DDP without ADR?

[msdis]

Can we just show up at a restaurant and get seated or are ADR a must? We cannot live by a schedule although we eat at weird hours so non peak times would work for us. We are not doing parks so it would be resorts & DTD areas. DH says no to the DDP because he wants to eat where he's at, when he's hungry. Do they ever just give you a beeper with a short wait or it that sort of out of the question? Anyone been thru this? TIA!

 

[Katiebell]

Can we just show up at a restaurant and get seated or are ADR a must? We cannot live by a schedule although we eat at weird hours so non peak times would work for us. We are not doing parks so it would be resorts & DTD areas. DH says no to the DDP because he wants to eat where he's at, when he's hungry. Do they ever just give you a beeper with a short wait or it that sort of out of the question? Anyone been thru this? TIA!

This really isn't a DDP question anymore. Anyone who wants a TS meal at WDW, DDP or not -- especially at any of the more popular restaurants at any reasonable hour -- has to get an ADR. Some restaurants are virtually impossible to get a walk-up table for, or you may be waiting 90 min or more. If you aren't doing the parks, you may have slightly better luck with the resorts or DTD restaurants, but I wouldn't count on a walk-up at any of the popular places. What you could try is to call Disney Dining each morning you are there and ask them what ADR's are available that day anywhere at anytime -- but you might end up eating weird hours at some really out of the way places. Even then, it isn't the spontaneous "eat where you're at, when you're hungry". For that, you might have to do CS, or rely on a lot of luck. Depends on how busy it is when you go, too.

 

[surfergrl31]

I traveled with a group earlier this month and they were also the type that didn't want to live by a schedule. I made dinner ADR's shortly before the trip anyway and thank goodness I did or we would have never gotten seated! There was one plus since we stayed at POP we were able to change our reservations at the drop of a hat! We decided to go to the Pirate and Princess Party and the concierge was able to make changes for us on the spot even printing out menu's and suggesting resturants we had never even thought of before!

I would make some reservations just in case and if you don't need them just cancel them, but chances are you will probably need them.

 

[n2mm]

Recently the only 2 resort places that I noticed would seat you was Concourse Steakhouse with a one hour wait and Kona with a 2 hours wait (my most recent trip--last month). If your husband is ready to possibly endure 1-2 hour waits, it's possible to get into some resort dining. However, that will not happen at the more popular places like Ohana, Chef Mickey and Whispering Canyon. And of course, don't try on the weekend. Walkins are a thing of the past. If you get one, consider yourself lucky. My husband loves that I make all of the ADRs, it's a great feeling knowing that you've secured a place for the evening for a relaxing meal. And if you're going during the free ddp period, or any holidays, all bets are off.

 

[mitushib]

We are not doing parks so it would be resorts & DTD areas.

You do know with DDP you need atleast one day theme park tickets. So why will u not be doing parks?

 

[n2mm]

You do know with DDP you need atleast one day theme park tickets. So why will u not be doing parks?

If they are staying DVC they don't need a ticket.

 

[pezpam]

I would make your best guess on what you'll want and make the ADRs. You don't get stuck in an all-day schedule - just be one place at one time during the day. If you're getting hungry and it's still 2 hours until dinner, you can either try to switch your reservation or just get a snack to tide you over. It's better to have the ADRs and maybe switch some than to get there and find you can't get any....... unless you skip the DDP and eat CS for the whole trip to avoid any sort of schedule.

In my experience, it takes less time to get to an ADR than it does to find a place that'll seat you when they're mostly booked and you don't have an ADR somewhere.....

 

[LisaBi]

It seems that even in the least-busy times at the least popular restaruants in the parks you still can't just walk up - you at least have to make an ADR earlier in the day.

 

[msdis]

Thanks for all the replies. I suspect this will not work for us. We have never done much with sit down restaurants and CS does seem to work best for us on vacation. But DDP seemed like a good deal and a fun way to try new things........oh well.

"If they are staying DVC they don't need a ticket"

Yes, we are DVC so I guess that is good also since we usually eat a lot in the room. We will be at OKW again and there are a lot of CS options in the area.

I'm still going to think about it though. In everyone's estimate how accurate are the ADR's as far as if you show up on time do you get seated right away or are you still delayed?