How many ADRs to book?

[Bobsgal]

Are most of you booking an ADR for every meal? We are going on our first trip in August and planned on booking one ADR per day there. As of right now we have an ADR for every second day. We are not going during free dining and DF hates the idea of planning everything down to the last minute. I'm content with "winging" some meals with CS but hope there will be some good options other than burgers and fries there.

Thanks

 

[KrazyKowboy]

If you want to have sit down meals it's best to have your ADR's well in advance. With the dining plan being used more and more by guests it's practically impossible to get a walk up table anymore.
That said though, you can enjoy a few as you have already planned for and still find some decent eats at CS locations.
Some of my favorites are the Flame Tree Barbeque at AK, Cantina de San Angel at EP, Backlot Express at DS, and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe at MK.

And the best snack in all the World,,, Dole Whip in Adventureland at MK .

 

[G's mommy]

We normally book 1 ADR per day, switch it up between lunch and dinner. More than that is too much structure for my family.

 

[tkldisney]

We book 1 a day which is usually dinner. Breakfast & lunch are wherever we are when we get hungry.

 

[MickeyNicki]

The last 3 trips I booked a very early breakfast and a 6ish dinner. We just share a snack for lunch.

We do a lot of long weekend trips and do not go out to eat much at home so we like to splurge when we are at WDW

 

[simonkodousek]

I have ADR's for every meal this trip, but I'm going to cancel most of them. The reason I book all of them is so I have them, but can cancel when we arrive.

 

[Hopefully]

We like a sit down meal each day, so we always book one ADR per day. This is how we choose to eat on vacation. All but one on our upcoming trip are for dinner.
If you want a sit down meal in August during the free dining, I believe you will need an ADR. If you are happy to eat CS for some days, then you should be fine.
Epcot WS has lots of different CS cousine. The Tangerine Cafe in Morrocco is good, as is the Yakatori House in Japan.
The Columbia Harbour House in the MK has good sandwiches, a change from Burger and Fries.
I personally do not think the CS choices at MGM are very good.
The Tusker HOuse in the AK used to be the best CS in the World but it is closing to become a TS buffet restaurant. People like the Flame Tree Barbeque, if you like ribs and such.
Have a Great Trip

 

[daisyduck123]

We're going July 26-Aug. 3.

I made my ADRs at the 180 day mark...a dinner each night & a couple of breakfasts.

 

[kandmwedding]

Since we usually eat breakfast in our room, I always plan one ADR per day, either for lunch or dinner. Even if I at some point we decide not to use it, if we need it it's there. It's much easier to call and cancel an ADR last minute than it is to call and make one.

 

[motofox4]

i wanted to book ADRs for each day of our trip in December but when i told my fiancee about this, he said for me to stop making ADRs for everything, he doesn't want to feel like he's on a schedule for when he has to eat and where to go. so far i have 2 breakfasts (1 character breakfast), 1 lunch and 1dinner planned. other then that, i think i have to stop, at least that's what the DF says!!

 

[digman6]

i wanted to book ADRs for each day of our trip in December but when i told my fiancee about this, he said for me to stop making ADRs for everything, he doesn't want to feel like he's on a schedule for when he has to eat and where to go. so far i have 2 breakfasts (1 character breakfast), 1 lunch and 1dinner planned. other then that, i think i have to stop, at least that's what the DF says!!

You could always book more and then if you plan to not use it call and cancel it for the ones that you will not use. then at least you know your eatting someplace should you want to sit down and eat.

just my 2cents

 

[digman6]

well we have 4 kids first of all so that said..... We plan to eat a sit down meal every night, most of my ADRs are around dinner hour 5-6:30. I know its prime time to eat but little ones like to keep routine when they can.

this does a few things for us anyhow

1. little legs get some rest

2. we get to regroup where we want to head next

3. we get full bellies and are refreshed with energy

4. we are given a chance to relax our selves as adults


plus there is no question about where we are eatting next time.


last time we went I had ADRs for every night but I left one open for the heck of it. BIG mistake for us by the time we went to eat dinner everything was closing up so it seemed ( in March a few years ago). We ran around all over looking for a resturant to eat at and ended up at a pizza joint and it was noting that great either! I vowed never again will I not have some kind of ADR every day I am there. thats just me though

 

[crisi]

It depends how important Table Service is to you and if you have the dining plan.

The dining plan will not guarentee you food. So if you can't get a table at dinner, you may end up wasting a credit you paid for. If I'm on the dining plan, I have ADRs for as many TS meals as I have credits for.

Not on the dining plan - well, we like a sit down every day and don't mind the schedule, so we book one every day - spending the year before discussing options. However, when we did try winging it (in 2002), we had poor luck - and I discovered my tolerance is that I need to sit down for a real meal (buffets do not count, nor does any meal involving characters - the food isn't good enough nor is it relaxing enough to count for my purposes) every other day or I get cranky. So every other day as a minimum.

 

[dalt01]

I have ADR's for every meal this trip, but I'm going to cancel most of them. The reason I book all of them is so I have them, but can cancel when we arrive.

dont even get me started on what i consider an inconsiderate practice that just keeps people who want to eat from getting an ADR