Meals without Dining Plan or Reservations

[joyjoy42]

OK...we have decided not to choose the dining plan and also don't want a dinner reservation time to control the way our day goes. We are going to take it as it comes for breakfast and lunch and then depending where we are for dinnertime, decide where to eat for dinner. We do know that for dinner we will want to enjoy some sort of sit down meal, with a menu (not a buffet).

We are opting for this since our kids are 12 and 16 and quite easy going and willing to see where we end up. We are planning one day at Magic Kingdom (likely March 14) and another at Hollywoods Studios (likely March 15).

My questions are:

1. How hard will it be to find a table?
2. Should we expect a long wait?
3. Anything else?

Thanks in advance...

 

[dzorn]

OK...we have decided not to choose the dining plan and also don't want a dinner reservation time to control the way our day goes. We are going to take it as it comes for breakfast and lunch and then depending where we are for dinnertime, decide where to eat for dinner. We do know that for dinner we will want to enjoy some sort of sit down meal, with a menu (not a buffet).

We are opting for this since our kids are 12 and 16 and quite easy going and willing to see where we end up. We are planning one day at Magic Kingdom (likely March 14) and another at Hollywoods Studios (likely March 15).

My questions are:

1. How hard will it be to find a table?
2. Should we expect a long wait?
3. Anything else?

Thanks in advance...

Then you should plan on eating at off times in not popular places or counter service. Disney does not hold back table for walk up so be flexible.

Denise in MI

 

[ktlm]

Be prepared to be turned away from table service restaurants. It isn't a matter of if you don't have an ADR, you will be facing a long wait. It is a matter of if you don't have an ADR, you may very well be told that they are not taking any walk ups that evening. We see this happen to people at least once on every one of our WDW trips, and often it is a regular occurrance. They do not save any tables for walk-ups. If the restaurant is booked, it is booked. We've seen lots of angry people leaving who thought they were just facing a long wait without reservations, and didn't realize it meant they could be completely turned away.

You may not be able to get a sit down meal with a menu at dinner time inside the parks without ADRs at all. Your choice might be Counter Service (fast food) or leave the park and go elsewhere. Then again, you might get lucky. You are going during the spring break season (I know that is our spring break week here), and if the crowds are up, that may cause you trouble. I don't think those days are during a "free dining" period (a time when the restaurants are usually very booked up), which at least that is good for you. The table service options at Magic Kingdom and DHS are pretty limited which means they are often pretty crowded. I have been at Magic Kingdom several times when there were no table service meals for walk ups available at any restaurants for dinner. If you don't at least call that morning and see if you can find something that is available and book it then, you should be prepared to go from restaurant to restaurant looking for a spot. You might get really lucky and get a spot at the first place that you try, or you might find yourself out of luck completely and stuck with counter service. The advice of the previous poster about trying during off times, is great advice. If you don't make ADRs, I would suggest trying for early dinners at around the time the restaurant opens for or switches over to the dinner menu. At the very least, even if you don't want to eat at that time, you should go to the restaurant about that time, and see if they have any spots to give you anytime the rest of the night.

 

[Jenene]

I dont know how many days you are at WDW, but I would suggest maybe making one or two reservations for Dinner. That doesn't mean five days of a schedule, but a few nights would be nice to not have to do counter service or wait for ever. (my favorite is New Orleans Cafe.. the food is gooood,) We do not do dining unless it is the free dining package, our kids are small eaters, so we just split many meals and have snacks.
What ever you decide, sounds like you are layed back and will have a good time no matter what.

 

[nicki.momof3]

Depending on when you are visiting be prepared to be turned away from most sit down resturants at peak dinner time.

We went at Christmas and has ADP's every night for dinner. As we waited nightly for our turn to be seated I watched family after family geing told "we are not taking walk up's - reservations only".

I know it is a pain sometimes to stick to a schedule for dining but if you want to eat at a certain place or at a sit down at all anymore at WDW you really should make some ADR's.

Just my opinion. I would HATE to have to wait 2+ hours for a table. What a waste of time.

