Bar dining

[gottalovepluto]

…most WDW restaurants don't allow you to "belly up." You gotta make a reservation first, then ask to sit at the bar when you arrive.

Well that’s wrong information. Disney doesn’t reserve bar seats for ADRs and having an ADR doesn’t give you a leg up on a bar seat vs no ADR. If there is space at the bar and you have an ADR you can ask to sit there (but at least at S71 you’ll get an entirely different menu from the restaurant). If there is space at the bar and you don’t have an ADR you can just walk up and sit down. If there is no space at the bar you don’t get to sit there no matter what.

Disney bars at nice restaurants are literally designed for those who don’t want to ADR.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Hi! I'm single. I dine at bars all the time. However, be warned: most WDW restaurants don't allow you to "belly up." You gotta make a reservation first, then ask to sit at the bar when you arrive.

Or get there early enough without a reservation and ask.

Either way, enjoy. Some of my best times have occurred because I talk to bartenders or strangers talk to me.

Interesting. I've had the opposite experience -- but as we all know experiences can vary at Disney! I do make a reservation when it's somewhere I that I absolutely want to eat & at a specific time without waiting & then ask at the podium but otherwise I've been able to walk up to bars at Jiko (small - very few seats), Flying Fish, Cake Bake, Boathouse (inside and outside), Wine Bar George, Yak and Yeti (also very few seats), bluezoo, Il Mulino, Topolino's, and probably others I'm forgetting. I do it a lot . I do typically stop at the podium and say I'm going to see if there are any seats at the bar. At Cake Bake you have ask because they have the velvet rope up but they've never had a problem just letting me through. Totally agree I've had some fantastic conversations with bartenders and fellow customers alike. Love bar seating!

 

[sotoalf]

Well that’s wrong information. Disney doesn’t reserve bar seats for ADRs and having an ADR doesn’t give you a leg up on a bar seat vs no ADR. If there is space at the bar and you have an ADR you can ask to sit there (but at least at S71 you’ll get an entirely different menu from the restaurant). If there is space at the bar and you don’t have an ADR you can just walk up and sit down. If there is no space at the bar you don’t get to sit there no matter what.

Disney bars at nice restaurants are literally designed for those who don’t want to ADR.

I think you read me incorrectly or I was unclear. I said that I make an ADR so I'm guaranteed some kind of seating, then at the host stand I ask if there's bar availability.

 

[sotoalf]

Interesting. I've had the opposite experience -- but as we all know experiences can vary at Disney! I do make a reservation when it's somewhere I that I absolutely want to eat & at a specific time without waiting & then ask at the podium but otherwise I've been able to walk up to bars at Jiko (small - very few seats), Flying Fish, Cake Bake, Boathouse (inside and outside), Wine Bar George, Yak and Yeti (also very few seats), bluezoo, Il Mulino, Topolino's, and probably others I'm forgetting. I do it a lot . I do typically stop at the podium and say I'm going to see if there are any seats at the bar. At Cake Bake you have ask because they have the velvet rope up but they've never had a problem just letting me through. Totally agree I've had some fantastic conversations with bartenders and fellow customers alike. Love bar seating!

Yup. Because Disney's system has trouble reserving for one person, I make an ADR for two or three. When I get to the restaurant I say, "Table for one, please" and either ask for the bar or am asked if I'd like bar seating. Jiko often offers me the Cooking Place space.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Yup. Because Disney's system has trouble reserving for one person, I make an ADR for two or three. When I get to the restaurant I say, "Table for one, please" and either ask for the bar or am asked if I'd like bar seating. Jiko often offers me the Cooking Place space.

Ah, yes. The dining system is notoriously an issue for single diners. I agree, it can be frustrating! But, just to be clear, you absolutely can walk up to a bar and grab a seat without a reservation ... subject to availability, of course. So, if the mood strikes, don't let not having a reservation or not seeing any availability in the system hold you back. It's often worth a try. The cooking place counter inside Jiko is an exception where you need to be sat at it by one of the hosts ... but the bar that's in the waiting area is first-come first-serve.

 

[RedHead0186]

Steakhouse 71. I've always eaten at the bar there and had a great experience (not it is a limited menu in the lounge, but still great). I also love eating at the bar at Boathouse, as well as Wine Bar George.

 

[js]

I love Topolinos bar dining and you don't need a ressie. We do it a couple of times every trip.

 

[fly girl]

Epcot Resorts area has many options. A few not mentioned yet: Kimonos at Swan if you like Japanese. Stir at Swan Reserve is a nice bar that has menu items from Amare (mediterranean) next door.