No more ADR's

[DisneyJen0504]

I prefer ADRs

First come first served would be horrible in WDW-wait times would be forever! Better to be able to able to plan ahead.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

53, if that's revelent.

I just want to be less structured in my vacation, and I do not know what I will want to eat on a selected day 10 months in the future. Making lots of ADR's and then cancelling them when I decide seems to be the answer.
Agreed ????????????????

You should do what you feel comfortable doing. If that means not making ADRs until closer to your arrival date, that's fine. You should realize that could mean you may not be able to get an ADR to a TS restaurant that you want because all the ADRs may be taken by that time. People are just trying to let you know the longer you wait the harder some ADRs are to come by. That's just the reality of the system.

If you don't mind long waits for meals at TS restaurants or being turned away (which can and does happen), then don't plan and don't make ADRs. OTOH, I prefer knowing I will be able to have a nice TS meal at least once a day so I make ADRs well in advance. Maybe it means a little less spontaneity, but one thing I've learned about visiting WDW is that spontaneity is highly overrated.

 

[dtaylor98]

I'm in favor of ADR's. I would rather make a decision several months in advance than be running around for hours at the parks trying to find a place to eat.

 

[JennyMominRI]

No hostility, I just don't know what I will want to eat or whick park I'll be in on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 (for example)

I wouldn't be planning for Dec yet. I don't know about you ,but I Don't like to spend the day in a packed park waiting in line. I go to a web-site that tells me what park will be crowded on what days. I then decide which parks to go to on which day. I just did this yesterday for my April trip. It took 5 minutes.It took about 15 more to decide where to eat..It's actually fun IMO

 

[labdogs42]

I just want to be less structured in my vacation, and I do not know what I will want to eat on a selected day 10 months in the future.

How were you able to decide that you even wanted to go to Disney 10 months from now? How were you able to book a hotel without knowing where you would feel like sleeping that night? Use these same techniques to make your dinner reservations!

Anyway, you can only make ADR's as early as six months out, so you don't need to know where you want to eat 10 months in the future anyway!!

 

[YorkieMom]

Have a travel trailer, only one campground. Ressies for campground are like ADR's, they can be cancelled if necessary.

Have a Yorkie, will NEVER leave her with strangers.

 

[Kimberly815]

I like the ADR system the way it is. I hope that they keep it. I would not want to wait once I am in the park.- However, we tend to only do 1-3 TS ADR each trip.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

We had sort of the same deal....we don't like wait times and like to eat at good TS restaurants, but don't want too much structure. We get around it as follows...we only vacation during slower times, and we make ADRs for every other night or only at places where we absolutely are sure we must try. Then once we are there we make PSs on the day of or the day before on days when we have no dining planned. For example, this last trip we just returned from in January, we made ADRs for Le Cellier a few weeks out. It was our first night in the World, and we knew we would be doing Epcot. We then made an ADR for the Brown Derby the next night (it's a tradition that we dine at Brown Derby the second night of our trip) so again, we knew we would make the effort to be there. Then we made an ADR for BlueZoo on Tuesday night. That was the extent of out pre-trip ADRs. We made on-trip PSs for California Grill and Artist Point, and just walked in for Spoodles and Beaches and Cream. We never had to wait for one minute and we didn't feel overly-structured either. But we are also fairly flexible in what times we will eat at as well.

 

[cigar95]

Personally, I think that it's much easier to plan things now that Disney has EMH's posted so far in advance. I was able to see which parks had EMH's that day or night. . . . . . .

Now that this is the case, planning six months in advance or a week in advance are more or less the same thing.

Think of it this way, as an example - say I'm planning a Disney vacation. I'll be there for six days. The first day is a Tuesday. Epcot (or whichever) will open early that day, and MK was open late the previous night. The Studios open at 9, and AK will have a character breakfast that begins at 8. I'll be at the Yacht Club, so I can walk to two of the four parks. I'm planning to rent a car, so I can easily get to a resort for a meal.

Looking at all this information, I can pick a park to attend, and pick a restaurant that is convenient, and it doesn't matter whether this is for *next* Tuesday, or Tuesday five months from now. (The comment about "ten months from now" is a complete red herring - no one can make PS that far in advance.)

The only difference now is "spur of the moment" vs. "in advance". Given all the information now available, there's no difference between planning for next week or next summer.

On the other hand, if I change my mind because my neighbor had a great meal at restaurant X, I can look at my plans and see if I can eat there without rearranging everything else.

If I want, I can always bag my plans for any given day, and go to a different park. Maybe that means I have to skip my dining plans. THen I have to realize that other folks may be in the "virtual line" for the restaurant I want. If we talk about "first come, first served", those with PS were there first.

Someone earlier made the analogy to FastPass. I'd never thought about that before, but they really are quite similar.

