ADR on DDP - advice welcome!

[chocolate mouse]

We are going to CSR in 0ct this year (me, dh, dd 10 ds 5) and have DDP included in our booking. I have been trying to find out about it and everyone seems to think the advance bookings are a must. The thing is, we don't really like to plan so much when we are on holiday, and like to take things as they come. We stayed ar CBR in march 2006 and tended to decide either the night before or on the morning which park we were going to visit.
Will we still be able to find somewhere to eat using our credits without pre-booking - we are not too fussy on times, or eating while firework shows, etc, are on. Any advice would be welcome!

 

[jtlover]

If there are any places you really want to eat then I would recommend booking those.

We have booked all our ADR's and planned our park trips around that - we are eating at a lot of disney hotels this time rather than the park restaurants.

But then if we dont want to go or the ADR we can always cancel them - that might be the answer for you?

Happy planning

 

[chocolate mouse]

Not thought of cancelling - that might be an idea for some of the more popular places. Thanks!

 

[tashasmum]

We also have the ddp for the first time in Aug. Although we have not done an itinery yet we have made adrs for around 7-8pm most evenings. We have been going to WDW for a number of years but have not eaten in many of the hotel restaurants or the restaurants around the park and see this as a chance to try quite a few disney restaurants.

 

[Flump]

My DH and I are also on the DDP for the first time this year so we have decided to make the most of this opportunity and make ADR’s in restaurants at the hotels and parks that we have never tried, this is also helping in the planning of our holiday, again, something that we have never done before.

 

[Lannin]

Hey we are going to WDW in September and have the free DDP, we will not be makin our ADR's before hand, prefer to just see how we feel on the day and see what is available. To be honest we probably wont do to many character dining, but will look at the signature restaurants, we love the places like Jiko and the Grand Floridan and the DDP makes it easier on the old $$.

I am confident I can eat where we want, but at times might need to be flexible about it.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

 

[Girlsontour]

When are you going, Chocolate Mouse? We are going to CSR October 11th...getting ready to phone on Friday for my one and only ADR at R&C!! We don't like eating too much and just tend to grab our food and go. We loved the Pepper Market...have you checked out my trip report (link is at the bottom)

 

[chocolate mouse]

When are you going, Chocolate Mouse? We are going to CSR October 11th...getting ready to phone on Friday for my one and only ADR at R&C!! We don't like eating too much and just tend to grab our food and go. We loved the Pepper Market...have you checked out my trip report (link is at the bottom)

We are going 29th sep and I can't wait!
Had a look at your trip report - great photos! Noticed that you had successfully requested a room (or block) - how did you do it? We stayed at CBR last year, hubby booked flights (he works in travel) and travel agent booked hotel. We requested a certain area, but when we arrived to check in they said they had no record of it. This year we have booked a package with MyTravel (saw a great deal on travel agents window which was too good to ignore!) but there are certain areas of CSR that I would rather be in, although I have not yet requested any. I wondered who the request was better aimed at - travel agent or Disney itself. Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[irongirlof12]

BOOK BOOK BOOK !

I have booked all but 4 of my TS, when i spoke to Dis the very nice guy informed me that 'Le Cellier' was nearly booked up, and if I had left it any later we would not have got in..I am a planning freak and can't leave it til last min!

 

[DisneyJo]

Noticed that you had successfully requested a room (or block) - how did you do it?

Ooh I'd like to know that too we're staying at CSR from 13th to 27th August!

I've booked all our ADR's for our trip but as I subscribe to TGM I know which parks I'm going to on which days! Also I feel I can always cancel if need be!

 

[Twilight Terror]

Yeah, I've been trying to work out what we are going to do. I would love to just book everything and work around the ADRs, but my mum and sister want to be much more flexible in case of weather and stuff. None of us are fussed about what time we eat, and when we were there in August last year, we ate at R&C, but never made a reservation. We turned up, they said it would be about 20-30minutes, then just as we stepped away from the counter with our little buzzer thing, it started ringing!

But I think we are going to go for a compromise - book some, and leave the others. Crystal Palace is an absolute most, and I will most definitely be booking that one. I've been trying to catch Piglet for 8yrs now, since our first trip in 1999, so I'm most definitely not going to miss that opportunity!

 

[paulh]

Hey we are going to WDW in September and have the free DDP, we will not be makin our ADR's before hand, prefer to just see how we feel on the day and see what is available. To be honest we probably wont do to many character dining, but will look at the signature restaurants, we love the places like Jiko and the Grand Floridan and the DDP makes it easier on the old $$.

