ADR's...are they absolutely necessary?

[CathieArms]

I figure it depends on when, where, and the size of your party, but in general, are ADR's really always necessary? We've taken a trip to WDW every other year for as long as I can remember and have never, ever made an ADR yet have almost always been able to eat wherever we've wanted for each meal. For our next trip in Feb. I was going to make one for a character breakfast but am wondering if I really HAVE to? I guess my hesitation is having to plan around it (we're "go with the flow" Disney vacationers...as type-A as I am, I don't like being on a schedule in Disney), but also because it's for Akershus and the CC stuff makes me nervous, especially because we'll be travelling with my grandparents and I don't want to leave them out when I make the res. but I also don't want to end up paying for them if they're not able to go when the time comes.

I wouldn't ever "plan" on eating at a TS restaurant without them, even if it just means making it 3 or 4 hours in advance.

I've had good luck with making reservations for Akershus the night before.

 

[marmar]

we've done ADR's since May 1993 on our second trip to WDW we could not get into a char breakfast the entire week we were there (I called the moment we arrived in our room). Since then we do a family meeting early in our trip planning. We make ADR's for every dinner with each family member getting their favorites. We throw in a new restaurant every trip.

In the 12 trips we've made I have never seen anyone walk up for Rose & Crown Illuminations seating. I've never seen anyone walk up to LeCellier since DDP started. However, Marakesh almost always takes walkups. So it all depends on what you will settle for.

You won't stave without ADR's but it's no fun pushing a stroller from restaurant to restaurant when everyone is hungry.

 

[Angel16]

One good thing we notice during free dining is......the parks are not as crowded because everyone is trying to the most out of their free dining.
Seriously, we have been going to WDW for many years now. I wouldn't dream of NOT having a ADR for our main meal of the day. I have seen so many people turned away from restaurant after restaurant. We have stayed club level in the past for some of our trips. It once was possible to call your IPO and ask about them getting your into someplace that evening. With the new system Disney has installed they do not hold back tables for walk-ins or resort guests with out ADR's.

Whatever you do, you will not starve and a day at Disney without a sit down meal is better then work, cooking and cleaning up after. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[bluejasmine]

FOr the last 5 yrs I cant imagine anyone getting into restaurants without having an ADR. It may be possible but it would be alot of work checking in with restaurants right at opening or having the front desk check everything for an opening daily!
I have to say I enjoy making my ADrs its part of the fun of planning and even tho sometimes its a pain to stop and go to an ADR its normally a nice break in the AC! I make my ADrs 180 days out getting my most important ones and then I tweak or add some as I go along..
If I were to go on a short trip Ill just do CS and maybe make 1 ADR

 

[Wildflowerz]

Our first visit was in 2001 and it was just the hubs and I. We didn't make any before we got there. We had no problem making them once we were there, but if we tried to walk up to anywhere on days we didn't have ADRs we couldn't get in and ended up eating CS somewhere. This was the second week in December...one of the lowest attendance times at that time.

This time, it's us and our DD. We're doing the DP and I picked all our TS meals and made the ADRs this weekend. We were able to get most of what we wanted, excluding Ohana for dinner, and had to settle for Le Cellier at 4:30pm for a dinner. We're going the 3rd week in January. MLK week, but still pretty low attendance.

 

[Marty Joe]

Why risk it? ADR's are too easy to make online. I screwed up and did not make an ADR for 'Ohana last year. We tried to get a walk-in by getting there early. We did not get in and I looked like a goober - never again!!! I HATE looking like a GOOBER!!

 

[Alexander]

The only reason we don't make ADRs is because we don't want to be tied down to a schedule. We usually spend no more than 3 hours/day in the parks, and we don't decide which park to visit until we are walking out of our room that morning. We've done the ADR thing for years and had to be at point A and be hungry at a set time--this just isn't our style for vacation.

We know fully that we may not get a table at a TS restaurant when walk up and ask. We know it is totally a crap shoot, and if we get a table, great, if not, we simply move on to another dining choice.

