3 questions re: If I don't sign up for a dining plan...

[herbg]

1. Can I still eat at a table service restaurant ?

1. Are all table service restaurants "reservations required"?

3. What forms of payment are accepted at table service and counter service restaurants?

 

[danielle782001]

Yes, you can still eat at any table service...

Reservations are not required but recommended... I strongly recommend you make a reservation for any place you may want to go because all popular places book up quickly and they do not hold some tables for walk-ups... You can make ADR as far as 180 days and you should make them as soon as you can....

You can pay with cash, credit, charge to room... the norm.

 

[herbg]

thanks for the quick reply

Not too sure whether I like the idea of reservations. Seems that makes you constantly look at your watch so that you don't miss your time...

I wonder why they switched to the reservation system. Years ago, you just went to a restaurant when you felt like it and just waited for a table.

 

[danielle782001]

I understand how you feel... My husband dislikes that we have to think and decide where we want to eat 6 months in advance... The system is not perfect but we have to go with it...

Maybe you should just make a few for the places you know are a must do and play the rest by ear...

What time of year are you going? Peak?? Because that will make a big difference on if you might get lucky on walk-ups.

 

[septbaby]

The demand for the restaurant seats is high and going to some of the places is entertainment just like the rides and shows.

There are table service places that don't take reservations a couple I can think of are:
Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club, ESPN Club on the boardwalk
There are others I just can't think of them right now. The couter or quick service places never require reservations. You just select items for the menu at the counter or in a resort pick items in the food court, pay, find a seat and enjoy your meal. So you will get to eat w/o reservations, you'll just serve yourself.

If you don't make reservations don't expect to get into some of the more popular places. You should call or check with your Disney hotel concierge each morning to see what reservations you can get on that day.

If you don't want to make reservations, definitely don't get the dining plan. You'll likely be disappointed and not able to use of your meal credits.

 

[herbg]

We are planning on going early May of 2009. Easter/Passover is over as well as Spring Break, therefore I'm thinking it won't be too crowded at WDW (at least that's what we're hoping for).

We will have planned one day for each theme park (4 parks) and one day at a water park (either Typhoon or Blizzard).

My fear for making dining reservations in advance is that we're not sure which day of our trip we'd like to spend at water park (we'd decide that when we get to Florida ...weather conditions; and then work out the days for the other 4 theme parks accordingly. If we make dining reservations in advance, we'll have to stick to a predestined schedule made months in advance...

 

[cymbaldiva]

thanks for the quick reply

Not too sure whether I like the idea of reservations. Seems that makes you constantly look at your watch so that you don't miss your time...

I wonder why they switched to the reservation system. Years ago, you just went to a restaurant when you felt like it and just waited for a table.

That is exactly how I feel - I miss back in the day when if you got hungry you just walked up to a restaurant, went in and ate!

That said, it's true - if you want to eat at any of the more popular places, ADRs must be made <sigh>

 

[Markstudy]

Life has changed at Disney.

The rule now - is that you pick your diner reservations first, and you pick your park days 2nd.

This is my 3rd trip since Disney has gotten more busy.

I pick my favorite 4 restaurants.... I pick the times I want.... then we build are park days around that framework.

Disney has gotten 5 times more busy over the last 10 years, by building resorts and adding rooms, so much faster then adding restaurants.

 

[herbg]

Life has changed at Disney.

The rule now - is that you pick your diner reservations first, and you pick your park days 2nd.

Oh well, I guess I need to adjust my thinking process...

You're right, our last trip to Disney World was in 1997 and the whole dining process seemed so much simpler then... I will have to research possible choices and think twice if a sit-down restaurant really merits making reservations far in advance.
I'm sure there are counter service and quick food venues that will satisfy us ... in case.

P.S. I know we did enjoy Prime Time Restaurant on our last visit
We didn't care for the Living Seas restaurant... nice big fish tank but unbelievably expensive and tiny portions. When we got back to the hotel we were starving and ate at the food court

 

[Aimeedyan]

I actually don't think reservations are as needed as many on this board think they are - esp during slower times. Sure, you won't be walking into LeCellier or CRT but you can find places to eat. I was there May a year ago and walked right up to the concierge at 5pm and asked for a restaurant for dinner. She offered us several with spots and we ended up at SciFi.

If you're willing to be flexible and not want to eat at one of the most popular spots (note: not necessarily the best spots are the most popular ones!), then you'll find something to eat.

There are lots of spots that have walk up availability even during crowded times.

ETA: Being stuck with a counter service option isn't so terrible, either. There are some really good choices on site. If you have a car, there are loads of great off site spots, too, you could pop into.

