Character Dining... do you need a reservation

[PackMan]

Do you actually need a reservation for character dining or can you show up and wait? It says reservations recommended, but is it necessary.

 

[twocat]

It is absolutely positively necessary for Character Dining.

And it's pretty important to have a reservation for ANY Table Service restaurant on property.

Depending on when you are going (if within the next 6 months), some restaurants may already be sold out.

 

[DisneySarah80]

It is absolutely positively necessary for Character Dining.

And it's pretty important to have a reservation for ANY Table Service restaurant on property.

Depending on when you are going (if within the next 6 months), some restaurants may already be sold out.

Yep.

Make reservations or you will most likely be eating quick service your entire trip.

 

[ChrystalUnicorn]

Yes!

 

[laceemouse]

Basically, for any restaurant that takes reservations you need a reservation. Even if you go when it is not too crowded. Remember, most people have the dining plan now, so they all have one sit-down meal per day. And most people book their meals 6 months out.

 

[crostorfer]

YES! Even if you are going during a "slow" time, the character meals will all book up. No reservation, no guarantee.

 

[1girln3boys]

If you have an Iphone though you can down load an app that will let you make reservations from your phone. So if you're not a planner and don't like to plan that far in advance you can use that app. It will show you all the available places with spots open. We used it a few times to change our ADRs. Worked great. We were able to get a later Ohana's one day the day before. We changed ADRs while in line or on the bus.

 

[vicki_c]

It's not an app actually - it's just Disney's mobile dining site on the Internet. Would work with any smart phone that has Internet access.

 

[1girln3boys]

It was my husband doing it I thought it was an app he had on his phone but I just went to the dining site on my phone. So it's a great way to see what's available while there.

 

[Pakey]

We are frequent WDW visitors and we do not like to plan. We have had great success with walkups at many restaurants. However, I would never attempt this with any character meal. They are always packed.

 

[DisneyMommie4evr]

I'm gonna get a lot of disagreements here, but we are not newbies to Disney. We go about every other year. Have been making ADR's for our trips as long as I can remember! But on this trip we had to cancel a trip scheduled for April and reschedule for June. I tried to get all my ADR's but with little luck. In talking with the dining rep by phone they stated that every resteraunt on property has to take walk ins.... So we decided to try. And we got every walk in we asked for with super quick wait times! The only place we were unable to walk in was the Wishes Dessert Reception. We walked in at- Tusker House 9am- 5 minute wait, Crystal Palace 9am- 5 minute wait. Chef Mickeys dinner 6pm-15 minute wait. So I say if you can't get what you want , try the walk in plan!! It worked for our party of 5! We were there June 8-15th.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm gonna get a lot of disagreements here, but we are not newbies to Disney. We go about every other year. Have been making ADR's for our trips as long as I can remember! But on this trip we had to cancel a trip scheduled for April and reschedule for June. I tried to get all my ADR's but with little luck. In talking with the dining rep by phone they stated that every resteraunt on property has to take walk ins.... So we decided to try. And we got every walk in we asked for with super quick wait times! The only place we were unable to walk in was the Wishes Dessert Reception. We walked in at- Tusker House 9am- 5 minute wait, Crystal Palace 9am- 5 minute wait. Chef Mickeys dinner 6pm-15 minute wait. So I say if you can't get what you want , try the walk in plan!! It worked for our party of 5! We were there June 8-15th.

I think you were very lucky. Many of the restaurants will turn you away if you don't have an ADR.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I'm gonna get a lot of disagreements here, but we are not newbies to Disney. We go about every other year. Have been making ADR's for our trips as long as I can remember! But on this trip we had to cancel a trip scheduled for April and reschedule for June. I tried to get all my ADR's but with little luck. In talking with the dining rep by phone they stated that every resteraunt on property has to take walk ins.... So we decided to try. And we got every walk in we asked for with super quick wait times! The only place we were unable to walk in was the Wishes Dessert Reception. We walked in at- Tusker House 9am- 5 minute wait, Crystal Palace 9am- 5 minute wait. Chef Mickeys dinner 6pm-15 minute wait. So I say if you can't get what you want , try the walk in plan!! It worked for our party of 5! We were there June 8-15th.

Lucky- and possible -but far from the norm and a recipe for disaster if you go in expecting this kind of luck. We've also been told by guest services the complete opposite- i.e. none of the restaurants have any burden to accomodate walk ups...hence why 'Ohana has recently changed their whole check in policy/structure. All of the character meals we did last trip were booked solid and we saw people walking away in tears or waiting with that hopeless look. So, for my sanity- I make ADRs.

 

[sdchickie]

Make ADR's if you can, if you can't get an ADR for a place you really want to go then do a walk up for right when they open. I tried and tried to get Garden Grill but couldn't get any ressies and of cource this is where my son wanted to eat for his birthday dinner. We went right before they opened at 4 PM and asked to be put on a wait list. We did have to wait about 30-40 min. but we were able to eat there and my son was so happy on his b-day. We've eaten at several other places with no ressies and a much shorter wait (even Ohanas dinner) but we always get there right before they open for the best chance. I will say that if you don't have ressies at the SciFi drive in you will not be able to eat in a car unless they are really dead. I have been told on many occasions that walk ups get the little tables at the back and not the cars.

 

[danielle782001]

YES!

We have been at both busy and slow times and we see people get turned away all the time...Nothing would be worse then planning your day around getting somewhere to eat to find out that you can't because you do not have an ADR...Character meals are the most popular and book quickly...

Make an ADR if you know you want to eat some where specific...Take your chances without an ADR if you are flexible in where and when you will eat...

That is the rule of thumb

 

[juliebug1997]

I'm gonna get a lot of disagreements here, but we are not newbies to Disney. We go about every other year. Have been making ADR's for our trips as long as I can remember! But on this trip we had to cancel a trip scheduled for April and reschedule for June. I tried to get all my ADR's but with little luck. In talking with the dining rep by phone they stated that every resteraunt on property has to take walk ins.... So we decided to try. And we got every walk in we asked for with super quick wait times! The only place we were unable to walk in was the Wishes Dessert Reception. We walked in at- Tusker House 9am- 5 minute wait, Crystal Palace 9am- 5 minute wait. Chef Mickeys dinner 6pm-15 minute wait. So I say if you can't get what you want , try the walk in plan!! It worked for our party of 5! We were there June 8-15th.

'Ohana turned us away saying that they were full and they were not taking any walk ups that day.

 

[Jillinwonderland]

If you do not want to book you're ADR's in advance. You can always try walks up though like everyone else has said it's pretty near impossible. Though you can also go over to the Guest Relations at any park the day you are there and ask them if there are any reservations for B,L,D and they can tell you which ones and what times are open and can book it for you.

 

[vicki_c]

While there may be some truth to what the PP was told about restaurants taking walk-ups (that they are required to or whatever was said - which I question anyway), it doesn't mean that YOU will be successful at that.

Assuming that is even true, there is a limit to how many walk-ups they would be able to take for any meal, and if you show up after they hit that limit, you will be out of luck and turned away.

So the best advice remains - if there is somewhere in particular that you want to eat, make an ADR. Nothing more sucky than going out of your way to dine somewhere with your hungry family and find out you can't get in. Or wandering the park, trying to find an opening. That is not so magical.