Should we plan every TS meal?

[travelbel]

We have a few "holes" in our plans... days where we are just going to go with the flow and not necessarily book anything. We're not expecting to eat at character meals on those days, but hoping that wherever we end up, we can find something to eat. Is this a HUGE mistake? We're going Feb. 3-10, around free dining (the 3rd is the last day until the 11th).

 

[DonaldTDuck]

We have a few "holes" in our plans... days where we are just going to go with the flow and not necessarily book anything. We're not expecting to eat at character meals on those days, but hoping that wherever we end up, we can find something to eat. Is this a HUGE mistake? We're going Feb. 3-10, around free dining (the 3rd is the last day until the 11th).

Even during 'slower' times, when free dining is on, and that's all the time for now, if you go to a park without an ADR, there is a very good chance the pickings will be slim. And you'll spend valuable park time going from TS to TS, There will be available restaurants, but possibly not in all the parks. Except for Epcot, there are only a handful of TS in each park, and at Epcot, everyone will have ADRs fro their fave, since there is great variety.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

Yeah I would book something if you are going during free dining.

I can remember seeing signs up at the parks saying that no table service restaurants were available.

You may be able to get into Marakesh or Nine Dragons they always seem to have availability, but I think those are the only "safe" bets.

 

[wcpamotm]

Even at resorts, you will often find a very long wait for a table at a restaurant, if you can even get in at all.

Another infuriating side effect of DDP IMO.

 

[Nadjalu]

The best thing you can do if you don't know what park you will be in, is make an adr for a restaurant in a resort.

It is best to have adrs during the time you will be there. As someone said, you MAY be able to find something, but it may take time to find it, it may be across the property from you and it may be something you really don't want or like.

So it really is best to make adrs if you are wanting a sit down meal. I don't have a problem making them (even 180 days out), we like what we like and if I know what park I stay with that, or I do what I suggested above. BUT I do make sure I have dinner lined up. Seen too many go with CS because of lack of TS.
It is a pain, but that is the reality...what'cha gonna do?

 

[Hopefully]

We like one sit down meal a day, so I always make TS ADR's. If you are happy with just a CS, than you will be fine. You won't starve, but I believe it is best to have ADR's if you want a TS meal. You may find, even now, that availabilty is limited. The days of sponteneity for meals are gone.

 

[TDC Nala]

If you know specific restaurants where you want to eat, then yes, you should plan your meals.

If you want to be sure you get dining INSIDE a theme park on a specific day, then yes, you should plan your meals. I don't recommend trying to find a sit-down restaurant with walk-up space inside the Magic Kingdom during free dining for example. Epcot is easier, as it has a lot more restaurants. If you are okay with leaving MK and looking around the monorail resorts for a restaurant that can take you, that's different. If you don't mind taking a break and trying out Downtown Disney you might be okay, although there are only four TS restaurants at DTD that accept the dining plan if you are on one.

If you or your party is at all picky or particular about the restaurants you choose or the type of food available to you, then you should plan your meals.

If you're on free dining and you don't mind the possibility of having to use some of your TS for CS or leaving some of your credits unused, then you can plan or not plan at your leisure.

 

[travelbel]

Well, I guess I'm off to go and plan the last 2 TS meals! Thanks for the input - although I hate to be prisioner to a meal, it looks like we may be!

 

[Sweettears]

Well, I guess I'm off to go and plan the last 2 TS meals! Thanks for the input - although I hate to be prisioner to a meal, it looks like we may be!

I'd make some ADRs just so you have a fall back plan. ADrs do open up on short notice with surprising variety. We're going Dec 10-16 and just for the heck of it I've been checking for availability two days out to get an idea of what options may be available on short notice. (I.e. check on-line tonight for tomorrow night or the next day). That might give you a greater comfort level in trying to wing it.

 

[loganpaulsmom]

Planning 1 TS a day will not make you a prisoner.. it actually is perfect in my opinion. my upcoming trip is in may and I planned for 1 ts a day.. some days its breakfast.. some days its lunch.. some days dinner.. I know that those meals we will eat more, so that will fill us up and if we need it we know we have counter service.. I always make a ressie or 2 at a ts at our home base on the days we have lunchs or breakfasts planned, just in case we come back to our resort early and want to eat in a restaurant and not a counter service.. good luck!

