What Restaurants can you get into w/out making an ADR?

[milmore104]

My family and I are heading to the World during Free Dining (of course) and we have opted for the discount on the deluxe plan. I have made just about all our ADR's. However we have a couple of really late nights. We have an ADR for the 9:30 show @ the HDDR. So the next day I didn't make any ADR's until dinner time. I didn't know when our DD would be up and going. We are planning on taking it easy and maybe heading to some resorts or EPCOT. What I'm wondering is are there some places you know of that you can just walk into and get a table or a shot wait with out having to make an ADR?

Trust me I'm not talking about anything like CRT or LeCellier . I'm not crazy, plus I already have our ADR's for them. But along World Showcase or at a resort?

Thanks

 

[jwcollin]

Last year we were there during free dining and were able to do a walkup to Biergarten as soon as it opened for lunch. We were quite impressed with the food, and the "beer sampler"! We weren't able to stay for the oompa band, which I have heard is quite entertaining. We are going again at the end of August for FD, and are keeping this restaurant as an option in case last minute we change our mind about some of our ADR's.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Here is what we learned on our trip 2 weeks ago. If you show up right when a restaurant opens (or before) they can possibly squeeze you in. It worked on a few for DH and I but then again we are just 2 people. Go see the conceirge in your resort and see what they have open, we went to see ours in the morning and they could give me time and places that still had openings for that evening.

As hard as I worked on my ADRs DH still had to throw a moneky wrench into my plans for a few days but luckily it still worked out great

Good luck!

 

[milmore104]

Last year we were there during free dining and were able to do a walkup to Biergarten as soon as it opened for lunch. We were quite impressed with the food, and the "beer sampler"! We weren't able to stay for the oompa band, which I have heard is quite entertaining. We are going again at the end of August for FD, and are keeping this restaurant as an option in case last minute we change our mind about some of our ADR's.

Oh yes. Biegarten is my DH MUST for our trips. I do have an ADR for here on our 2nd night. I like to go when the band is playing as well. It makes the meal so much more fun!

 

[*Emily*]

I'd make some ADRs for that time anyways. It was crazy during FD last year. I met many families who had to trade in most of their TS for CS (and a lanyard, or whatever the deal was) because nothing was available ANYWHERE and they hadn't planned ahead. And that was last year, I can only imagine how much FD has grown in popularity since then.

 

[Allison]

If Epcot restaurants don't work, you can try the Boardwalk area or Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club.

 

[Karnak]

I always make ADRs for the restaurants I want to visit for sure. However, depending upon crowd levels, you can sometimes walk in at many of the restaurants, especially for lunch, if you get there around opening time. This worked for lunch at the Concourse Steakhouse, the Nine Dragons, Yak and Yeti, and even for dinner at Tony's one evening. (Second week of December, 2007, solo trip.)

But I wouldn't count on it, especially if you are visiting during peak crowd dates.

Enjoy.

 

[Melora]

We have never needed an ADR for Marrakesh in Morocco. We have dropped in during the summer, during dinner hours and they were always able to seat us. (Of course with free dining that might be something else). It seems the restaurant is so hidden and out of the way that not all people know it is there.

 

[raysum]

We ate in Marrakesh last August and it wasn't but about half full so I don't see any reason that it wouldn't be a walk up.

 

[Traveliz]

You can also go to restaurants that take the plan but not ADRs -- when we are over at Epcot we like to walk over to ESPN at opening. Very easy to get in then. They open at 11:30 am.

Liz

 

[Tam1067]

Kona for lunch...no problem, and for breakfast right when they open

 

[mrzrich]

Rather than walk up, I have found calling WDW-DINE shortly before I want to eat can usually snag me something. I've also stopped at guest services on my way into the park to see if anything is available.

I've never been told, "no there is absolutely no place on property for you to eat"

If you are in the Epcot area, consider steping through the international gateway. ESPN club and Beaches and Cream are two great locations that don't take ADR's.

 

[mrzrich]

Last year during free dining I woke up and decided I wanted to have breakfast at Boma. I called Dining and they said "Sure what time?" We could have had 8, 9, or 10 AM

I must warn however that with many people upgrading to deluxe this year, I'm affraid more people will be doing TS during breakfast and lunch this year. Thus making it more difficult to just walk up during those two meals.

 

[MyGoofy26]

A lot of the resort restaurants are easier to walk up than in the park. We've never had much trouble finding somewhere to eat last minute. Usually, this means stopping by concierge in the lobby of the hotel on our way out to the buses and asking them to look up availability. Sometimes, if we're in a park, we'll head to guest services and do the same thing. Or, like already mentioned, you can call the dining number. It's MUCH easier to have them look at availability than to go door to door trying to find a restaurant with an opening. We've gotten ADRs as soon as 15 minutes from the time we checked, so we were in and seated with our not very advanced ADR than if we walked up and waited and waited for them to squeeze us in.

 

[grinningghost]

My DD works at the Y&B Club and says the Captain's Grille USUALLY accepts walk-ups. She also says it's quite the hidden gem as far as really great food and service.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

Last year during free dining we saw a sign at Epcot that no Epcot restaurants had any openings and at MK a sign that said that no MK or MK resort restaurants had any openings. There will be places available, but I'd put WDW-DINE in my cell phone in case there are any problems.