Anyone not make ADRs and wing it?

[holden]

all, great replies and perspectives.






Short trips like how short? Ours is 5 nights/6 days but we haven't been in 6 years. [\QUOTE]

2 nights, 3 days

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Next trip it's just DD12 and myself. For 9 nights we are making 3 ADRS. BOG lunch on arrival day, HDDR on our second night and CG dinner on our last night timed with HEA (surprise for DD). We will also do the MK dessert party one night. After that we are winging it with QS, lounges or same day ADRs. I don't want to be tied down to meals. We want to decide what we're in the mood for. No dining plan. I already feel free. This way when FP day comes around if I need to change park days to get hard to get FP it won't be a big deal.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

It's Easter week and I just checked ADRs for 2 for tomorrow. Lots of availability including BOG, Ohana, Chef Mickey and many many more.

 

[SgtTibbs]

I hesitate to say no. They could ask to see it. It does say "show this to the CM" or something to that effect.
I don't think they've ever asked to see my phone but I haven't ordered since the dining plan payment option took effect so it is more popular now. They may have gotten more particular. And it may well vary by location. We have only used it at Saulti Canteen and for Dole Whip at MK

Let me know next time you are in the parks and I'll send you a couple of Dole Whip's.

 

[Mainemama]

I have found I like a mix of planned meals and unplanned. We travel peak times, and have booked last minute (as in within 3 hours) at CA grill, Boma, Prime Time Cafe, the Wave, etc. These have ended up being some of my favorite memories! You may not find the full range of restaurants at a given time, but there will always be choices. We have found having a Park Hopper increases flexibility options. That said, I am skipping a park hopper for my next trip.

 

[SgtTibbs]

I have found I like a mix of planned meals and unplanned. We travel peak times, and have booked last minute (as in within 3 hours) at CA grill, Boma, Prime Time Cafe, the Wave, etc. These have ended up being some of my favorite memories! You may not find the full range of restaurants at a given time, but there will always be choices. We have found having a Park Hopper increases flexibility options. That said, I am skipping a park hopper for my next trip.

Park hoppers made a lot more sense when they had the express bus but let's not re-open that wound again.

 

[Monykalyn]

Short trips like how short? Ours is 5 nights/6 days but we haven't been in 6 years.

My dd and I booked a trip last minute (2 1/2 weeks from book to go) and even a dinner BoG popped up. Obviously not guarenteed but it does happen.

It's Easter week and I just checked ADRs for 2 for tomorrow. Lots of availability including BOG, Ohana, Chef Mickey and many many more.

Great minds LOL. I just checked and that BoG is still there for lunch for 2!
and I checked for 4 tomorrow lunch and dinner-still lots and lots of stuff- even Victoria and Alberts tomorrow night, and a BoG at 9:20pm

I only have 2 ADR for our June trip-one because I wanted a specific time in Epcot to time for Illuminations seating, 2nd one just because we know we want to go there our late evening day in MK.

Unless it is an ADR you really want and at a certain time most places can wing it, with a few exceptions, and party of 2 is even easier.

 

[KenHutch]

Yes- funny as I have seen people try a walk up and they say they have no availability while I checked MDE and it shows a reservation time?? So even if MDE shows plenty of availability, don't just walk up.

I had some friends do this last week at Skippers Canteen. They saw it and wanted lunch there. The place was half empty and they were told no seating available. They remembered a conversation with me got online in front of the seater and got an ADR for 2. They showed the phone to her and they were seated.

 

[sponica]

Have you been happy with the options or disappointed by the lack of when you book the same day?

Pretty happy. We scored same day Le Cellier dinner (for 2 and it was our honeymoon). We also had dinner in Morocco one night.

 

[Firebird060]

Also remember if You want to wing it at the Yak and Yeti in animal kingdom and have Joined the Landry Select Club, you pretty much get in within 5 to 10 minutes no reso needed even if they say its a 2 hour wait but thats just works at landry owned restaurants and in My opinion the only one worth it on Disney Property is the Yak and Yeti, for universal there are better options

 

[gharter]

Lunch is usually QS or kiosks so no ADRs.
Dinner is almost always ADRs as the nicer restaurants where we want to eat, walk up is often not an option without a riduculously long wait if at all.

 

[richkaryn]

If willing to eat at Disney Springs, you can usually find openings at many of the restaurants on Open Table day of.

 

[Mumketeer]

Hi all. All this planning has me wondering if anyone here prefers not to make ADRs and wing it when they get there?

