT at the studios, Biergarten at Epcot, Tusker House at AK, and Crystal Palace at MK. Don't forget if you make some ADR's you can always cancel if need be, but it would be nearly impossible to find a walk up with a group of that size. I hope it helps, have a wonderful trip!
~Melissa

[vicki_c]

We did many trips with no TS meals, or maybe just 1-2 in a week or more. It never bothered us. Now, we eat more TS meals, maybe 1/day for 75% of our stay, because we like it. It does make our trips more enjoyable.

But there are lots of good counter service options for lunch and since you're off-site, you will have lots of other choices.

If you don't show up for a scheduled ADR, nothing happens except (1) if it's a credit card hold restaurant - and there are only a handful of those - they will charge you a penalty - and there are a few pre-paid things as well so you would lose your $$ and (2) you really should cancel on the phone if you know you're not going to free up that space for someone else.

If you were an average party of 4, I think you might have okay luck with a walk-up in January, but a group of 10 might be more of an issue, even at a low crowd time like January.

[Quiksilvr]

I recall a trip I took ten years ago during which I could walk into a TS restaurant and eat without an ADR. During the 4-5 trips I've taken over the past couple of years, ADRs were definitely a must. I hate scripting out my vacation by using dinner reservations, but at WDW it is a necessity if you have specific on-property restaurants at which you really want to dine.

If you plan on doing most of your eating off-site, ADRs are less of a concern. If you want TS at the parks, you'd better make a couple of reservations. You can cancel them (or no-show) without any problem (i.e., of course, unless you reserve at a restaurant requiring a credit card confirmation).

[somethingblue]

If I were you, I would schedule one ADR sit-down meal per day at a time when most of the members of your party are used to eating. That way, if you get to the park and find out that you really do want to sit down and enjoy a meal, you have something set up, and if you get there and decide to just get burgers and fries at a counter service place, you can cancel the reservation.

There's no harm in being prepared. =]

As far as finding a TS place without ressies for 10 people goes...well, good luck. Even though it's not an especially crowded time of year, people do take advantage of the ADRs, and ten is a lot of people to seat. You could get lucky, or you could not. It's really luck of the draw.

[fla4fun]

I am going to go against the flow here and say no, you don't have to make ADR's.

My reasons for this? One, you are staying off property. There are lot's of off property restaurants with as good or better food at much lower prices. My guess is that you will probably eat dinner on the way back to your resort. Two, it sounds like you would rather be more spontaneous and just eat when you're hungry. CS is excellent for that, and they're offerring a lot more variety so it's not all hamburgers and hot dogs anymore. Three, you have said that you aren't interested in character dining, for which ADR's would be a must.

January can be a slower time of year. If you are thinking about walking into a TS restaurant without an ADR, I would at least try calling Disney Dining a couple hours ahead and see if you can get one last minute. I've called for lunch ADR's an hour before the restaurant was opening and was able to book lunch right at opening. Depending on the restaurant, I've had reasonably good luck walking in during January, but I'm not in a large party - that could be a problem. Yes, you can just order dessert when dining with ADR's. In fact, I am always too full if I eat a meal, so if I ever want to try a dessert, I have to go specifically for that.

One of the main reasons there is such a "hub-bub" about ADR's is that many of the people who frequent these boards either book one of the dining plans or are interested in character meals. If you book the dining plans, ADR's are a must, because without them, if you can't get in a restaurant you won't eat. Character meals have limited seating available, so you need to make an ADR if you want to be sure you can get in. I got pulled into the hub-bub a few years ago, and made ADR's for every day, and ended up cancelling more than half of them. I just didn't like being tied down to a schedule.

I think you have a good plan already and I wouldn't let anyone cause you to second guess your plans. You know what works best for your family.

[smylie1]

We've been in January twice. One year with and one without ADR's. Le Cellier was the only place we could not get into without an ADR. The first opening they had was 2 weeks after we were scheduled to leave! Everywhere else took us right away and the year we had ADR's they were taking walk-ins also.

