Anyone go and NOT do ADRs or character meals?

[mommy-on-the-move]

We're travelling on a (very tight) budget with a large group, much of our group are organising alot of ADRs and character meals- these are just coming up as waaaay out of our budget, yes they might be reasonable prices but not when we can eat so much cheaper at counter service etc, also with a large family (3 of whom are under 5) we don't really want to be tied to having to eat at X place at X time- we need flexibility.

So- anyone else do disney without ADRs/character meals? Did you find difficulty get a table service meal without ADRs? (just in case we do fancy it)

 

[Aliceacc]

When are you going?

I think you'll probably be happier with at least one or two ADRs, even if it means fast food the rest of your trip. How about Chef Mickey's (buffet, so it's fixed price and predictable) on the night you arrive? My kids are dying to get to the ice cream sundae bar there!

 

[powellrj]

we went for years and never did a table service or character meal. Its WDW and your kids will have a great trip no matter where you eat!

Your kids are young enough that they will be so interested in everything going on they won't want to take the time to sit down and eat a table service meal. If you do decide to add one, it will be hard to get exactly what you want, but if you call in the morning, you can always get something! For our 25th, we didn't have any ADRS for the day of our anniversary and were able to eat dinner in the castle by calling first thing in the morning and asking what was available.

 

[MiniGirl]

So- anyone else do disney without ADRs/character meals? Did you find difficulty get a table service meal without ADRs? (just in case we do fancy it)

Since most of our trips are spur-of-the-moment trips, we never have ADRs. (I'm talking calling CRO and asking if they have rooms available for that night last minute.)
It can be difficult w/o a reservation depending on the time of year you go. However, if you are willing to eat very early, you will have better luck -- even during a busier season. We managed to eat at Whispering Canyon, Artist's Point, Boma, and several others all without an ADR.

 

[Charleston Princess]

It wasn't until the advent of the DDP that we started eating at TS more that once or twice -- growing up, we NEVER ate at TS, and it wasn't until 1995 that I ate at one at WDW (Mama Melrose's to be exact).

So, to make a long story short, I think you will be absolutely okay to do CS the whole trip if you want to -- when we went in October, it was a quick trip on a budget and we didn't do any sit-downs -- we were still perfectly happy because we were at Walt Disney World.

 

[720L]

We never do ADRs. Table service takes up too much time and money for us. When the kids get older we will spend time doing that. We never have a problem with counter service. One tip to help you is don't eat when everyone else is eating. We have lunch around 11:30ish and eat dinner around 5:30ish. Young kids at Disney don't care where they eat, at least mine don't.

 

[mericletwins]

We usually don't do many table service meals. We do try to do one character meal, breakfast is cheaper than dinner and then one other meal or two depending on how long we are there. You did say that you have three kids under three and I believe that children under three eat free at the buffets. Buffets are a good choice on a budget because you know the cost for everyone going in. I do think that you will be fine with mostly counter service, but I would do a couple table service to break it up. Trails End Buffet at FW is also a good buffet for dinner that has a more reasonable cost.

 

[design_mom]

When we go, we usually only do one character breakfast and maybe one other TS meal (or maybe not.) Most days we do CS. My kids are young and don't care to sit in a restaurant and would rather be enjoying the park. Maybe when they're older we'll do more TS.

If you can fit it into your budget, I do think one character meal is nice. The kids get a little more one-on-one time with the characters. My kids are not "autograph hounds" so they are usually happy meeting the characters at the meal and then we do not spend a lot of time waiting in line for characters in the park.

We have had trouble getting into TS restaurants in the parks without ADRs unless we were willing to eat VERY LATE (like 9:30pm-ish). Even early times were not available. We've had a bit better luck at hotel restaurants, especially if you're willing to eat early like another poster mentioned.

If you're going to be there for a long trip, you might consider making an ADR or two just in case your family gets totally sick of counter service food. You can cancel them if you decide not to use them. But, with careful planning, I think you can maintain enough counter-service variety to get along just fine without TS dining.

 

[bellebud]

our first few trips we did tons of adr's... our last couple of trips, no adr's. Boy, did we spend less on food! The table service restaurants are certainly very nice and the character ones are certainly fun, but the food is no better (unless you're going to one of the *nice* ones).

