Are Advanced Dining Reservations absolutely required?

[Bolt4Life17]

Hello!

From 2013-2015 I was going twice a year to WDW for two weeks each. We are now taking our first trip since 2015 this January. Every morning at 60 days out at midnight, 3AM, and 6AM PST I was checking WDW for specific ADRs I wanted such as Biergarten and Ohana but I could not get anything to pop up as if bots were taking up all the reservations. So I have a couple days I plan for us to just go there a few hours early, ask to be on a waitlist, then grab some drinks. Is this plausible? I know here in Disneyland you can join a waitlist but it can be an hour or three long. Does WDW allow waitlist people in or do they not taking any walk ups?

2013-2015 I believe I was able to plan my fastpasses and dinners 120 days out with no issues so I never ran into this problem.

Thanks!

 

[EmilyGahr]

Some restaurants do have walk up wait lists, but it's not guaranteed. I would definitely keep checking daily!

Also, Biergarten as well as Ohana dinner have been a common issue for January - I don't think Biergarten reservations have been loaded in the system for January yet.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Before last year, I would have said no.

This year, if you want a meal in a park, the answer is you will likely not be able to count on walk-ups.

Keep checking for reservations - for the most part, if there is nothing at all available at 60 days it may indicate a technical issue.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

In the new world, yes you do. People will cancel, so set up some reservation finders and keep checking yourself.

 

[princesswahooey]

Check the night before. I have consistently seen even coveted reservations pop up the night before as people cancel before being charged the $10 fee.

 

[sponica]

I think party size will also play a factor, a party of 2 will probably have better luck finding something closer to last minute than a party of 6 to 8.

 

[loves to dive]

I think party size will also play a factor, a party of 2 will probably have better luck finding something closer to last minute than a party of 6 to 8.

I was just about to say this. We never make ADRs in advance but we are usually a party of two or I'm solo. I do eat at TS restaurants, I usually just look the morning of or even later in the day while walking around and can usually find one or two things. I helps that I always have PHs, don't really care about times or which restaurant it is. I don't have to eat at those "must eat at" places and actually like trying new places and trying some of the restaurants at the resorts. I have never even been to DS but if that interests you, there is almost always something popping up day of there. I'll be there next week and don't have a single ADR booked but know I will be able to eat somewhere and most likely none of the places I eat will be QS.