Do I really need to make ADRs??

[jle323]

We just got the free dining plan (woo hoo!), so I was sitting here trying to figure out ADRs. I know we want Chef Mickey's and California Grill. But CG is 2 TS meals, and we wanted to do HDDR and that's another 2 TS, so I don't know if we'll be doing HDDR. It's difficult to figure out ADRs because we're going with my parents and my 1 year old. Who knows what his mood will be at certain times. Do you think we'll be okay just going day by day to decide where we want to eat? Or would we be better off with me just picking a TS meal every day and making ADRs?

 

[tinaluis]

Honestly, I know it sounds like a hassle, but you'll be so glad you have your ADRs when the time comes. We saw so many people being turned away last year.

 

[disnut1149]

Hi
I know it's hard to decide where to eat, but I think if you want to eat at any sit down restaurants, then you should get ADR's. Especially now with the free dining. If you wait, you might not get anything that you would want or at the time you would want. Since you have a child, you might want to eat earlier and sometimes those ADR's go fast and then you might be stuck with a later time, too late for you child to stay up. Good luck and have fun at Disney!!

 

[earthfaries]

YES!!! Esp. if you are going during the free dining period! When we went for free dining, we had adr , but once we were there it didn't all work as planned and everyone was always full! The only times we could get dinner was at 10 at night, it was awful. Definately make adr. Just try to plan it out in advance as best as you can.
Also, using up your credits on special places that require two credits isn't so bad. It seemed all we did was eat for the 13 days we did the free dining! Skipping a couple of sit downs every few days was fine and made it simpler on us.

 

[Luv4Disney]

If you're going during free dining, ADR's are a must!

 

[frndofpooh]

Honestly, with the DDP (free or not), ADR's have come to be a must. We went last year during December, in a very lightly crowded week. Even though the crowds were light in the park, the restaurants were teeming! Each night we saw many, many families turned away if they did not have ADR's. It seems like a hassle now, but you'll be glad you did it.

 

[comicguy]

Yes you need ADR's in adavane. Last August when we were there for free dining (we had ADR's) and we saw so many people turned away from the rest. it was not funny.

 

[n2mm]

If you go during free dining you must have ADRs if you plan to use your TS credits. Last year it was so sad watching the frustration on people's faces as they were turned away from restraurant after restraurant. There were signs at MK telling people there were no seatings available for TS meals. Disney had to convert food courts at the value resorts into buffet meals so people had places to eat because everything was beyond full. If you think it's a pain making these plans, just think of the pain it will be to go from place to place with hungry people and being turned away time after time. We witness this constantly even when the dining is not free. We went for the free dining in 2005 and it wasn't too bad, but in 2006 it was out of control.

 

[azgal81]

Free dining is going to make the TS restaurants even more crowded. I would hate for you to be turned away from a place you want to eat because it's full. Make the ADRs it's worth it!

 

[GrowingUpDisney]

I agree with PP - you must do ADRs. You are guaranteed not to get into Cinderella's breakfast without it...

 

[lisabarr]

Do I really need to make ADRs??

Only if you want to eat

 

[castleri]

Only if you want to eat

Add to that:
At a table service restaurant at a time that is convenient and at one that you really want to try.

Our ADRs were made at the 180 day mark and we got pretty much what we want although had to take two tables at some places to get the time we wanted. That was several weeks ago.

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes you do, especially with free dining. You are not guaranteed your table service meal because you have free dining. If you fail to make ADRs and are unable to get in, too bad, so sad, you loose them. Not a very friendly system, but it is what it is. It is very hard to walk in to the most popular sit down restaurants any time of the year. To try to do so during free dining is bad, bad, bad.

 

[dvc at last !]

You can make reservations for meals 180 days in advance.
We will be at WDW on September 28 and yesterday was 171 days out for us..
I called yesterday... did get the places to eat that we wanted, but had to
take different times then we had hoped for.
We did finally learned to make reservations in advance. When we were at WDW last October and in January if we had not made reservations in advance we were unable to be served.

 

[JimMIA]

Do I really need to make ADRs??

Yes.

 

[jle323]

Okay, I made them!

 

[maxiesmom]

Okay, I made them!

Well, what ones did you make? Come on, share please!

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Okay, I made them!

Congrats to you-you will be so glad you did!!!

 

[jle323]

On Sunday: WCC
Monday: Coral Reef
Tuesday: O'hana
Wednesday: Cali Grill
Thursday: Chef Mickey's
Friday: HDDR
Saturday: Kona Cafe

 

[bnorm27]

Now when you are watching all of those "non-ADR" people get turned away at the restuarants, you can thank your friends on the disboards for telling you to make those ADR's!!