No Dining Reservations?

[billwendy]

So, What happens if you get to Disney with no dining reservations - do you have to do counter service for every meal, or do they have some amount of tables that are not pre reserved or ???? Im looking at the week after thanksgiving...

Thanks!

 

[debbiembyrdrowan]

Have you tried to see if anything is available? If u have kids, I recommend at least 1 character meal but about all that Is left is tusker house (ak) or Hollywood & vine (Dhs). I would do both. We actually do tusker 2ce, at breakfast one day and lunch another. We go every year week after thanks and I've never seen the reservations this sold out this early. I'm thinking the new fantasy land is bringing lots in. Character meals require debit or credit card to reserve and if u don't cancel at least 24 (some 48) hrs in advance they have a $10 per head charge. The other reservations don't, so I would at least book what you can. U can always change or cancel. There is always a chance of a walk up but not really now that they charge if u no show. I wouldn't chance it if u want to sit down. Not this year.

 

[Angeejoe]

Billwendy-
Last year my husband & I went to Disney in feb 2011 & made no reservation prior to our departure. This ended up being a big mistake as 1 night in EPCOT we were turned away from several sit down restaurants & were so tired& hungry that we ended up in quick service in the US. The next day we made some ADRs with the service desk @ our hotel Beach Club, but most things were booked. This year when we went again feb this time at Yacht Club we had reservations for every meal, except 2. This was really helpful, but it does take away some spontaneity.

 

[MolonLabe]

I don't know if there was FD in previous years but this year, with FD, almost everything is booked.

Good luck to you and my advice is to keep checking several times a day every day. People are finalizing their plans right now and cancelling extra ADRs or ones that don't line up with their plans.

You should be able to score some but maybe not your first choices. People like myself made their ADR's 180+10 days in advance.

I wouldn't count on being able to do ANY walkups.

Best tips? In Epcot it seems like Marrakesh can have tables available when no where else does. It's excellent food too. If you don't wind up with an ADR for that day, check with them, IN PERSON at 11am when WS opens and they can probably find something for you.

Also if you are willing to leave the parks, some of the resorts have much better dining than in the parks. When visiting MK, the monorail puts half a dozen very good places right at your finger tips.

good luck.

 

[Nancyg56]

This year there is free dining the week that you are planning to go. I know that if I had the DDP I would at least try to get a few ADR's to make sure that my money was not wasted. I also do not like to search for a meal so I think it is better to have a few in place JIC.

 

[Cafeen]

If you're using a dining plan, it's highly recommended to make ADRs beforehand. This is due to the fact that you absolutely need to eat at TS in order to make it worthwhile.

Otherwise, if there are any must-dos, or you are inflexible about time and location, it's a very good idea to make ADRs for those as well.

Now, if you're not on a dining plan, don't mind CS, are flexible about both time and location, you can certainly do it without ADRs. It may be best to check in the morning to see what's available rather than waiting until meal time to do so. Keep in mind that the chances of you getting into the popular places are going to be pretty slim though.

 

[maxiesmom]

Are you on the dining plan? If so, not making ADRs is a bad idea. If you can't use your dining credits you are stuck. They won't refund you any money because you couldn't find a restaurant with availability.

Disney doesn't set aside any tables for walk ups. So if having a sit down meal right when you want it is important, you really need to make ADRs.

 

[OldsDr]

Highly reccommend continuing to try fro reservations. However if you are there and do not have one and want a restaurant make sure you deal directly with the host/hostest at the restaurant you want. Niot guest relations or online. Last year we decided that we wanted to eat at Kona last minute. We went to Guest relations at MK and they stated that there was nothing available untill 8:30, called WDW dine they said something similair(assuming same computer system) My wife who has a lot of restaurant experience bewteen waitressing and Hostessing said lets just take the boat over and ask the restaurant directly. Worst case we grab something quick to tide the kids over and hit a restaurant off property. Our car was at TTC so it was not completly the wrong direction.


To make a short story long we walked up to Kona hostest station and were seated within 15min at 6 or 6:30pm. This was a year ago so the times may be off a litlle, but we were seated a lot quicker than the computers were telling us.

Now I think Kona is less popular anmd we were there in september so that probably helped, but if are ever without a reservation and want something try and deal with the restauant directly

 

[OldsDr]

we were also not a small party we had 6, not large but more than a lot.

 

[mom2rtk]

This forum has threads for November and December cancellations. You shoudl subscribe and stalk those threads. People post every day that they are cancelling this or that ADR. That's your cue to snag it.

Good luck!

 

[ccgirl]

So, What happens if you get to Disney with no dining reservations - do you have to do counter service for every meal, or do they have some amount of tables that are not pre reserved or ???? Im looking at the week after thanksgiving...

Thanks!

They do not set aside tables for a walkup. You may get lucky. Resort restaurants are usually easier for a walkup than the park restaurants.

I would search and see what was available and book before I went.

Else, yes, you could have to eat at a CS if you cannot get a TS.

Good luck.