No ADRs week after Thanksgiving?

[Colleen27]

I'm just getting the planning ball rolling for our Christmas trip with a cast I'm unaccustomed to traveling with, and one of the things that I anticipate will be most difficult to plan is meals. My brother & his fiancee are first timers, picky eaters, and more the grazing type than the sit down meal type. Plus they really don't get the idea of planning a trip in any detail, not even things as broad as which park on what day. They really think we'll get to Disney, get settled into our villa, and decide when we wake up in the morning where we feel like going that day!

Right now, we're only planning on two days where all of us will be together - Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. I'm making ADRS for the whole group for Chef Mickey's, Cinderella's Royal Table, and Teppan Edo. But I don't know what to do about ADRs beyond that. Either I can make reservations for all of us and hope to change them to a smaller party size if DB & FSIL don't join us on a given day, make them for just the 6 of us who are likely to be together most of the time, or wing it for the rest of our meals...

Has anyone tried traveling without ADRs during the week after Thanksgiving? How did it work out? How was ADR availability at the last minute or on a walk-up basis?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

The weekend after Thanksgiving we had no problem booking for lunch same day but dinner was a different story. We already had ADR's for dinner but was told when I called that dinner was pretty full.

I would make the larger reservations because as you get closer you can call and they can make the ADR smaller but not bigger. Some restaurants for a larger party need to be called directly but I can't remember at this point.

 

[onelilspark]

They can't always make the reservations smaller as you get closer. However, if you show up at a restaurant with 8 in your party instead of 6, that's harder for a restaurant than going from 8 to 6 people. I would make them for 8 people and then just show up at the restaurant with 6 if they decide not to join you.

 

[RMulieri]

I would make a ressie for everyone.I think it is easier to make the number of people smaller not larger.OR You can try to call each morning ( once you are there)to see what if anything is available for that day.The problem is despite the crowds not being too awful, adrs are harder to obtain for larger groups.Plus , if they were to offer free dining again for that time period( won't know for awhile since this past year was a first for that) it will be extremely hard to get adrs.

 

[mom2rtk]

We just got back from Disney with friends. We had ADR's for 10 at LTT one evening and ended with only 4. They didn't bat an eye at downscaling our party size on the spot.

I'd make the ADR's for the whole group and downsize when you are sure. I never cancel until I'm absolutely sure.

Hope that helps!

 

[danielle782001]

Do not count on walk-ups at all...We were there twice that week after Thanksgiving and we saw people turned away at several places...I always feel bad for them because you can spot those people that are new to Disney World and had no idea they needed to make reservations...Shame on them for not looking into it, but I still feel bad...You were right to ask the question...The first two weeks of December are not slow at Disney like I hear they once were...All of the good places fill up quickly...

As far as going with others...We did that once also...I made some ADR for all of us...And I some for the parties to go to different places...I knew we would like places that they would not a vice versa...So we did a bit of both dining together and apart...But I was in charage of making all the plans...Which I did not mind doing for them because at least I knew it was done...It worked out nicely to do the shared meals and apart meals...That would be my advice to you.

 

[Colleen27]

Thanks for the input!

Since DB & FSIL are picky eaters, I think I'm going to make ADRs for places they'll eat and then if they aren't with us on any given day, we'll try to change plans. We don't mind if the only ADRs we can get are at Marrakesh or Spoodles or Tokyo Dining, but I don't think my brother would be all that pleased with those options!

Between the two character meals, my promise to DS that we'd all go to Teppan Edo together, and two must-dos that don't take ADRs (Beaches & Cream and ESPN Club), there will only be a couple days left to figure out.