If you have no ADR are you stuck?

[WildernessBride]

I was curious if you do not have a reservation is it impossible to get in a restaurant?

 

[WillCAD]

That varies from restaurant to restaurant, and season to season.

Some places like Cinderella's Royal Table (princess breakfast) are absolutely impossible; they never take walkups and the ressies sell out within a minute of the Dining Line opening 180 days in advance.

Other places, like 'Ohana, are very busy but usually take walkups. However, 'Ohana sometimes stops taking walkups on busy nights, and even when they take walkups the wait times can be 60-90 minutes.

A few places are not hard to get into at all.

So no, you're not entirely stuff if you have no ADRs, but you will be inconvenienced and have a pretty tough time getting in where you want, when you want.

 

[a1tinkfans]

last year during free dining we found teh restaurants were busier than times past.
Last year we had an ADR for Epcot /Dinner/Mexico, sorry forgot the name. Of course we get there and realize that NO tacos at dinner for the child, OOPS on my part! We ask if it is at all possible to get a taco and they said NO, they need 24 hour notice, (FOR A TACO??) LOL
so we decide to pass (with our PICKY eater) and head back to the resort POR, who despite being booked for that evening, (atleast 2 hours) said that they would try their best to get us in. We waited a short time and they indeed got us in. They were very understanding to our situation and also the food was wonderful. We actually plan to eat there on each trip atleast twice!
So, We always do the ADR dance and then "go with the flow"
Good Luck!

 

[dalt01]

if i had a nickel for every time i was sitting waiting for my ADR time to come and saw people turned away that just walked up expecting to eat. in world showcase they will check the other restaurants to see what is available and often times there is nothing anywhere in world showcase at all. then the people get mad of course. dont put yourself through this unless you really like cheesburgers and turkey legs.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

A qualified "maybe." You can always find something to eat, and I'll even risk saying you can always find a TS option, if you don't mind venturing outside the parks to some far-flung resorts. My suggestion is just present yourself at the podium before a restaurant's stated opening time ... early dining can work.

But my bottom line suggestion is, if you've got your heart set on something, don't risk it, and make those infernal ADRs. Save yourself some hassle when you're supposed to be having fun.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Since we checked in on Fri, we have heard "Sorry, we're full" at least four times out of the five meals we have eaten. Marakesh was not full. And the Shiskabob was verygood.

 

[MissionMouse]

I was curious if you do not have a reservation is it impossible to get in a restaurant?

No, but I hope you are in Sales, since you are going to hear 'No' more than you want to hear it. While it is not impossible, you will start to feel like it is and you may not have the heart to continue from one TS restaurant to another, only to hear no again as meal option diminish along with your day. Also, if you are in a group you may start to see signs of a mutiny somewhere along your dining quest...

 

[eliza61]

I was curious if you do not have a reservation is it impossible to get in a restaurant?

When do you go? Can you be flexible? We generally don't make a lot of ADR's. If we stay 10 nights I may make adr's for 2. I've never gone during free dining though. Some of my tips.
1) We don't eat at prime feeding hours. 5-6 pm for a TS is going to be full. I've never had a problem walking up at 7:00 pm. Even at 7:00 we usually wait 20-30 minutes.
2) Resort restaurants have a lot more openings than the parks, don't discount them. Once again we've never been turned down for a resort restaurant TS.
3) Character meals require an ADR. Period.
4) We call disney dining each morning to see what's available. Lots of stuff opens up but remember if you have your heart set on Le Cellier make the ADR.

In an ironic twist of fate, this year we are going in November and I made ADR's because it is my son's b-day and we are travelling with other folks. What happens, I lose my sheet with all my adr information. This will teach me.
Good luck, Bon apetite

 

[gallaj0]

Last year we wound up in the World during Free Dining (without realizing it) and couldn't get a table service at any place in MGM, at any time during the day.

 

[wolverine2010]

Some very good help in this thread but i would say what "Deb & Bill" said....and what "gallajo" said.....Welcome to the DDP & Free Dining...Good luck to ya and have a great time on your trip!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We stopped in at Guest Relations tonight at Epcot about 6PM. They had a board there with all availability listed for every single TS restaurant for tonight. Of all the ten plus restaurants, only two had limited availability. The rest were full. Your odds are not good.

 

[Lewisc]

Is the glass half full or half empty. A guest that waited until 6:00p could have had dinner, that night, in two restaurants without even having to leave EPCOT.

We stopped in at Guest Relations tonight at Epcot about 6PM. They had a board there with all availability listed for every single TS restaurant for tonight. Of all the ten plus restaurants, only two had limited availability. The rest were full. Your odds are not good.

 

[LisaLuvsDisney]

I just posted something similar about not having ADRs til the last minute. I have not been able to get OHANAs and I have been calling every day. That will teach me not to do my planning. I will keep calling and have my fingers crossed.

 

[allshookup]

Like others have said, if you have your heart set on any particular place...make an ADR! If you go during a popular time, some parks will have a sign at the entrance saying that no table service is available for that day so you either have to plan on leaving to eat TS somewhere else or plan on CS for that day. I made an ADR at the places we really want to eat at for the beginning of August (pre-free dining), but I also left some days open. We usually hit Guest Services in the morning to see what is available & like others have said, you need to be flexible with the time & place. I think you will sometimes have more luck that way instead of going to the restaurant podium as a walk-in. It beats waiting around for more than an hour for a table or wandering from restaurant to restaurant hoping for a opening.

 

[BlueFairy]

Can you eat at the bar? DH and his colleagues are in Orlando for a conference, and make California Grill a tradition. They go at all times of year, but only once since DDP came online, and I was there so I made an ADR. They did not take my advice to get ADRs this time. This past Sunday they were able to obtain a 7ish ADR for 6 people at Jiko (called on Sat). But CG had no availability at all this week, even calling the restaurant directly and calling every day until yesterday. So they went to the podium yesterday at 5:30 pm with 4 adults. Asked and were able to sit at the bar. I doubt that a table was an option. But that provides flexibility if you are a small all-adult party. They have bars at Rose and Crown, Flying Fish, Jiko, California Grill, Narcoosee's, Artist Point (probably Citricos and Yachtsman Steakhouse). None in MK. Not sure about Rainforest Cafe at AK or any at MGM. Wolfgang Puck at DTD. I'm sure there are others, too. But all bars in WDW are non-smoking.

 

[BamaBaloo]

if i had a nickel for every time i was sitting waiting for my ADR time to come and saw people turned away that just walked up expecting to eat. in world showcase they will check the other restaurants to see what is available and often times there is nothing anywhere in world showcase at all. then the people get mad of course. dont put yourself through this unless you really like cheesburgers and turkey legs.

I totally agree with this. We were there for free dining last year, and while waiting to be seated at almost every meal, we had to watch 3 or 4 families get turned away from the restaurants because none of them were taking walk-ups.