I am lost with the Dinning Plan!!!

[Sprite74]

OK, we have been to Disney a couple times but never used the dinning plan but we are going in August and got the plan for free, , and with 6 of us it is a good deal. I have 2 Adults and 4 kids ( 13, 11 and twin 6yr olds).

Here is my issue, when we are on holidays we like to just go with the flow and not over schedule ourselves but with ADRs I feel like I have to know what I am going way before hand.

I guess my question is at the end of August how hard would it be to book some TS reservations when we get there?? I plan to book a couple restaurants before hand to make sure we get to the ones we want but I don't want to do them all. Also how hard is it to adjust your booking if something comes up.

Man this is turning in to a long post, , sorry ... Also any recommendations of places to eat. We have NEVER eaten at any TS restaurants while at Disney before and I don't care about character meals, I think my oldest would kill me !!

 

[Gorechick]

I would call the dining number from your resort first thing in the morning to check dining availabilty when you know where you will be for the day or make an online ADR from your phone.

 

[TDC Nala]

Also how hard is it to adjust your booking if something comes up.

Go to the Reservations board and read the sticky thread about the reservations that require a credit card hold. These are subject to a $10 per person fee if they are not cancelled at least a full day prior to the reservation.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2836290

 

[lions1995]

You can always find a TS reservations somewhere, though it may be at DTD or a resort. So it come down to how flexible you are for your "day of" reservations.

If you have a internet capable device (compure, Ipad...), you can always log on to Disney dining to see what is available. The search is nice and allows for all restaurants at a park, resort, cuisine type, and shows available restaurants within a +/- time of your original search.

 

[Sprite74]

Thanks, I have posted in the Restaurant thread for help with Recommendations... Guess I am going to have to get a US data plan while we are their, think I am going to be using my phone a little more this trip!!

 

[DisDaze]

Thanks, I have posted in the Restaurant thread for help with Recommendations... Guess I am going to have to get a US data plan while we are their, think I am going to be using my phone a little more this trip!!

The restaurants will book up very quickly, long before you get there and most places will not even be taking walk up reservations. If you don't want to be dragging your 4 children around looking for somewhere to eat, you need to make advance dining reservations. It's not really that hard to schedule ONE table service/sit down per day. The best thing to do is used one of the many crowd calendars and pick your park days and then pick a restaurant in the park you will be in or in a neighboring resort close to the park you will be in. That way you don't have to worry about canceling or moving reservations, or worst of all, not getting any dining reservations at all. With our kids we usually eat a quick breakfast in the room or eat something quick on the bus ride to the park, eat an early lunch at 11 or 11:30, snack around 3:00 and table service reservation around 6:30 p.m.

 

[summermac]

If you have a internet capable device (compure, Ipad...), you can always log on to Disney dining to see what is available. The search is nice and allows for all restaurants at a park, resort, cuisine type, and shows available restaurants within a +/- time of your original search.

You can also download the Disney Mobile Magic app for your phone and I believe you can search for ADRs that way as well.

Since the dining is "free" the good news is that if you can't get into TS you're not really out the money of the DDP (unless you missed out on a great resort PIN b/c you paid rack for the room to get free DDP) so if you don't use up all your TS, oh well.

That said, I'd try to make at least 3-4 ADRs just for the experience and the break. Sitting down is nice a few days of your trip. Perhaps even try to make an ADR for your arrival or departure day so you don't lose as much time in the park. Where are you planning on staying? At the very least you could possibly eat the TS place at your resort probably.

 

[TDC Nala]

You can use the TS credits for CS meals, if it comes to that.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I see youre Canadian like me, and going the same time as me too!

They just announced free dining for the last week in August (i think Aug.26 til Sept. 29 or something like that). Free dining means BUSY at the restaurants. Especially with a family of 6, I would 100% make as many ADRs as you can.

You can definitely try to wing it with a couple of ADRs ...im pretty sure that as long as your not fussy, you will find some place to eat.

 

[Sprite74]

I see youre Canadian like me, and going the same time as me too!

