Are ADR's essential?

[Antigua08]

Hi all, we have a family holiday booked for sept 2011. There will be 9 of us inc my DD who would of just turned 2, my nephew 5 and my niece 9. Just wondering will ADR be needed or will it be quiet enough to book say on the day?

I've previously been back in 2006 and the only wait for a table we had was at The Crystal Palace, and that wasn't for too long. As there are kids with us this time tho we just want to be a bit better prepared.

Also are there any restaurants within Disney or Downtown Disneythat you would say are not to be missed? So far we've decided on Chef Mickeys and The Crystal Palace, don't want to over do the character dining tho just incase my little girl gets a bit scared!

Thanks

 

[orangetiggs]

with a large paRTY i would def book adrs, we went last sept and struggled to get a table in a few places that we hadnt booked

 

[2Tiggies]

I agree with orangetiggs. Book the ones you really want. You CAN cancel if you change your mind. You CAN'T get a walk up quite as easily. Different story perhaps as a party of 2, but with 9 I wouldn't risk it. You dont want to miss out on somewhere you really wanted to eat and walk ups anywhere could be difficult. Remember, September over the past few years has typically been free dining season for the US and the UK, making ressies even more of a challenge.

 

[Antigua08]

Thankyou both for that. Its only been since ive joined this site that i've heard of ADRs, would never of thought to book that early otherwise. But think you're both right, with the size of our party its better to have them than possibly miss out.

Will have to do a bit more reading over other threads to get an idea of where we'd like to book

 

[dixonsontour]

Have a plan and book 180 days in advance to be sure of getting what you want at a suitable time.

You can easily cancel if you don't feel like it on the day.

Last year was our first time on DDP. I looked at menus and reviews to see what most appealed. I did a plan of what park each day then chose adr's at or near the park. Worked very well.

The beauty of DDP is you can do alot of character meals if you want.

We also liked the themed meals like Ohana and Whispering canyon.

The food picture thread on the restaurant board is very useful (and addictive!)

 

[Jets fan]

I would defo book ADRs. I went to book Le Cellier for my trip in December and it was full everyday already. The more popular restaurants do tend to get booked up very quickly.

Good luck
Tina

 

[2Tiggies]

For the OP, have you sussed out the restaurants and menus on here:
http://allears.net/din/dining.htm

You can also click on the Rate & Review tab at the top of the page and get an idea what others think of it (although you sometimes need to take harsh crit with a pinch of salt - especially at Disney).

Then any more quesions you have, post, post and post again!

 

[Sapper383]

I agrree, book your ADRS. We went Sep last year and was so glad we did as others were being turned away.

One of our favourite thinks is to book an ADR for breakfast at Crystal Palace, you can get in before the park opens.....it's great to have a photo in front of the castle with nobody else in the shot.

 

[Antigua08]

Thanks everyone for the advice, will definitely go with it and get some ADRS booked when the time comes round. Will aim to do it the full 180 days in advance, very unlike me to be so organized!

Now all l've got to do is get a short list together and then get my family to agree on where to go! That should be interesting

 

[Pegasus928]

In your original post you asked about recommendations in the DTD area.
2 that I would suggest are T-Rex and Earl of Sandwich.
T-Rex - depending on the time you want to eat would dictate whether you need a reservation or not. We have been as it opens at lunch time and have walked in - and by the time we have left there have still been plenty of empty tables. If you prefer a dinner time slot then you will almost certainly need to book as it is a very popular choice espcially for those with kids.
EoS - I don't know for sure but I don't think you can get a reservation for this. The queue always looks to be pretty big but it always moves fast and we have never had any trouble getting a seat.

 

[wilma-bride]

EoS - I don't know for sure but I don't think you can get a reservation for this. The queue always looks to be pretty big but it always moves fast and we have never had any trouble getting a seat.

Earl of Sandwich is a counter service so no reservations needed. Great sandwiches though - and, as Kenny says, the line moves pretty quick

I would also recommend Wolfgang Puck Express (next door to EOS) - great counter service meal but really good quality and great value for money

 

[dixonsontour]

If you go onto the official wdw website under dining and click on each restaurant some have actual menus posted if you click see details but frustratingly not all.

 

[FlyingComet]

I would definitely book! You can cancel reservations a lot easier than you can make one! There are quieter times where it may be possible to walk in though.

 

[wilma-bride]

The other thing I will add, which nobody seems to have mentioned, is that with a party of 9 there is a chance you may not all be seated at the same table for your reservation.

When you make ADRs you will be warned that this is a possibility. However, we were a party of 9 last year and the only restaurant we weren't seated together at was Crystal Palace. It worked out fine, though, as we had two tables next to each other and so just sat the kids at one and the adults at the other.

 

[Antigua08]

As we're trying to fit quite a lot into 2 wks, the general plan is to grab something quick for lunch and to have TS for dinner.

T-rex is somewhere l had thought of especially for my nephew, but wondered what the noise levels are like in there? Is it similar at all to rain forest cafe as that place terrified my nephew! Hopefully being a little older by the time we go it wont have the same affect on him, but would it be a scary for a 2yr old?

I have shown my DH pics on here of food from Earl of Sandwich and he is quite impressed, can't go wrong with a good sandwich in his eyes! If we visit DTD during the day l think we'd definitely pay that one a visit.

Thanks again

 

[Antigua08]

The other thing I will add, which nobody seems to have mentioned, is that with a party of 9 there is a chance you may not all be seated at the same table for your reservation.

When you make ADRs you will be warned that this is a possibility. However, we were a party of 9 last year and the only restaurant we weren't seated together at was Crystal Palace. It worked out fine, though, as we had two tables next to each other and so just sat the kids at one and the adults at the other.

That is good to know. Although spending 2 weeks with my in laws, a little seperation might not be a bad thing

 

[wilma-bride]

That is good to know. Although spending 2 weeks with my in laws, a little seperation might not be a bad thing

You're not wrong! Maybe you ought to read my trip report on our trip with mine

 

[2Tiggies]

Earl of Sandwich is a counter service so no reservations needed. Great sandwiches though - and, as Kenny says, the line moves pretty quick

I would also recommend Wolfgang Puck Express (next door to EOS) - great counter service meal but really good quality and great value for money

Both favourites of ours!