 

[eah7]

We were there Thanksgiving week. I made several adjustments to ADR's while there. There were several restaurants that had lots availability throughout the week. We had reservations but I was amazed how readily we could be accomodated if needed.

 

[RMulieri]

Well, I guess I'm off to go and plan the last 2 TS meals! Thanks for the input - although I hate to be prisioner to a meal, it looks like we may be!

Welcome to Dining Disney-style With a family in tow that gets aggravated easily I found out long ago..It is eeasier to book something than to wander for an hour or more looking for a TS that will take you.

 

[NMW]

I agree with the posters that advise you to book something. Last trip we were waiting for our ADR at Tutto Italia and a family of 4 asked it there was any availablity and was told no walk-ups. I heard them tell the CM that this was the 5th restaurant they had tried. They were basicly walking around the World Showcase trying for anything. The CM suggested Marakesh.

I called yesterday to change a lunch at Epcot on June 4. The only places the CM had available between 11:30 and 2:00 were Biergarten and Coral Reef...that's it! I took Biergarten. She advised me to try calling back in a couple of hours to see if anything opened up. I did, and was able to get San Angel, so I cancelled Biergarten. I really wanted La Hacienda for lunch, but no luck. My fault for not booking it exactly at 180 days I guess. She said that I can keep trying and that I should just call every day. La Hacienda can not be booked online yet, according to the CM. I really don't think I want it that bad that I would call every day. Too time consuming.

 

[abouley]

We did disney dining for the first time on our last trip and I had a couple of days where I wasn't sure where we were going to be. I tried to plan something that might work for either of my options. For example, I might plan something at a Monorail Resort if I wasn't sure if I might be at either Epcot or MK. Or, I might plan a lunch in one resort and a dinner in another and that way I had 2 options that day. I had an Iphone so I could easily cancel or try to change while on the go. I also had a few extra options at the end of our plan just in case we missed a day or two along the way (and we did). We actually ended up using our last TS at Wolf Gang Puck Express but that was ok.

 

[TDC Nala]

I really wanted La Hacienda for lunch, but no luck.

That's because La Hacienda doesn't serve lunch - it's open for dinner only.

San Angel Inn serves lunch, but not La Hacienda.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I would highly suggest making the TS reservations. We did not plan all of ours last trip and were practically laughed at when asking "how long the wait was"...We actually planned our itinerary around our dining this time around!

 

[NMW]

That's because La Hacienda doesn't serve lunch - it's open for dinner only.

San Angel Inn serves lunch, but not La Hacienda.

Well, that makes perfect sense. Surprising that I spoke to not one, but two dining CM's and BOTH of them searched for a lunch ADR for me and told me that nothing was available at La Hacienda the day I wanted it. You think at least one of them would have known that the place didn't even serve lunch.

Thanks for the info TDC Nala!

 

[travelbel]

Finished booking our last 2 TS meals..... pretty much everything was open and even got to book another character meal for the kiddos! At least we won't be wandering around for hours searching for food! Nothing could be worse than that!!!

 

[Sleeping Becca]

We were there Thanksgiving week. I made several adjustments to ADR's while there. There were several restaurants that had lots availability throughout the week. We had reservations but I was amazed how readily we could be accomodated if needed.

No free dining Thanksgiving week this year.

 

[princesscharming]

Well, that makes perfect sense. Surprising that I spoke to not one, but two dining CM's and BOTH of them searched for a lunch ADR for me and told me that nothing was available at La Hacienda the day I wanted it. You think at least one of them would have known that the place didn't even serve lunch.

Thanks for the info TDC Nala!

Oh goodness. Not only does it not serve lunch but I booked my dinner ressie at La Hacienda last week. So they are definitely taking online ressies. Also, I would check the online system for availability. I'm in the World the same time your are, and have seen lots of availability around that time. And I'm largely searching EPCOT restaurants too.

Good luck.