Free Dining but no ADR's?

[3DisneyBuggs]

Our trip is starting 10-10. I don't have free dining but wanted to make some ADR's. LTT is closed out all week. Other restaurants I tried were either full or had a really late seating. I fudged our party numbers for a few of them and a CM gave me a smaller table for one ADR on her own. What will all the new free diners do when there are no ADR's? Will the restaurants be crazy with people trying for walk ups?

 

[RMulieri]

At this point most people probably have already booked their trip and adrs and are just adding the free dining pincode.Others will have a real hard time coming up with anything.it makes me wonder..resort bookings must be down, but TS restaurants are booked, and the best discount they could come up with was free dining? to overload already booked TS?

 

[LindyN]

resort bookings must be down, but TS restaurants are booked, and the best discount they could come up with was free dining? to overload already booked TS?

AMEN!!!

Those TS restaurants will be less than magical at 10pm when people are feeding their exhausted little kids--that is if those kids are still awake.

 

[gismo1554]

I think this is probably one of the reasons why free dining next year is the counter service package in hope that most people dont bother upgrading

 

[LisaInNc]

You fudged your party numbers? What a nice way to say you cheated the system.

Not all of the restaurants are going to be booked, yes, the popular ones will be but people can still eat they just have to visit other restaurants.

The popular and theme park restaurants will be packed. Most times they will post a sign so they don't have to tell people over and over that they are booked. I have seen a sign in the MK that says that ALL table service restaurants are booked. So then you hop on the Monirail to the Grand Floridian cafe, no one ever eats there you would be able to get in

 

[GailT]

I would of prefered all CS but because I have all TS I booked early what I could get, for what I paid I will not use CS when I can have a sit down meal. If I had little kids I would probabaly do CS and one character breakfast, kids could care less where they eat

 

[shyjade]

In the past during free dining Disney has offered a "deal" for exchanging unused TS credits for CS credits, to help easy the lack of ADR's available. Not sure if that's going on right now, or if it will be this fall.

Also, they usually extend some restaurant's serving hours during FD...maybe that will happen this fall now too?

 

[webray]

Our trip is starting 10-10. I don't have free dining but wanted to make some ADR's. LTT is closed out all week. Other restaurants I tried were either full or had a really late seating. I fudged our party numbers for a few of them and a CM gave me a smaller table for one ADR on her own. What will all the new free diners do when there are no ADR's? Will the restaurants be crazy with people trying for walk ups?

Not really sure what is going on with disney dining (free dining or not). Our experience over the past year or so has been being told the restaurants are totally booked, no availability at all for the entire night, week, whatever. Sometimes I tried changing party size, that got me a table in some places.

The interesting thing I have found is that when we try to walk into most of the restaurants that we had tried to get reservations at there has been no problem at all. We were sitted almost immediately at the time we really wanted to eat, and the restaurants never got more than 1/2 full. The only exception was the wave, while the restaurant never got more than 1/2 full, we waited an hour with a reservation....so I think there, it is just poor kitchen and dining room management...they need a lot of work.

Maybe some of these restaurants don't have enough staff in the kitchen or the dining room to handle a full dining room and turn it several times a night, which is crazy, after all, I thought that is how money was made in a restaurant.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

People have been booked 180 days for dinning & that's why it's hard for people who don't make ADR's in the beginning and want to make them right before they go can't find anything. People are on the phone at 7:00 am 180 days before there vacation getting all the ADR's.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . LTT is closed out all week. Other restaurants I tried were either full or had a really late seating . . . What will all the new free diners do when there are no ADR's? Will the restaurants be crazy with people trying for walk ups?

1) No, not really.
2) They will just be out of luck.
3) DDP does not guarantee you a meal where/when you want it.

 

[n2mm]

We are going in October and made our ADRs 180 days out. I've been many times in October (probably the last 15 years in a row) and know that the restraurants can be busy, esp EPCOT with F&W and lots of activities. Keep in mind the easier places to get into at the last minute are the resort restraurants. To include:

Captian's Grill (YC)
The Turf Club (SSR)
Olivia's (OKW)
Maya Grill (CSR)
Trail's End (FW)
B&C (no ADRs)

I just called yesterday to change one of my ADRs to the Turf Club and had my choice of times for a Friday night. Not an issue at all. However, I've had my TWO LeCellier ADRs exactly at the 180 +10 date. Good luck!

 

[Brygida]

Our trip is starting 10-10. I don't have free dining but wanted to make some ADR's. LTT is closed out all week. Other restaurants I tried were either full or had a really late seating. I fudged our party numbers for a few of them and a CM gave me a smaller table for one ADR on her own. What will all the new free diners do when there are no ADR's? Will the restaurants be crazy with people trying for walk ups?

I don't know why you are having issues.... what is your party size? that must be it.

I just returned from free dining and there were *significantly* less people in every restaurant! Every place we ate (except 1) had empty tables during the course of our meal, walk-ins were being excepted! We ate at:
Hoop Dee Doo Revue 5pm seating
Chefs De France
Wolfgang Puck Cafe
Boma
Crystal Palace

I also ate at Akershus Princess lunch 12 noon seating. Walk-ins were being offered at 2pm seating, but none available at the 12.

Having gone the past several years during free dining, this is the *only* time we have had empty table at every restaurant! Attendance must be significantly down. Hence, why they are offering free dining through December this year!

Try ADR's at the above restaurants, or just show up at opening time at a restaurant. I bet you will be seated (exception being CRT).

P.S. LTT is really awful... don't eat there.