Problem getting Dinner Ressies...

[sean-1966]

We are going home in late Sept., right during the peak of the Free Dining plan. How much trouble are we going to have getting ressies during that time? We like to book the night before but that is pretty much impossible these days. We'll probably book 30 days out.

 

[JimMIA]

I'd guess that you are in for an adventure. I remember a lot of posts last fall complaining about not being able to get ADRs because of the dining plan crush. Also, if you're planning on dining at Epcot, don't forget that September is F&W, which is one of the busiest times of the year for the Epcot restaurants.

If you have your ressie booked, I'd go ahead and make your ADRs. You can always cancel them if need be.

 

[gammieatwdw]

I've had 20 trips to WDW and I've never made even one 30, 60, 90 day advance reservation. Who knows where and when they want to eat 30,60, 90 days in advance? Really, scheduling your whole vacation? Doesn't sound so relaxing to me. One time I couldn't get into the nice place at AK (name?? Boma?) but every other time I was able to get into my restaurant of choice. Be flexible with your times and that helps a lot. I make my ressies the day before or day of. WDW dining is only so so anyway. If I couldn't get in I'd go off site. Probably a better meal anyway. Can't you tell this mama say no to dining plans. I eat when I want, where I want. Who wants to be force to eat on site every meal? Good luck but I'd wait and wing it.

 

[DebbieB]

If there are sitdown restaurants you definitely want to do, I would go ahead and make ADR's. You can always change them or cancel them.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have definitely noticed it is more difficult since the dining plan started, and "free" dining will always make the ressies more crowded, but we have found if we go early, it's not so bad.

 

[kizmac]

You really need to make them unless you are extremely flexible on times that you don't mind eating. I think calling the night before is not going to work for getting your first choice and a decent time. We were there last year for free dining and if you didn't have an ADR you were out of luck. You may be fine waiting till 90 days out but now with the free dining and the 180+10.......it may get hairy real soon for especially the popular ones like Le Cellier. If you can plan at 90 days or 30 days....it's just as easy to plan at 180 if you know where you'll be wanting to eat.

 

[LakeAriel]

The above poster is correct! I was there for the free dining last September and watched people turned away every night who did not have an ADR! Please book them. If you have free dining and can't get into a restaurant what a waste!

 

[Hopefully]

The Dining Plan in general, and now with the re-introduction of free dining, has made all of the TS restaurants far more crowded than they ever were. Folks are able to try new restaurants that they did not try in the past. If you know where and when you want to eat, Call and make your ADR's now!
In October when we went (Dining Plan - not free), we watched people turned away every night who did not have ADR's.
Just decide which park on which day, and plan from there. Either make an ADR in the park you plan on going to, or at a resort nearby. It would be a shame for you to have the Dining Plan, but because of lack of ADR's you could not use your credits.

 

[pezpam]

I called yesterday about our September trip and got every time I wanted. I suspect that that won't last long. The free dining will get a lot of people in during that time who wouldn't normally eat at all of these places, plus the people who normally do. It's likely to be crowded. Bear in mind that every time someone asks this question, 10 people are going to tell them to book now - and add in everyone who reads the posts, not just those asking the question. I generally prefer to wing it, but will make ADRs early for this trip just because of the circumstances.

At the end of the day, if you're going to make ADRs anyway, it's probably better to have *something* you like booked. If you change your mind the night before, you can try to make the change, but if it isn't available, at least you have one you like.

 

[cobbler]

I would make them. The dining plan (free or not) have become quite popular. We saw tons of people get turned away who didn't have ADR's when we traveled in December, and this is usually a very slow time.

We went during free dining last year and it was worse, I assume this year will be just as bad if not worse.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We booked our trip for the last week of August last year during the free dining plan. I didn't get to book the trip until the first week of August, so we were only 3 weeks out, give or take. I didn't get all the ADRs I wanted at the times I wanted, but I got most of them. We did see people without ADRs turned away at every meal we went to except Marrakesh, and I think that was because we had the first possible seating of the evening.

The sooner you make them, the better. You can always change them if you change your mind, but at least you'll have some place to eat.

 

[gammieatwdw]

Sorry, I guess my 20+ trips with making ADR when I arrive wasn't a good enough example. These boards and others are part of the reason people can't get in. People make these ADR's and then cancel them the day of or day before. All the paranoia spreading here is a little much. Book 11 months out, make all your ADR's, call day by day, etc. We all need to calm down a little. Because of this advice we are now all losing. People calling that day are turned away when in fact there is plenty of seating freed up from cancellations. From reading these boards you would also think the sky is falling. Do what you want, plan your whole trip months in advance? Call me old fashioned but that isn't vacationing. I like to go with the flow an see what I feel like eating or doing from day to day. Seems I'm in the minority.

 

[Allison]

Sorry, I guess my 20+ trips with making ADR when I arrive wasn't a good enough example. These boards and others are part of the reason people can't get in. People make these ADR's and then cancel them the day of or day before. All the paranoia spreading here is a little much. Book 11 months out, make all your ADR's, call day by day, etc. We all need to calm down a little. Because of this advice we are now all losing. People calling that day are turned away when in fact there is plenty of seating freed up from cancellations. From reading these boards you would also think the sky is falling. Do what you want, plan your whole trip months in advance? Call me old fashioned but that isn't vacationing. I like to go with the flow an see what I feel like eating or doing from day to day. Seems I'm in the minority.

Apparently, it wasn't a good enough example since other people have had completely different experiences.

Why so sensitive to differing opinions?

