Why Should You ALWAYS Make Dining Reservations

[mello]

You know, it so depends upon the circumstances. And not just at WDW. If it's just a couple of flexible people going anywhere, and especially during off-season, winging it is not generally a problem.

DH and I went to WDW with no ADR's last June, booked our room only 3 months out, and had no problem finding TS places to eat - not slow season, but we didn't have any "must-do" expectations set up, and we were flexible about when and where we ate. We just went with the flow. For that type of trip, excessive planning just wasn't necessary.

OTOH, we're going in 3 weeks with a group of 17 people, most of whom have never been before, most of which are kids who are looking forward to dining with characters, in the castle, etc. Some of the adults in this group are non-planners, but for this circumstance I deemed having ADR's at 180 days a necessity. I sure didn't want my little neice disappointed on her 10th birthday, thinking she'd be eating with the princesses, so darn it, I got up at 4am in November and made the ressies.

I do so feel sorry for people with kids who have their heart set on something and sincerely didn't know they had to book it in advance. We would probably give up our ADR under the right circumstances for that. But I do not feel sorry for adults who refuse to use any foresight and insist on being inflexible. It's that combination that creates problems. If you're not a planner, no biggie, just don't have certain expectations that you think others should fill for you, that's all.

 

[powellrj]

I never do ADR's and I eat a TS every night so it is possible to actually have a great time, great food at wdw without planning a vacation like the allies planning the d-day invasion.

These guys were just jerks, there is a entire underground group here on the dis that rarely makes adr's, don't get to the parks at rope drop, don't swear by TGM and you know what, we manage to have fabulous vacations too.

Shocking I know

We are part of that group. Heck the last time we went we didn't even know if we were going to the P&P party until that afternoon and I know people buy those tickets months in advance. Our thinking was we wanted to wait until we got there to see if we were tired or if it were raining before we committed. If they were sold out, we would have assumed it was too crowded and we didn't want to go anyway.

There are still travel books and travel agents who don't stress the ADRS so even people that think they have planned a trip well still have problems.

The only time we have ever made ADRs in advance was the year we went for free dining. All the other trips we just call first thing in the morning and take what is available. Even now there is always some place to eat.

 

[fla4fun]

A couple years ago, I decided that if everyone else was booking their ADR's for every day of the trip, I should too, even though I hadn't done that in the past. By the middle of the trip, I cancelled all the ones I had left. I got very tired of having to be at a certain place at a certain time, especially if I was having a good time and had to leave because it was "time to eat" whether I was actually hungry or not.

I tend to travel in the slower seasons, so now I just call a day or two out if I feel the need to, and just go with what's available. I'm not looking for character meals, so it's not as much of a problem. I'd rather eat counter service and have a fun day, than eat TS and feel rushed or stressed over dining plans. But I do think that if you are set on a specific restaurant it's a good idea to plan ahead so you aren't disappointed.

 

[surfergirl602]

again well said..If I did not accidently run accross these boards I would been SOL

Same here!!! I stumbled across this site looking for information on how to book our vacation and I am so thankful I did!!!

When the hubby and I took an impromptu trip a few years ago, just me and him, we drove down, just went to the parks, did a walk up for dinner a few times (this was the end of june). It was for a table of two, I remember having to wait about 40 minutes for the rose and crown... there were a lot of places that had a long wait, and we just went somewhere else. Now I made ADR's and I'm so glad we did! It was so frustrating trying to get food. I had no idea you could even make ressies ahead of time!!!

 

[Katiebell]

One recurring theme I'm seeing here...

People who have been to WDW many times in the past, have already eaten in most of the restaurants, already know which places they like, and which places are good even if they aren't as popular. They are the ones more likely to say, "We don't make ADR's -- we decide each day what we want to do" or "We just call that morning and see what is available."

Those of us who haven't ever been, or only have a few trips under their belts are more likely to plan ahead, make the ADR's because we've never gotten to try a particular place and everyone is recommending it, or it looks like so much fun to try. I'm planning our second trip, and have so many places we want to try on my "to-do" list, it's going to take us probably 4 or 5 MORE trips just to get through them all!

