Over Easter Break I Dined Without An ADR One Night!!!

[Christine]

Hi all! Just got back today from my 6-11 April 2007 trip. It was a last-minute trip, my schedule was a mess, and I only made two ADRs. I had one night and Disney where I didn't have a place to eat. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Disney Dining. They were trying real hard to find me an early-ish ADR, but no luck. Most of the ADRs were for 9:00 p.m.

This was on Monday evening (Easter Monday). We left the parks for dinner and decided to try to eat at the Cape May Buffet. It was only 4:45 p.m. when we got there and we saw the sign that they didn't start until 5:30 p.m. We didn't feel like sitting around all that time (and then to maybe get turned away), so we hopped back into the car and drove over to the Grand Floridian. I knew there were several restaurants over there so SOMEONE might take us.

By the time we got there and parked it was 5:00 p.m. The restaurant, 1900 Park Fair, had been open for 30 minutes. I walked up to the hostess and asked if she was seating "walk ups with no ADRs." She said "how many in your party?" I told her "Five." She said NO PROBLEM!!! And off we went.
I was shocked. Now, I wasn't real thrilled with the meal, but I was glad to get into a place so easy.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know my experience and that it can be done!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Wow thats great (and lucky). You may have had this experience maybe because most of the Easter Breakers had left by that day? I would think this week is when things begin to start to wind down a bit as most Spring/Easter breaks are over now. Thats a shame the food wasn't the best but at least you got in! Just goes to show that you never know so keep trying!

 

[Christine]

Wow thats great (and lucky). You may have had this experience maybe because most of the Easter Breakers had left by that day? I would think this week is when things begin to start to wind down a bit as most Spring/Easter breaks are over now. Thats a shame the food wasn't the best but at least you got in! Just goes to show that you never know so keep trying!

No, believe me it was CROWDED. My kids' Easter break started on Good Friday and lasts through this Friday. There were many other people there on that same schedule. Crowd-wise, the parks were pretty bad, so I don't think we were lucky at all. I really believe that *some* of the restaurants take a certain amount of walk-ups but just don't advertise it. I also believe that, absolutely, some do not (like Chef Mickey's).

 

[Amy&Dan]

I meant that you were lucky to get a last minute ADR during a very crowded time. Anytime around Easter is going to be crowded and I have no doubt you experienced killer crowds but I still think the week before your Spring Break, between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday would be even worse. But then I am basing that on the area of the country I live in where no districts I know of have spring breaks anywhere remotely close to Easter unless it falls sometime in March.