 

[missy522]

Sorry, I guess my 20+ trips with making ADR when I arrive wasn't a good enough example. These boards and others are part of the reason people can't get in. People make these ADR's and then cancel them the day of or day before. All the paranoia spreading here is a little much. Book 11 months out, make all your ADR's, call day by day, etc. We all need to calm down a little. Because of this advice we are now all losing. People calling that day are turned away when in fact there is plenty of seating freed up from cancellations. From reading these boards you would also think the sky is falling. Do what you want, plan your whole trip months in advance? Call me old fashioned but that isn't vacationing. I like to go with the flow an see what I feel like eating or doing from day to day. Seems I'm in the minority.

Well, I bought into all the advance planning myself, albeit not that 180 day guideline. I just made ADR's for my May trip, mainly because we're doing the dining plan. But gammieatwdw makes a very good point, and I had to laugh at the sky is falling comment. I've had a few laughs at some of the over the top things on these boards these past couple of months. It's true that there is a fine line where a WDW vacation becomes no vacation at all! Since we've been a couple of times before (we're not these once a year or more types), I hope that this year we can take things a little more slowly and not be on some rigorous, planned down to the minute schedule. But I do know where we'll be eating!!

 

[quadaunt]

gammieatwdw: This is a WDW planning site and so it stands to reason that the vast majority of us here are planners. Many here, like you, have been to WDW numerous times. I think what they're trying to convey is that now with the Dining Plan, as well as free dining, it is no longer like the "old days" where you could walk up to one of the WDW restaurants and be seated. Also for many, certain restaurants have become a must-do for them or their families and it's best to book it 180 days out to be certain to secure that ADR. For those of us traveling with children where character meals are important, plus trying to work in those must-do attractions for the kids, it's important to book well in advance for the times that we need.

For me, and spending the amount of $$$ that we do at WDW, I want to be sure to get the ADRs where and when I want and to be able to do as much as possible during our time there. We've done the chillin'-by-the-beach vacations and have enjoyed those as well. For me, however, it would be less relaxing and more stressful to simply fly by the seat of our pants while at WDW. It's just different strokes for different folks, that's all.

 

[kellyanne731]

Sorry, I guess my 20+ trips with making ADR when I arrive wasn't a good enough example. These boards and others are part of the reason people can't get in. People make these ADR's and then cancel them the day of or day before. All the paranoia spreading here is a little much. Book 11 months out, make all your ADR's, call day by day, etc. We all need to calm down a little. Because of this advice we are now all losing. People calling that day are turned away when in fact there is plenty of seating freed up from cancellations. From reading these boards you would also think the sky is falling. Do what you want, plan your whole trip months in advance? Call me old fashioned but that isn't vacationing. I like to go with the flow an see what I feel like eating or doing from day to day. Seems I'm in the minority.

I have to agree that sometimes people do get carried away trying to plan the "perfect" vacation. I also have to admit that I just called this morning to book my ADRs for our Sept/Oct trip.

We originally planned on booking a couple of dinners, and playing the rest by ear. I like not always knowing what we're going to do. But when I found out about the free dining, I figured it was better to book everything now. Since the TS will be hard to come by (and we love to eat at TS, whether it's on vacation or at home), I'd rather us have something definite.

But it's also fun for me. Nothing about planning ANY vacation is stressful for me. I make loose plans to cover the things we want to do. But we also love the spontanaity of doing what we want, when we want.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

We are going home in late Sept., right during the peak of the Free Dining plan. How much trouble are we going to have getting ressies during that time? We like to book the night before but that is pretty much impossible these days. We'll probably book 30 days out.

We were there during the free dining plan last year. During the trip, we visited concierge to try to plan a couple of meals and it was really slim pickins' at that point.

 

[stoudt6]

Sorry, I guess my 20+ trips with making ADR when I arrive wasn't a good enough example. These boards and others are part of the reason people can't get in. People make these ADR's and then cancel them the day of or day before. All the paranoia spreading here is a little much. Book 11 months out, make all your ADR's, call day by day, etc. We all need to calm down a little. Because of this advice we are now all losing. People calling that day are turned away when in fact there is plenty of seating freed up from cancellations. From reading these boards you would also think the sky is falling. Do what you want, plan your whole trip months in advance? Call me old fashioned but that isn't vacationing. I like to go with the flow an see what I feel like eating or doing from day to day. Seems I'm in the minority.

CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, BUT WHEN I GO ON VACATION I WANT TO ENJOY THE TIME THERE AND EVERYTHING TO BE ENJOYED. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TRYING TO GET AN ADR THAT DAY OR WALK-IN TO A PLACE THAT I COULD HAVE HAD ONE IN-PLACE FOR MONTHS AGO! ALSO I WOULD THINK IF ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSEDLY CANCELLING THERE ADR'S AT THESE POPULAR PLACES THE DAY OF THERE ADR'S , IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO DO A WALK-UP. INSTEAD WALK-UPS AT THE POPULAR PLACES ARE BECOMING MORE OF A THING OF THE PAST UNLESS YOU LIKE EATING LUNCH AT 2-330 AND DINNER AT 830-10.

 

[5mickeylovers]

We are going in September. Just wondering what the "free dining plan" is that I keep reading about. Thanks!

 

[Markstudy]

I WOULD THINK IF ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSEDLY CANCELLING THERE ADR'S AT THESE POPULAR PLACES THE DAY OF THERE ADR'S , IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO DO A WALK-UP. INSTEAD WALK-UPS AT THE POPULAR PLACES ARE BECOMING MORE OF A THING OF THE PAST.

Disney has tried to take care of the no-shows by over-booking

So even with a lot of drop-outs, it could still be no seats for walk-ups