BUT we also used the character meals as a way for the kids to meet the characters when they were little (they're now 6 and 8) - we didn't want to stand in character greeting lines during park time... you have to eat anyway, and it's a bit of down time for the kids. I'd maybe do Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace once if you want them to meet those characters. One trip we didn't happen to see Mickey anywhere in the parks, and we didn't do Chef Mickey's, and when we got home the only thing ds kept saying was "I need to go back, I didn't see Mickey!"... he was a little upset. So I made sure we had an adr for chef mickey's next trip.

Like someone else posted, at counter service, try to eat at 11:30am and dinner at an off time too. You'll not feel crowded at all, but at regular lunch time, unless it's SLOW season, you can have trouble finding a table. Chef Mickey's is great for the day you arrive (just be sure to leave plenty of time to get there after your arrival), since you don't need to get in a park to eat there, and they get to meet the *big guy* right away!

Also, there have been times the dining phone # said no ressies were available for a place, but they did have walk-up slots. ie... we were staying at beach club (or boardwalk... can't remember), called the dining number on the resort phone, told nothing available at le cellier (canada at epcot), walked over anyway, went up to the podium and were seated w/in 15 minutes. That may have been a fluke (don't count on it happening), but I do believe they keep a few slots open for walk ups (but maybe not during very busy times). I've also been told at the podium when I've tried to walk up that a place has nothing at all available, so it's hit or miss I guess.

hope that helps!

 

[CruisinEars]

We have never done ADR's or a character meal. We don't like to spend too much on food so CS are fine. We usually eat breakfast at the hotel, lunch in the parks (CS) and then dinner somewhere offsite. We always rent a car so it is much easier to go offsite. We also like to have our park break at dinner time and then go back for the evening activities. So, yes it can be done and you can have a great time. This is the plan we will be doing on our upcoming trip.

 

[TJA]

I try to just make ADR's at the places we are dying to eat at. Such as LeCellier and Chef Mickeys. Of course, if you are going during peak season, then it will be difficult to get in a lot of restaurants without ADR's.

 

[_queenie_]

We always do our ADRs in the morning before we leave. I hate making them any earlier than that because we really don't know what our schedule will be until we wake up. Though, we have found out the hard way that if you don't at least do the ones for parks then (sometimes we'll do our lunch when we first walk into the park and that works), there's literally nowhere with openings. As much as it kills me to say it, unless you're willing to wait half-an-hour, the park lunch or dinner walk-in is virtually no more.

 

[Safari Queen]

We went for years with no ADRs (CS is better with impatient kids, I think) or character meals. Character meals are a great way to give your kids characters opportunities without long lines, but you have other options.

Things have changed a little with a grandchild. Each year I ask our DGD what character she'd most like to dine with and I make one ADR, accordingly. We still rely on CS for almost all meals (can't resist one Boma meal each trip).

 

[susykt4]

We did one ADR each of our first two trips. We did a character meal each time. Our last trip we skipped all table service meals. They take sooooo much time and never really work out to a time everyone is actually hungry. My two kids are young and would never tolerate sitting in a non-character restaurant! Don't worry about it! You'll see tons and tons of characters without paying to eat "with" them.

 

[scrapquitler]

We have been to WDW about 6 or 7 times, and we NEVER do TS or character meals. No, one time when I went with friends in high school we did one TS meal (walk up, no ADR).

A couple considerations: my children and my DH are very fussy eaters, and I hate to go in a restaurant, pay for the meal and have them complaining about the food and then not eating it. Also, we have decided that when we go to the park, we don't want to spend and hour or two of our precious park time sitting in a restaurant eating dinner.

Instead, we eat counter service meals and snacks. The two kids will either eat a kids meal or some single item, or they wil share one 'adult' meal. DH and I will also often eat just a kids meal CS for lunch or dinner. Then we eat snacks. Much more fun to snack our way around the world

Since we stay offsite, we'll either eat in the room (condo) or at a restaurant that we know the kids like (Applebees, Olive Garden, Chilis, Friendly's etc) a few times during the week. But honestly, we mostly just snack and CS.

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, they are much appreciated- the large group we're travelling with are all childless and I wanted to get fellow parent opinions before committing to any of the big group adrs they are looking to make. Dh and I have talked and we've agreed (after taking everyones advice on board) we'll agree to go along to a couple of the breakfast ADRs they are making for the buffet style breakfasts as the cost is cheaper and the kids will be perkier for eating.

Thanks for all your advice. (I love this place- soooo many questions i just couldn't get answered from a parents-eye-view anywhere else)

 

[tweedlemom]

We never do ADR's or even TS. Always counter service and our kids are fine with that.