For anyone thinking they DON'T need a reservation...

[PooohBear]

Just back from a wonderful trip !!!!! I just wanted to share a tip for anyone who thinks they don't need a reservation....... you do !!!!
Every trip I have made numerous reservations,so I wanted this trip to be relaxing and not have to worry about where we need to be on what day, well, it was except for the crap food we ate ! I thought in the slow season I would be able to find nice places to eat, not !! I made the mistake of wanting to eat at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday night and couldn't find an available place or time to eat, everything was fully booked !! every counter service place wasn't appealing to at least one member in my family, so we decided we would all just get a pretzel and eat off property later, well, we couldn't even get a pretzel since we were told only the spicy one's were available
anyway, that's my tip for the day !

 

[bicker]

We encountered this at LTT on Thursday night, January 19, which was a very lightly-attended day. We had an ADR but it took about five minutes for me to get to the front of the check-in queue, as literally a half-dozen people in front of me were looking for walk-in accommodation, and waxed poetically to the hostess that everywhere else they checked was full-up for the night as well.

Have ADRs. If you don't like to be tied down -- uh -- uh -- get over it!

 

[lillygator]

yep, make those ADR's~!

 

[phyllis1966]

I am not a planaholic, but our family likes having ADR's and knowing where we'll be for breakfast and dinner. If we're having fun and really don't want to stop, I just cancel the ADR and we wing it - that doesn't happen too often, though, since we have our favorites and are usually looking forward to each of them!

 

[Texa]

I think I'm the strange one that likes ADRs. For me it's like putting together a little puzzle picture of our vacation. Of course we only end up keeping about 3/4 of them when we get there due to weather or change of plans, but I enjoy the planning.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I think the Dining Plan has made getting a walk-up impossible at any time of year.

 

[The Sweetness]

Maybe this sounds mean, but Im glad that now ADRs are available 180d out. Anyone looking to sneak in while Im waiting to get seated, will be subjected to my smug grin, and c/s food. Life could be worse

 

[momfor4]

How doyou decide in advance which places you will want to eat on which days? I mean today i may feel like eating a steak , but in 2 days i may want fish. So how do you plan not knowing what type food you may feel like eating on a given day? I know i have to plan Character meals and HDDR, but besides that how do you paln others. I know i can see menus- but what helps guide you besdies of where to make reserv??

 

[tabrizia]

How doyou decide in advance which places you will want to eat on which days? I mean today i may feel like eating a steak , but in 2 days i may want fish. So how do you plan not knowing what type food you may feel like eating on a given day? I know i have to plan Character meals and HDDR, but besides that how do you paln others. I know i can see menus- but what helps guide you besdies of where to make reserv??

Honestly the menus are the main things that help guide me. I know that some days I might not feel like a steak and may have scheduled a steak restaraunt, but all the restaraunts have more then one option so if I end up at a steak place and don't feel like steak I can always get seafood or chicken.

Honestly it was a lot easier for me to plan the ADRs 6 months out because I know what both me and my husband like to eat, I knew that for him I had to find restaraunts that had fish or vegitarian options since he can't eat meat. I knew that I loved steak and seafood so as long as a menu had one or the other on it I would be fine since it gives variety. All the restaraunts I chose had at least one seafood dish on the menu and most had steak as well, I figure if worse comes to worse and we really don't feel like the restaraunt chosen that day we'll just cancel our ADR and get room service or eat a CS meal.

 

[pennyplanner]

I also use ADRs as a planning tool. I like to plan which parks for which days and then decide where we will be dining that evening, in the parks or at a resort nearby. I definitely think the dining plan has made walking in less of a sure thing!

The day after Thanksgiving, I tried to change the time of our 1900 Park Faire breakfast and it was a no go. I asked if there were any other character breakfasts available ANYWHERE and the answer was a friendly but resounding, "No!" However, a family with a little girl was able to get a walk-in at 1900 while we were there. It was late morning and the crowds were thinning. So you never know!

I think if you are trying for a walk-in, it has to be early, early or very late!

--penny

 

[DisneyPhD]

I don't like planning in advance for just that reason. To plan out where (and often what) that far in advacne just doesn't work for me. However we did on our last trip (at least 5 ADR's for a week) and that worked fine.

I think it is the new dining plan that has made in nessasry. In the past it wasn't, or at least not until the day off for many places.