 

[aubriee]

I go to WDW 4-5 times a year and every single trip see people turned away. It's not a matter of waiting a long time for a table, they just say they are not taking walk ups. On the other hand, I'm one to make all my ADRs at exactly the 180 days mark, then when I get down there make last minute changes. In fact, I just got back from WDW this past Sat (2/11) and made several ADR changes while I was down there. However, I knew not to try at the popular restaurants. I was able to get a walk up reservation for three at Boma for breakfast and Yak & Yeti and LTT for lunch. I also saw parties turned away at Cape May, Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, Tusker House, Chefs de France, and Le Cellier.

Last week was a quiet time of the year, but you are going during spring break which is one of the busiest times of the year. If you want to eat at TS restaurants, then plan on making some ADRs. Otherwise eat during off hours and at the less popular restaurants (Biergarten, Marrakesh, Olivia's, Grand Floridian Cafe, Boatwrights, etc).

 

[joyjoy42]

Clearly reservations are required so can anyone suggest a dinner spot at

1. Downtown Disney
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Hollywood Studios

Please? and Thank you!

 

[LovesTimone]

Clearly reservations are required so can anyone suggest a dinner spot at

1. Downtown Disney - Raglan Road is one of our fav's at DTD. Your kids might enjoy Planet hollywood, lot of music and movie stuff to check out.
2. Magic Kingdom - We like Crystal palace but it is buffet, with pooh and the gang, we enjoy the food one it is one the better buffets. You could head for one of the monorail resorts for dinner, Kona at the Poly is casual, and good selection.
3. Hollywood Studios - HS for us is lacking in really good food .We do like Sci-Fi, fun - and casual and just okay, this is the only TS that we will eat at and normally for lunch, again you could head over to epcot by boat and have dinner in one of the lands, lots of choices, France, England, lots of good TS choices

Please? and Thank you!

You really do need ADR's

 

[Alesia]

As far as DTD goes, I would choose Earl of Sandwich or Wolfgang Puck Express (the one on the marketplace side, not the west side) over any TS restaurant there.

For the other parks - If you're feeling adventurous, you could just wait until that morning and call Disney dining and see what's available. I wouldn't recommend trying that at Christmas or during free dining, but in mid-march you'll be able to find something. It will be fairly busy then, but not insane.

If you absolutely wanted specific restaurants, I would say that you definitely do need ADRs, but if you're willing to just go with the flow, you'll have options. I will say, too, that there are a lot of good counter service options in WDW - it's not all chicken nuggets and pizza.

 

[ktlm]

I would suggest going to the dining section at allears.net. It has a listing of all the restaurants with the menus and pricing. It kind of depends on what you are going for. If you are going for the experience, your kids might get a kick out of 50's prime time, or the Sci-Fi Dine In at DHS. 50's prime time makes you feel like you are eating dinner in a 1950's kitchen. The waiting area looks like 1950's living room. The wait staff teases you- things like telling you to eat all your dinner or make a happy plate, or take off your hat in the house. It is pretty fun and the food is good. Sci-Fi you sit in "cars" and watch clips of old B movies.

 

[DisDaze]

Clearly reservations are required so can anyone suggest a dinner spot at

1. Downtown Disney
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Hollywood Studios

Please? and Thank you!

You will be going during the busy spring break season, so a lot of the popular restaurants and character meals will already be booked up. The best thing to do would be to go to the WDW website and look under dining reservations and see what they have available on those dates in the areas you will be in. You can search by date and park. Everybody can tell you their favorite restaurants, but if there is no availability it won't matter. I would see which restaurants still have availabiltiy and then look at the menus on allearsnet.com and see which ones you would like to eat at.

 

[Brendonsmom]

Use disney dining reservations tab on the Disney site to try to make reservations. It will show you what is available on the days you will be at the parks. Know that if the park has extra magic hours that evening it will be extra busy at the dinner hour too. You might want to change your itinerary and go on alternate days so it is a little less crowded.

All Ears posts the magic hours by date a few months ahead. Here is the schedule for March:

Evening Extra Magic Hours
Magic Kingdom - 4, 18, 25
Epcot - 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Disney's Hollywood Studios - 5, 12, 19, 26

BTW we always pack our lunch in a small soft lunch pack that would hold a six pack. They allow you to take it in with you without a hassle. Then your kids could do the fast food items with less guilt.