 

[MommyBryn]

The only reason we don't make ADRs is because we don't want to be tied down to a schedule. We usually spend no more than 3 hours/day in the parks, and we don't decide which park to visit until we are walking out of our room that morning. We've done the ADR thing for years and had to be at point A and be hungry at a set time--this just isn't our style for vacation.

We know fully that we may not get a table at a TS restaurant when walk up and ask. We know it is totally a crap shoot, and if we get a table, great, if not, we simply move on to another dining choice.

This is exactly why I asked in the first place. We don't like to be tied down, either. It's not a real vacation for us if we're tied to a schedule.

Like I said a few posts back though, I did go ahead and make that one ADR for Akershus, and I actually went ahead and made a few more now that it turns out it'll be during free dining. I'll probably go ahead and make one for our TS meal each day and then once we actually get down there if we decide on a different park for the day I'll just call that morning try to get something else and then cancel our old res.

 

[snowy76]

This is exactly why I asked in the first place. We don't like to be tied down, either. It's not a real vacation for us if we're tied to a schedule.

This is why I like the DIS, for all the different perspectives. For me, it's not a real vacation if I wind up eating counter service all week because I got shut out of restaurants. My TS choices are like attractions to me, as much as the rides and shows.

That being said, I HATE how things have evolved over the last few years to where you NEED ADRs to ensure a table where you want.

 

[poohpcgirl]

Wow, I am so glad I saw this. I had to change my Vac due to illness and made it for Nov 28th-Dec4th. I was DEVESTATED that I could not get ANY of my ressies I had agian. (I made mine at 180 days out from my first trip dates) I was going to ask if I had any chance to walk to some of the places I wanted. We are early eaters and usually eat lunch at 11 and dinner around 4:30. I thought since this was not usually busy times, we might could walk up. But this sounds like we are just out of luck. Man, my boys are going to be disappointed. Me too.....I always have a meal with Pooh...LOL
Oh well, we will still be in Disney and it will be my DS 9th Bday while we are there. So no matter what, we will still have a blast.

 

[canoe86]

For our family, the eating is a large part of the trip.

We hit the parks early, usually done by noon or 1, lunch with a ADR, naps for the kids in the afternoon, dinner with ADR and then something in the evening.

So, we get the ADR so that we can be assured of eating at a place of our choice. Since we are not marathon park people, it fills in the other part of the trip.

 

[fla4fun]

If you look up the words "spontaneous" and "wing it" in the Disney dictionary, you'll see my picture. I hate making ADR's and having to plan my entire day around when I'm eating. Still, I know there are certain restaurants that if I want to eat there, I have to make that ADR. So I have an ADR for Le Cellier for both my September and January trips. Otherwise, no ADR's.

I am willing to try a day or two ahead to see what's available if I decide I want a TS meal, but I'm also satisfied with QS dining only. Since both my trips are in the Epcot resorts area, I know I'll be hitting a lot of the WS QS restaurants. I like the diversity of QS at Epcot and with an AP, it's easy to just pop in for a quick meal.

Do you have to have ADR's? No, you don't HAVE to. Lots of people don't dine TS at all and have great Disney trips. But if you want to dine at the popular TS restaurants, character meals, or if you travel during busy times and like TS dining, you pretty much have to bite the bullet and make ADR's to get what you want. I think the best compromise is to make one or two for your favorite restaurants, and then check availability closer to your trip, or even during your trip, to see what might be available when you know who is going and where they're going to be. One tip though - if you are unsure about your party size, make the ADR for the maximum number who may be in your group. It's much easier to downsize when you arrive at the restaurant than to upsize.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Sorry, you have to book them!

 

[asudol]

For a laugh, I logged on to disney dining and looked for reservations available for my party size (6) for tonight (I'm not going until end of September, but it was a good indication of what a Friday night would look like). There are about 20 TS restaurants -- some very nice like the Yachtsman, etc -- that have available tables.

For a party of 4, there were more than 30 choices, many with multiple available times.

So, although everyone is right in saying you need ADR, book it in the morning or through the day and you should be fine. Maybe not get the exact place you want to eat at, but you definitely will not go hungry.