People Turned Away

[TAKitty]

I would have ADRs for your trip. At every place we ate I saw people turned away because they didn't have an ADR. Some people couldn't believe that they couldn't get into a restaurant. One woman at CRT was shocked to find out that the castle was booked solid until January. Others were told to either keep trying back or they could get them in sometime after 9:30! Make your vacation magical and have ADRs!

 

[Allison]

We saw this also. We were the first table seated at LeCellier on Saturday at 11:30 and they were turning everyone away. I heard people saying they were not taking any walkups through the end of the year which has been reported here before. Of course, LeCellier is one of the most popular restaurants. I also heard a group of people making their way around the World Showcase trying to find a place to have dinner on Sunday evening.

We had dinner at 'Ohana on Sunday night. They were taking some walkups that night when we checked in at 5:40 but they told them the wait would be 1 1/2 hours.

 

[Tabetha]

I saw the same on our trip. I think the fact that so many people were taking advantage of the Candlelight Processional meal packages made reservations even scarcer this holiday season.

Add that to the fact that with the new meal plan, eating at a table service restaurant every night is now much more viable for many mor people, and that adds up to PLAN before you arrive!

 

[lclark0621]

Yep, we see it every trip! Last time we were their someone was actually SCREAMING at the poor CM at CRT. They had "never heard of anything so crazy as making reservations so far in advance!"

I just never understand people like that!

 

[Harmony]

We've never gone to WDW w/o having breakfast/lunch/dinner reservations. It's not the type of vacation where you can just "see where it goes." Not if you want to eat in a timely manner and in a nice restaurant.

 

[shellybaxter]

I always have adrs for my trips. After reading these boards I figured I was stuck with the adrs I had for my trip last week and would not be able to shift things around. I was wrong. I was able to change nights, change times, get same day and next day ressies, and even walk in to many resturants (Grand Floridian Cafe, 1900 Park Faire, Mama Melrose, Brown Derby, and Raglin Road). I was even able to show up early (45 mins) for my Candlelight dinner at Chef de France. I think adrs are a must for CRT, LeCellier, Chef Mickeys, the fantasmic package, etc, but not necessarily for other restuarants last week. I saw Chefs, Brown Derby, Jeeko, Artist Point, and Liberty Tree Tavern all take walk ups with little to no wait last week.

 

[jenny2]

Even back in September, as we were checking in to our ADRs, we heard the hostess turning people away, telling them they weren't taking walk ups. Better to be safe than sorry!

 

[NMAmy]

We were there at Christmas last year. I couldn't believe the number of people who thought they'd be able to get into a table service restaurant without an ADR.

Every meal, we'd get into a huge line and a cm would walk up and down the line saying, "If you don't have a PS, you will not get in." At least it cut down on the lines.

And, for once, DH and DD quit mocking me for planning so obsessively. They had one nice sit-down meal every day, thanks to me!

 

[FSUGrad97]

We were there Dec. 1-4, and had and they were turning people away at Crystal Palace and Liberty Tree Tavern. We were able to walk up at Whispering Canyon, but that was it. I tried to get an ADR for Whispering Canyon earlier in the day, with no success. Even the Plaza Restaurant was booked until 8 or 9 p.m.

I would suggest to anyone going in the near future to make ADRs.

 

[Queenie]

We were at WDW for my birthday on 9th October this year. We walked into MK at about 6pm and there was a sign up saying that every sit down restaurant in the park was fully booked for the evening - sorry. I have never been more glad of making one quick phone call to the USA 90 days earlier!

 

[handicap18]

Ditto,,,
Liberty Tree, H&V, Chef Mickey and Alfredo's were all booked when we were there. Although Alfredo's did have a few seats outside, but it was chilli the night we were there.

BTW, RE: Alfredo's.
The manager on duty when we were there (Len I think his name was) told us that it is the single busiest Italian resturaunt in the world. They feed on aveage 2500 people per day. My MIL has celiac disease so he came to the table to help her with what she could and couldn't eat and talked with us for a bit.

 

[Pats Dragon]

Especially around holidays ADR's are crucial.

 

[Shanan]

I was there 12/2-12/10. I was up at 90 days out making my ADR's also. One of the funniest comments was at Chef's de France. We were waiting for our ADR when a lady came up and wanted to eat. The CM asked for her ADR. Lady - "What is that & why do I need it?" CM - "Advanced Dining Reservation and we are booked up for the next 3 days." Lady - "You mean I have to eat chicken strips and french fries instead of eating here?!"
It took all I had not to burst out laughing and say "DUH!"

 

[Meezers]

Aren't we all glad we are computer literate enough to find this web site so we don't look and feel like doofs when we get to WDW?

Yes...we are all so awesome!

 

[eeyoreiscool]

The resort restaurants seem to be better about not turning people away. Except for the big holiday days. It seems like it is getting impossible to pick a park restaurant to eat at the day of. It makes some of the spontaneous trips a little more difficult or shorter when you can't get a sit down place to eat.

 

[bicker]

I just emailed this thread to my brother. He couldn't understand why I was talking to him about what his family likes to eat, so far before our upcoming trip.

 

[Nancyg56]

I am so thankful to the DIS and all of the dining advice! DH and I have not been on a real Disney trip since before MGM and AK, so this was all new to me. I can tell you that we have ADR's for every day bit one, and my doubting sis in law, after being told that 1st week in Jan is no longer a ghost town, has now asked if we want to try for that night also. If not for all of you, we would be dining on oatmeal and chicken strips as well! Thank you!

 

[Tarheel Tink]

Same experience here! We took 3 newbies with us last week who would not believe that they needed to choose so far ahead of time and procrastinated. I went ahead and booked some anyway. As we entered Sci Fi the husband said to me "Did you hear what the hostess just told someone?! She told them they were booked solid for the next 3 days!!" I finally got to say "Duh! I have one, count it, one area of expertise and Disney is it!".

 

[LeCras]

We are treating my family to a couple of weeks at WDW in April-May. Like Bicker's brother they thought I was joking when I started asking about food preferences six months in advance. "Surely there's no point in booking this early?"... In fact, they never got back to me on the subject, so I did the only sensible thing: I thought sod 'em and went ahead and made the ADRs without their input. They will thank me once they see what it's like...

Charlotte

 

[crisi]

The resort restaurants seem to be better about not turning people away. Except for the big holiday days. It seems like it is getting impossible to pick a park restaurant to eat at the day of. It makes some of the spontaneous trips a little more difficult or shorter when you can't get a sit down place to eat.

Unless its California Grill, Chef Mickey's, 1900 Park Faire, Whispering Canyon, Boma, Ohana and often Cape May. Those restaurants are very often as booked as the parks.