Does having to have ADR make it difficult to have a relaxing day?

[caroline1851]

I'm concerned that having to have ADR for so many things requires so much planning and coordinating instead of being able to have a laid back, relaxed time and just winging it? I have to plan the entire trip and which park we'll be at which day just so that we can eat at the places we want to eat. Do you know what i mean? I know we could just wing it and eat counter service wherever everyday, but I want nice meals or character meals, etc. I understand that this is just the way it is, but I wish there could be more spontaneity to a wdw trip. Last time i went was 5 years ago and dh and i were able to make a reservation for a friday night the morning of at Le Cellier. Things have really changed...

 

[flipflop]

I find it relaxing knowing that we have ADRs and will def. have somewhere to eat. I like to have a plan. If we wind up being spontaneous or changing our minds, I call and cancel the ADR, no biggie.

 

[pat fan]

Since we go in July, we pretty much have to plan our days anyway, so it's no big deal to us. I can't imagine going in July without knowing which parks to avoid or go to (EMH etc...), having a plan for what rides to hit first (based on newness,EMH etc...) and so on. I think planning makes it easier, but maybe that's just me.

 

[dizfanz]

Yeah, it's funny to see how people view something like this completely different. My wife and I do not use DDP and have never made an ADR for the two of us and have always been able to dine where we wanted. Yes, we go in January and tend to eat later than most, but still. Some view making ADRs 6 months out fun and it allows them to plan their trip so they can relax when they are there. I look at it as stressful to try to plan dining 6 months out and I would have to be looking at my watch constantly to make sure I made it to lunch/dinner on time.

Show of hands, on January 8th, so you know if you want to eat Italian or seafood or steak? I don't. I do not know what time I want to eat either. But to some, they find enjoyment in knowing that the decision is already made. It's just funny to me that people are so different on this topic.

 

[mmcguire]

Different strokes, I guess. I personally find the need for ADRs annoying, and it sucks much of the spontenaity out of our trip.

While it's great to know we have a reserved spot for dinner, I liked the freedom of going to a different park if we found one terribly crowded. Of course, we can still do that and cancel our ADRs, but then we lose the option of a sit-down meal.

I really miss being able to walk up to a decent sit-down restaurants on a whim, or being able to call the day of and get a ressie.

 

[DisneyJimbo]

I find it relaxing knowing that we have ADRs and will def. have somewhere to eat. I like to have a plan. If we wind up beign spontaneous or changing our minds, I call and cancel the ADR, no biggie.

Put me in this camp.

Although I do agree it would be nice to be able to eat at sit down meal on a whim without having to plan so much in advance.

 

[eeyore45]

FOr me its all about anticipation!!

I love having adr's - we still do what we want, but my mind set may be on steak, Italian, etc depending on the adr... and the TS restaraunts have such a variety of items, its all about anticipation for me!!

Is it time yet/??

 

[pixiemel]

We ALWAYS have ADR's (knowing that we could cancel if we change our mind)
and have NEVER done the DDP.
We never have a ride plan, and just do what we feel like, when we feel like it.
It's kinds of fun looking forward to dinner at Liberty Tree or whichever favorite restaurant we have picked for that day! We park hop so it's never a problem to scurry over to whichever park we need to be at by dinnertime. We all choose our favorite restaurants so that nothing is left out, and it really doesn't matter to us in what order they happen.

For us, the piece of mind is having the ADR since we do not want to eat CS
for dinner.

 

[jennymouse]

I took my 82yo father & aunt & uncle down one FEBRUARY. I had all my ADRs but we ended up arriving a day early because we were outrunning an ice storm so we didn't have an ADR that first night. We couldn't get in anywhere we wanted in world showcase. Tried, Tepanyaki, Italy, Germany and still couldn't get in. Now THAT was stressful. We did end up getting into Chefs de France but it was late in the evening but my older group were used to eating at 6:00 - 6:30.

That said, we've canceled ADRs and had just counter service when we were having too much fun to stop for a sit down dinner.

