No ADRs, how bad is that?

[notaclue]

We have a group of 9 to WDW in June for a short (4 day trip), staying at CBR (3 rooms). Finally decided to get the DDP but I can't get ANYONE to agree on where to eat and when to eat. This means no ADRs for us. What are our chances of getting into the TS restaurants without ADRs?

 

[MrsPMC00]

MAKE ADR's MAKE ADR's MAKE ADR's!!!!!! Chances of walking up are slim to none. Even making ADR's now is going to be hard!!! Maybe let people each pick 2-3 places, and then you can try to book by majority, or even wherever on people's lists you can get into....but MAKE ADR's!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck! Have a great trip!

 

[Bob P]

Welcome to the DIS!

It really depends on the restaurant and the time. You most likely will have no luck getting into places like Chef Mickey's Crystal Palace, Sci-Fi, Prime Time, and Le Cellier.

You might get into other restaurants if you don't mind eating really early or really late.

But I strongly suggest you make some ADRs. They're free and you can always cancel them later. You're going to have to get everyone to agree eventually, right?

 

[ldo]

you can always cancel and that way you would have something. A lot depends where you think you will be. However, some are flexible, ex. those in Poly and Contemp. are easily accessible from Epcot and MK by using monorails.
I would have someting booked--maybe 1 at poly or contemp, 1 at Epcot, and maybe try to get a fantasmic package dinner (if still avail.). Note-fantasmic might have certain cancel period. Good luck.

 

[Christine]

We have a group of 9 to WDW in June for a short (4 day trip), staying at CBR (3 rooms). Finally decided to get the DDP but I can't get ANYONE to agree on where to eat and when to eat. This means no ADRs for us. What are our chances of getting into the TS restaurants without ADRs?

For a party of 9, you will have a difficult time. It is kind of hard to get 9 people to agree on something, so I understand where they are coming from.

Here is what I would do:

First--just go ahead (on your own) and make some ADRs without them knowing. When your trip gets here and the day comes, tell them that you have "insert name here" booked for that evening and did everyone want to go. If they seem up for it, then go. If not, just call and cancel it. I think by the time the trip gets here and you start touring, they are going to be greatful. If no one wants to dine, just count on counter service.

Second--if you don't like the first option, just book and ADR for a smaller group. You don't say who is going in your group, but maybe you all can split up at dinner (i.e., you and your SO (or whoever YOU are touring with) can go out on your own and let the rest of the people fend for themselves).

 

[The Sweetness]

IMO, if you dont make the ADR, just skip the DDP. Just incase you get shut out, at least then you wouldnt have pre-paid for TS that you won't have

 

[Treacle44]

From experience of having been in June, we made ADR's for most days and the ones we didn't we struggled get any decent times anywhere remotely popular at WDW and that was for a table for 3!

You will have little or no chance of getting a table for 9 as a walk up, unless you don't mind eating at 4pm or 10pm.

I'd make a few ADR's for places YOU like, your party may be very grateful to you when the time comes!

 

[notaclue]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Another question...do the restaurants, counter service, and t-shirt shops etc accept Visa gift cards? We were thinking about giving all the kids a Visa gift card to pay for food not on the DDP and misc souvenirs.

 

[tlstyxx1]

We are a group of 9 going June 15-23rd. I debated about making ADR's but did so about 2 weeks ago. We had a lot of problems with most restaurants we wanted (Crystal Palace, Le Cellier). We did get in BUT we have some late dinner times and all but one night we are split between two tables. Definitely try to make ADR's.

 

[SFLTIGGER]

We are going the last week in May. We tried to make ADR's last night for a party of 3. The best we could do was 10:25 breakfast at CP, 9:00 dinner at CM, no luau but did get Hoop Dee Do for 9:30 (DDE discount), Sci-Fi 6:30 dinner. It could have been worse, but it really wasn't all what we wanted.

What a struggle dinning is becoming! Maybe it is all the people making ADR's just in case, so they will have something. after all, you can always cancel

I think The Sweetness (btw - hi neighbor) is right, if you can't make ADR's you plan to keep, DON'T do DDP.

 

[Sammy]

Oh boy....we just returned from a 9-day trip and signed up for the DDP at the last minute (about 3 weeks prior). With a party of 7, I had to do a lot of work to get the ADR's we wanted, but did manage to do so. I am SO glad I did!! At almost every single TS restaurant we went to, walk-ups were being turned away. I popped into LeCellier on our Epcot day just to see if there had been any cancellations and the CM told me they were booked solid through JULY!! There was a very irate man there trying to find a place for he and his wife to eat and he was saying he couldn't get in anywhere. He just kept repeating, "but I'm on the Dining Plan, but I'm on the Dining Plan...." He was not a happy camper. I've never been a fan of pre-planning meals, but I'm so glad I made the effort this time.

I would say even if you don't go with DDP, you should STILL try to make some ADRs....I don't think you'll find much other than CS if you don't. Just my $.02

Sammy

 

[SFLTIGGER]

Oh yea, I forgot one Olivia's for dinner @ 7:00 (we are staying @ OKW). They told us they only had a few left and if we waited we would not be able to get it ... at our own resort. Maybe Disney should build a coulple dozen new restraunts

 

[robinb]

I would say that your chances are ZERO .

I went to WDW with my extended family of 12. What I did was ask each family to list their top 3 restaurants in order of preference. I then made sure that I booked at least one restaurant on the list for each family. I would also have your group specify meal preference too ... breakfast/lunch/dinner. That way you will be able to book 3 Table Service meals in a way that is fair to everyone. For your 4th meal, pick a common restaurant that came up between families or book a 2 credit TS meal for one of the original 3.

This might help with your choices:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW Dining/MYWDiningRestaurants.htm\\

I would make the reservations for 9, send out emails with everyone's requests and the results. If someone has a problem with it, c'est la vie! Keep your reservation and they may change their minds and join you anyway. If they still want to eat elsewhere just tell the CM at the check-in that you that you are now 6 people instead of 9 and you'll be fine . You don't have to cancel the whole reservation.

Good luck!

 

[MickeyNicki]

What about using your TS credits for breakfast? If you are going to MK for the day eat at CP for breakfast, AK eat at Donalds, Epcot go to the Princess Breakfast, MGM go to H&V...that way you can get some nice places in and do CS for dinner...

I agree with the other posters, make ADRs! It is much easier to cancel at the last minute than to get something at the last minute.

 

[earthfaries]

Don't expect to eat anywhere before 9:30 or 10:00 at night without adr. And definately don't expect to get in at Crystal Palace, Chef Mickeys, etc. Just try to plan it out now and make some, you will be glad you did. Our TA went the week before us last year and her husband didn't like schedules and they didn't make any adr's and they ended up wasting some of their sit downs, it was so sad!