What's your experience when no ADR?

[TDC Nala]

I think you should consider making same day ADRS or ADRS within the week while you are there, especially if you are choosing popular restaurants.

If you were traveling during free dining I would say to make all ADRs immediately. That will be over by the time you get there, but the paid dining plan still means there will be more demand for TS restaurants.

I walk into Raglan Road all the time and eat at the bar. The full menu is available there.

 

[DumboDash2006]

I was there 8/9-8/14. I had our ADR's all set up a few months in advance. But our flight there was cancelled and we ended up missing out totally on our first day and since we got there so late (after midnight) we weren't able to get up and be at the MK for EMH either the next morning. So I switched us from going to to MK and then Epcot the next day to Epcot and then the MK. Had to switch our ADR's. We were supposed to do dinner at the Crystal Palace the 1st day and dinner at San Angel Inn the next day. I was easily able to switch those around, though we did have CP for lunch instead of dinner. Decent times and we never waited more than 10 minutes after showing up for any of our ADR's either. A few days later we decided we didn't want to do the character breakfast at Donald's Breakfastosaurus in the AM, so I called and cancelled it and made our TS meal for that day at the LTT character dinner instead. Again, no problem.

BUT that was a day or so before free dining began. If you're going during free dining and/or on the dining plan, you may want to make a few unless you're really flexible on where you eat and what times. I know for us, dd just can't be up too late so eating at 8 or 9pm would NOT have worked. But for some it's perfect.

 

[pezheadmeg]

I NEVER make any ADRs and have not had problems the last 2 trips. It's just about being flexible typically I've never waited more than 10-15 minutes for a TS lunch. Tht being said I would not attempt CRT as a walk-in!

As for EPCOT during F&W, the whole point of F&W is not to eat a permanent restaurants, yes you wait at the carts, but with all the snacking there is no need for TS meals.

 

[smoof]

We just returned. I have been at WDW all times of the year, and much busier times than mid August. I have NEVER, until this time, had any difficulty getting in anywhere, especially Chef Mickey's without priority seating. We were second in line at Chef Mickey's when the desk opened. They would not let us in without priority seating. I would probably say you would be safe in October, but if you have your hearts set on anything, make reservations. It worked out well for us. We went to Ohana's instead, and had a wonderful meal, but I was really SHOCKED.

 

[abaldacci]

I did not have any problems in the past switching where i wanted to eat until this trip and I try a few times to switch and could not because where i wanted to go there was no available seating, and one was maya grill in crs we just did not want to travel to the parks that day and could not get seating at our own hotel. so I would make them and switch if I wanted to eat somewhere else after you get there.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I had a bunch of reservations for our last trip (DS7 and I at the end of July/early August) that I decided to change when I got there and had a better sense of how we wanted to tour. We made the following reservations while there, some of them same day, some a few days out:

Le Cellier lunch (I made this the same day and was told that it was good I wanted lunch, and good we were just 2 or they might not have been able to accomodate us).

Flying Fish dinner (I made this a couple of days early, and had plenty of choices of times).

Mama Melrose FDP (I made this 2 days early, was pretty limited on times)

Cape May Cafe character breakfast (Made this a couple of days early)

We were successful everytime we tried to change a reservation, and got the times we wanted except for MM. Being a party of 2 really helped.

On a trip before we made the Crystal Palace lunch 2 days ahead, again no problems for a party of 4 -- they were taking walk ups when we got there.

Also, we went to Rose and Crown our first night for the fireworks, and they were taking walk ups with a 20 minute wait.

If you aren't set on the "hot" places like CRT I think you can have a lovely vacation w/out ADR's.

 

[micksterlee]

We were at WDW the week of Dec 17- 24th and I watched people being turned away from evry ts place we ate.Some of the hosts and hostesses were having real problems with people trying to argue over getting in.

 

[airtime]

I had never worried about getting PS/ADRs in the past. Then we came to Orlando in January 2006, and we barely managed to get into 'Ohana on our last day. We had always been able to get in by walking in for many years, but now we always get an ADR.


Tim, who often wishes for the old calmer days at WDW!

 

[jdtopgun71]

One day during this past Spring Break, I sat and watched the hostess at Le Cellier turn away about 50 people in a 30 minute span so there is no telling how many people they turned away in total that day. This of course was during peak season but I am not sure I would ever take a chance not making ADR's in advance. Good luck to you!