Are the resorts being super strict with needing a reservation to visit?

[FSU Girl]

I’m on the fence about what to do. I’m going to Disney for the first time with my baby and the day we are getting there is a lot of traveling and probably throwing off her nap and sleep schedule. I have a 7:25pm reservation for Topolino that I really want to go to, but she might be wanting to go to sleep then but might not. If we cancel it I’d like to do something more spontaneous and eat at a hotel quick service so we can take some pictures of the baby around a hotel and a quick meal.

Is it going to be impossible to get into a hotel without any sort of reservation? It’ll be late in the day and we aren’t trying to park and go into a park or anything. I know in the beginning of covid it was not allowed to visit a hotel you weren’t staying at, is that still a rule?

this is my first trip with a baby and she’s not really on a schedule. Some days she goes to bed around 8 and sometimes she’s up until 10.

We aren’t staying on property and it’s a short weekend trip

 

[Dug720]

Unless things have changed, if you arrive by Disney transportation you are fine. If you are driving yourself, you may or may not be allowed in without an ADR. Depends on the resort and the guard - and possibly even the time of day.

 

[FSU Girl]

Unless things have changed, if you arrive by Disney transportation you are fine. If you are driving yourself, you may or may not be allowed in without an ADR. Depends on the resort and the guard - and possibly even the time of day.

We’ll definitely be driving and it’ll be evening ish. So it isn’t a hard rule right now where it’s not allowed? We might just try and do that and if we get turned away go eat somewhere off property. It’s hard planning with a baby lol

 

[Tigger's ally]

All three of our kids slept in their carriers at one time or another while we ate supper. Just saying don't feel like it is something out of the ordinary. I once ate at Rainforest with one twin asleep on my shoulder and the other eating both of their meals. Big percentage of the people around you will have little kids of all ages along with them.

 

[FSU Girl]

All three of our kids slept in their carriers at one time or another while we ate supper. Just saying don't feel like it is something out of the ordinary. I once ate at Rainforest with one twin asleep on my shoulder and the other eating both of their meals. Big percentage of the people around you will have little kids of all ages along with them.

That is an idea! She is a really good sleeper and can sleep in her car seat easily if she’s tired. I’m just worried I cancel because she might be tired then and it turns out to be one of her late nights and I’m sitting in my hotel with a hyper baby lol.

The reason I’m on the fence with her possibly being tired is she’ll be in a car for 5 hours before we get there and she falls asleep in the car. She doesn’t normally nap that late so it might throw her sleep off and she’ll be up late.

 

[lanejudy]

If you are trying to visit a resort close to a park - particularly MK or Epcot - you may be turned away. Most reports of leniency for visiting without a reservation seem to come from resorts that aren’t as close to the parks.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Depends on where. I was there 3 weeks ago, with a car, but staying at the contemporary. I needed to give my name at all the gates of GF, BC and Poly and they checked to see if I really had a reservation for dining. Not sure what would have happened if I said I wanted to shop, but I do know I waited a good 3 - 4 minutes for guy in front of me at the Poly gate to talk with the guard and eventually UTurn and leave. Could have been just asking for directions or something. I have no idea. It was HOT and my windows were all the way up with AC blasting

 

[FSU Girl]

I’d probably want one of the resorts near a park because they are prettiest for pictures. Would Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge be considered close to a park? They have pretty grounds. Are day of reservations for dinner possible? If I look an hour before would it have anything?

 

[Dug720]

We’ll definitely be driving and it’ll be evening ish. So it isn’t a hard rule right now where it’s not allowed? We might just try and do that and if we get turned away go eat somewhere off property. It’s hard planning with a baby lol

As others have said, the closer to a park the more likely to be turned away. Especially at MK-area resorts where people would be trying to do fireworks viewing. When I have been with friends who drove, we never had luck at Epcot-area resorts during festivals even with an ADR - we’d be directed to a satellite lot a bit down the road (with no sidewalks or easy crossing access like a crosswalk so we were playing Frogger to get across the road).

 

[FSU Girl]

As others have said, the closer to a park the more likely to be turned away. Especially at MK-area resorts where people would be trying to do fireworks viewing. When I have been with friends who drove, we never had luck at Epcot-area resorts during festivals even with an ADR - we’d be directed to a satellite lot a bit down the road (with no sidewalks or easy crossing access like a crosswalk so we were playing Frogger to get across the road).

You had to do that with a reservation? Yikes, I definitely don’t want to do that with a baby.

