U CAN Dine Sans ADR in peak season!

[travelitis]

I am here to tell you folks who like spontanaity that YES, in spite of that darn Disney dining plan, you CAN find availabilty at many good places even during peak season with persistence and flexibility! (pounds fist on pulpit) Brothers and sisters I have walked the walk while talking the Disney Dine Line talk, and there IS food without ADR! (hallelujah chorus plays in background) You nay-sayers out there, and I know there are some reading this, can have the princess breakfasts as your reward for organized planning while we, the reckless few, who dare brave Disney sans the dratted dining plan that fills the ADRS and threatens to send us wandering the bleak, table-service wasteland, will take our chances and let fate cast us where it will. I offer as evidence to support my wildly outrageous claim the following true stories.

1) On May 28th at about 11:30 we decided we wanted something special that afternoon for dd's 8th No, we couldn't get , but we let her choose from 3 good options.

2) More recently (i.e. last week) we decided on Tuesday we wanted to eat at Le Cellier on Wed. evening while our dd had an activity scheduled. We tried 3 or 4 times on Tues. with no success. We tried on Wed. with the same result, so we went to the alternate location we'd booked (San Angel Inn) and decided we weren't thrilled with the menu. I called the dine line on my cell, and they asked if we could get to LeCellier in 15 min. No problem!

3) Same trip - wanted a character meal, and 1900 Park Fare had plenty of availability.

4) Same trip - called with less than 24 hrs. notice and booked 50's PT (wide open avail). An hour ahead of our ADR we called and changed it, making it 30 min. later, and they still had multiple openings. Have people forgotten this eatery?

Now there is bad news, I'm afraid. It seems the folks trying to get their money's worth on the dining plan haven't listened to the servers at 50'sPT, and the desserts were being wasted. Dad's Super Sundae and the smores were downsized while I believe the price stayed the same. That's the reason our brother AJ gave us anyway. They are still big enough to share, but I liked them the way they were.

 

[bicker]

This is really important stuff for folks to realize. The real advantage of ADRs is to ensure that you get to pick when and where you eat, as opposed to taking whatever else is left available. I don't think I've ever read a report stating that there was no availability for seating for dinner at any TS restaurant in the hotels, parks and DTD. I think there is always someplace that can accommodate guests, somewhere on property. You might need to travel to a resort hotel or DTD, and it may or may not be a cuisine you'd prefer, but there is always someplace to eat! And very often, it may even be something you'd have chosen yourself.

 

[Armandocme]

Yeah, I've walked up to Kona Cafe for breakfast and got a seat. I was also able to get a table at 'Ohana dinner by calling 24 hours earlier.

 

[n2mm]

While I agree that there are some places you can get into, there are many places you can't get into. We have made changes to our ADRs after arriving and there are times when we can't. For us, the bottom line is I am on vacation and I don't want to work at finding a place to eat each day. I don't want to call dining or go to the front desk to see what is available. I want to check in the day I arrive at the resort and then relax and/or play all day and when it's time to eat, head to my restraurant that I have an ADR for. I've done all my work before arriving. If doing all my homework before arriving guarantees me great places to eat then I did my work well. I think what most veterans on these boards do is let newbies know that they indeed need to do their homework and if not, don't be surprised when you can't get into where you want and have to settle for your plan B or plan C. Not how I plan to spend my vacation. I agree with the OP, you will find a place to eat, you need to be flexible, you need to make phone calls or head to the front desk, and you need to be willing to settle for "what's available". You either do the work before your vacation or you do the work during your vacation. As for easy to get into: try Trail's End, All Star Cafe, Cape May, the Plaza, and most resort restraurants if you call the day of (except character dining) to name a few.

 

[dizfanz]

Also, sometimes try calling the restaurant directly. The hostess or manager may have openings that someone looking at a computer through the ADR hotline may not see.

 

[Ms.Mouse]

While I agree that there are some places you can get into, there are many places you can't get into. We have made changes to our ADRs after arriving and there are times when we can't. For us, the bottom line is I am on vacation and I don't want to work at finding a place to eat each day. I don't want to call dining or go to the front desk to see what is available. I want to check in the day I arrive at the resort and then relax and/or play all day and when it's time to eat, head to my restraurant that I have an ADR for. I've done all my work before arriving. If doing all my homework before arriving guarantees me great places to eat then I did my work well. I think what most veterans on these boards do is let newbies know that they indeed need to do their homework and if not, don't be surprised when you can't get into where you want and have to settle for your plan B or plan C. Not how I plan to spend my vacation. I agree with the OP, you will find a place to eat, you need to be flexible, you need to make phone calls or head to the front desk, and you need to be willing to settle for "what's available". You either do the work before your vacation or you do the work during your vacation. As for easy to get into: try Trail's End, All Star Cafe, Cape May, the Plaza, and most resort restraurants if you call the day of (except character dining) to name a few.

