Restaurants you can get into w/o a ressie?

[*HappyDisneyMom*]

A little background....My family of six goes every year and usually we do either the deluxe or regular dining plan. We are going down the end of January, and have decided to not be tied down into so many reservations so we can enjoy the parks more.
There are a few sit downs that I would love to eat at while we're there if it fits into our day as we go along, ie Via Napoli lunch, Boma dinner.

In your experience which restaurants have you been able to get into without a ressie? Thanks guys!

 

[olecow]

You're going at a good time of year (late January) to get tables without a reservation. I've never tried to go anywhere without a reservation but I know other people that have and have seen other people do it when we check in. At that time of the year you can try just about anywhere. The key is to be flexible. You may end up eating dinner ater 8pm or before 5. Same thing with lunch. It may be after 1:30 or 2. If you can be flexible you increase your chances a great deal. Good luck.

 

[Megsie1000]

I have had some luck at slow times with 50's Prime Time at Hollywood Studios. Plaza at the Magic Kingdom. You will almost always be able to walk in at the Moroccan restaurant in the World Showcase (worth a try if you have never been there before!).

I have called the dining number from within the parks before and made reservations that way for the same day.

 

[CaliBear]

Early Jan of last year: We had no reservations late lunches at Via Napoli and Yak and Yeti, dinner at Marrakesh. Waits no more than 20 min for the lunches, no wait for Marrakesh at all, and it was delicious. We did a walkup dinner at Whispering Canyon, but the wait was well over an hour.

We had ADR for Beirgarten and we did need it. They weren't taking walk-ups.

We booked a same day reservation for dinner at Kouzzina.

 

[Herfnerd]

We've done Marrakesh without any ressies - and this was in late May

 

[TDC Nala]

A little background....My family of six goes every year and usually we do either the deluxe or regular dining plan. We are going down the end of January, and have decided to not be tied down into so many reservations so we can enjoy the parks more.
There are a few sit downs that I would love to eat at while we're there if it fits into our day as we go along, ie Via Napoli lunch, Boma dinner.

In your experience which restaurants have you been able to get into without a ressie? Thanks guys!

The biggest problem you will have here is that you are a party of six. That's a relatively large party.
You can probably forget about the following, although there's always a shot at luck...

Le Cellier
Any character meal except Garden Grove at the Swan
'Ohana dinner
Be Our Guest
Sci Fi
Coral Reef

Boma dinner may not be easy. You'd probably get in, but you would likely have to wait. Via Napoli, most likely you'll have to wait. I saw them tell walkups there was an hour wait...at opening.

Some of the best options for getting in without a long wait are:

Downtown Disney (except maybe some places on weekends)
Rainforest Cafe at AK
Marrakesh, Biergarten or Nine Dragons
Plaza Restaurant
Kouzzina
Signature restaurants in resorts (except the ones with fireworks views)

Another thing to think about...You have small kids. If your kids must eat around a certain time, and you don't want the possibility that you'll have to wait or walk around looking for a restaurant with immediate space, you need to make reservations.

 

[Luv4Disney]

Places we've gone to without ADR's (we usually go in May, September, October, November or December)

The Plaza
Tutto Italia
Nine Dragons
50's PT
Yak & Yeti
Biergarten
Rainforest Cafe
T-Rex
Portobello's
Fulton's Crab House

 

[*HappyDisneyMom*]

Great!!! Thanks to all so much!!!

I had already made ressies for our must do's- Le Cellier, Ohana, Chef Mickey's but some that I didn't want to make ressie's for were The Plaza, Via Napoli, Biergarten etc... So good news!! I'm actually pregnant now so all I've been thinking about is Disney food .......