Also, it seems ADR's are necessary if you have a large group, have certain places you just have to go to (your very faves or family tradition), you are on the DDP and want to make sure you don't waste your money if you can't find a TS you want, or you are going to a special dinner show like HDDR or the Luau. Other than that...you can eat CS, play roulette and see what TS is available from day to day, try the walk-up strategy, prepare some meals in your room (if you have the facilities), or go off-site if you have transportation. Or you could live on Mickey Bars, Dole Whip floats, and turkey legs for a week! OK, maybe not But at any rate, you won't starve at WDW

 

[Abharmagic]

Can I ask where you were eating?

I was there in October of 2006 and January of 2007 (being my two most recent trips) and the only restaurant I could not get into was le Cellier, the only one I made ADR for was Prime Time and that was also the longest wait to be seated and the worst meal I had.

My Sept. trip, I am making ADR for Jiko, Marrakesh and maybe one other if there is something BF really wants to check out.

Sorry just saw this-

The places we waited too long IMO way past our ADR times in October 2007 were- CRT (50 mins beyond our ADR time of 9:30 AM until we were seated), LTT (45 mins beyond our ADR time of 7 PM until seated), and Hollywood and Vine (45 mins beyond our ADR time of 4:45 PM until we were seated). HTH. I have small kids- they were pooped out and cranky by the time we were seated and made a less than pleasant experience for us and others I am sure- we tried to rush through our meal and get out as fast we could each time (except for CRT).

 

[Freyja]

My hubby would have been one fo thsoe people if someone on another board (non disney related)hadnt pointed me to this website. I had absolutely no idea how important adr's were!!!Or what an adr was!

Same here. There is not one TA in my country that does Disney trips and to this date I have never met anyone around me who knew about ADR´s at the parks. Luckily lots of people around me turn to me before they leave, knowing that I´ve been to 3 of the Disney parks (DL, DLP and WDW) various times, and ask whether there os anything they should have in mind before they go or after they arrive. Most people I meet however, spent anywhere from 4-10 days in the parks and never even found out their were character meals available.

 

[Aliceacc]

The last time I was in WDW was 1990. We made dinner reservations at 11 am for our 6 pm Coral Reef dinner. We got into Cinderella's castle (although no princesses were in attendance) the evening we decided to go there.

Had I just booked my trip online and not found the DIS, I'm not sure how I would have known about ADRs, or why it would occur to me that things had changed so radically.

Of course, I wouldn't have gone off on the person at the restaurant. But if my family of 5 had ended up spending my DDP dollars on counter service because I was unable to get into any restaurants, I would have been one very unhappy person.

 

[teach22180]

I don't really enjoy TS restaurants, so this isn't a big issue for me. I spend the whole time wishing I was in the parks playing, so I prefer CS. There is a lot more than just burgers and fries these days. However, we did go to Crystal Palace both trips, once for breakfast and once for lunch; I felt we were saving time by seeing Pooh and his buddies without waiting in line. And, we really enjoyed Ohanas for breakfast, too, but we didn't have park tickets for that day. I had no trouble getting the times I wanted for both of those a couple of months before we went, but I was a bit irked that we waited at CP for almost 30 minutes in the morning, as our 8:05 adr was designed to have us finished by the time the park opened!

I think a couple PP mentioned this, but the Unofficial Guide recommends you can go to Guest Services in the park in the morning and get your ADR for dinner. So, people can do research and still not get good information on this particular topic!

 

[maxiesmom]

We had lunch at Le Ceiller this past October. And while we were waiting for our table to be ready, I was shocked at how many people came in without a reseration, looking to be seated. I didn't laugh at them though. I was too busy laughing at the 2 women who were fighting over who was next in line to be checked in.

