No table service reservations?

[iamtheprincess]

Please help. I am a grandma taking my son (41) and grandson (7) to WDW in June. They have never been. They don't like to be a hurry. They really want to enjoy the parks. What are the chances that we can just walk up and get seats in a short time?

 

[Goofy4]

At the parks you would likely have a long wait during typical dining hours. One option would be to call the wdw-dine number and ask for "anything available", but you might have to walk a ways (or over to the resorts) to eat sooner rather than later.

 

[Bonniec]

For table service, you really need a reservation. How about just making one or two table service and leave the rest to counter service?

You could also head over to Downtown Disney or somewhere. We were just there on New Years and decided to walk up to House of Blues. We only had a 20 minute wait.

 

[North of Mouse]

My suggestion is to go as early as possible for breakfast, lunch or dinner hours. We have done that before and have gotten in more than not - good luck!

 

[jodywgirl]

In june in might be difficult unless you are willing to eat off hours. you could try the number while you are there. where are you staying

 

[Hopefully]

In June, I would say your chances at an IN PARK restaurant and the nearby popular resort restauarants are slim to none. Many days they have signs posted in the parks saying the TS restaurants are full that day. Even CS places can have long lines and it is hard to find a table in the dining areas.
As previously posted, your best bet is to go right at restaurant opening or at off peak dining hours, 2:30 lunch or an 8:30 dinner for example. With over 100 TS restaurants at WDW, you will be able to eat. It probably just won't be where you want when you want at the popular, convenient restaurants.
Biergarden in Epcot WS has availablity more than some others, that may be one to try.
Good Luck

 

[Mrsjvb]

Please help. I am a grandma taking my son (41) and grandson (7) to WDW in June. They have never been. They don't like to be a hurry. They really want to enjoy the parks. What are the chances that we can just walk up and get seats in a short time?

very low. in fact you can expect to either be told no way no how, or to be waiting at least 45 minutes to an hour minimum.

ESPECIALLY if there is Free dining going on at the time.

 

[magicaldisney]

Unfortunately, I think the days of being able to walk up for a table service dinner are slowing going away. Ten years ago we could walk up to just about any restaurant and eat. Lately, unless you are willing to go at odd hours to eat, we haven't even been given an option to wait, just flat out told "sorry, all booked up".

 

[Mrsjvb]

I should add that we used to try this.. we even went so far as to go to the preferred restaurant at rope drop or ASAP to ask for any available time slot that day.. lunch, dinner, whatever. at a few we did manage to snag something.. but never at le Cellier( in fact she politely laughed in our faces at the request) or any other Signature.

not even the odd or bridge hours can you get lucky as often any more.

and not even the resort places are as easy to get into any more.

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We've been waiting for our ADR and had people come up to ask for a table and be told 1 hour and 3 hours, and those were during the slower season.

I would definitely prefer to have an ADR - it doesn't necessarily mean you can't relax and enjoy the park all day...you just have to get to your restaurant for a certain time. If you make them for the park you'll be in that day anyway, there's no time wasted getting there either - they should be fine

 

[ssawka]

I think this will be even harder than ever before now that Disney is charging for "no shows". With that, people will be less likely to change their plans last minute.

 

[Tinkershelly]

I would definitely prefer to have an ADR - it doesn't necessarily mean you can't relax and enjoy the park all day...you just have to get to your restaurant for a certain time. If you make them for the park you'll be in that day anyway, there's no time wasted getting there either - they should be fine

I agree, make adrs for restaurants in the park you will be in for that day and then let the rest of the day evolve. Think about how stressful and chaotic the days will be going from restaurant to restaurant getting hungrier and more dissapointed as the day goes on, then having to settle for a box or popcorn or ice cream bar because everything is booked or has a super long line. All that time is wasted searching for a place when with a little effort now you can avoid that.

We plan on which park we will end up in each day (based on late EMH and fireworks shows) and make an adr for a restaurant in that general vicinity. We rarely plan anything else, just let the day happen. We eat a meal replacement bar for breakfast, eat at counter service lunch early (11:30 or so for very short lines) and tour around until it's time to make our adr. This is so unstressful for us and with the reality of the parks these days you just won't get many meals at sit-down restaurants on the fly.

 

[Abharmagic]

My recommendation is make some- if you don't use them, you don't use them, but at least you have them! I recommend picking a park a day- very basically you could go by Extra Magic Hours (if you are staying on site) and make a reservation at 1 restaurant each day by that, or go on Touring Plans and get a little more advanced picking your park a day and make a reservation based off of that.

If worse comes to worse and you can't get in any TS restaurants b/c you don't want to make advanced reservations there are some wonderful counter service restaurants at each park.

We went once in Oct and people who had not made advanced reservations were very angry at each restaurant they tried to get into. June is busier than Oct- play it safe and make a few. If you don't use them you won't get billed (except for any place that makes you pre-pay or guarantee on a CC). Don't feel bad if you don't use the reservation- you are just sharing the magic with someone who forgot to make reservations.

A little planning goes a long way at WDW- and for the $$$$ you spend on the trip- don't you want it to go smoothly?

 

[Granfan]

Calling dining reservations while in the parks did not help us as we were always told no availability/can't make reservation within 2 hours of current time.