Are ADR's really needed

[d2egsc]

We will be at Disney the last week of Sept. Is it possible to get a table at character breakfast without ADR? We are early risers so we will be at the resturants early.

I have been looking at making ADR's today and seem to be planning my vacation around where I eat. I am having a hard time committing 110 days out to what I want to eat on a Wednesday at lunch. What are some good resturants that don't require reservations. I dont like buffets. We are staying at POR.

 

[mcd2745]

We will be at Disney the last week of Sept. Is it possible to get a table at character breakfast without ADR? We are early risers so we will be at the resturants early.

I have been looking at making ADR's today and seem to be planning my vacation around where I eat. I am having a hard time committing 110 days out to what I want to eat on a Wednesday at lunch. What are some good resturants that don't require reservations. I dont like buffets. We are staying at POR.

Are ADRs needed? Only if you want to eat.


Seriously though, you're not likely at all to get an early morning, pre-Rope Drop character breakfast without an ADR...no matter how early you rise.

I totally sympathize with your dilemma of having to commit to a meal that far in advance (I don't like it all either) , but unfortunately, this is the system Disney has created. You may be able to find a table for lunch without an ADR though - particulalrly in World Showcase (just not Le Cellier) or at a resort restaurant.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I would like to add you are going during free dining. Many restaurants will be totally booked. In fact some are even now.

 

[sunshineNJ]

Yes, you need adrs. Just make them and you can always cancel any that day. At least you will have them if you decide yo use them. You will be really glad you made adrs.

 

[crostorfer]

Is is possible to get in without an ADR? Sure. I suppose anything is possible. Is it at all in any way, shape, or form likely? No. As a PP said, free dining means places being booked to capacity. Not everyone wants to think about what you are going to have for breakfast three and a half months in advance, but unfortunately it's kind of necessary.

 

[lovin'fl]

Lunch is easier to walk up than dinner...you could always do TS for lunch and CS for dinner. Here is a list from a Disney Dining Guide book that I have that are easier places to walk up to for dinner: Biergarten (hmmm, really?), Big River Brewing Works (I think this is correct, we did it once), ESPN Club, Brown Derby, House of Blues, Il Mulino NY Trattoria (at the Swan), Portobello, Raglan Road and Yachtsman. This book also says that between 2:00-5:00 and after 7:00 are better times to try (I'd say after 8:00 though).

 

[Hopefully]

We will be at Disney the last week of Sept. Is it possible to get a table at character breakfast without ADR? We are early risers so we will be at the resturants early.

I have been looking at making ADR's today and seem to be planning my vacation around where I eat. I am having a hard time committing 110 days out to what I want to eat on a Wednesday at lunch. What are some good resturants that don't require reservations. I dont like buffets. We are staying at POR.

Yes it is necessary to make ADR's for character breakfasts, even if you are an early riser. You are going during free dining and the character breakfasts will fully book. WDW does not keep tables for "walk ups" even if you are staying at that resort.
If you know there is somewhere you want to eat on your trip, you need to make an ADR

 

[tina.tina]

I'll ask you like I asked DH, would you rather have the aggravation of deciding where to eat now or would you rather have nowhere to eat when you get there?

Would you want to take a chance on having nowhere to eat except long lines at CS restaurants? If you have the regular dining plan, you'd be wasting TS credits if you can't find anywhere as a walk up.

 

[litlkar]

IMHO I don't think I would go to WDW without ADR's

 

[maj42169]

I would like to add you are going during free dining. Many restaurants will be totally booked. In fact some are even now.

Absolutely with free dining taking place during your travel period you must have an ADR to get seated because most places, especially the character breakfasts, will be booked solid!

 

[baler31]

It is a harsh reality that you have to plan around your ADR's, particularly if you want early am character breakfasts as they are some of the most coveted ressies.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

For Character Breakfasts you will definitely need an ADR.

For the rest, you could try walk up but as everyone else said if you are going during free dining which I thought ended on 9/25/2011 as it's last date this year, you won't find any TS available as walk ups.

