i hear stuff like this all the time.

[dalt01]

a girl at work just left this morning for her family trip. last week she was talking about where to eat and she said she could not get in to cinderellas royal table so she was emailing disney to have them call her or email her if there was a cancellation. she was sure she would be allright and nothing i said would change her mind. of course they are not eating there. in fact i saw her ADR list yesterday and they are mostly eating at resort restaurants due to lack of planning. the only good one they snagged was a 4:00 at LTT. those of you who are new, its not like going to the neighborhood applebees, you need to plan as far ahead as you can if you want to eat at the park restaurants and some of the more popular resort restaurants.

 

[Aliceacc]

Thanks so much for the advice!

My husband and I are taking our three kids next August... the last time we were in WDW was 1990, and things have changed soooo much!

Thanks to these boards I know about the AAA discount, the dining plan, ADR's, personalized menus, and a bazillion other things that simply were not on my radar. I'm planning to have groceries delivered, I've ordered fanny packs for the kids for Christmas, and I'm having a blast!!

So, UNLIKE your friend at work, I'm hoping to have the happy medium between getting all I want from our trip and leaving lots of room for spontenaity.

Thanks to all the pros here for helping the rest of us

 

[Tir na nOg]

a girl at work just left this morning for her family trip. last week she was talking about where to eat and she said she could not get in to cinderellas royal table so she was emailing disney to have them call her or email her if there was a cancellation. .

Am I crazy here? Does Disney call people back when someone else cancels a ressie? I thought only dentist's did that? (BTW, not slamming dentists - I love mine, he's awesome!)

 

[dalt01]

Am I crazy here? Does Disney call people back when someone else cancels a ressie? I thought only dentist's did that? (BTW, not slamming dentists - I love mine, he's awesome!)

that is the point, people who are novices to disney think they can do things the way they do at home at local venues and you cant convince them otherwise. they just have to find out for themselves. its not just dining. they think they can catch a bus to Universal, they think that the bus picking them up at Holiday Inn if they are staying off site is Disney transportation. they think they can walk from park to park. they think they can jump on a bus marked MGM and somehow end up at the GF. " could you let us off at the Grand Floridian Please?" i over heard a large group at check in at POR three weeks ago talking about supper and they decided on Chef Mickeys. so they said after check in they would make the ressie. we walked by Boatwrights that evening and saw all twelve of them checking availability there. i actually wanted to tell them that morning in the check in line that they were dreaming but they would have just got mad at me for butting in and also thought i was wrong so i just keep my mouth shut when i hear this kind of thing. some of it is way funny and if you listen close you can hear this kind of stuff all day every day.

 

[Aliceacc]

The thing is though, that it used to be like that.

When I went in 1990, you DID make reservations the same day. We decided one afternoon to go to the Coral Reef, and got the time we wanted that evening.

So anyone who hasn't been there in a while just doesn't have a clue unless someone (like all you wonderful people here!!) fills him in.

 

[pigby]

Thanks so much for the advice!

My husband and I are taking our three kids next August... the last time we were in WDW was 1990, and things have changed soooo much!

Thanks to these boards I know about the AAA discount, the dining plan, ADR's, personalized menus, and a bazillion other things that simply were not on my radar. I'm planning to have groceries delivered, I've ordered fanny packs for the kids for Christmas, and I'm having a blast!!

So, UNLIKE your friend at work, I'm hoping to have the happy medium between getting all I want from our trip and leaving lots of room for spontenaity.

Thanks to all the pros here for helping the rest of us

My first trip was in 1990 too

If you are going later in the month - we have just booked from the UK and UK tour operators are offering free dining with booking from 10th August, then I personally would not leave too much room for spontenatity - you may find yourself out of luck, especially in the parks, and also as you are a relatively larger party. Why not book your ADR's anyway - they can always be changed/cancelled if your plans changed.

 

[KimAshton]

Well, I just made plans yesterday to go back to disney for my birthday in November and I know I won't get any ressies but it cannot hurt to ask. I do not care what time or what meal we go for so I am hoping for something but not holding my breathe.