[Haley]

It doesn't hurt to maybe make one ADR-- like one special meal for the whole group. Like maybe your first or last night there.

Teppan Edo would be fun, or Biergarten

[Pakey]

My husband and I have always been big on making ADRs and eating a lot of table service meals. Our last vacation there, we winged it and didn't do it. We decided to try a lot of counter service that we've never tried in the past and we did a few last minute TS's on the fly.

It was one of the better vacations. We go in January all of the time and there will be places you will not be able to get into but overall, if you decided to do TS, there will be many options open to you, even a party that large. Since you are staying offsite, you would find so much more available, at a better price, for any dinners. So I think your plan of CS lunches is great and there are a lot of options that keep you from having to eat burgers every day.

[smidgy]

for a first time visit, I wouldn't worry about Table Service meals. there is too much to see and do without being pinned down to reservations. esp. with a 6 and 3 year old. we go for free dining, when adrs are a MUST. or have purchased the dining plan, but we have been there many times and have seen all the attractions already.
Flame tree BBQ at Animal Kingdom is a great CS. with little kids, I would just concentrate on taking it easy, have fun. forget the "3 sqaures a day" mentality and just nibble whenever. your on vacation! let the kids have ice cream for dinner it they're hungry! give them a donut (or apple) for breakfast!
maybe plan one sit sdwon with the whole group, maybe at beirgarten ( they say 8 to a table, but on our last trip, they sat 10.)
I wish you could stay onsite, maybe at a value resort. it would be so easy to take the kids back to the resort midday for a nap or swim in the pool .. down time.
I envy you.. your first time!!! have fun!!!!!!

[disneyjanet]

Originally Posted by traveljunkie2

I've grown up going to Disneyland and I can't say that any of the food there is worth going through all the trouble!

I just want to make sure you realize that Disneyworld isn't like Disneyland where you can walk out the park and across the street to have an offsite meal in 5 minutes. For example if you are at the Magic Kingdom and decide to get dinner offsite and come back for the rest of the evening you will have to take the ferry/monorail to the TTC parking lot, take the tram to your vehicle, drive 15-20 minutes to get to an offsite restaurant and then reverse the process to go back. It could take a couple of hours in travel time to get there and back. Now if you're ending your day at dinner time and getting food on the way back to your hotel then great no problem.

That said I went to WDW many times as a kid and we never had a TS meal and we didn't feel deprived. It is only now as an adult that I have experienced TS dining at disney so in my opinion it is optional. You just need to know your party. For example my father-in-law hates counter service and if we were travelling with him not having ADRs would be a problem. I would also consider booking an ADR for a World Showcase restaurant in Epcot for your family as dining in Epcot is a nice part about what makes it a little special. Also realize that a lot of people on these boards go to WDW a lot so they branch out and try all the different experieces available. For your first trip the obvious regular stuff will likely more than fill up your schedule.

Also if you haven't read it yet check out HydroGuy's An Introduction To WDW For DLR Vets http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=16541636 It has lots of good info that may be helpful to you.

Janet

[tracys2cents]

Just want to mention that you don't have to call Disney Dining for last-minute reservations. You can stop by any Disney restaurant and the hostess will try to make a reservation for you at any other Disney restaurant.
One good place to keep in mind is the Grand Floridian Cafe. They often have last-minute openings, the food is great, and the resort is nice to see/visit.

[traveljunkie2]

Thank you, everyone, for all the advice. I think I will make ADRs for a couple of places, just in case. I thought there was some kind of penalty, but I'm glad to hear I can cancel if plans change.

Disneyjanet, thanks so much for the link. Great stuff in there and I will add it to my growing file of planning pages!

[ROEDISNEY]

You have to do what works for you. Me & my family could never go to Disney and not stay on property or go with out haveing adr's. I think both are more than well worth it in my opinion.