 

[SherylWrites]

If I'm going to the trouble of finding the right resort for my family, planning the trip around Magic Hours and whatever other activity might interest us, why wouldn't I plan our family meal?
We've only gone to WDW once, with another trip coming but I planned all of our TS meals and made the ADR's with the help of my DTS and of course, the DIS! lol
We didn't wait too long for our tables, but we choose to eat later. My kids are at an age where they can be a little more patient to wait.
Sitting down with my family for a meal is a part of the vacation for me. It's a chance for us to talk about their favourite part of the day so far, a chance to relax and enjoy a good (hopefully!) meal in a really neat atmosphere. That is something worth planning ahead for, be it six months or three months or three days.
I would hate to miss that opportunity so ADR's are for us. I did see a few people being turned away at Le Cellier, but they were civil about it thankfully. I don't think you can go to a park that thousands of people will be in at a time and reasonably expect a table exactly when you want it.
I never thought of the reservation as cramping our style either in the park. It was something to look forward too. And if we missed something, we had an excuse to go back for another trip!
WDW is more than a vacation. It's an adventure. And you have to plan it that way and be prepared or be prepared to be disappointed.
And I ALSO think that any travel agent who doesn't at the very least inform their clients of ADR's and their dining options are doing a very poor job!

 

[DisMN]

I never do ADR's and I eat a TS every night so it is possible to actually have a great time, great food at wdw without planning a vacation like the allies planning the d-day invasion.

These guys were just jerks, there is a entire underground group here on the dis that rarely makes adr's, don't get to the parks at rope drop, don't swear by TGM and you know what, we manage to have fabulous vacations too.

Shocking I know

I stopped reading right here so I could raise my hand and yell "ME ME ME!!" LOL
We MIGHT make one or two dining reservations per trip but that's it. We NEVER go at rope drop, we don't follow any sort of itinerary/schedule and ohhhh we have wonderful vacations! (Can I be in your underground group too? )

 

[fla4fun]

I stopped reading right here so I could raise my hand and yell "ME ME ME!!" LOL
We MIGHT make one or two dining reservations per trip but that's it. We NEVER go at rope drop, we don't follow any sort of itinerary/schedule and ohhhh we have wonderful vacations! (Can I be in your underground group too? )

You'll have to learn the password and secret handshake!

I have to agree with the PP who said there are two groups of people, the nearly newbies and the frequent visitors. I would fall into the latter category. If I really wanted to eat at a Disney restaurant, I could just go on my day off and eat. I don't feel the pressure to be anywhere at a particular time. It's a nice feeling, but I understand that for many people, Disney is a once a year, or once every other year or so, vacation. I can understand that they want to plan their meals so they know for sure they can eat at their favorite places.

I'm going for two weeks in September while free dining is going on, without participating in free dining (got a 40% discount on the room ). I may or may not make any ADR's - I haven't decided yet. Last year I didn't, and I managed to eat TS when I wanted to by being flexible as to where I dined. Since I'm staying at VWL, I can always fix my own meal if I have to, so I know I won't starve if EVERY restaurant on property is filled to overflowing. I'd rather just go with the flow and have fun in the parks.

 

[crisi]

I would say there are three groups of people:

1) There are people who are not informed on the importance of ADRs for certain times and certain places.

The other two groups lie along a continuum.

2) There are people to whom table service dining is important and they enjoy planning. It doesn't matter if they are first timers or have twenty two trips under their belt. They know they want to eat at California Grill, they know they'd be disappointed if they didn't, they make the reservation. They may know two years out that in 2010 they want to try Rose and Crown.

3) There are people who don't really like to plan their days around dining and a certain restaurant at a certain time. They really don't mind if they eat at a hotel or at Marrakesh or, if they eat counter service that day, that's fine too.

Being a continuum, there are people in that first group who leave a few days open to play by ear (and people way over at the end who have ADRs for three meals a day) - and people in the second group who get a reservation for Le Cellier one day. And there are more and less informed people in each group. But winging it does work best when you have some knowledge to work with.

 

[tigger813]

My brother and his wife and son went down during Thanksgiving week. I asked if he made reservations and he said "NO!" Well, for Thanksgiving they ate Pizza and McDonald's. He tends to be stubborn so they ate wherever they could. They met friends down there who had reservations.

We're big planners so we know where we will be what day and when we want to eat. If people don't want to listen, they hopefully will learn from their mistakes.

 

[DisneyWorldOct08]

I just find it very, very bizarre that some people seem to encounter these 2 hour waits and being turned away from every single TS place and yet others who are there at seemingly the same time never encounter these problems.

I'm not saying people are lying or exaggerating. I am just truly puzzled. The only restaurant I have EVER been turned away from was Le Cellier. I have never had a problem calling the same morning and picking a place.

