ADRS vs walk in dining

[alauniira]

I was just wondering...Do they completely book the restaurants with ADRs or do they leave some room for walk ins? I am just wondering if we will be completely out of luck since we only have a few ADRs. Not that I mind counter service...

 

[mkycrzy1971]

If you are going May 1 that will be over the Marathon...there will be a lot of people there so I would call now and see what you can get. Last year we were there May 8-15th (right after the marathon) and most of the marathoners had gone home...we had an ADR for 8:50 at Concourse steakhouse but did not think our 2 1/2 year old son could hold out that long...so I called to see what else was available earlier in the evening...only two options, Beirgaten (sp?) and Maya...we ended up with Maya and loved it but I feel we were lucky to have gotten anything. As far as I know, they do not have to hold tables for walk-ups...it would just depend on how busy they are...my suggestion...CALL RIGHT AWAY. Have fun and eat much...oh yeah, and CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We've seen so many people turned away without ADRs over the last year or two. It seems like they just don't hold tables for guests without ADR anymore. I have read on the boards about people being turned away at the podium of a restaurant for not having an ADR and being able to call WDW-Dine from a cell phone and get an ADR for the same restaurant that day.

Congrats on your wedding!

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Why would they hold tables for walkups when planners call wanting the table. Disney wants to maximize seatings, not hold something 'just in case.' If you want to eat at TS, better make those ADRs. If you can't find something in the parks, many resorts have great restaurants. But those are often fully booked most of the time.

 

[crisi]

They do not hold tables. Rumor is that they overbook based on a historical statistical no show rate. If they are pretty sure that 10% of the people booking won't show, they book 110% of the tables.

That doesn't mean that there are not walkups. Some restaurants simply don't fill at certain times of year. Others have days where no shows exceed expectations.

 

[madalex]

We've seen so many people turned away without ADRs over the last year or two. It seems like they just don't hold tables for guests without ADR anymore. I have read on the boards about people being turned away at the podium of a restaurant for not having an ADR and being able to call WDW-Dine from a cell phone and get an ADR for the same restaurant that day.

While I agree that this happens, I had the opposite happen on a trip last year. One afternoon, I asked the YC concierge to try to make me an ADR at the Captain's Galley for dinner that night. I was told that no ADRs were available, which I thought odd as I have never seen that restaurant full. I was also told to go down at dinner time and try to walk in to the restaurant. Sure enough, at that time, the restaurant was not very full and we had no problem getting a table. Not sure why I could not get an ADR in this situation, but this is what I experienced.

 

[myAAbatteries&aTD]

We've walked up for dinner in June (not expecting to get a table) and were lucky enough to get seated w/in about 5 minutes at Liberty Tree..... we were so excited! I know not to expect it every time b/c we've been turned away at places, too.... but it CAN happen...

 

[aubriee]

oops. duplicate post.

 

[aubriee]

This will be the fourth year in a row that I've gone down there either the first or second week of May. I have seen walkups turned away every trip. Saying that, I am also one of the ones who decided to try Sci Fi as a walk up a couple of years ago. I was told no walkups were being taken, so stepped back, called WDW Dining on my cell phone, and was given an ADR for just 20 minutes later. As I walked back up to the podium the CM recognized me, so looked a little confused. I told him I had an ADR now and wriggled my cell phone at him. As I gave him my name and he looked again at his screen, laughed, and said 'neat trick'. That's been the only time I've ever been able to do that though. I always keep the WDW dine number in my cell phone, just in case I decide to change my ADRs while I'm down there.

I'm on the DxDDP for my trip May 3rd-10th, so made my ADRs at 180 days out. I've tried several times to change two of my ADRs, but have not been successful. I'd call now for ADRs if you can. Sometimes the dining CMs will help you out. I'm going solo and I know when I called, on two different ADRs when I asked for a table for one, he said "I can seat the three of you at _____ time. When I corrected him and said again I was solo, he laughed, and again said, "As I said, I can seat the three of you at _______time." I laughed and said 'I guess my dining partners are going to be sick that day?' He again laughed and said "either that or such these are such popular restaurants, you may always pick up someone in the park that day".

 

[eliza61]

I was just wondering...Do they completely book the restaurants with ADRs or do they leave some room for walk ins? I am just wondering if we will be completely out of luck since we only have a few ADRs. Not that I mind counter service...

How flexible are you? If there is someplace you absolutely must eat at, then I would make an adr. My family and I are more free spirited. we hate having decide 6 months out where we may or maynot want to eat but there really are no restaurants that we have to eat out at.
My next trip is May 2-9th and I have 1 adr schedule and I'm willing to bet we will eat TS at least 1/day probably more like 2. Here are my tips.

1) Walk ups in the park are hard but when you wake up call from your room and ask whats available in whatever park your at. You would be surprised at how many things open up. We've gotten into Le Cellier, Crystal palace, sci-fi diner and many other places calling the morning of.


2) Be adventerous (sp?) Go to the front desk of the resort and ask them to see whats open that day. Resort restuarants are many times hidden treasures. We have had great meals at places we would normally never have tried

3) change your schedule. Most people like to do a sit down dinner. Try a sit down lunch. added bonus: prices are usually lower than dinner. Last year, my family and I did some thing really different. We ate a TS breakfast, and then skipped lunch then we had an early dinner. tons of restuarants had early afternoon hours open. Big bonus: around 7-8 we would end the night with a really great ice cream dessert. Usually if you eat at regular dinner hours no one has room for dessert

 

[Goofy4]

There's something very mysterious about those ADRs. We walked up (to the upstairs desk) at Boma at got a much earlier seating than the 8:45 ADR (first available) that we were hanging on to.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Accepting walk-ups really just depends on the restaurant and the time. I prefer to make ADR's. Then I can plan and I know I'm getting what I want. That being said, in the past, my family has walked-up and gotten into (within 20 minutes wait) to Boma, Concourse Steakhouse, Sci-Fi, Garden Grill, and Brown Derby. So it all depends on what you want to leave to chance and luck.