 

[Marthasor]

I’d probably want one of the resorts near a park because they are prettiest for pictures. Would Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge be considered close to a park? They have pretty grounds. Are day of reservations for dinner possible? If I look an hour before would it have anything?

It's possible. We did a trip mid-June and I was able to snag a few day-of ADRs. YMMV. If you are interested in any of the EP resorts or taking the Skyliner, you could also check opentable or call Swan/Dolphin for a reservation at one of their restaurants (these you can cancel at any time without penalty as well). Another option - perhaps consider parking at DHS and taking the Skyliner to RIV or the EP area? Or parking at TTC and walking to the Poly for pictures? You would need to pay for parking unless you have an AP. Or parking at Disney Springs and taking a resort bus? I feel for you - I remember traveling with DS to WDW when he was that young and his schedule was so unpredictable. Evenings were tough to plan in advance.

 

[FSU Girl]

It's possible. We did a trip mid-June and I was able to snag a few day-of ADRs. YMMV. If you are interested in any of the EP resorts or taking the Skyliner, you could also check opentable or call Swan/Dolphin for a reservation at one of their restaurants (these you can cancel at any time without penalty as well). Another option - perhaps consider parking at DHS and taking the Skyliner to RIV or the EP area? Or parking at TTC and walking to the Poly for pictures? You would need to pay for parking unless you have an AP. Or parking at Disney Springs and taking a resort bus? I feel for you - I remember traveling with DS to WDW when he was that young and his schedule was so unpredictable. Evenings were tough to plan in advance.

It is hard planning with her especially since she’s on her own schedule lol. Opentable might be our best bet. I’m trying to minimize travel to the restaurant I’m afraid of the skyliner or monorail breaking and us getting stuck for hours. I was thinking Disney Springs might be crazy busy since it’s a Saturday night

 

[shoegal9]

I would just go to Riviera for your reservation. Park. And if you don’t think the dinner will work out because of the baby- just tell the hostess and they will probably just cancel it for you. They always have a waitlist to fill your table with- and you wouldn’t “no show.”
Then take your pictures etc. around the resort.
As others have said- probably zero chance of parking at any MK or Epcot adjacent resort.

 

[FSU Girl]

I would just go to Riviera for your reservation. Park. And if you don’t think the dinner will work out because of the baby- just tell the hostess and they will probably just cancel it for you. They always have a waitlist to fill your table with- and you wouldn’t “no show.”
Then take your pictures etc. around the resort.
As others have said- probably zero chance of parking at any MK or Epcot adjacent resort.

The waitlists are new to me, that would be helpful if I could cancel that way. I really want to take pictures around the hotel I had planned to do my maternity shoot there and then covid shut everything down

 

[Dug720]

You had to do that with a reservation? Yikes, I definitely don’t want to do that with a baby.

Yep. For Beaches & Cream at night.

 

[Marthasor]

The waitlists are new to me, that would be helpful if I could cancel that way. I really want to take pictures around the hotel I had planned to do my maternity shoot there and then covid shut everything down

If you really want to take pictures at RIV, I would keep your reservation. Worse comes to worse, as PP said, speak with the host/hostess if you don't think your baby will make it to the reservation. If they won't waive the no-show fee, perhaps simply consider it a $30 parking fee to do your photoshoot? (I'm assuming your reservation is for 3 people)

 

[FSU Girl]

If you really want to take pictures at RIV, I would keep your reservation. Worse comes to worse, as PP said, speak with the host/hostess if you don't think your baby will make it to the reservation. If they won't waive the no-show fee, perhaps simply consider it a $30 parking fee to do your photoshoot? (I'm assuming your reservation is for 3 people)

That’s a good idea. Do you know how early we can show up for a reservation? Would they turn us away at an hour?

 

[Marthasor]

That’s a good idea. Do you know how early we can show up for a reservation? Would they turn us away at an hour?

I highly doubt it, particularly as they ask people to check-in early for ADRs. BTW, if you aren't able to eat at Topolino's, we found the food at the RIV QS to be very good as well. I hope everything works out for you!

 

[FSU Girl]

I highly doubt it, particularly as they ask people to check-in early for ADRs. BTW, if you aren't able to eat at Topolino's, we found the food at the RIV QS to be very good as well. I hope everything works out for you!

Thank you!

 

[Dug720]

That’s a good idea. Do you know how early we can show up for a reservation? Would they turn us away at an hour?

Again, it depends. Sometimes they don’t check the time. Other times they won’t let you in until the half hour mark. I’ve heard both cases from local friends. And Riviera is often among the strictest.