No ADRs?!?!?!?!?! Am I crazy?!?!?

[spacefly67]

My family (DH, DD7, DS5 and Myself + some extended family meeting us later on) are visiting the last week of August.
We have ADRs for 3 out of 7 days. The other days we were just going to 'wing it'. We are not very scheduled people and we don't have to eat at any specific time. We just figured we would decide that morning or when we get hungry.
Am I crazy?

 

[Alesia]

We never book more than 1 ADR every 3 days. We prefer the flexibility of being able to eat what we want when we want. There are so many great counter service options.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Not that crazy, no. It just means you dont have any specific die hard faves that you MUST go to. Youre flexible. Which is great. I think that you can always find a last minute ADR somewhere, as long as youre flexible. With a smartphone, you can get an ADR in a snap. So I wouldnt worry too much.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

As long as you don't mind eating QS for most meals or choosing from a very small selection of TS places that might have openings last minute, you'll be fine.

If you're expecting to "eat when you're hungry" and walk up to any TS restaurant and get a table, you're going to be out of luck.

 

[ELSA711]

We did this for one of our trips but only left 3 days open for our TS meal.

We were able to book no problem mid week for things we wanted but never the popular choices (at least then), now it is proving more difficult each and every year we go back.

 

[aretha30]

No crazy at all! We are leaving next week and will be down there for 9 days, we only have 3 TS ADR's. We don't like to be over-scheduled. We pick a few TS restaurants that we want to try or that we want to go back to and that is it. There is so much great QS on property that we can always eat what we want when we want w/o the ADR.

 

[loves to dive]

We never schedule ADR's in advance (one exception is the afternoon tea at the GF because that sucker is hard to get). We just go to guest services the morning of and ask what is open for that day. Since we are 3 adults, time doesn't matter to us, we can eat late at night and we get to try places we've never done before.

 

[tomatecerise]

If you are open to dine anywhere Its ok! On my side i plan all the restaurants because party night or what park i visit for what day. I am this kind of girl who like planification to avoid Stress but in the park i am a smooth person. I miss the parade? It's ok. Oh! It's the lion king and it started? We go!

 

[SaintsManiac]

Not crazy! I wish we didn't have to make them lol

 

[JimmyV]

It's not crazy as long as your expectations align with your dining strategy. It is not "crazy" to go without ADRs. But it is crazy to go without ADRs and expect to get a table at BoG for dinner at 6:30. Or to be able to walk up to the 4th floor podium for the California Grill and expect them to whisk you up the elevator to be seated for dinner. If you are fine walking up to the podiums at less popular restaurants and being told that it will be 30-45 minutes before a table opens up, then go for it. ADRs exist mainly to secure spots at the most popular restaurants.

 

[2manypets]

I only made 1 ADR on our last trip. Every evening I'd go to the MDE App and chose from what was available around the park we were in. It's hard to tell what type of food you're in the mood for 6 months in advance. Doing the last minute dining reservations, we were able to enjoy several new restaurants. BTW, Boatwright's at POR rocks for food and service!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Alright, I'll say it, you are crazy as a mad hatter in a thunderstorm on hamburger Hill 1968. But hey, you'll enjoy Disney like a veteran because it's so awesome.

 

[Hopefully]

As others have said, with over 100 TS locations and more QS locations you will be able to eat somewhere to eat. It just may not be where you want to eat when you want to eat for TS locations. If you are okay with mainly QS in the parks or less popular, out of the way TS you will be fine. It is all about your expectations and desires.
Personally I wouldn't do it that way. I like a nice, popular, centrally located TS at 7:30 at night. NOT easy to get at the last minute, so I make ADR's for our family.
Good Luck.

 

[Disnsyncey]

My family (DH, DD7, DS5 and Myself + some extended family meeting us later on) are visiting the last week of August.
We have ADRs for 3 out of 7 days. The other days we were just going to 'wing it'. We are not very scheduled people and we don't have to eat at any specific time. We just figured we would decide that morning or when we get hungry.
Am I crazy?

TS are expensive! So my friend and I are going for 5 days, and have 3 TS total....there aren't that many that we want to pay that much for, but watching hallowishes from a monorail resort (and to try out Trader Sam's) led to Kona, we LOVE Tusker House, and we needed to try BOG breakfast.....that's it, we will have many options to eat QS, we know which restaurants we like, and aren't picky....

