A Day of no reservations?

[Texa]

Does anyone ever plan a day in thier vacations where they don't make any reservations and just plan to wing it with counter service. I usually make one reservation per day, but our next trip in June will be (Happily) longer than our usual trip of 4 or 5 days. Based on how we felt on our last trip I don't think I want a full sit down every day. I have scheduled 2 days (of 10) of snacking, with no real sit down meal. Does anyone else do this? Does it work out well for you? Thanks!

 

[Kaycee]

We have one or two days of no reservations during each visit. Most of our trips are about a week long, give or take a day. We'd rather be in the parks than spending a lot of time on meals so, other than a few favorites and a couple of new restaurants we want to try each trip, we are perfectly happy with CS for most of our meals. Plus, my children our older now (teens) so we don't need to take as many long breaks during a day of park touring. It works very well for us to have a couple of days with no reservations.

 

[busytxmom]

We did one day out of 6 with no meals planned. It was nice because we had our fill of MGM, left, and went to epcot for the rest of the day. We just did counter services and snacks.

 

[Paul in TX]

We stayed this past Xmas for 7 days and only had ressies for 3----one of which was a Fantasmic Dinner Package--and another Xmas Dinner--------the other 4 days we just winged it-----much to the pleasure of my wife and daughter

As we have been more and more we have found reservations to be very confining---however in peak seasons or special events they would still be a must

 

[MickeyNicki]

We will do one day at Epcot without reservations, DH loves to snack around the world

 

[liznboys]

MOST of our days we don't make table service plans. With our family, we find counter service to be much more convenient, easy, relaxing... So we only do a few table service per trip.

 

[Texa]

We will do one day at Epcot without reservations, DH loves to snack around the world

This is what I was hoping to do. Most meals at Epcot are so filling that I never have room for all the snackage I want to try. Or if I do snack I'm not hungry enought to appreciate a nice meal.

 

[PrincessAurora]

That is really funny. No ressies.

 

[sheepygirl23]

we usually make ressies for every day and if we dont feel like going we just cancel. we liek to have to option of "just incase we feel like it" to have a sit down everyday.

 

[copper68]

We go to Disney 2-3 times a year, and I don't think we've ever made a reservation, except for the HDDR. We usually have a good idea on where we want to eat, and we have never really had a problem getting a reservation at a restaurant that we want when we call the same day. Out of maybe 200 dinners at sit down restaurants, I can only think of one time that we called that afternoon and didn't weren't able to get a table that night.

Like I said, we usually plan out where we are going to eat each night, but we wait until we get there and usually call that morning or afternoon.

 

[MinnieGi]

We usually stay a full week and of that week I usually only reserve three table service meals before we get there. We fill the rest of the days with counter service or our own meals in our DVC villa. We'll also make a reservation on the fly such as this past trip I called Dining at 4:30 pm to see if I could get an early Chef Mickey's ps. She asked if we could be there at 5:10!! DD was very excited. We were at VWL so we just had to catch the boat to CR. It was great.

 

[maddhatir]

Never make reservations and we usually end up getting a table. we love to eat at EPCOT and there is never a problem. we eat at all different times.

However, this year i want to try the California Grill and i will be sure to make ressies for that!

maddhatir

 

[catherines_mama]

I do that too. We are there for 7 days this June (when are you going?). And have a few days where we just to Counter Service. Of our 7 days we only have 5 ADRs planned. Granted we travel on a strict budget and keep the dining under $500 for the week. Right now I'm $18 over and I didn't even budget in adult beverages (a perk of having a bus to take you everywhere LOL)

 

[catherines_mama]

Never make reservations and we usually end up getting a table. we love to eat at EPCOT and there is never a problem. we eat at all different times.

However, this year i want to try the California Grill and i will be sure to make ressies for that!

maddhatir

Question: What time of year do you go? Just wondering thanks!

 

[Showe]

we have gone in Feb for the last 5 years or so and we stay anywhere from 9-14 days. We make two ressies. One for one day while we are at MK and another for a day that we are at MGM (pre-Fantasmic). We usually wing it otherwise. We like to do that. Sometimes we call and get same day ressies - called Cape May once at 3:00 and got ADRs for 5:30 that night. It was great !

 

[love the magic]

I've been a visitor to WDW 1 - 2 X/year for probably the last 20 years or so....I can honestly say...I've never made a ressie and have never had a problem getting one first thing in the AM - I usually do one sit down a day (mostly to rest up from all the walking) and just head straight to the guest services first thing in the AM when I enter my park of choice....I've never been disappoined in having been "shut out" of any choices....

The only exception I MIGHT make, would be for a particular Character Meal....other than that...I DO indeed "wing" it!

 

[maddhatir]

Question: What time of year do you go? Just wondering thanks!

we usually go in Oct or Dec-- but like i said we eat at all different times, we like to do lunch also-- maybe that is why we can get a table- its not really considered "dinner time".

we are going Sept 23/Oct 1 and from what i have read- the crowds are low at this time- so we will take our chances- except for the California Grill.


maddhatir

 

[dcgrumpy]

I only make reservations for had to get places that we really want to do. We have 3 small children and find that "winging it" works better for us. We usually do go during slow season so it's easier to walk up or get same day reservations. We are going 7 days in May and I'm only planning on 2 ADR's, dinner at CM and either CRT or 1900 Park Fare