9 days, no adrs. How'd we do?

[eliza61]

As many people here know, I'm pretty much a "winger" when visiting the world. I generally don't make adr's so I just wanted to post how we made out. I did make 1 adr for Le Cellier.

Our statergy: The first thing in the morning, wake up and call Disney dining. see what's available around the time frame we think we want to eat. We have park hoppers so not locked into any specific park.

8/5 check into AKl at 6:30. Immediately check with concierge about breakfast. snag a 7:30 slot at Boma!! Hey I'm 1/1

8/6 call disney dining and ask about Sci fi diner that day. Nope, nothing available but do get a lunch adr for Sunday 8/9 for lunch at 12:15 pm. decide to take it.

8/10 given a choice of 3 adr's for dinner. I asked for any thing around 6:30ish. took the 6:45 for Nine dragons

8/11 walked up for wishes dessert party.
8/12 lucked out on 2 TS today. 8:45 breakfast at the Yacht Galley and a 6:00 pm house of blues reservations.

So pretty much we were able to have a TS meal at least every day from 8/6-8/14 and we walked up for the wishes dessert party.

Not bad.

 

[jamie@dvcstore]

Hi eliza61,
It sounds to me like you did very well. I live locally and I often find if I call last minute day to day you will find the more popular restaurants available. I don't know it is just that I have good luck however it has worked for me on a few occasions.

I appreciate you posting your experience as it is more often you hear what people booked by calling in advance. I like to hear about the opposite as well. Hope you had a great trip.
________
Lovely Wendie

 

[ShannonMB]

Sounds like fun! Since we've only been twice so far, I still have a list of stuff I really want to try. With a little more experience, it'll be fun to just see what we can get. I bet you have had some of your best meals just going with the flow like that, and trying lots of places that might be a little under the radar.

Glad you were happy with your dining!

 

[ThumperandLitenin]

So did you have an ADR at Le Cellier, or did you have no ADRs as your thread title states?

Great strategy. Are we to assume it was just you and your spouse? It's pobably easier to do this with just two adults. DW and I typically wing it with the exception of maybe two or three ADRs in a week.

I imagine this would be much harder to accomplish with little kids. Actually, arranging dinner in advance for little ones is hard.

Your startegy also blows some holes in the theory that you need to make ADRs 180 days in advance.

 

[eliza61]

So did you have an ADR at Le Cellier, or did you have no ADRs as your thread title states?

Great strategy. Are we to assume it was just you and your spouse? It's pobably easier to do this with just two adults. DW and I typically wing it with the exception of maybe two or three ADRs in a week.

I imagine this would be much harder to accomplish with little kids. Actually, arranging dinner in advance for little ones is hard.

Your startegy also blows some holes in the theory that you need to make ADRs 180 days in advance.

Hi T&L,
I had 3 Adr's for this trip. Le Cellier, Tony's and crystal palace. I made it for Le Cellier because I knew how popular it is. Tony's is a family tradition.

It's funny because one reason I stop making adr's was because when my kids were little, we were always missing the adr's. I would make them for 5:30 pm and of course no one would be hungry, I'd make breakfast adr's and every one wanted to sleep in. That's why making adr's 180 days was so difficult.

I've never tried this during free dining so it may not work but I just wanted to share with my experience with others who may not like planning their meals

 

[princesspenelope]

Wow, yeah for you. I guess nobody could ever go hungry at Disney right??
I'm a superplanner though, I would be worried about where to eat the entire trip but good thing it worked out for you!

 

[pumba]

I did try so hard last year during free dining to get ANY reservations and we only were able to get Crystal Palace ......nothing was available but we didnt starve as we ate some really good cs meals.......and we had fun

 

[CanadianPaco]

I'm impressed!!! I think any stratgey that works for you is a good one. But those who have no plan of action ...