Have Free Dining, Need Help

[mickeyboat]

I booked last night for free dining in October. This is essentially our first time (DH and I stayed off site in 1990 with family when we got engaged).

We are not commando-style folks, nor do we want to plan our entire trip around our dinner reservations. But I do want to eat at some of the great and cool restaurants.

Does anyone have any tips or ideas?

 

[TDC Nala]

If you're going during free dining and you want the cool restaurants, I am pretty sure you will have to make reservations for them (if your "cool" restaurants are the same as everyone else's "cool" restaurants - if you like the more out of the way ones you may have better luck - but it's still free dining so it's possible you may have to make reservations there too)

 

[dismichael]

In the past 3-5 years i have found how much making ADRs helps with Disney. Before we used to just go wherever we could get in. This however left some of the members of our party hungry and cranky I would suggest just looking at what restaurants you and your family would really like to eat at (as far as TS) and make those reservations. Otherwise you will not get in to anything but QS places. And as long as you have a park hopper it does not have to completely run which parks you go to.

Hope This Helps

 

[shannonstar]

I would try to get Breakfast in the parks at least one day each on a non-early opening day.
8am reservations at Tusker House (AK), Akershus (EP), Crystal Palace (MK), and Hollywood & Vine (HS) are worth it. You get in the park before everyone else, and even if you don't like the characters so much it can be very fun.
Also, you are well primed to get to some of the rides earlier than the crowds and/or get some early fast passes.

 

[JerseyJanice]

ADRs are essential during Free Dining. We've never been turned away from any Disney restaurant as long as we had some kind of ADR there.

I plan ADRs out based on what I expect us to be doing each day. I take the park hours schedule for my trip dates, then figure out which parks to plan on which days. You don't want to be traveling all over the place (especially if you're riding the buses) to use your TS credits. Fit into a schedule, they are a very enjoyable break from walking around in the heat.

If our flight is early (usually), we like to go to the World Showcase on arrival day. It's a nice low-key way to start park touring. The next day is always MK. Because of sentimental reasons, we always do the MK on our first full day. Our other MK day will be when the night time parade is playing or PM EMH. Studios day is when Fantasmic is playing. Love to do PM EMH at Epcot, so that's our Future World day. Animal Kingdom days can be interchanged with a day of rest at a resort so for either rest day or AK day, I pick a resort restaurant for an early dinner.

When going to the MK, these are the ADRs I might schedule:

Chef Mickey
Ohana
1900 Park Fare (only breakfast here for us--had a very bad dinner experience here)
Crystal Palace
Whispering Canyon Cafe

Choices are vast at Epcot. At Future World, you would want the Coral Reef or the Garden Grill (but GG only if you're a party of 4 or less--ugly view at the "big" tables). In the World Showcase, you could choose almost anywhere and have a great experience. We've enjoyed LeCellier, Chefs de France, San Angel Inn, and Biergarten on past trips, and I would recommend any of them.

We like the Cape May Clam Bake Buffet. It's good to schedule for AK, rest or Studios days. For Studio days, we've had great experiences at the SciFi Dine Inn and Mama Melrose. If you can get the Fantasmic package at MM, go for it.

 

[hart6066]

Not sure if it's an adults only trip, or if not, what ages your children are, but when we go, we tend to do almost each night at Epcot. As long as you have park hoppers, I think it's an easy way to plan. If you go to your day park at RD, you'll probably be ready to leave around 4 or 5 and so going over to Epcot is easy. There is so much to see at WS that doesn't require a line, that it's a nice way to spend an evening--and I think they have some of the best restaurants at Disney. The only 2 exceptions to that might be your Fantasmic night at HS and your Wishes night at MK. We're going to do the Fantasmic dinner package for the first time this year, but when we watch Wishes and Spectro, we just do CS for dinner there and do a TS at lunch that day.

I know that a lot of people really like the buffets, but we have found them to be really not good, so we now ONLY do them if the kids really want a character meal.

Good luck!