I agree 100%. This is why when we decided "spur of the moment" to take a Sept trip, I got on the phone within the hour to make ADR's. Don't want to run/call and wait and wait to find a place to eat. I don't want to even waste the 10+++ minutes on the phone while there to try for a seating. Last year we ate at the castle and a couple of friends decided to join us (2 more) and it took me almost 15 minutes to find out from dining if they had enough room to add the two people!!!! That's 15 minutes here and there during a trip I'm not willing to spend.

 

[GoodFairies]

We did a kind of last minute trip (planned less than one month out) last week and didn't make any ADRs. We had no problems with day-of ADRS and walk-ups at places for breakfast and dinner. There was plenty of availability especially at the places we went for dinner; we had a choice of times. Also, while in the past I have seen those signs at the front of the park that say "XXX is full," last week there were signs that said "ADRs are still available at XXX." I remembered seeing this for Crystal Palace and Liberty Tree Tavern, and was kind of surprised.

I would still always recommend advance reservations:
1. at character meals
2. at Le Cellier, which always seems full (even though I don't get it)
3. for places that an individual would consider "must have."
4. if I were on a dining plan to guarantee what I was paying for
5. for parties larger than 4 people

Last night I made ADRs for October. They were for 6 people. From reading these boards, you might get the impression that everything is booking up and fast. I had zero problems. I definitely think 180 days is crazy.

 

[CarolA]

Two weeks ago I walked into Chefs de France. Can't get much more "non planning" then that. (That was about the same time the thread was started whining about how now that they have DDP you have to eat on the street LOL!)

Of course, you could NEVER just walk up to Cindy's breakfast for example....

 

[iggyboo]

About 3 and 1/2 years ago took a friend to MGM and decided that day that I wanted him to try Prime Time Cafe. Went to see how long the walk-in wait was and found out it was an hour and a half wait so I decided to go just on a whim to Guest Services in the front of the park and was able to get an ADR for 15 minutes later.

Iggyboo

 

[cigar95]

Of course, you could NEVER just walk up to Cindy's breakfast for example....

I did it once! Of course, it was 9/15/01, and I was a single.

Take it back - I did it twice. Second time was 9/20/01.

 

[aubriee]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I think getting into a TS without ADRs might be a little more difficult during the free dining period. We were there last year during free dining and saw almost all TS restaraunts turning walk ups away. We saw several ugly scenes where people were yelling at CMs that Disney had given them free food, but then wouldn't allow them into the restaraunts to eat it. But them again one night my son and D-I-L decided to keep the ADR we had, while my ex decided he wanted to try the Biergarten. We called and got an ADR for the two of us for later that night with no problem.

 

[bicker]

I think you're correct -- there are several rumors floating around that Disney is actually considering doing something to try to allieviate what they foresee will be a problem in this regard.

 

[lisabelll]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I think getting into a TS without ADRs might be a little more difficult during the free dining period.

I was thinking this too. Actually when I read the dates OP had I thought, 'but Free Dining doesn't start until 8/13.'

 

[DaisyD]

I prefer to make ADRS. We have had days on our trips where an ADR didn't work out and we needed one in another place and had no luck. I think flying by the seat of one's pants is great if you don't mind where or when you eat. Dining is big part of our vacation so ADRs where we want are necessary.

 

[CarolA]

I did it once! Of course, it was 9/15/01, and I was a single.

Take it back - I did it twice. Second time was 9/20/01.

I was there around that time. You could walk up to ANYTHING! CM's were so grateful to see guests they were practically kissing me (I have photos of things like the Test Track line EMPTY!!!!)

 

[Ms.Mouse]

I prefer to make ADRS. We have had days on our trips where an ADR didn't work out and we needed one in another place and had no luck. I think flying by the seat of one's pants is great if you don't mind where or when you eat. Dining is big part of our vacation so ADRs where we want are necessary.

Dining is a big part of our Disney Holidays. I do plan our vacation out and plan the ADR's early so I can call on that 180th day. I want to eat where and when we found it's best for us to eat while there. I don't want to go to a restaurant and wait or have to find something to do for one hour + because I didn't plan it out. Vacation time is very precious to us and I don't want to spend it at any restaurant at an "odd time of day" (for us, at least). That's why I plan.... ALTHOUGH, I do have a friend who goes by the seat of his pants when he plans for his family and he said to me something like..... So what if I don't get into the restaurant I wanted to, I'll just try somewhere else or go counter service.... OK for him (and some).... NOT for me (and others).