Advance reservations for off season?

[cgerdes]

We are going in September do we really need to get advance reservations for every night or can we get by with walk in? I am type A but really like some spontaneity and I'm not sure where we will end up each night.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

When we went last September (we had adr's booked) and went to some of the restaurants, guests would come in and try to get a seating and they were told to come back around 8:30 or later! Quite a few were very frustrated.
Oh and welcome to the dis!

 

[MrsTomMorrow]

It depends on the restaurant. We were there last September and had ADRs at Le Cellier. We heard the hostess telling another couple that tried to walk-in that they were booked solid for the next month! However, we had no problems walking in to a couple others. Good luck!

 

[bleeps]

If you aren't particular about where you eat, or when, then "winging it" is fine. If there are specific restaurants you want to get in to, and if you want to eat at fairly specific times, you need ADRs or you are leaving yourself open to major disappointment.

The guidebooks, etc., are not quite up-to-speed on what the Disney Dining Plan has done to the table service restaurants -- all year 'round, they get booked up by people on the dining plan (which is great for Disney, and we love the dining plan so it's great for us, too!). Anyway, "conventional wisdom" no longer applies to off-season and dining reservations.

 

[ssdeverell]

Our ADR's were made on Tuesday (180 days out), and although we got times within 5-15 minutes of what I requested, we did not get exactly what we wanted on all of them. I would get them, but I am quite obsessive about these things. As others have said, most were being turned away last year, but it was also free dining.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I would make ADR's for places like Le Cellier and any character meals. Some other places, like San Angel at Epcot for example you might be okay. But if there are any places you really want to try or have been to before and know you want to go again, make an ADR. The worst thing that happens is that you get there, decide you need to change your plans and cancel. And if they should bring back that free dining thing again for next September you will be glad you have them. We had family members that went last September. They weren't going to make ADR's but I convinced them otherwise and they thanked me profusely! This after many times of seeing others completely, flat out turned away. And as the popular places fill up, the less popular ones get the overflow and get booked up too.

 

[patrokls]

Since your going in the off season you don't need to be obsessive( oh no its 180 days out and I haven't made them yet) about it. I'm going in May and just made my ADR's yesterday. I got everything I wanted even Le Cellier. Youv'e got time to make up your mind. Get a few ADR's play the rest by ear. Have fun either way.