how necessary is making ADRs for BTRBBQ and Cafe Orleans?

[goofyredraider]

I'm thinking we want to eat at both, but I don't want to be tied to a reservation if we get busy doing other things (first trip). How difficult is it to get in walk-in?

 

[tiffjoy]

According to your signature, your trip is in July? At peak summer hours, things in general are crowded and busy. Reservations at DLR are not as popular as at WDW, but they still happen, and especially during the summer, if you really want to go to one of these, then you should make a reservation.

Otherwise, I would try for off hours. Can you have a midmorning snack, then stop by for a late lunch at Cafe Orleans around 2ish? The off normal meal time hours are usually better.

We have never done the BBQ, so I don't know when lunch stops and dinner begins in terms of timing, but the same thing might be possible there. You'd have to check hours.

 

[gerilyne]

We ate at BTBBQ last year around 4 or 4:30 when they started serving dinner and even though we had reservations we could have walked in without them. That was in Aug but Thunder Mountain was closed as was the path between it and Fantasyland. Not sure if that had any impact.

 

[Camshell]

I'm thinking we want to eat at both, but I don't want to be tied to a reservation if we get busy doing other things (first trip). How difficult is it to get in walk-in?

We had a dinner reservation at Café Orleans the week before Christmas. A moderately busy time of year. They were turning away walk ups at the door.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

I'm thinking we want to eat at both, but I don't want to be tied to a reservation if we get busy doing other things (first trip). How difficult is it to get in walk-in?

BTBBQ shouldn't be a problem. Cafe Orleans could have a short waif. Like the other poster said, ADR's at DLR aren't as popular as at WDW. I often find reservations to be a bit harder to get a day or two in advance. Just booked the following last night for July 16-18:
Dinner at Steakhouse 55, Cafe Orleans and Catal
Lunch at Blue Bayou and Ralph Brennen's
Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen and Plaza Inn

Last year we had ADR's for BTBBQ, Carthay Circle, and others, but found plenty of walk-ups entering on a weekend in July.

 

[dragonflycurls]

We were there the first week of June and with grad nights we had ressies for btmbbq and there were people being turned away as it was full.

 

[goofyredraider]

Thank you all. We don't mind eating at off times (which we probably will because we're from Texas, and our tummies will be off schedule). I just don't want to be tied to reservations on days we have the parks planned since I feel like I don't know what I'm doing LOL

We do have Goofy's Kitchen for arrival night (no park, staying at DLH). On a down day we are doing Storyteller's and possibly Tortilla Jo's.

 

[tiffjoy]

Thank you all. We don't mind eating at off times (which we probably will because we're from Texas, and our tummies will be off schedule). I just don't want to be tied to reservations on days we have the parks planned since I feel like I don't know what I'm doing LOL

We do have Goofy's Kitchen for arrival night (no park, staying at DLH). On a down day we are doing Storyteller's and possibly Tortilla Jo's.

I see you are a WDW vet. I will say that the DLR CS is, IMHO, superior to WDW. I think if you are not able to get into the TS restaurants, you will find great options otherwise.

If you can't get into Cafe Orleans, my DH's favorite restaurant is French Market. No Monte Cristo, but they have great jambalaya, and right around the corner is the take out counter for beignets. The atmosphere is also very nice, and just like Cafe Orleans, they have outdoor seating. Sometimes there are jazz bands playing.

If you can't get into BTBBQ, you can try the Plaza Inn for their fried chicken. Super yummy, and again, great outdoor seating with Main St and castle views.

 

[GatorChris]

I'm with Tiffjoy. Lots of good CS if the TS option fails. In July, you'll want a reservation. If it were any other time but summer, no ressie is needed. We made reservations at BTMR for November at Noon. The whole time we were there, more than half the table were empty. Come to think of it, in the middle of summer, it might be just as empty because of the heat. With most of the seats outdoors, most people will want an inside venue if they can get to it.

 

[pixiewings71]

CO, yes absolutely, I've been turned away for not having a reservation at CO many times.
Especially in July.

for the BBQ it's a little more iffy I think, I've been able to walk up all year but during off times, not peak times.

Definitely eat at Storyteller's, great food. But I'd pass on TJ's, we've eaten there twice and had stomach "problems" the following day. We dealt with them but it wasn't fun.

 

[plutos1fan]

I'm thinking we want to eat at both, but I don't want to be tied to a reservation if we get busy doing other things (first trip). How difficult is it to get in walk-in?

I think you definitely need to make a reservation at Café Orleans, it is always busy. If you do not make ADR, you may have to wait on the side for an half of an hour or more.

I think you could possibly get a table Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. Are you planiing to do lunch or dinner?

Enjoy your first trip to Disneyland! Best of luck!

 

[tstidm1]

On a related question, Could I do a reservation for same day for July? Let's say we want to eat at Cafe Orleans for a Late Lunch and we decide we want to do this at 12:30 PM. With a senior citizen being my companion, I want to be flexible time wise.

 

[mom2rtk]

On a related question, Could I do a reservation for same day for July? Let's say we want to eat at Cafe Orleans for a Late Lunch and we decide we want to do this at 12:30 PM. With a senior citizen being my companion, I want to be flexible time wise.

We tried to have lunch at CO in early December last year but were turned away. While at the check-in desk, they set up an ADR for dinner for us.

 

[figment_jii]

I also think that you can probably get a walk-up for BTRBBQ at off times, but CO can be tougher. I've been there when CO was turning away walk-ups (Tuesday, mid-afternoon in late-September), but they were taking ADRs for late that night. I've also been to BTRBBQ when they were accepting walk-ups, but the wait was between 45-60 minutes (dinner time, October).

So ultimately it comes down to how badly you want to eat at a venue and how disappointed you'll be if they are not taking walk-ups. In most cases, getting week of or day before reservations isn't usually too bad...especially if you look at off times.

At CO, my guess says that if they're really busy and they are taking walk-ups, you might end up being seated inside. At BTRBBQ you might be asked if you'd be willing to share a table with another small party (if you're a small party).

I know you didn't ask, but if you did want to eat at Blue Bayou, I would highly recommend making a reservation. I've yet to be there when they were taking walk-ups.