 

[DisneyWorldOct08]

You know, it so depends upon the circumstances. And not just at WDW. If it's just a couple of flexible people going anywhere, and especially during off-season, winging it is not generally a problem.

DH and I went to WDW with no ADR's last June, booked our room only 3 months out, and had no problem finding TS places to eat - not slow season, but we didn't have any "must-do" expectations set up, and we were flexible about when and where we ate. We just went with the flow. For that type of trip, excessive planning just wasn't necessary.

OTOH, we're going in 3 weeks with a group of 17 people, most of whom have never been before, most of which are kids who are looking forward to dining with characters, in the castle, etc. Some of the adults in this group are non-planners, but for this circumstance I deemed having ADR's at 180 days a necessity. I sure didn't want my little neice disappointed on her 10th birthday, thinking she'd be eating with the princesses, so darn it, I got up at 4am in November and made the ressies.

I do so feel sorry for people with kids who have their heart set on something and sincerely didn't know they had to book it in advance. We would probably give up our ADR under the right circumstances for that. But I do not feel sorry for adults who refuse to use any foresight and insist on being inflexible. It's that combination that creates problems. If you're not a planner, no biggie, just don't have certain expectations that you think others should fill for you, that's all.

I think this poster hit the nail on the head.

When I travel, I travel with 1 other adult. We are semi-food snobs who like to eat in the more exotic type places and places with a more adult feel. I personally can't wrap my mind around wanting to eat at a character meal. But I suppose if people are traveling with a group of 8 and 1/2 of those people are small children, wanting to eat at LTT or CRT or something, yeah, they should probably book in advance.

 

[DisneyWorldOct08]

Sorry just saw this-

The places we waited too long IMO way past our ADR times in October 2007 were- CRT (50 mins beyond our ADR time of 9:30 AM until we were seated), LTT (45 mins beyond our ADR time of 7 PM until seated), and Hollywood and Vine (45 mins beyond our ADR time of 4:45 PM until we were seated). HTH. I have small kids- they were pooped out and cranky by the time we were seated and made a less than pleasant experience for us and others I am sure- we tried to rush through our meal and get out as fast we could each time (except for CRT).

Thanks for the response. CRT & LTT I'm not really surprised. I went to LTT once (made res the morning of the day I went) and do recall there being a wait. I didn't really like it. No kids so character meals = not for me. But also the waitress I had was horrendous and sooo slow.

I'm not family with H&V. Is that a character meal also?

 

[Aliceacc]

I just find it very, very bizarre that some people seem to encounter these 2 hour waits and being turned away from every single TS place and yet others who are there at seemingly the same time never encounter these problems.

I'm not saying people are lying or exaggerating. I am just truly puzzled. The only restaurant I have EVER been turned away from was Le Cellier. I have never had a problem calling the same morning and picking a place.

Just a shot in the dark here:

I'm guessing they went in July and tried for a 6 pm dinner. If you didn't KNOW otherwise, that would be a logical time to plan dinner. And, since it's Disney, I'm guessing they had kids and were a party of more than 2, so it's harder to squeeze them in. Also, as a family with small kids, I'm guessing that they weren't in the market for "exotic"-- my middle child pretty much survives on Chicken Nuggets.

 

[crisi]

The trip we made without ADRs was in 2002 in Feburary and before President's Week - after 9/11 so things were supposed to be dismally slow and before the dining plan was such a good deal. We had four people - two of whom were toddlers and couldn't wait to eat - and grandma and grandpa for a few nights.

We were turned away from Teppanyaki and Sci Fi and 50s Prime Time, given a two hour wait for Whispering Canyon. The MGM was late lunches (like about two), and we showed up at opening at Teppanyaki and Whispering Canyon. We saw people turned away from San Angel Inn (one of the few reservations we did make since my parents joined us that day). Perhaps it was our bad luck. Perhaps we were trying the wrong restaurants. Now that same trip my husband and father walked into Artists Point, we walked into Marrakesh twice (good old Marrakesh is often good for a walk in). And made same day reservations for Whispering Canyon for about 40 minutes later than ideal, but with that in place we could plan.

There is also a big difference between calling morning of and walking up. We've had better luck switching reservations around a day or two in advance than we've had with walk ups.