Newbie needs reservations clarifications

[winetipcolt]

Hi,
We've been to Disney before and are heading down again May 3rd but we've never made dining reservations before. I've noted some high rated restaurants to eat at but I'm unclear on how this works.

Do most sit-downs require a reservation? Is there somewhere that tells you which ones?
I assume ADR means Advanced Dining Reservation?
Where do you go to make these ADRs?
I see 180 days being thrown around...I assume that's the earliest you can book?

Any other tips?

 

[Maestra99]

Hi,
We've been to Disney before and are heading down again May 3rd but we've never made dining reservations before. I've noted some high rated restaurants to eat at but I'm unclear on how this works.

Do most sit-downs require a reservation? Is there somewhere that tells you which ones?
I assume ADR means Advanced Dining Reservation?
Where do you go to make these ADRs?
I see 180 days being thrown around...I assume that's the earliest you can book?

Any other tips?

Congrats on your upcoming trip!!

Most sit-down (table service restaurants, or TS) do not require a reservation, in that you technically can eat there as a walk-in, but many of the more popular ones fill up with reservations months in advance, so your chances of walking-in are slim-to-none. This depends, of course, on the time of day, time of year, etc. Therefore, it is highly recommended to make ADRs (yes, Advance Dining Reservations) to ensure you get to eat when and where you want.

You can make them online at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/ or by calling. Are you staying on Disney property? If so, you will be able to make all your ADRs (up to 10 days' worth, I think) for your trip 180 days from your arrival date. If you're staying off property, you can still book ADRs 180 days out, but you have to call/book each day separately at the 180-day mark.

Hope this helps! There are lots of DISers more experienced than I am, so they may can help you more and correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[MaryPoppins1964]

Hi,
We've been to Disney before and are heading down again May 3rd but we've never made dining reservations before. I've noted some high rated restaurants to eat at but I'm unclear on how this works.

Do most sit-downs require a reservation? Is there somewhere that tells you which ones?
I assume ADR means Advanced Dining Reservation?
Where do you go to make these ADRs?
I see 180 days being thrown around...I assume that's the earliest you can book?

Any other tips?

The Table Service (sit-down) restaurants take reservations. Highly recommended at most places. ADRs (yes, Advanced Dining Reservations) can be made up to 180 days in advance, so this close to your trip you may not be able to get reservations and some of the more popular places. If I am unable to get a reservation at one that I really want, I will check the website everyday up until our trip, as people will cancel as their plans change.

You can make your reservations from Disney's website, and it will list the one's that require a reservation and what is available.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip

 

[winetipcolt]

Thanks for the help.
We are staying off-site.
I realize I'm leaving it to the last minute but I thought I'd try.

Do you need to hold the reservation with a credit card?
What are the cancellation policies?

 

[Maestra99]

Thanks for the help.
We are staying off-site.
I realize I'm leaving it to the last minute but I thought I'd try.

Do you need to hold the reservation with a credit card?
What are the cancellation policies?

You're welcome! Here's a link to some info about the reservations and cancelling: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/dining/#subCategory16
Note: Not all restaurants require a credit card to reserve. If you go to the reservation website (link in my previous post), you can experiment with some times and restaurants without actually booking, just to give you an idea of how it works - it will tell you if the chosen restaurant requires a credit card or not.

Hope this helps! Even if you're trying at the last minute, you can sometimes get some good places. You just have to be persistent - stalk the dining reservations page a few times a day and you might luck out. People cancel reservations all the time.