Not interested in making ADRs, will I still be able to eat table service?

[luvindis]

This will be our 5th time at Disney everyone at Spring Break. I have never made ADR's before we left. We have had Character Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners, ate at Bomas, Whispering Canyons (a must everytime), Liberty Tree Tavern, Ohanas, Planet Hollywood, Rain Forest, and several others. We decide the night before if we want a breakfast and the morning of if we want lunch or dinner and I call from our hotel room. The CMs are great and will do there best to get you a ressie. Only once or twice have I not gotten one I wanted. Now you need to be flexible with the times, if you are use to eating breakfast at 7:30, you may not get in until 9:30 or 10, but if don't have exact times it has been easy for us. Hope this helps, have a great time, and don't stress....It's Disney

 

[Laura]

BUT I don't think wandering aimlessly thru the parks and resorts looking for someplace to eat in the hot Florida sun is ideal either.

We didn't do that at all. We either called from our room, walked up to places, or made an ADR at the podium one afternoon for dinnertime a few hours later. I could also have called WDW Dining from my cell phone anywhere in the parks if I wanted to. Easy peasy.

All I say is that if there's a particular place where you really want to eat, make an ADR for it. Otherwise, don't worry about it.

 

[Silver Queen]

We've done it both ways and definitely prefer having ADRs. It can get discouraging trying to find a nice place for dinner when you're hungry and tired and who wants to spend your vacation time on the phone or with the concierge trying to find a ressie? When we were at WDW last month we saw a lot of people being turned away at the restaurant podiums. It was nice to know that there was a table there for us. As many posters have said, you can always call and cancel a reservation ( and make someone else very happy!).

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

I had ADRs for our entire first family trip at 180 days!! I knew exactly where we were going to be at any given time. I'm a planner.

However, that's one of a million way to tour WDW. We were far more relaxed on our following trip.

Like some PP have said, if something jumps out at you as a place you want to try, make an ADR, otherwise you may not be able to eat there, especially if it's one of the big guns (Le Cellier, CRT, CM, etc.). If nothing does, go ahead and wing it. I canceled and made a couple of ADRs the morning of last month with no problem.

If you don't want to make them, you don't have to make them. If you feel like making one and chancing the rest of the time, do it. If you get done reading UG and realize you want to make ADRs before park opening (which I suggest! ) every day of your trip, go right ahead (or at least try ).

 

[RMulieri]

We didn't do that at all. We either called from our room, walked up to places, or made an ADR at the podium one afternoon for dinnertime a few hours later. I could also have called WDW Dining from my cell phone anywhere in the parks if I wanted to. Easy peasy.

All I say is that if there's a particular place where you really want to eat, make an ADR for it. Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Maybe not you but I saw this one family at Epcot Ws just going from place to place.

 

[TroyE]

We have some ADR's, but left room for us to just find places to eat. We haven't been in 5 years, and this is our first time staying onsite, so we will see how it goes this year and then plan better next time.

 

[disney4us2002]

To me, this is one of the biggest draws of a vacation at Disney. Only at Disney do I know what we'll be doing day by day. Our other main vacations are to beaches and I can't tell you how batty I get when we drive around and around and around looking for someplace for dinner and there are lines out the doors! I'd rather vacation every year at Disney and have a plan. Ever asked 4 other people what they feel like eating and getting the same reply? I also don't like that I don't get any reviews beforehand of beach restaurants so I have no clue which restaurants are disgusting or waaaay overpriced for what you get, etc. I'll take Disney with a plan any day of the week! Now, if you're a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type, then you may be totally fine.

 

[Laura]

Maybe not you but I saw this one family at Epcot Ws just going from place to place.

I went at about the same time of year that the OP is going, and we never had a problem finding places to eat. Other times of the year when it's more crowded, it may be harder. And there's certainly no point going place to place when you can call WDW's reservation number.

Did you follow this family all around Epcot?

 

[fla4fun]

What is the problem? It is not hard to plan a little. Just look at the calendar, decide where you want to be on a certain day, and call and make ressies. If when you get to WDW you decide not to do those same ADRs, just do something else. If you need a place to eat, the ADR will be there for you. I have never understood how some people feel "tied down" by ADRs.

Because some of us view a vacation as a relaxing experience. We go where the wind (or the bus or boat or monorail) takes us. Many days, I just wander to the bus stop and hop on the first bus that comes through. Of course, this type of touring only works if you go very frequently, and have pretty much seen everything there is to see. So if I don't know until that day which park I want to see, I certainly don't know three months out which park I want to eat in.

