Last Minute ADRs for Late August

[Tink1999]

We will be in WDW 8/23 - 8/27. Everything with this trip is last minute & winging it. I have no park tickets yet. I just finalized a hotel. I've made no ADRs. I'm open to any advice on dining. I see the August ADR post, but it's almost 50 pages! Plus I have nothing to trade : (

What do you think the chances are of getting into some of the sit down restaurants, particularly: Tony's in MK; Japanese place in EP; Ohana at Poly? But we're not picky, just don't like eating at the "snack stands".

Do you know if they hold back some ADRs so they can release them at the last minute? I thought I read something like this in a post a couple yrs back.

Thanks.

 

[jjnv]

Your best chance is probably Aug 23. Free dinning offer started Aug 24. We have made most of our reservations in April. Now we have big trouble adding one person to our reservation. If you might be able to get Tokyo Dinning at Epcot, Teppen Edo is harder.

 

[LisaInNc]

Call and see what is available and then call once a day until your trip and you should be able to get what you want.

You didn't say what size your party is, if it's a large party it will be more difficult but if you are flexible about what day and time for each restaurant I think you will be able to get most of what you need. It's the people that need a specific restaurant for a specific date and a specific time that have some difficulty.

 

[Tink1999]

Thanks. I didn't realize free dining started on 8/24. I just called and was only able to get a res on 8/23 with no problem. After 8/24, everything I asked for was completely booked. I will call daily and hope for cancellations. Thanks for the advice: )

 

[Feigned]

Thanks. I didn't realize free dining started on 8/24. I just called and was only able to get a res on 8/23 with no problem. After 8/24, everything I asked for was completely booked. I will call daily and hope for cancellations. Thanks for the advice: )

If you don't find anything to your liking before then, you can also stop at Guest Relations in the morning at any of the theme parks to see what ADRs they have available. I know that they put boards out with this information, including what restaurants and meals they have available. You can also go to Concierge at your resort in the morning before you leave to see if they can make any ADRs for you.

Did you try for both lunch and dinners?

 

[michelle1]

How big is your party? I called yesterday to add a few more TS meals and there were several times offered to me for Boma and Kona Cafe. I suppose if you want the more popular places than you would be out of luck but if you are winging it anyway you could book what you can now and then try once you are there at off times. Last year we showed up to Sci Fi diner on the wrong day (OOPS!) and they seated us within 5 minutes anyway...we were told they get no shows all the time. Good luck!

 

[eeyoregon]

Also check with your concierge at check-in as they can often secure ressies for you.

 

[canadianmom2three]

I think I need to pare down my ADR's a little.....I have Crystal Palace at 7:05 on the 24th of August for a party of 7 if that helps you....
I have had good luck calling though, I just changed our Coral Reef to Biergarten with no problems, so I would say keep calling!! Have a great trip!

 

[MickeyNicki]

I think you might be up a creek on the popular places but I would get on the phone asap and see what is open and take whatever you can get.

 

[Tam1067]

I would check at the restaurant itself. We just returned last week, and while we were there, I saw NUMEROUS people get walk-ups for places that were supposedly sold out.

For instance, on arrival night, we had an ADR for Kona at 6:20. Our flight was four hours late, and we knew we'd never make the 6:20, so we called the Disney dining number from Magical Express, only to be told there were no tables for 5 available until 9:40 p.m. Yet, when DH went to Kona and talked to the hostess, we were seated within 10 minutes, at about 7:30 when we finally rolled into the resort. There were many empty tables in the restaurant by about 7:45, too, so the people on the phone were not accurate in availability.

We also were able to walk into the Plaza in MK, and the person in front of me at the Chef Mickey's check in did not have a reservation. He and his family (there were at least five of them) waited just a few minutes.