 

[milmore104]

To me it's just irritating when you try and help someone out and they won't listen to you or any of the help your trying to give. Seriously we're only trying to be nice and offer up the info we have (due to experience) and LOVE to talk about. I was talking to a friend about her upcoming trip (come to find out it's a day before ours) and she hasn't made any ressies yet. She says she hasn't been in 9 years but it was real easy to get into rests. then so she shuold have NO problem getting in w/ her now family of 8. Not to mention the fact that she says not a whole lot has changed in the past 9 years anyway. So of course I tried to open up my brain and let out some info to her but all I got in return was an eye roll and I think I've got it covered. It just pains me to think this is her kids first trip to WDW and all they'll remember was Mommy getting mad becasue they couldn't get in to eat anywhere!

 

[Aliceacc]

My first trip was in 1990 too

If you are going later in the month - we have just booked from the UK and UK tour operators are offering free dining with booking from 10th August, then I personally would not leave too much room for spontenatity - you may find yourself out of luck, especially in the parks, and also as you are a relatively larger party. Why not book your ADR's anyway - they can always be changed/cancelled if your plans changed.

No, actually 1990 was my LAST trip.. buying a house and filling it with 3 kids has pretty much eaten all our money since then. I went to WDW a number of times before that.

Wow, we're going from the 12th to the 18th, so I imagine I'll see lots of people from the UK. My kids will LOVE the change in accent

I'm definitley planning on the ADR's... I just have to decide on the last one. What I meant about spotenaity is that I DON'T want to be one of those commando moms you see, checking her schedule every 10 minutes trying to get the most out of every moment. (I could very easily slip into that mode if I don't watch myself!)

I have a general plan of which park I want to be in each morning and evening-(- afternoons will be at the pool in the Contemporary.) I'll play with that once I know which of my ADR's I'm able to get.

Thanks, though, for the advice. Will I see you there?

 

[pigby]

No, actually 1990 was my LAST trip.. buying a house and filling it with 3 kids has pretty much eaten all our money since then. I went to WDW a number of times before that.

Thanks, though, for the advice. Will I see you there?

Sorry - misread your post.

We are going from 15th August and staying at Coronado Spings Resort - which resort are you staying at?

 

[Aliceacc]

We'll be at the Contemporary. It's a total budget breaker, but I kept envisioning scenes of my 5 year old in meltdown mode... and being able to WALK back to the hotel and pool. I figured we would find the money somehow.

 

[branv]

What doesn't help is that Ultimate Fan Guide to WDW they show on the Travel Channel. In that one they show fans who "know everything" going up to make ADR's for later that same day.

You know, when we went in 2004 at the end of April we walked up at lunch to the Brown Derby. There were about 5 groups wanting to get in w/o ADR's, which they all did. And I think we waited maybe 30 minutes? And in 2006 we ate lunch at the Plaza restaurant with no ADR. Hardly a show stopping score, but I wonder if even that would be possible now?

 

[AmyinKY]

We were at WDW from 9/5 - 9/9. On the resort tv channels, a message is being played to either call to see what dining options were still available, or plan on eating at the resort. The parks were not crowded, but WOW, the restaurants sure were.

Amy

 

[Tir na nOg]

The thing is though, that it used to be like that.

When I went in 1990, you DID make reservations the same day. We decided one afternoon to go to the Coral Reef, and got the time we wanted that evening.

So anyone who hasn't been there in a while just doesn't have a clue unless someone (like all you wonderful people here!!) fills him in.

