Reluctantly will do ADR's next trip

[photobob]

I've never made an ADR before, but after my last trip I think I'm going to have to jump right in with the everyone else and make reservations to eat. I did get in the restaurants I wanted this past trip by walking in at opening and getting a table for early lunch, but it wasn't easy. I also saw many walking in a restaurant at opening and being sent away. We were very fortunate. I thought that an ADR meant that you were put at the front of the line for a table of your party's size, not promised a specific time. That meant to me you were put ahead of those that were walk ins. My last trip it seemed that at many table service restaurants that they were only taking those with ADR's and others were simply sent packing. Does anyone have a good way of determining the 180 +10 window?

 

[kandmwedding]

Having an ADR does simply mean that you're ahead of walk-ins. At busy times of year there are so many ADRs that there simply isn't room for walk-ins, which is why you saw people being turned away.

Check out this link for help figuring out when you can book.

 

[dburg30]

Is it officially called Advanced Dining Reservations now? And it used to be priority seating??

THat would make sense then, as ADR would be like calling any hotel and making ressies. Where PS would be that you get in the front of the line, which if everyone had PS's would be a huge mess also

 

[PatsMom]

I used to really enjoy going to WDW at slower times of the year and planning day to day where to eat depending on what we felt like doing. Now that the restaurants are more crowded, we've found that if we want to be sure of eating at any TS restaurant, we need to make ADRs. It has definitely turned me into more of a planner. I have spreadsheets that include what park we plan to visit, where the EMH are, what restaurant we are eating at. Makes it less flexible but we are definitely a family who likes our food so DD and DH have learned to live with deciding where you will want to eat months in advance.

 

[photobob]

Is it officially called Advanced Dining Reservations now? And it used to be priority seating??

THat would make sense then, as ADR would be like calling any hotel and making ressies. Where PS would be that you get in the front of the line, which if everyone had PS's would be a huge mess also

From Allearsnet.com

Advance Reservations is a system Walt Disney World uses to manage their restaurant seating flow. In essence, unlike a true reservation where a table is saved for your party at a particular time, the advance reservation guarantees your party the next available table. It's recommended that you check in about 15 minutes before your time. Wait times vary depending on the time of day and restaurant but usually averages between 15 and 30 minutes.


Is that the same way priority seating worked?