If you are doing the normal DDP with 1 TS, 1CS and a snack, you will definitely want to do ADR's. Otherwise you could end up not being able to eat TS. You definitely wouldn't be able to eat at the more popular resort restaurants like O'Hana for dinner or the California Grill.

What I do is I figure out which park I want to go to and which date and make my ADR's in that park for that day. If I need to cancel one while I'm at Disney, I have the dining ressie phone number in my phone so I can quickly call and cancel.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

For the rest, you could try walk up but as everyone else said if you are going during free dining which I thought ended on 9/25/2011 as it's last date this year, you won't find any TS available as walk ups.

That's the last date someone can CHECK IN and get free dining. So don't think come 9/26 restaurants will have more availability.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Two Table Service Restaurants that don't accept ADR's is the ESPN Club at the Boardwalk and Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club. Those are some of my favorite places to eat at and I would highly recommend them.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Is is possible to get in without an ADR? Sure. I suppose anything is possible. Is it at all in any way, shape, or form likely? No. As a PP said, free dining means places being booked to capacity. Not everyone wants to think about what you are going to have for breakfast three and a half months in advance, but unfortunately it's kind of necessary.

A few years ago during Free Dining just for fun my family and I asked if there was any tables available for dinner at the Kona Cafe. We actually didn't want to eat there, just wanted to see what the answer would be. Anyway the Cast Member said there was but the wait would be at least 90 minutes. Now I am not saying ADR's not important because during Free Dining and other restaurants during the whole year guests will need them. However my example proves you can still go to a Table Service Restaurant during Free Dining without an ADR and still wait if you don't mind, so if no one asks they will never know.

 

[crostorfer]

A few years ago during Free Dining just for fun my family and I asked if there was any tables available for dinner at the Kona Cafe. We actually didn't want to eat there, just wanted to see what the answer would be. Anyway the Cast Member said there was but the wait would be at least 90 minutes. Now I am not saying ADR's not important because during Free Dining and other restaurants during the whole year guests will need them. However my example proves you can still go to a Table Service Restaurant during Free Dining without an ADR and still wait if you don't mind, so if no one asks they will never know.

I agree, and I like I said, anything is possible, however the OP was specifically asking about early morning character breakfasts, not a walk up dinner at Kona.

It is possible to try to walk up some place like 'Ohana for breakfast and wait for 2 hours, if you so choose. If I was going to choose a character meal to walk up to for breakfast I think the best bet would be Cape May at the Beach Club. I wouldn't try any of the places in the MK, or at Chef Mickey's which will be mobbed.

 

[d2egsc]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I now have reservations at the 5 places that I really wanted to go, including OHana for breakfast on our last day.

 

[Cee]

You're going at the end of Sept. so you have a better chance than most other times of the year. This is what we do: Call the day we arrive and ask what is available on certain days for this or that. We have been lucky so far in always getting a "last minute" ADR. We've had to be flexible on times and even restaurants but we've never been disappointed and even have a few new favorites!

 

[MickeyNicki]

We did a week in WDW May 19-25 without reservations and scored a walk up for dinner every night but none of them were character meals and there was just the 2 of us.

We did Rope Drop at MK and Epcot and you would no believe the lines for people getting in CP and Norway Princess....if these are on your list I would make a reservation. Honestly I would make reservations for any character meal as they do tend to sell out

 

[PHILCT]

If your on the Basic or Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, Reservations are really necessary to make it work and become worthwhile.

Paying OUT OF POCKET:

Reservations offer you "possibilities" each day you wish to go to a table service. Without them you will NOT get into the popular restaurants, and often unlikely you will get into some of the rest for dinner, or breakfast buffets. Lunch walk ups have a chance if you go check for availability EARLY when lunch opens up.

So if you want to "wing" it, you may end up eating a lot at counter service places instead.

If you do make a RESERVATION as a "POSSIBILITY" it is good to cancel them hours earlier the same day or a day before, to let them open up to other people as a courtesy.

At 180+10 days out I always create a PLAN, POSSIBILITIES (Reservations), and if things change, I cancel those POSSIBILITIES hours or days ahead of schedule.