We often do Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland more than once if we do the Kingdom more than one time. It is walk up service but offers sandwiches, burgers, rotisserie chicken (favorite), and salads. They have tables inside with air conditioning (yeah) and a cute animatron that plays the piano and sings.

If you are in Downtown Disney or Animal Kingdom you might like Rainforest Cafe. Ask for the gorilla room and call ahead for seating when you know you will arrive, but give them at least an hour to 90 minutes before you want to be seated. Skip T-Rex. It is a very cheesy version of the same, but with lousy dinosaurs. Go to Ghirardelli for an ice cream after if you still have room. $$ but good.

Sunshine Seasons in The Land at Epcot is a good counter service with lots of healthy variety. Not every counter service offers junk. Your whole family will be able to make healthy choices here.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

See below remarks

Clearly reservations are required so can anyone suggest a dinner spot at

1. Downtown Disney - I would go to the Turf Club at SSR for dinner. You can take the boat from DTD and it drops you off a few feet from the Turf Club. They also don't tend to be very crowded so you might be able to a walk up there. The sandwiches that the table next to us got, looked good. I got the lamb chops and DH had fish.
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Hollywood Studios -Momma Melrose

Please? and Thank you!

 

[housetomouse]

I don't think that would work out very well that time of year, with a lot of places on spring break. Maybe, but probably not. I would make a reservation for each day and cancel it later if you don't want it after all. The only time I've found an ADR to be restricting is if it's not in the same park we are in. But if you already know what park you'll be in each day, you shouldn't feel too tied down to a plan if you dine in that park.

 

[Natalie's Mommy]

1. Downtown Disney- we like rainforest cafe. the portions are HUGE
2. Magic Kingdom- we like cosmic ray's in tomorrowland. not sitdown but the food is great, again huge portions and super yummy
3. Hollywood Studios- not sure here, but im sure someone else will have some great suggestions

 

[joyjoy42]

So we made reservations as follows:

Planet Hollywood (Downtown Disney)

Tony's Town Square (Magic Kingdom)

Mama Melrose (Hollywood Studios)

What is policy/time required for cancellations? And how do you cancel? These might sound like silly questions but we are newbies...we just don't know if we will make the ADR's for Planet Hollywood since that is our first day and we are spending it at Universal before heading to Disney to check in...

The other two are fine since we are spending each of the days in the park where ADR's are made...

Thanks so much...

 

[Boncho]

So we made reservations as follows:

Planet Hollywood (Downtown Disney)

Tony's Town Square (Magic Kingdom)

Mama Melrose (Hollywood Studios)

What is policy/time required for cancellations? And how do you cancel? These might sound like silly questions but we are newbies...we just don't know if we will make the ADR's for Planet Hollywood since that is our first day and we are spending it at Universal before heading to Disney to check in...

The other two are fine since we are spending each of the days in the park where ADR's are made...

Thanks so much...

We usually go to Planet Hollywood once every trip. I always make an ADR, but we usually wind up there by five o'clock and they seat us right away and cancel our ADR for 6pm. The food there is great!

 

[agavegirl1]

I have been able to cancel a dining reservation two hours before we were supposed to be there because my "careful" touring plan landed us in an entirely different area than expected. They were very courteous and simply asked the reason for the cancellation. They understood completely.

 

[tutti]

Clearly reservations are required so can anyone suggest a dinner spot at

1. Downtown Disney
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Hollywood Studios

Please? and Thank you!

We madeour trip reservations with less than two months to go so we took what we could get...

1 - Downtown Disney we ate at Capn' Jacks and it wasn't too busy it was also good we also ate at the rainforest cafe.
2 - We ate at the Plaza, simple but good.
3 - we had a ADR for Hollywood and Vine but we tried to get into the Brown Derby and they took us! It was delicious.

These are all ADRS we made with less than a month, I actually just checked my email I made these ADR on 2/24 and 2/25 we left on 3/5! So we cut in close but still had some good meals.
Good Luck!

 

[North of Mouse]

I have been able to cancel a dining reservation two hours before we were supposed to be there because my "careful" touring plan landed us in an entirely different area than expected. They were very courteous and simply asked the reason for the cancellation. They understood completely.

A lot of the restaurants now are charging a $10 fee per person if you cancel after the day before your ressie.