They just announced free dining for the last week in August (i think Aug.26 til Sept. 29 or something like that). Free dining means BUSY at the restaurants. Especially with a family of 6, I would 100% make as many ADRs as you can.

You can definitely try to wing it with a couple of ADRs ...im pretty sure that as long as your not fussy, you will find some place to eat.

Yup you are just down the highway from me!!!

I have actually sat down and booked 6 of my ADRs now and I feel a lot better about things. Got some nice input on the other thread.

But I will have my phone at the ready and set up as needed before we leave.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I would make at least one ADR for each day that way you'll have a place to eat, just in case. That's the way we have always handled it when we have the reg. DDP (with TS). We always have a car so I make about half of our ADRs at non-park locations (DTD or resorts) then if our plans change as to what park we are in that day, we are covered. That being said we don't plan on what park we are going to be everyday. We go with the flow, but informed.

Just make sure to cancel any ADRs you won't use (especially any with a credit card hold). Know that you can usually get an ADR somewhere on any given day, it just may be for an earlier or later meal time than you normally have. Personally we don't mind eating dinner late. We're from California and the 3 hour time difference, plus the fact that we ate late at home anyway, means we don't mind eating 7 p.m, or later.

I have always been able to make an ADR for somewhere, even on the day of. The last time we did reg. DDP (2 years ago) I would go online to Disney Dining (you could get online to Dining free then, not sure if you still can?) and I would search for a location where we would want to eat. (park, DTD, etc.) I always found someplace (and yes, we always go during free DDP).

Guest do cancel ADRs so someplace that may have been booked may magically have an opening just when you want it.

You won't starve but being at least partially prepared will make your vacation much less stressful. Like PP have said, you don't want to be dragging along 4 hungry, cranky, kids because you didn't make an ADR and you can't walk in any of the park locations.

BTW, even if you won't have your own car you can still do ADRs at the resorts, and get there pretty easily. For example, when you are going to be at MK you can book one of the locations at Contemporary, Poly, or GF. Easy to get to, and back to the park, by monrail.

You can eat at the Boardwalk area-which is easy to walk to from Epcot and a pleasant boat ride from DHS.

It's a quick bus ride from AK to the AKL.

 

[beroh2253]

Hi, I'm just wondering if you have hopper passes, if you don't this will limit you chance even moreof getting a restaurant if you are going with no ADR because you will be stuck with only the choice of restaurants in the part you are in that day and out side the park restaurants. We always get hoppers cause EPCOT for us has all our fav. restaurants, beverages and fireworks.
If you have any favorites they are likely everybodys favorite and will be hard to get when you are there so better at least get ADR's for those.

 

[Sprite74]

Yes we do have Park Hopper, with the info here and great advice on other boards in DIS I have booked all but 1 of my ADRs and I am happy with what I have chosen. Here is hoping it all works out .......

 

[goofyintoronto]

Yup you are just down the highway from me!!!

I have actually sat down and booked 6 of my ADRs now and I feel a lot better about things. Got some nice input on the other thread.

But I will have my phone at the ready and set up as needed before we leave.

Yes we do have Park Hopper, with the info here and great advice on other boards in DIS I have booked all but 1 of my ADRs and I am happy with what I have chosen. Here is hoping it all works out .......

Awesome! You made the right choice by booking most ADRs. You can always tweak and change it once you get to disney. Just talk to your resort concierge or guest services at the parks.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

I know it sounds a bit daunting to get ADRs set up, like who on earth knows what they're going to be in the mood for eating almost 6 months from today and in 90 degree heat!

However, working around 1 TS ADR is fairly easy. At least for each day, you have only one place where you absolutely need to be at a certain time, and I think, personally, that helps to shape our days at Disney. Knowing we have a 7:15 dinner reservation in Epcot lets me sort-of plan our day (and we're are pretty much go-with-the-flow) so that we might start that day at another park, take a bit of an afternoon break, and then head over to Epcot a bit in advance of that ADR.