Anyone try showing up to a restaurant with zero availability?

[Nanu57v]

Anyone try showing up to a restaurant with zero availability?

I made my ADR's months ago, but now DD has become fascinated with Cinderella. So I thought, hey, lets take her to see Cinderella at 1900 PF. Yeah, so there is ZERO availability for dinner. I'm okay with waiting if say we show up at 5 and they said its a 1.5 hour wait, as we are DVCers on points so DH and DD can just play at the pool while I wait, but I didn't know if they do such a thing.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I am a never say never kinda person but... with free DDP the restaurants are past capacity and many (if not most) are taking no walk ins whatsoever.

Not saying it's not worth a try but I woulodn't be too optimistic.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Agree. More likely you will just be turned away.
Never hurts to try though. Just have plan B in place (besides hoping to wait a few hours).
I think at many of these places your best bet is at opening though. However I have sen openings pretty packed too.

 

[tfoster]

You could also try to call each morning. I've not done that myself but it seems many have very good luck with it.

 

[bigbabyblues]

You can try, but have a back up plan just in case. Someone posted a day or two about going to WDW for 10 days and no availability anywhere.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1571974

 

[MassMom94]

Well, this is only one data point, but when we were at the Crystal Palace for lunch on 8/29, they weren't even taking names from people who did not have an ADR in the system. I saw a woman walk up five minutes after opening and the CM pleasantly told her they were fully booked, but she could come back around 1:30 (2 hours later) and see if anything was available then. Um, I don't think I'd take that chance.

 

[Nanu57v]

I'm trying to get Oct 2...which is 10 days after the free dining promotion ended...so people who booked the last day of free dining and bought a 10 day should be flying out that day so I didn't expect the total booking. Oh well. Its more for me than DD. I want to see her face when she meets Cinderella. We'll just have to try really hard to find her in a park.

 

[webshark3]

During busy times, we were turned away despite being willing to wait for "hours" or eat really late. They would simply say they could not accomodate walk-ups that day. period.

But it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[zaksmom]

Last year, October, but later than you, we got walk-ins at places that had no availability. Alfredo's had a walk-in line and every few minutes someone came out and took people according to the size of the party. We had a wonderful dinner. We also we able to get a reservation at the podium for dinner at the Norwegian Restaurant with princesses as a walk-in. Didn't take it because didn't want to wait but did get one. We generally go once a year in Oct or May and make a couple of last minute ADRs. Our only trip to CRT was a walk-in when no reservations were available. We checked in the am and they told us to come back at 4:30 and we stood in line with others doing the same thing and got in promptly. Used to go in Sept and never got priority dining but that was before the dining plans. But even with our success last year getting last minute dining I'm concerned about our trip in a few weeks. We usually don't care when and where we eat but we do like to sit down. I bit the bullet and called for 3 ADRs. (By the way we had many choices.) But we may cancel if we end up finding somewhere more convenient to where we are at the time. So there are always last minute cancellations. Even some people who cancel their trips might not cancel their reservations. We will be there about the same time as you. Have fun and be flexible and good luck.

 

[storzo]

I tried that at Cap n Jacks in DTD during my August visit - before free dining. We were going to DTD anyway and I tried calling but there was nothing available.

When the bus pulled in, it started raining like I've never seen before. We ran into a store and slowly made our way around. This rain just was not letting up, the walkways were flooded, thunder, lightening. So I took a chance, left my family dry in a store and ran to Cap n Jacks thinking surely someone must have cancelled or not shown up.

Didn't matter, they wouldn't take my name, let me wait, nothing. Just said sorry, nothing available.

But, I did try and didn't get hurt (just wet) so I say go ahead and try.

 

[riaesq]

Just for the heck of it, I tried this a couple of times at Le Cellier last week. Three times, no luck. The very sweet CM said the best shot was to be there at 4 pm, just in case someone called to say they weren't coming that night. I had all my adr's and this was purely scientific, so I didn't take it any further.

The other thought is, CRT during a special event. Last year during the Halloween Party (I think- or it could have been late EMH, not sure) I called last minute and was offered seating. Didn't take it, as ds14 didn't go for the idea much.

 

[Nanu57v]

Just for the heck of it, I tried this a couple of times at Le Cellier last week. Three times, no luck. The very sweet CM said the best shot was to be there at 4 pm, just in case someone called to say they weren't coming that night. I had all my adr's and this was purely scientific, so I didn't take it any further.

The other thought is, CRT during a special event. Last year during the Halloween Party (I think- or it could have been late EMH, not sure) I called last minute and was offered seating. Didn't take it, as ds14 didn't go for the idea much.

You know that is interesting...would you need event tickets to get to dinner? I mean, I'd have MK tix, but I wouldn't have event tickets.

 

[Luv2Roam]

The 1900 PF does not require tickets. The logic may have been that with a MK ticketed event other guests would be converging on the MK, rather than a nearby resort.

 

[js]

The only advise I can give you is keep calling. Not once a day, twice a day or three times a day. Call first thing when you wake up, a few times during the day and at night.
I currently have a 9 pm ressie at Chef Mickeys for our first night
We always go there our first night but it is just too late for a full day of travel even though my kids are 9 and 13 (too late for everyone!).
But, I will keep calling and calling and calling.
I think as it gets closer, people will be moving around their ADRs and perhaps I'll get lucky.
You have 16 days left. Keep trying and when it gets to a week out call even more up until the day you leave.
Good luck and let us know if you end up getting it.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Good luck! You should be able to find Cinderella in the character tent at Toontown, ask a CM to make sure she's there before you get in line, if there is one, but she should be.

 

[Snow_White]

I've tried it a few times, but never with any success. I really don't recommend it. I would just call Disney Dining a few times a day, every day, instead in hopes of nabbing a cancellation.

 

[LisaY]

Just returned from free dining today. Our last night we had reservations at Spoodles, but since it was raining and storming I decided to check Whispering Canyon for cancellations (we were staying a WL). I went downstairs and was told they only had one cancellation for 8:10, but they always take walk-ups and the wait wouldn't be but a few minutes. This was around 5:00 and we had a table within 5 minutes. Also, when I called a week or so prior to our vacation trying to move around some reservations, I was told Wolfgang Puck Cafe was not taking any more reservations, but there would be walk-ups available on the days I was checking. So there are apparently tables not being booked--maybe it was because I was on the dining plan?????

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I'm trying to get Oct 2...which is 10 days after the free dining promotion ended...so people who booked the last day of free dining and bought a 10 day should be flying out that day so I didn't expect the total booking. Oh well. Its more for me than DD. I want to see her face when she meets Cinderella. We'll just have to try really hard to find her in a park.

I'm pretty sure she's in the princess tent in Toontown pretty much everyday, if not, at least on a pretty regular basis. I think you can ask a CM to call and check the schedule.

 

[zulaya]

I know that your trip is shorter than this, but I've heard that at 45 days out, when people can still cancel a trip and get their money back, that ressies can open up.

I think that those people who cancel still have to be conscientious enough to call and cancel their ADRs, and who knows how often that happens, but I've heard that's a good time to check for openings.

 

[spectromagicmom]

We were able to get a walk up table at Liberty Tree on July 4th for dinner! We arrived in Orlando earlier than expected and the kids were dying to go to the Magic Kingdom...my husband walked up and asked if there were any tables available for later that evening,there was a line,it was packed but we got a table I guess it was a no show? One thing we have done is call on our cell phones to disney dinning and gotten a table. We were in Frontierland and called for Tony's 45 min.later. We walked over and were seated. I saw a man try to get a walk up table and he was turned away. Don't give up!