Dining Plan + No ADR'S = Bad Move??

[Rootskate]

Maybe someone can give me their thoughts on this.........we have a package booked for late May 2006 with the dining plan. Here's my dilemma....it really is impossible for me to make any ADR'S because my DH doesn't want to be commited to any certain time/place that far ahead of time. So here's the question....am I going to find myself out of luck as far as getting in to any of the table service places while we are there? If so, maybe the dining plan is a bad idea for us? What do you think?

 

[eeyore45]

I would say keep reading, I think a couple of people have posted they are going in Oct and dont plan on making adr's for the same reasons you state!

Personally I dont think its that big of a deal - I just make a calendar slice it into days we're there - base some plans on touringplans.com Best Day calendar, and figure we'll be at Epcot this day, I'd love to eat here, we'll be MGM< we'll do Fantasmic we'll eat here, etc... its always easier to cancel an adr that week than to be denied access that day...

good luck!

 

[anabelle]

Just be flexible and call Disney dining as soon as you know what time you want to eat and they will help you find a place. We went in June and called almost every day while we were there to adjust or add a ADR.

 

[purplepixie]

You could make a loose guide to which parks you most likely might be at that day and make ADR's accourding to that. Then if it's not what you want the day of you could call and change to what ever is available. This way you at least have something lined up if it's busy.

 

[henrylovespooh]

I am a big planner and make lots of ADR's, and I usually end up cancelling some while we're there because we changed plans. My thoughts are as follows: 1) wing it and if you can't get in somewhere, you can always point out to DH that if you had an ADR you could have eaten there, or 2) make some ADRs that you think are important to you and just don't tell him you did it. It's not like you're paying money for them, and you can always cancel them if it doesn't work out for your schedule. That might make you feel better and what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

In May, you should be able to get away with not having an ADR, so you should be fine.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Depends on what you want.

For CRT, a mega popular time at any character meal, Le Cellier, or the places you can watch the fireworks, you'd better be ready 90 days out in the morning.

For the rest, you can call em in as you decide. Some fill up faster than others.

 

[aubriee]

I am a big planner and make lots of ADR's, and I usually end up cancelling some while we're there because we changed plans. My thoughts are as follows: 1) wing it and if you can't get in somewhere, you can always point out to DH that if you had an ADR you could have eaten there, or 2) make some ADRs that you think are important to you and just don't tell him you did it. It's not like you're paying money for them, and you can always cancel them if it doesn't work out for your schedule. That might make you feel better and what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

In May, you should be able to get away with not having an ADR, so you should be fine.

I wouldn't bet on it. I was there this past May for the Flower Festival and saw people turned away from La Cellier, Rose and Crown, Crystal Palace, Mama Melrose, and a few other places. There was a couple at Mama Melrose who got very hostile about it and demanded to speak to a manager. They just couldn't believe a restaraunt wouldn't take walk ups if the people were willing to wait. With the dining plan more and more people that might normally eat CS are going to be eating TS. I would make some ADRs and just have Disney Dining programmed into my cell phone, so I could easily change as my plans changed for that day. Except for CRT and PSB it doesn't cost anything to make ADRs, so why not do it. At least you'd be guaranteed a place to eat.

 

[Uncleromulus]

All depends on which restaurant, on what evening, and what time--and also a little on how many in your party. You may luck out, but I suspect that , for instance, if you walk up to the California Grill on Saturday nite at 7:30, you won't get in.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

No Adr's and getting in where/when you want depends on a couple things.
* First of all are you a party of 2, 4, 8, etc.??? Obviously with a smaller party I would imagine it would be easier to get a table on a walk up basis vs. being a larger party.
* Also busy season vs. off season. If you are traveling during a school vacation, spring vacation week the parks will be more crowded thus restaurants having less availability. Also check and see what promotions are running while you are there - our trip in October they are running the free dining so I anticipate it will be a little more difficult to get some ADR's as many more people are eating sit down meals vs. counter srv meals so you be better off at least trying to plan some ADR's in this instance.
* Traveling with kids vs. w/o kids. I wouldn't want to be in the predicament of having young hungry children and not able to find a sit down meal when you want to eat. If it were just me and dh we would wing it as we really wouldn't mind if we had to find somewhere else to eat. But to tell DD that we will eating with Cinderella only to be turned away
* Hard to get seating - advanced or walk up - would definitely make an ADR - If you HAVE to eat somewhere for whatever reason - CRT, Cal Grill to watch fireworks, etc. I would make sure to make those ADR's so that you are guaranteed a slot.

I like to have a basic plan - this park on this day with maybe 1 ADR planned in the same park - it can be cancelled at any time - 24 hr advance needed for a couple like CRT - but better to have 1 ADR and cancel than no luck getting in anywhere else.