About a year and a half ago, when all the buzz about "you must make ADR's" was really going around the boards, I decided to join in and booked an ADR for every day of a 10 day trip. By halfway through the trip, I called and cancelled all the ones I had left. It felt like I was scheduling my vacation around my meals, and that wasn't relaxing or enjoyable to me. I am perfectly OK with eating CS as a backup if I can't get a TS meal.

I was at Disney for two weeks, in September during free dining, and did not make a single ADR in advance. I was able to get some same day ADR's and a few walk ins. I don't recommend it during busy times, but during slower times, it works. For the OP going near Easter, I would suggest making ADR's for any restaurants that they really don't want to miss, especially character meals, but I would leave the rest and wing it. It sounds like they will be happier that way.

 

[Markstudy]

WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT EATING

The top 10 restaurants are just as good as the top 10 rides at Disney

The top 10 restaurants are always booked and full

If you miss them, you've missed 30% of the magic

You will not starve but there are a few E-ticket restaurants and then their is a lot of places that just serve food (like everyday, in your home town)

Making an ADR is simple, fast, and you don't have to use it You don't have to go crazy (not suggesting you have to see it all on your 1st trip) but at least book 2 or 3

not talking about best food, but best Wow! Factor! for a 1st time guest
1)Eating at Crystal Palace or The Castle, is magical
2)Eating at Coral Reef is like eating in a aquarium
3)Eating at Mexico for the 1st time is like eating in a dark ride!
4)House of Blues... is very unique
5) T-Rex... if you or kids love Dino's
6) Signature restaurant if you want spacial, romantic
8) Sic-Fi for unique one-of-a-kind experience
9) O'Hana at Poly, or Animal Kingdom, Wilderness lodge for the 1st time!
10) Dinner shows and Character meals
Some old veterans around here, have been so many times they are numb to what it was like to eat at Chef Mickeys for the first time and be so impressed that the monorail drives through a building! (Now we get people on their 30th trip only remembering that their french toast wasn't warm enough LOL)

What new folks don't understand,... can be fix in 3 sentences. First, pick your park days. Once you understand that the guide book gives you slow days of the week for each park (so you lock-in a little schedule that says I'm going to this park on this day and you plan your week). If you want shorter lines and smaller crowds this makes all the difference. Then pick one really cool restaurant for each park on the day you have planned to be there either at 12:30 or 6:30pm, That's it! You can always cancel if you find something better, or are off your schedule

But, its very sad to see first time guest, walk into a super cool themed restaurant at Disney, and their eyes get really big right before the host tells them "sorry we've been sold out for 40 days now"

Hope that helps

 

[kirbsam]

just stay concierge and let them do the work for you.

 

[buckirj1]

To answer the OP's question: it depends. It depends mostly on your party size: if it's just your or maybe somebody else, sure. You'll almost always find something, either by making last minute reservations or trying a walkup. Walkups are just like restaurants at home; you might have to wait 45-90 minutes, but that's what books are for, right? If you have more than two people in your party, you might want to re-think the ADR thing, but it doesn't require anywere near the compulsive-ness seen on this thread. Relax and enjoy your vacation.

 

[buckirj1]

Oh, and please remember its only food, and eating/dining doesn't have to be a competitive sport

 

[RMulieri]

I went at about the same time of year that the OP is going, and we never had a problem finding places to eat. Other times of the year when it's more crowded, it may be harder. And there's certainly no point going place to place when you can call WDW's reservation number.

Did you follow this family all around Epcot?

No we happened to be behind them while we wandering around WS the one night having drinks around the world, and they initially had come into Le Cellier while we were waiting for the table so I recognized them...Plus I heard them griping about having the dp with no place to eat.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

To answer the OP's question: it depends. It depends mostly on your party size: if it's just your or maybe somebody else, sure. You'll almost always find something, either by making last minute reservations or trying a walkup. Walkups are just like restaurants at home; you might have to wait 45-90 minutes, but that's what books are for, right? If you have more than two people in your party, you might want to re-think the ADR thing, but it doesn't require anywere near the compulsive-ness seen on this thread. Relax and enjoy your vacation.

I'm diagnosed OCD, and I thought this thread was pretty compulsive.

OP, I know when I was planning the first trip I got all riled up about these things, especially when so many experts here on the boards were saying this and that. The one piece of advice that I've seen on here that truly applies to everyone...you know what will work for you, so do it. You've got the facts on both sides now. Just weigh your options and decide what works for your party. I've toured both ways and have had a wonderful experience every time I set foot on Disney property.

 

[maxiesmom]

OP--Do you think you would want to have a meal with characters? If so, you do need to make an ADR for at least that meal. Character meals are almost impossible to get into as a walk-up.

