Are lunch/dinner reservations necessary?

[Chantelle B]

My husband and I are doing a kids free Disney trip the first week of November. We don't love being tied to reservation times in case our plans change. This time of year is it possible to stumble upon Disney park restaurants for a sit down meal and actually get a spot if you aren't dead set on a specific restaurant (I don't mind a 30 min wait or so)or is it essential to have a reservation?

 

[Missyrose]

My husband and I are doing a kids free Disney trip the first week of November. We don't love being tied to reservation times in case our plans change. This time of year is it possible to stumble upon Disney park restaurants for a sit down meal and actually get a spot if you aren't dead set on a specific restaurant (I don't mind a 30 min wait or so)or is it essential to have a reservation?

If you don't care about eating at the most popular restaurants, are willing to eat at off-peak times (11 a.m. or 2 p.m. for lunch, 4 p.m. or 9 p.m. for dinner), willing to wait, you can probably get in somewhere. Or grab QS. Don't forget about restaurants at Disney resorts and the Plaza at MK is standby-only most of the day now.

 

[OhhBother]

If you're flexible on plans, I'd recommend making day-of or day-before reservations using the My Disney Experience app. My husband and I have been very successful making reservations this way -- we've picked up everything from Be Our Guest lunch an hour before we wanted to eat to dinner at California Grill. It's not a great strategy if you have "must-do" restaurants. But if you're flexible, you'll have plenty of choices.

 

[loves to dive]

You might could but you could definitely get same day ADRs if you book them at some point while walking around. Might not be for the popular places but we have never had any problems doing same day.

 

[Chantelle B]

Thanks everyone! The only thing we would really like to try is the polenisian Luau. Is this at one of the Disney world parks or one of the hotels?

 

[loves to dive]

Thanks everyone! The only thing we would really like to try is the polenisian Luau. Is this at one of the Disney world parks or one of the hotels?

At the Poly and that one you need to book in advance.

 

[Pumbaa_]

And pay in advance

 

[3Gsandme]

November is free dining, yes? Check the dates. If you're there during free dining, I think things will be far more limited.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think that's free dining, yes.

Which means ease of last-minute bookings is going to be reduced, as people need to use dining credits.

 

[Hopefully]

If it is during free dining in November, in park popular restaurants are going to be full. It is possible but unlikely to get a walk up for dinner.,

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Unless it's a restaurant we really know we want to go to (like Flying Fish this past weekend), we don't make dining reservations anymore. As PP's have noted, before walking all over the place, I would check the MDE app to see what current availability is close to where you happen to be at the moment. We do this a lot and even this past Sunday, I checked the app while walking around EP, found TONS of availability and simply walked up to Spice Road table without making the ADR (hate giving my cc info if I don't have to). In EP, you probably won't have a problem finding something. For AK, I would recommend getting a Landry's Select Card before you go (if you have time) as you will then be able to walk into Rainforest Cafe and/or Yak and Yeti and get priority seating without an ADR. DHS might have slim pickings and MK, possibly nothing at all (except Tony's seems to have same-day availability). The food in MK isn't great anyway. We have a tendency to leave the park mid-day and have lunch at the Wave at CR which is a nice, quiet break from the parks and has really good food.

 

[Delphinus317]

I've had a lot of success with same day ADR's, but the key is to remain flexible. If anytime during the day, you feel like having a TS meal, check MDE for available ADR's. You'll be surprised at the options you find available to you. Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

My husband and I are doing a kids free Disney trip the first week of November. We don't love being tied to reservation times in case our plans change. This time of year is it possible to stumble upon Disney park restaurants for a sit down meal and actually get a spot if you aren't dead set on a specific restaurant (I don't mind a 30 min wait or so)or is it essential to have a reservation?

I've waited 30 minutes when I had a reservation.

As long as you don't mind waiting (and waiting), you will be fine.

 

[Tinkbum]

My husband and I are doing a kids free Disney trip the first week of November. We don't love being tied to reservation times in case our plans change. This time of year is it possible to stumble upon Disney park restaurants for a sit down meal and actually get a spot if you aren't dead set on a specific restaurant (I don't mind a 30 min wait or so)or is it essential to have a reservation?

If you don't mind where you eat you should be able to get in somewhere without too much of a wait.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

My husband and I are doing a kids free Disney trip the first week of November. We don't love being tied to reservation times in case our plans change. This time of year is it possible to stumble upon Disney park restaurants for a sit down meal and actually get a spot if you aren't dead set on a specific restaurant (I don't mind a 30 min wait or so)or is it essential to have a reservation?

1) Make an ADR.
2) You never know when a TS eatery is fully booked.
3) As for "Kids Eat Free", see below . . .