 

[EnnEss]

We are planning on going early May of 2009. Easter/Passover is over as well as Spring Break, therefore I'm thinking it won't be too crowded at WDW (at least that's what we're hoping for).

We will have planned one day for each theme park (4 parks) and one day at a water park (either Typhoon or Blizzard).

My fear for making dining reservations in advance is that we're not sure which day of our trip we'd like to spend at water park (we'd decide that when we get to Florida ...weather conditions; and then work out the days for the other 4 theme parks accordingly. If we make dining reservations in advance, we'll have to stick to a predestined schedule made months in advance...

I've done the dining plan, and that is precisely what happened. Also, we had to plan lunches around dinner because the time you want is not always easy to get, so you could be eating at 450 (REALLY early for me), or 9pm. Then your lunch has to be at some time where you wont starve or be full still.

Now, we go to 1 or 2 restaurants over 8 days, and just CS the rest. There are some good CS places, and places like earl of sandwhich in DTD are good too. If you look around a bit you can always get something tastier than a burger and fries at the parks, particularly at AK. The food there is just great.

Maybe pick one restaurant you want to really go to, since your'e there for four days? Gives you something extra to look forward to as well without being too rigid. Saves money as well for sure.

 

[TBDave]

My fear for making dining reservations in advance is that we're not sure which day of our trip we'd like to spend at water park (we'd decide that when we get to Florida ...weather conditions; and then work out the days for the other 4 theme parks accordingly. If we make dining reservations in advance, we'll have to stick to a predestined schedule made months in advance...

I'd suggest you check out the crowd schedules at Touring Plans or Tour Guide Mike. Find out which parks are going to be least crowded on each day. Also look at what shows are scheduled for those days. From there, you can plan which park to visit a full year in advance. Once you know where you'll probably be each day, you can pick some restaurants.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just because you make a reservation doesn't mean you have to keep it. You can cancel a reservation at any time, and that will open it up for someone else to do a last minute reservation or walk-in.

Go ahead and make your reservations for each day. If you decide to do a water park one day, cancel the reservation that morning. Since the water parks close early, you could even make a new dinner reservation for that night at Downtown Disney or a nearby WDW hotel (many hotel restaurants are easier to book). Some of the Boardwalk and Downtown Disney restaurants don't even take reservations.

 

[Markstudy]

I actually don't think reservations are as needed as many on this board think they are - t..

Because I only go once a year, and for the 5 nights I'm there, I want to eat at the top 10 restaurants. And I want to eat at prime-time to maximize my daytime and nighttime activities windows.

If you're flexible as to where you will eat, when you will eat, and what you will eat.... the planning is not as important.

But if you read the list of ADR's on DisBoards.... everyone here picks from the same 15 most popular restaurants. Its amazing, that looking at 200 peoples trip plans, and I see the same 15 places on everyones wish list...at the same time 5:30 - 8:30 (that's not a very big time window)

 

[eliza61]

Oh well, I guess I need to adjust my thinking process...

You're right, our last trip to Disney World was in 1997 and the whole dining process seemed so much simpler then... I will have to research possible choices and think twice if a sit-down restaurant really merits making reservations far in advance.
I'm sure there are counter service and quick food venues that will satisfy us ... in case.

P.S. I know we did enjoy Prime Time Restaurant on our last visit
We didn't care for the Living Seas restaurant... nice big fish tank but unbelievably expensive and tiny portions. When we got back to the hotel we were starving and ate at the food court

We are going the first week of may this year and I don't make lots of adr's (haven't made them in the last 3 years) I call the morning of and see what's available. One disclaimer: My kids are older so they don't get fussy (as much ) like they did when they were smaller.
Works great for me and I always have been able to get into sit down restuarants. Check the boards in a couple of weeks, I usually do a trip report on my successes & failures.

 

[2vets]

Our last few trips, we have noticed what others have also mentioned - even being a party of 2, you can't just wait for a table...even in the "off" season - we couldn't get seated for dinner at Le Cellier at all in early Dec in 2006, I recall - went at 4:30 or something, and they were fully booked for the whole night. We WERE able to walk right over to restaurant inside the Mexico pavilion.

Now we make ADRs - in truth, we have only kept a few of them, we'll nosh in the afternoon, and we're rarely still hungry at 7 or 8 so we call and cancel, but we've got them if we need them. For our upcoming trip, we booked Le Cellier, but the one thing we booked that we really wanted was Rose and Crown for Illuminations. The latter res, we might actually keep

I miss the old days.....but there are better rides now, eh?