 

[donnajon]

I don't think of it as I don't know what I'll be in the mood for that day. Haven't you ever made reservations for a special occaision and looked forward to eating there that day. We like to eat Japanese on birthdays so we always look forward to it. I know in July, I'm going to eat Japanese for my birthday. It's the same thing for us with vacation. We just decide where we want to eat and look forward to that experience.

 

[pooch]

we look forward to the restaurants almost as much (ok for DH MORE) as the parks!! I love figuring out where we'll be and what restaurant (from the ones we decide we want to do for the trip) is most convenient. It's not "what are we in the mood for?" It's "where do we get to go tonight?!?!"

 

[WOW]

WOW thanks for the info. We almost never make ressies and usually are able to get into the restaurant of our choice. This must be something new. I guess as someone said, because of the Dining Plan. I will definately keep this in mind for our next trip in May. Ugggggggggh I hate being tied to a time for dinner.

 

[byoung]

I make my ADR's. Like to eat my meals around 5:30.

 

[Peter Pirate]

The ADR system is just a money grab for Disney. It stifles the creativity of the chef's and causes indifference from the CM's as the masses of ADR/meal plan folk are not (generally speaking) the 'foodies' these people live/love to please (Note: this is a generalization and not intended to offend those who are foodies and obsessive planners but meant to offend the McDonalds group dining at California Grill on the MP). ... On second thought that was a joke. I wish to offend no one or everyone...hmmmm.
It's sad that Disney is gentrifying their chef's and their offerings to placate the meal plan/180 day ADR folk...But soon you'll probably be able to get a hamburger and fries at 'Ohana and some people will tout this as "GREAT" (note the ridiculous rave reviews of the "polynesian" scalloped potatos).

Oh, and The Sweetness, I won't begrude you your little ' smug satisfaction' if you won't mind when I saunter up unannounced and speak to my friend the chef or the the GS manager and get my table right away.

 

[blueroses]

The ADR system is just a money grab for Disney.

While I agree the DDP is a grab, I can't follow how having reservations available 180 vs. 90 days out stifles anyone's creativity.

I wish to offend no one or everyone...hmmmm.

Somehow I think that may not be the case.

Oh, and The Sweetness, I won't begrude you your little ' smug satisfaction' if you won't mind when I saunter up unannounced and speak to my friend the chef or the the GS manager and get my table right away.

Whatever, dude.

You know, I actually agree with the spirit of your post - that the menus are being dumbed down to match the tastes of the masses since the introduction of the dining plan, but you might win over more people if you were a bit less snotty about it.

 

[jackmac]

The minority opinion:
I'm at WDW about 3 times each year and stay in the Boardwalk area. I have never had a problem with getting into restaurants without ADRs. I do make an ADR for a special, highly popular, restaurants (Rose and Crown for Fireworks, California Grill for Fireworks). If I wanted to go to LeCellier, I would definately make an advanced ADR for that given it's popularity with the dining plan people.
The rest of the time I decide that day what I'm in the mood for. I always have table service restaurants for dinner and I prefer to eat around 8-9.

The whole issue of people being turned away happens, however, it does not mean that you have to plan way in advance. Disney's policy is to seat ADR people first. You can make an ADR the day that you want to go to a restaurant, up to a couple of minutes before you arrive. I've called wdw-dine as I was walking to the restaurant to make an ADR. Most times I will call in the morning or early afternoon for that evening. This past October I was staying at Port Orleans and wanted to go to Boatwrights. There were a lot of people standing at the desk waiting for a table, I went to the concierge (it was 7:30 PM) and asked for a 8 PM ADR. I was given this, brought my luggage to my room, walked back to Boatwrights and was seated before many people that were there when I first went by.

There is a place for spontanaity in Disney Dining, you just have to know how to do it.

 

[TDC Nala]

Ever since the introduction of the dining plan, ADRs have been a very good idea if not a complete necessity if you want to partake of table service dining, especially within the theme parks.

 

[Caylin]

I usually ADR half my meals and do the rest when I get there. My take on ADRs is that if there's a place or time or date that I REALLY want, I'll put in an ADR. Since I also realize I'm on vacation, I try not to get too attached to any ideas I may have once I get there. Last August, my girlfriends and I decided that we wanted to try Fulton's since we had never been there. It was totally packed. Instead, I talked them into going to Boma's and now that's a non-negotiable ADR for future trips. In other words, I'm very flexible about my dining desires. Although I do sometimes get mad at myself if I suddenly have a craving for a certain type of food and a restaurant is full. . . I don't like being thwarted!