To me, it just makes the trip less stressful and relaxing to have the ADRs. We have our favorites we always try to hit while we're there anyway.

 

[mtemm]

I love having adr's. we made at least one a day for our october trip. it actually made things MORE relaxing for us, because we knew at 5pm each day (when our kids want dinner), we would be all set, and we would have a better meal than at counter service. worked out great for us. its all in what works for each family, though. some people don't have kids as rigid with meal time (and trust, me doesn't matter what you feed them the rest of the day, they have an internal clock that dings when its 5, lol). and some people are very happy with counter service for every meal.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Not having an ADR can make it very stressful on you....it is much easier to plan your day around dining reservations than be hungry in a park with no other option but CS

CS can be good too, not to take away from all the selections the parks offer. We just like to have a nice sit down meal for dinner so we can unwind a bit

 

[magicmouse2]

I like to know I have a meal to look forward to and to dress up for. I would hate to turn up and there be no tables available. I would only wing it off site.

 

[kaybird]

We look at ADR's as the Fast Pass of Dining. It doesn't ruin our day, it makes time management much better. If we suddenly decide on something else, the phone is easy to get to, but we love the flexibility it gives us, and the lack of disapointment in not being able to eat somewhere we have looked forward to.

 

[Mickeys_n_me]

Out of experence we know we will be taking a break mid day and then returning to the parks. We also eat at a particular time during our normal lives, so can assume to want to keep the kids close to the same schedule (a hungry kid = a grumpy kid) So we make ADRs close to our return time. That way we can eat before returning to the rides.

I have been a few times, know the restuarants I enjoy and the restaurants I want to try. So I book them. If something turns out and I can't make it, a simple phone call elliviates that problem... and then who knows maybe someone who doesn't make an ADR can luck out and have my slot

 

[Barbers2005]

I'm concerned that having to have ADR for so many things requires so much planning and coordinating instead of being able to have a laid back, relaxed time and just winging it? I have to plan the entire trip and which park we'll be at which day just so that we can eat at the places we want to eat.

Personally, I find that planning everything in advance makes for a more relaxed and enjoyable vacation. It's nice to already know where/when we're going to eat or which park to go to each day b/c it eliminates the "what should we do next" problem. Everything's been hashed out months in advance so I can put my brain on autopilot and just have a good time. That's just me, though- I'll take a well-planned vacation over a "winging it" one anyday.

 

[suzimar57]

absolutely not!

we find it more relaxing, less stressful knowing ahead that we have the ADRs and where we'll be eating each day

when you plan ahead, you eliminate (most) of the stress, especially with meals - we love the planning!

 

[dyna]

WE only use the TS meals during free dining so for us it is a must to have our ADR's made. We think is's smart to know where we are eating an when. Seen many many ppl turned away during free dining because they had no ADR's.

The bit of stress I have is deciding what park what day and where I want to eat months in advance. Once I'm there tho I can relax knowing where I'm eating an when. The stress comes from maybe having to return to park a bit earlier than I'd like so I can make my ADR lol

 

[LorilieMarie]

By having ADR's it takes a lot of stress off of me. We do not have to do the "Where do you want to eat?, I don't know, where do you want to eat ?" thing. Then the kids can't go "I don't want to eat there, I want to eat here." We plan them in advance and then there is no discussion.

 

[Barbers2005]

By having ADR's it takes a lot of stress off of me. We do not have to do the "Where do you want to eat?, I don't know, where do you want to eat ?" thing. Then the kids can't go "I don't want to eat there, I want to eat here." We plan them in advance and then there is no discussion.

This always happens in my family if we don't plan ahead, but it's dh and I that can't agree on a place together. So we do our negotiating well in advance (you can have coral reef, but only if I get CP) and avoid squabbles on vacation.

 

[ellie4]

We're a first time to Disney family and i'm planning the trip, dining, etc. And I feel JUST like you!!!! It's stressing me out having to decide what park we're at on certain days, etc. plus adding the dining in. I'm hoping we both will be relieved once we get there and that it will make the trip more enjoyable.