pepperw23 said:
Except the Crystal Palace breakfast, which I had to guarentee on my cc..that one has to have 48 hour advance notice.
Do you mean Cinderella's breakfast? Crystal Palace does not require a cc guarantee.
You're not forced to make any ADRs at 180 days, 90 days, or 30 days for that matter. The booking window, IMHO, is to allow those that are planning that far in advance to have the option.
Disney recommends reservations for sit down restaurants because it is a common practice for many vacationers to plan what park they will go to on each day and make reservations.
It's not as difficult as it seems to pick a restaurant in advance...let's take MK for example: if your party has different tastes, try a buffet like the Crystal Palace. If they like "homestyle" cooking, try Liberty Tree Tavern. For a lighter meal, the Plaza Restaurant for soups and salads. Steaks and heartier meals: Cinderella's Royal Table (I know the price is going up, not opening that can of works here.) For Italian food, Tony's Town Square. Those are the only table service restaurants in the park, all others are counter service so no reservations required.
The only park that is really difficult to nail down in advance is Epcot, since there are so many different options, but still narrowing it down is a start. If you can't decide until the day of, be flexible and try a late lunch or dinner and it's not as difficult to be seated as a walk up at most restaurants.
Otherwise, it doesn't matter what park you are visiting because the resort restaurants don't require admission.