Excellent point. Years ago it was much easier to just walk up and ask to be seated. My dad is from that era, "I don't want to tied down to a reservation! I'll decide where to eat when I get there!" Those days are gone for the most part, but there still is/are chances you will be able to do a walk-in. If it wasn't for the DIS, there would be so much stuff I would miss out on. Not just making ADR's, but also what great "perks" each resort has, where to get my hair wrapped, and let's not forget hidden Mickeys.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

a girl at work just left this morning for her family trip. last week she was talking about where to eat and she said she could not get in to cinderellas royal table so she was emailing disney to have them call her or email her if there was a cancellation. she was sure she would be allright and nothing i said would change her mind. of course they are not eating there. in fact i saw her ADR list yesterday and they are mostly eating at resort restaurants due to lack of planning. the only good one they snagged was a 4:00 at LTT. those of you who are new, its not like going to the neighborhood applebees, you need to plan as far ahead as you can if you want to eat at the park restaurants and some of the more popular resort restaurants.

I don't know where your coworker is eating, but I'd rater eat at some resort restaurants then LTT. Just because they are at a resort doesn't make them not good. And vice versa, just because they are in a park doesn't make them good either.

 

[GolfCrazy]

Since becoming DVC members, we go to WDW much more than we used to. All times of the year but we avoid holidays. When not members, we would plan our trips around the restaurants and ADR's but no more....it actually made the trips much more regimented and stressful when we did plan ADR's. We have been to most of the restaurants and many multiple times. Anymore, we rarely make an ADR yet still manage to eat at many of the better restaurants. We are fortunate that.....

1) our kids are older now so eating at a set time is no big deal anymore..

2) we drive our own car so when there, so we can go from place to place very easily....

3) when one place is not available, we are confident we will find a place that is...many restaurants hold a table or two for walk-ups plus with many people cancelling late, we tend to find openings.

I fully understand that most people do not have the flexibility we have but being we have it, it has made the trips so much more enjoyable and stress-free. Heck, we still map out some restaurants we'd like to eat at on each trip but if it doesn't happen...oh well.

So I do agree with everyone that if you really want to eat somewhere, make an ADR but there are so many restaurants that if you can get around and know the restaurants, I don't find ADR's necessary.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

3) when one place is not available, we are confident we will find a place that is...many restaurants hold a table or two for walk-ups plus with many people cancelling late, we tend to find openings.

Sorry, but I think you're wrong. To my knowledge Disney saves no tables for walk-ups.

 

[familyS]

I have seen a few posts lately that mention Disney saves a table or two for walkups.

I know they don't now, but I wonder if they used to... Maybe that is where the information is coming from .

I remember back in the Disney dark ages when a few tables were saved for each day and if you went to the reservations center (remember that huge one in Epcot?) in the park right after ropedrop, there were reservations to be had (but you had to be fast during the busy season ).

 

[Elmo888]

Well, I just made plans yesterday to go back to disney for my birthday in November and I know I won't get any ressies but it cannot hurt to ask. I do not care what time or what meal we go for so I am hoping for something but not holding my breathe.

I'm sure that you will get something, as long as you are flexible. It sounds like you are. It is 2 months away, and people change their minds all the time. If you don't get a place or time that you want, you could take what you can get and just keep calling.

When we were there in January, I called to change a ressie at Alfredos for the next day. I needed it for an hour or half hour later. I think that it was for 4:30, and I was concerned that we weren't going to make it after our afternoon naps. They had 4:45 or 8 pm or later. So, there were times available even for the next day. I took the 4:45 ADR (8 pm doesn't work for a 2 year old - we aren't that flexible!)

So if you are flexible in your choice of restaurants and times (finding an ADR at Alfredos the day before is probably easier than finding an ADR at Chef Mickey's or Le Cellier, which seem to be more popular...moot point since Alfredos is closed...but you get the idea), you will find something.

Just plan now and you should be fine...have a great trip!

 

[WDWMeg311]

Not that these are the most sought after ADRs (LTT lunch and Chefs de France dinner) but I was able to get both of these today for my trip this week. I leave Thursday and called Disney Dining on two separate occassions today and was able to move my lunch at LTT to an earlier time and move my ADR for Chefs also... Granted I wasn't going to call up and get an ADR for Le Cellier today, but it's not like there is NOTHING available for TS last minute during free dining!