 

[BobC]

This is my first trip without a TS dining plan and just QS plan. I'll miss my favorites like Ohanas, The Wave, GF Café, and Coral Reef.

Prior years, we also had ADRs for those places. The wait without them was always very long for those without them.

 

[spacefly67]

My family aren't really "foodies". My kids prefer to snack or graze anyway.
We DO NOT expect to walk up to BOG or CRT or something like that and get a table.
We also do not need 3 sit down meals a day.
We do breakfast on the go (pop-tarts or those cereal bars or something) while we are waiting for the bus.
We have 1 full day in each park (2 in MK) with a hotel switch/family meetup day in the middle. I figured our ADRs like this:
Arrival Day - nothing! eat at resort and relax at the pool. Maybe go to DTD and eat something there. Is Planet Hollywood Open? The kids would like that.
MK day 1 - We have a CRT for late lunch/early diner 2:30. We probably wont have a formal dinner and just grab snacks.
day 2 - Nothing for our HS day - Maybe go to the Sci-Fi or something cool if we can.
Day 3 -Epcot - Going to snack around the world. Kids are looking forward to that day!!!
Day 4- Hotel switch day. Maybe going to DTD or Boardwalk or thinking of going to Beaches & Cream and Doing the Kitchen Sink for Dinner (Does that make me a bad mom lmao)
Day 5 - AK - Rainforest ADR for 5:45 Park closes at 5. Again lunch will be CS where ever.
Day 6 - MK day 2 - Nothing yet, haven't decided what to do.
Day 7 - leaving that evening. No park tickets. Probably just eating at the hotel.

Thinking of adding some ARDs - Maybe Hoopdedo or mickeys bbq for the middle hotel switch day and the arrival day.
Open to suggestions.....

 

[BobC]

My family aren't really "foodies". My kids prefer to snack or graze anyway.
We DO NOT expect to walk up to BOG or CRT or something like that and get a table.
We also do not need 3 sit down meals a day.
We do breakfast on the go (pop-tarts or those cereal bars or something) while we are waiting for the bus.
We have 1 full day in each park (2 in MK) with a hotel switch/family meetup day in the middle. I figured our ADRs like this:
Arrival Day - nothing! eat at resort and relax at the pool. Maybe go to DTD and eat something there. Is Planet Hollywood Open? The kids would like that.
MK day 1 - We have a CRT for late lunch/early diner 2:30. We probably wont have a formal dinner and just grab snacks.
day 2 - Nothing for our HS day - Maybe go to the Sci-Fi or something cool if we can.
Day 3 -Epcot - Going to snack around the world. Kids are looking forward to that day!!!
Day 4- Hotel switch day. Maybe going to DTD or Boardwalk or thinking of going to Beaches & Cream and Doing the Kitchen Sink for Dinner (Does that make me a bad mom lmao)
Day 5 - AK - Rainforest ADR for 5:45 Park closes at 5. Again lunch will be CS where ever.
Day 6 - MK day 2 - Nothing yet, haven't decided what to do.
Day 7 - leaving that evening. No park tickets. Probably just eating at the hotel.

Thinking of adding some ARDs - Maybe Hoopdedo or mickeys bbq for the middle hotel switch day and the arrival day.
Open to suggestions.....

Try O'hanas! (If you can get in there). My favorite place! It's Hawaiian themed in the Polynesian.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I doubt you'll be able to talk in to Beaches & Cream without a significant wait--if at all. I'm not sure about Sci-Fi or "something cool" HS. As long as you won't be disappointed if you don't get into those places, you'll be fine.

 

[Dizlvr]

No you aren't crazy, we went that week a couple years ago and the only ADR I made was BOG dinner, oh wait I did make an Ohana breakfast one too. We ate TS for dinner every night except one when we got a pizza. The wait for a table was no more than a wait on a typical weekend at home. As long as you don't expect to sit right away you will be fine, you aren't going to starve at WDW.

 

[DizDaD7]

I too would say try for Ohana.
If you can get there about an hour or so b4 they open, you can go on a walk up list.. We've done this twice and were seated one time @ 5:15 & the other at around 530. & the 2nd one was with 12 people too..

EDIT: Oh and I forgt to add. Your adr's look good, as well as your Epcot plan...We love doing that there, as well as eating at VN now...