I'm not sure how much you know about how Disney works, but I hope you do some planning. It is helpful to have at least an idea of what park you want to be in on what day. There is so much that can go into deciding just that--What park has EMHs that day, do you want to go then, or avoid that park?

I would just hate for your first experience of Disney to be a less than positive one, because you couldn't see or do all that you wanted to do, couldn't eat when you wanted to, or thought the parks were crazy busy. All because you didn't do at least a little planning before the trip.

 

[sotoalf]

Because some of us view a vacation as a relaxing experience. We go where the wind (or the bus or boat or monorail) takes us. Many days, I just wander to the bus stop and hop on the first bus that comes through. Of course, this type of touring only works if you go very frequently, and have pretty much seen everything there is to see. So if I don't know until that day which park I want to see, I certainly don't know three months out which park I want to eat in.

About a year and a half ago, when all the buzz about "you must make ADR's" was really going around the boards, I decided to join in and booked an ADR for every day of a 10 day trip. By halfway through the trip, I called and cancelled all the ones I had left. It felt like I was scheduling my vacation around my meals, and that wasn't relaxing or enjoyable to me. I am perfectly OK with eating CS as a backup if I can't get a TS meal.

You have the luxury of writing this because, like me, you're a veteran, with no pressing need to visit every attraction. We live in Miami and have visited WDW twice a year, sometimes more, since 1972; we often don't make ADR's, but then again, we confine our dining to resort restaurants.

But the OP is a first timer, and has no clue what might await him/her. Telling a first time to "relax" and "wing it" only works off-season.

 

[ChrisMouse]

We've done it both ways...trips with multiple meals planned and trips where we "flew by the seat of our pants"...

We usually stay at our DVC, so we do eat a lot of meals in our room, but I find if we stay more than 3-4 days I am thoroughly SICK of CS and also sick of the types of things we can throw together in our room. We almost NEVER eat TS at breakfast, though we have been known to take in a breakfast character meal. The best plan that works for us is to have a GOOD T/S meal every other day or so...where we can sit in the air conditioning, have a nice salad and a nice dinner and just take some quiet time.

I guess the bottom line is...I know you don't want to plan months ahead, but it wouldn't hurt anything to HAVE the reservations and NOT use them...but it WILL hurt BADLY if you WANT the reservations and can no longer get them once you are there. I remember back to our first trip...my husband thought I'd lost my OCD mind by making reservations and over planning...but when we were there and lots of other people were being turned away from restaurants without reservations, he was SO GRATEFUL.

Good luck!!!

 

[aussietravellers]

We were at WDW for three weeks around the time you are going this year. We did make some ADR's but there were some that we wanted to go to that we could not get ADR's at, both before we left home and calling whilst we were there.

So there were plenty of restaurants that we just turned up at and got a table within 5 minutes (we went on opening usually but not always). Chef Mickey's, Cape May's, Boma, Crystal Palace, Sci-Fi to name a few (there were more but I have forgotten now). Chef Mickey's we had been calling every day to see about a cancellation for breakfast, lunch or dinner and had no luck, so we just turned up on opening for breakfast one morning and were seated almost straight away. Also at Crystal Palace, there was a staff member from the restaurant walking along the line telling people they were fully booked and if no ADR there was no chance of getting a table or possibly a 2 hr wait, everyone kept leaving and we just waited, along with the people before us, and we had (and the people in front of us) were seated in about 5 minutes .

We did not have any luck at Coral Reef though, we missed our ADR due to DS being sick but still.

So it is possible to get a walk up at the table service, but not guaranteed, we had ADR's for the restaurants we definately wanted to eat at, then took pot luck at other times and were successful most of the time, but not always.

It is nice to have some dining planned and booked though and you organise your day around that breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Enjoy your trip

 

[MissionMouse]

This is a common situation posted on this site where people desire not to make dining plans so far in advance..some to the point they just do it on a whim that day. I have seen families countless time through out Disney vacations being turned away. We have been in this situation ourselves and you can end up going to multiple restaurants attempting to TS dine...other times walk right in or involve a short wait.

Lots of the 'luck' will relate to the season, park, day of the week, time of day and restaurant. Overall, there our a lot of variables involved in getting in without an ADR. When you combine the behaviors and attitude of your group, especially when they want to eat at a TS restuarant...now, you can add in the possible stress level.

Disney really puts it out there on their site since they really don't want people to be surprised, especially for those guest who convert their real currency into non-refundable Disney meal tickets.

Disney states,

"Many of our restaurants are quite popular and book quickly. We strongly suggest you make advance dining reservations. Reservations are accepted at most Walt Disney World table-service restaurants, Signature Restaurants, Character Dining Locations, Dinner Shows and Grand Gathering Experiences..."