 

[Kirsten77]

My family just got back from one day in the MK after being on a disney cruise. They could not make any ADR for that day because they were all booked. My Mom is the planner and my brother is not, needless to say they did not get to eat at a TS restaurant. Everyone was annoyed, my Mom with my brother my brother with Disney! I'm sure he will come around and like ADR's one day, he used to hate fast passes! I think you need to just ease yourself into the process and make one ADR, and maybe your next trip make two! Don't be surprised if you end up eating CS and everyone in your party will be annoyed either with you or Disney. I personally would not want to take the chance of people being mad at me!

 

[Nancyg56]

I was happy with the ADR system. Good thing that I found the DIS long before we went on our first Disney vacation in too many years, because my family likes to enjoy sit down meals. We saw many people turned away during our stay, and it was in January. I think that if you are really serious about not planning at least soem of your meals, you may need to be content with counter service.

It kind of goes along with checking to see which park may be the one to avoid. It is not necessary, but certainly can make a difference if larger crowds matter to you.

However you decide is up to you, as it is your vacation. I do agree that it is important to respect the system that is in place by not placing multiple ADR's per day. I know that it can be done, but it can and does hamper those who are trying to plan their own trips.

 

[crisi]

It isn't hard to find historical part hours, and EMH actually follows a schedule (it isn't perfect, but its 90%). We don't find a lot of deviation from historical park hours (and we tend to avoid evening EMH, so that isn't a factor for us).

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Well first off you can't book ADR's for December yet anyway- you're just exaggerating.

I prefer ADR's. Now 90 days WAS better for us- than 180 days. I mean good grief, sometimes we book trips a few months in advance instead of a half a year (or more) in advance.... but I'd prefer 180 days in advance than NO ADR's... that's for sure.

If you really prefer to not have things atleast somewhat planned out ahead- then just call and book a few ADR's for things you REALLY want to do and "wing it"' the rest of the trip. Just be sure you realize that by winging it- it might mean you can't eat at the TS restaurant you want to eat at each time. By winging it in such a manner- you may have to "wing it" a little more than you wanted to and spend some time finding a place that has an opening to eat, go to another park, or something.

The only time we made our ADR's for almost every meal (TS I mean) is when we were on the dining plan and wanted to make sure we got to use it to the fullest. Normally we just book the "must have" meals (mostly character ones for the kids) and modify our plans as we go along (like calling the day before for an ADR for the next day- sometimes possible... sometimes not. atleast not always at the exact restaurant we wanted to eat- but if it was REALLY important that we eat there- we would have already booked our ADR there months ahead of time).

No way would I want the ADR system to be gone completely and everyone standing in lines for hours and hours! And it would be hours and hours - sometimes you can wait up to an hour even WITH an ADR!

 

[MissMichelle]

How about first come, first served ??????????????????????

No way...I think that would be a bad idea...I am not one to be "Tied down" to a schedule, but in this case it FAR outweighs waiting 2-3 hours to sit for a meal...I would rather be in the park.
I will be enjoying my 9, yes 9 ADR's we have set for 2.5 weeks from now

 

[susieq76]

I like ADR or PS's- whatever they call them. We use them a lot during the "busier" times and a lot less during the slower months. When we went for xmas 2004 we made one PS for every day. When we went the September before that- we made one PS.

This trip I did make an ADR everyday- but I did it b/c we're on the dining plan- and now that my boys are talking, I just found it fun sitting around with the family deciding where we would eat. To us it extended our week vacation into a 6 month family planning time fun vacation.

I really hope you're not just trying to be rude- if you aren't and are really serious about this question then try and go during a slower time (first two weeks of december are great) and wing it. If you eat during less busy times (ie late or early) you should be fine- especially if you don't mind having a drink and waiting for a few.

 

[paigevz]

Oh, gosh, I love ADRs! I love KNOWING I can be seated where and when I want. We are going for my son's 4th birthday, and he wants AK so we made one for Rainforest. We have one here, and it's not character or anything, so no big deal, really, but we wanted to have a volcano for his birthday cake. If we just got there and had to wait 2 hours (comparable waits for the one in Marketplace with no reservation), that would not be nice for his birthday. This way, we WERE first to call and ask for that time on that day, and so we will get in first.
One of our trips we went to Chef Mickey's (well, we do on all trips)......and there was a lady there with a little girl about 4 or 5.........she was arguing with the podium CM that she'd called down from her room (I guess she was staying in Contemp.) and they told her that there was a table. The CM kept saying they were totally booked, and she could wait but they may not get her in. She said it was the girl's birthday. We were all sad about the little girl being disappointed, and said if it wouldn't have disappointed ours, we would've given ours up to her.........but then she couldn't have had them anyway, they'd've just gone to the next in the cue. But anyway, I did feel bad that she didn't know to do it ahead of time.
If someone knows, though, and just doesn't, well, I guess they know what the consequences may be!