I am confident I can eat where we want, but at times might need to be flexible about it.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

no adrs so i take it that you wont be eatting at any signatue places then

 

[Lannin]

no adrs so i take it that you wont be eatting at any signatue places then

We were there last year during the free DDP and managed to eat at Jikos, Narcossees (SP) etc...We are flexible in regards to times and also dates, so many people do book ADR's but then cancel so spaces do pop up....

However by definition of ADR if you mean approach lobby and try book Jikos for that evening or the following evening, I will be doing that.

 

[Mr Brit]

we had a thread about the adr which got cancelled because it got very contentions and rude....lol im from Canterbury kent originally but live 2 min behind the magic kingdom, so for us Disney restaurents are basically our local haunts.

Now there are 2 sides to the coin here. If you know there are certain restaurents you want to go to, for goodness sakes book them early becuase they book up as much as 180 days in advance. I know its mad, and it infuriates the heck out of us because i believe bookings should be taken no more than 30 days ahead. How do you know 6 months down the line where you want to eat. As an example we tried to book a month ahead for an anniversary. We were flexible a day either side and for the time we were felxible from 12 till 8pm and we tried for 6 different restaurents and couldnt get anything.

and thats booking a month ahead. One thing i would say though is stick to your ADR's for 2 reasons. Firstly, the likelyhood of you deciding a week before or even a couple of days before that you dont want to dine on this night at this restaurent but another, you wont be able to get a booking. Trust me...lol, Also, although this might sound unfair, but by cancelling ADR's made in advance or just not turning upto them is unfair to all the other guests, be they tourists or locals who have tried to get ADR's and cant because people book them then either cancel at the last minute or just dont turn up for them.

If your looking for good restaurents to try in Disney, my wife and i are huge foodies and she actually has a thread called the 2 yr disney dining o thon, or something like that. It includes all restaurents be they counter service or table service, all which u can use ur DPP on. I would check it out as we have been to many places, but have slipped lately just because we cant get ADR's.

If anyone wants any advice or info from a used to be tourist who is now a local, we are more than happy to help

 

[Lindy Loo]

I booked our ADRS just now, and ALOT of Signature resturants were booked up, or had a very limited choice of times to eat. 6.15pm or 9.25pm?

I got all the ADRS we wanted, however will FREE dinning when we are there, I would definately be booking some meals, to avoid dissapointment. That was the advice of the CM on the phone! Its first come first served!

 

[chocolate mouse]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before or is very obvious to everyone else, but how do you make an ADR? Do you have to ring the particular restaurant of your choice or is there a central number that covers them all? Once again, any advice very welcome!

 

[Mr Brit]

to make an adr the telephone number is 407-WDW-DINE. Just spell it like it is on the phone, i think its 407-939-3463

Hope this helps

 

[brightspark]

Hi everyone! This is SO weird for me! We have in our 4 trips NEVER made a dining reservation before leaving the UK. We book character meals maybe the day before, but that's it. But then we aren't too fussy about where we eat so maybe that's it.

Had a great experience on our last trip... we turned up at the Coral Reef in Epcot without a reservation at about 12:30 pm and asked if there was anything the had at all for the lunch period.. we were 'up to 3pm would be fine'. Well they seated us in 10 mins and in about the best spot in the whole place! Advanced bookings aren't everything you know!

 

[chocolate mouse]

Hi everyone! This is SO weird for me! We have in our 4 trips NEVER made a dining reservation before leaving the UK. We book character meals maybe the day before, but that's it. But then we aren't too fussy about where we eat so maybe that's it.

Had a great experience on our last trip... we turned up at the Coral Reef in Epcot without a reservation at about 12:30 pm and asked if there was anything the had at all for the lunch period.. we were 'up to 3pm would be fine'. Well they seated us in 10 mins and in about the best spot in the whole place! Advanced bookings aren't everything you know!

We are not too fussy about when or where we eat either so it was good to read that you got a great table just like that! I think we will make a few reservations, but we just don't want to be tied down too much to have bookings every day. Am still not too sure what the number is to ring from the UK anyway!

 

[DisneyJo]

The number is 001 407 939 3463 and they open at midday our time, you'll be asked automated questions which you can't bypass so be patient! Also some ADR's require a credit card number (they only charge if you don't show) so have that handy too. The CM's are normally very helpful, good luck!