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KIDS UNDER-3 EAT FREE "411":
1) TECHNICALLY, there is no such thing as a "kids-under-3-eat-free" policy.
. . . no where in ANY Disney brochure is this mentioned
. . . there is no such policy
2) But, when done per policy, they eat almost free.
3) And, based upon CM discretion, they can eat free.
4) The official rules:
. . . kids under three can eat off the adult's plate
. . . if they order anything, like milk, they are supposed to pay for it
. . . if they order any food, they are supposed to pay for it
. . . this is anywhere, including buffets
5) What really happens:
. . at buffets & AYCTE kids actually "eat buffet food free"
. . . . . . adults could get the food, instead and give it to the kid
. . . . . . the adult could claim it is their plate kid eats from
. . . . . . they might as well have a drink, for same reason
. . . . . . it's tough to determine it was theirs or their parents
. . . . . . thus, kids can have their own plate and beverage without charge
. . at non-buffet, servers can determine if they ordered food
. . . . . . it is easy to tell if they got a drink
. . . . . . the server usually charges for food ordered for the kid
. . . . . . the server usually let's the drink go, but not food
. . . . . . the server, at their own discretion, can charge for beverage
6) So, to wrap-up, in practical terms
. . . at non-buffets, kids under-3 eat without charge ONLY from parent's plate
. . . at buffets & AYCTE, they can actually take food from the buffet table or separate plate
. . . at all meals, items are ordered for the child "might" be charged for them

7) Please remember to add your child to the table count.
. . . if there are four adults and a child, that needs an ADR for five people
. . . this is regardless whether the child is lap, stroller, highchair, or regular chair
. . . also, if the baby makes six people, the AUTOMATIC 18% GRATUITY is in effect
. . . no automatic gratuity at CRT-HDDR-LUAU-BBQ, as tips are already included in the meal price

 

[ariane37]

My husband and I have done a few kid-free trips, including one this past week 8/27-8/31. For that and one in January we only made a couple ADR's where we knew we definitely wanted to eat. The rest we made day of or the night before. We knew we wanted a couple signatures on both trips which of course are out of the parks, and weren't picky with times or where else we ate. For our trip last week for instance, we made a Citricos ADR at about 4:30ish for 5:50 that night; made an Il Mulino ADR on Sunday afternoon for Monday at 5:30; made a San Angel Inn ADR for Tuesday at 1:30 on Monday night around 11:30. FD was going on but it wasn't a particularly busy time of year; early Nov. is going to be busier than late Aug. so your choices may be more limited. FWIW there were quite a few places for us to choose from whenever I logged on, minus the "big ones" such as BOG dinner, (which we did get on a previous trip about 6 hours prior) 1900 PF, Akershus, California Grill.
As far as walk ups from what I've read on here and also experienced on our last couple trips, a number of restaurants just don't seem to take walk ups anymore. People have reported walking up, being told they couldn't be seated, walking out and going on the app making a reservation for like 10 minutes later. So I say you will most likely get in somewhere, but early Nov. with FD my guess is the times may be way off-times, definitely not the more popular places, and you may not have lots to choose from. My advice is that if you really don't want to make any in advance you should definitely try to make them at least the day or two before once you're down there.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Book the Luau anyway, if you are flexible and like to eat late you should be okay otherwise. Places like Tutto Gusto and lounges are always good bets. Some resort restaurants like the Captain's Grill or the Wave you should be okay at. Check MDE on the app and make an adr that day or before you go over, worst case scenario head to one of the lounges.

 

[Disneylover99]

We've had good luck eating at Via Napoli and Biergarten without ADR's during free dining times. You might want to give either of those restaurants a try hard if you're in World Showcase. They're close to each other.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You might be doing a lot of dining at Marrakesh. Or you can do the F&W booths for lunches and dinners.

 

[LovesTimone]

DH and I go all the time, we are locals, and AP holders, So we do a lot of last minute reservations, or if we can't get somewhere we want them we just do the QS route. I would make some ADR's because if Free Dinning is going on you will have a super hard time getting where you want with a walk up. Also the weekends get a lot busier with us locals pouring into the parks. Last year during our November weekend trip. DH and I had ADR's for a late lunch at Chefs in France and where a little early so we were enjoying a Grand Mariner Orange Slushy, and a Kronenbourg, while waiting several people tired to get a walk up, and refused. The next night we were at Spice Road Tables, we saw a few tables get in with walk ups, but they told them they only had availability outside. So if you are willing to take a chance then go for it. Honestly over in Epoct the QS are pretty darn tasty.

Have a wonderful trip.