 

[bunkkinsmom]

We are not commando either, and really enjoy a relaxing dinner after a day of running around. Here are the few tips I have.

* I agree with PP about Akershus. Delicious breakfast and an EMPTY park.

* ADRs are a MUST. We went during NOT free dining in January and 6 of 8 days we were there there was a sign posted at the entrance to whatever park we were in saying that there were no more table service reservations available for the day and to enjoy a Counter Service restaurant. make your ADR's as soon as possible. Like today.

* Chefs de France, 50's Prime Time, and O'Hana, IMHO are the "coolest" restaurants on property!

* have a fantastic time!!

 

[Liberty Belle]

Just want to urge you to make your ADRs, if you haven't already done so. We'll be there Oct 2-8 and I waited until today to make our ADRs. Almost EVERYTHING was full for dinner, at least the restaurants I wanted.

 

[goofy4prez]

Just want to urge you to make your ADRs, if you haven't already done so. We'll be there Oct 2-8 and I waited until today to make our ADRs. Almost EVERYTHING was full for dinner, at least the restaurants I wanted.

I guess there are advantages to taking a last minute vacation and not being able to go during free dining. We're heading down Aug. 1-8 and managed to get Ohana, Coral Reef, Teppan Edo, and Narcoossee's all for dinner. Le'Cellier and the T-Rex were all booked but I had no interest in either, I was just curious.

I agree though, with the free dining getting the ADR's done asap is essential. The op should be trying to secure his/her seatings without any further delay.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I guess there are advantages to taking a last minute vacation and not being able to go during free dining. We're heading down Aug. 1-8 and managed to get Ohana, Coral Reef, Teppan Edo, and Narcoossee's all for dinner. Le'Cellier and the T-Rex were all booked but I had no interest in either, I was just curious.

I agree though, with the free dining getting the ADR's done asap is essential. The op should be trying to secure his/her seatings without any further delay.

Wow. That's great. I wonder if we're going a busy week, then.

I got Teppan Edo, but for lunch. No Ohana the whole time we're there, except for after 9:45 at night.

 

[momof2buzzboys]

We are going during Free Dining as well (in December before kids get out of school) and we are having problems getting some of the MUST DO's.

For us the Must do's are Chef Mickey's, Coral Reef, 1900 Park Fare Breakfast, Ohana's breakfast, and 50's Prime Time Cafe.

Good Luck!

 

[Pinocchio #1 Fan]

You really want ADRs. In September 2007, My wife and I were on our Honeymoon, and had no idea that free dining existed. We did limited research on the WDW trip, because we were planning a wedding. Therefore, we had no ADR's, and every time we went to a table service restaurant, we were told we needed a reservation. The only table meals we had the entire trip were when the host at a restaurant noticed our "Just Married" buttons and squeezed us in just because we were on our honeymoon. That reminds me, we always will love Christov ar Chefs de Paris!

Long story short, make ADR's!

 

[Pumbaa_]

Many diners book their ADRs at the 180 day mark. Many of the most popular places amy already be sold out

I would make a touring plan then book some ADRs. Nothing worse than being hungry and finding nowhere to eat

Good luck!

 

[mickeyboat]

Thanks for kicking me in the butt, guys. I made some ADRs tonight. I didn't get Ohana's, but I think I will keep checking. I got some others I was hoping for, too!

Does anyone know how to change a time on an ADR. I am rethinking one.

Denae

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Thanks for kicking me in the butt, guys. I made some ADRs tonight. I didn't get Ohana's, but I think I will keep checking. I got some others I was hoping for, too!

Does anyone know how to change a time on an ADR. I am rethinking one.

Denae

Just make a new ADR and when it's confirmed, cancel the original one. You can't alter an ADR on line once it's made, you need a new one. If you call, they'll handle those details if there's availability. And keep checking on O'hana's. People make changes all the time. My last trip I switched park days 3 weeks before we left(during last Dec free dining) after snagging a new ADR for PTC, one of the toughest gets outside of Epcot.