If so, did you get to dine where you wanted? What did availability look like?

We always go for a late lunch at Be Obur Guest and have never had a problem. Disney Springs we got a table at Bongos. No probs.

 

[JerseyJanice]

At this point, the only reason I would book ADRs for a whole trip is if I were on a Dining Plan with TS meals.

I find ADRs to be a pain to make and keep track of. I have only 2 of them for our 8 night upcoming trip. I have the Landry’s Select Club card for our Y&Y meal. Any other meals will be on the fly, QS or a Swan/Dolphin restaurant.

 

[rentayenta]

You will want to make an ADR when you decide where you want to eat, not just walk up and ask. However, you can do that an hour or so before, assuming availability.

Ok! Thanks!

It's the only way we go.
We open the app as we start to get hungry, see what ADR are available for wherever it is we are at that time and book it.
Works like a champ.
This is for parties of 2, 3, and 4.
We do only TS too. We aren't fans of QS at Disney
We always found plenty of places to dine that we liked. We wouldn't dine anywhere we didn't like

We are not big fans of counter service either; we prefer sit down or lounges.

we wing it a lot in recent years. we can do lunch TS somewhat easy as well as non park TS places at dinnertime. we also do late dinners, like 8-8:45. i kinda like doing it. it's like playing a game of chance to see what you can get. usually a party of 2 or 4.

Later dinners are a good way to go. It doesn't look like we will have many if any late park nights.

Pretty happy. We scored same day Le Cellier dinner (for 2 and it was our honeymoon). We also had dinner in Morocco one night.

Nice!

If willing to eat at Disney Springs, you can usually find openings at many of the restaurants on Open Table day of.

We are willing to eat there. Lots of good options. I bet the weekends get fairly busy.

At this point, the only reason I would book ADRs for a whole trip is if I were on a Dining Plan with TS meals.

I find ADRs to be a pain to make and keep track of. I have only 2 of them for our 8 night upcoming trip. I have the Landry’s Select Club card for our Y&Y meal. Any other meals will be on the fly, QS or a Swan/Dolphin restaurant.

We are not on the dining plan; I tried to make it make sense and no matter how I try, it doesn't work for us.

 

[Polyonmymind]

Once my daughter grew out of the Character buffets, we stopped with the ADR's. Unless we specifically HAVE to eat somewhere on a specific day, we wing it. We also started going OOP when the buffets stopped.

We have a 5 day trip this fall, with only 2 ADR's... one for a Sci-Fi lunch only because TSL will be open, and this is my DD's lone request. Second ADR is a Sunday brunch at Homecomin'. That's it, and it is a great feeling not to by tied down by a meal.

 

[aliciamakino]

The planner in me HATES not having ADR's but my DH is a go with the flow type, plus we tend to book our trips 6 weeks out. So we have done 2 trips with no ADR's and been just fine. Granted these were during "no busy" times so we were able to book night before/same day to the places we wanted to go. But we mainly do QS and TS randomly. To me, the best trip is a mix of both. This time around I did ADR for our "must dos" (BOG, and Cindy's) other than that we are winging it.

 

[prprincess]

I've winged it during our shorter (3-4 day) last minute (yes, we're crazy like that!) trips, and it's not been a problem. We use the app and are usually able to find somewhere we like to eat. If not, we're always happy with the QS options.

 

[rentayenta]

Once my daughter grew out of the Character buffets, we stopped with the ADR's. Unless we specifically HAVE to eat somewhere on a specific day, we wing it. We also started going OOP when the buffets stopped.

We have a 5 day trip this fall, with only 2 ADR's... one for a Sci-Fi lunch only because TSL will be open, and this is my DD's lone request. Second ADR is a Sunday brunch at Homecomin'. That's it, and it is a great feeling not to by tied down by a meal.

That’s how I am feeling. Kind of...tied down. Having said that, our attraction list isn’t overwhelming except in AK.



Thanks for all the replies. I like to see how every does WDW.

 

[Polyonmymind]

It can be a little unsettling at first, but once you get past the "OMG I did not plan, what am I going to do when I'm hungry!!" phase, all will be fine.

Same feeling with our first OOP trip. I was seriously freaking out about having to pay for food at WDW. Pay for food at WDW... who does that?
Shirley you jest!! I was a nervous wreck up until the trip arrived. No ADR's, no Dinning Plan, am I nuts? Then we saw how easy everything worked, how much more free time we had, and have never looked back.

This is not for everyone of course, but it works for us. Good luck and enjoy your trip!