ADR at Big River Grille

[Stellapedia]

When/how can I get one of these? I know I can't do it through regular dining (WHY!?!), and the last guy I talked to at WDW-DINE said BRG doesn't do ADRs at all. But my last hotel stay had in the booklet the number to call for an ADR there. Of course, I can't find my booklet to get the number, and it didn't give me a timeframe.
We REALLY want to eat there on our next big trip, but I need to figure out how to get in!

 

[TDC Nala]

It's not a Disney restaurant and they don't participate in the Disney reservation system. You'd need to call them directly. I don't have a number for them that I know about but Googling Big River Grill Orlando would probably get you a number.

 

[Stellapedia]

Actually, I just found a number and called. They don't take reservations, but they'll allow me to put myself on the call ahead list... 3 months in advance. So I just "called ahead" for December.
I get that they're not a Disney restaurant, which makes me wonder why they take the DDP.

 

[TDC Nala]

A lot of restaurants that are not run by Disney choose to accept DDP. If they didn't, more than half the restaurants in Epcot (for one) wouldn't take DDP.

 

[Stellapedia]

Huh. So which are Disney run and which aren't, and how do I find this (completely useless yet oddly interesting) information?

 

[TDC Nala]

If you can find a link to the 2010 Disney dining plan brochure, any restaurant not on that list is a non-Disney restaurant.

The restaurants not run by Disney are not added to the dining plan for the new year until the end of the year (assuming they agree to participate), when their contracts are renewed, so the brochure released in August for 2010 will list only the restaurants owned and run by Disney.

For information, there's only one Disney-owned restaurant at Downtown Disney (Cap'n Jack's) and Coronado Springs is the only Disney resort where all the food service outlets (with the possible exception of the pool snack bar) are run by a company other than Disney.

These Epcot TS are not Disney-owned:

Bistro de Paris
Chefs de France
Marrakesh
Teppan Edo
Tokyo Dining
Tutto Italia
San Angel Inn

 

[Stellapedia]

Hmmm.... if they're not run by Disney, why are they staffed by Disney employees?

I find this very... something. It never occured to me that such a large portion of their restaurants were outcourced, especially those on the DDP and the regular reservation line and staffed by Disney employees.

 

[kristilew]

We eat at BRG every trip. We've never called ahead, and never waited more than a few minutes to be seated. Granted, this is often at off times, like lunch at 2 pm, but even at 1 we've been able to get in with no trouble.

Try the grilled meatloaf - so yummy!