Winging ADRs?

[cocowoushi]

My DBF and I will be at Disney the 8th-12th and I'm starting to get an idea of where we're going to eat. The problem is that we don't really have any specific times. The 4 TS were I feel we'd need ressies is Teppen Edo, Planet Hollywood, Liberty Tree Tavern, and SciFi Diner.

Would it be worth it at all to call in ADRs the day of or just try walking in? Last year we made no ADRs and could pretty much be seated after a wait. Would calling in plans the morning of help at all?

 

[Rebelmom67]

I'm guessing the 8th - 12th is Sept? If so, that is free dining and you are going to have a hard time walking up to any TS restaurant. I think your best bet(besides calling for an ADR) is to walk up at 4:00 for an early dinner, that time seems to be the least popular time. Good luck.

 

[AnnetteF]

We just got back yesterday. We had a few ADR's and the rest of the time ate counter service or ate at Beaches & Cream (we stayed at the BCV) twice. Wednesday morning I decided to call dining for that evening since it was our last night. I asked for anything anywhere in the MK or at a monorail resort. There was nothing at all in MK and at the monorail resorts all we could get was The Wave at 9:05 PM or Citricos at 5:45. We wound up eating CS at Casey's . It's ok though. We had a great last day in the Magic Kingdom, did everything we hoped to and then some and left feeling content. We're tired of our everything else on our vacation being driven by where we are eating.

 

[cocowoushi]

I'm guessing the 8th - 12th is Sept? If so, that is free dining and you are going to have a hard time walking up to any TS restaurant. I think your best bet(besides calling for an ADR) is to walk up at 4:00 for an early dinner, that time seems to be the least popular time. Good luck.

Yes, of September. Last year we also went during free dining, though, and as I said, as long as we didn't mind waiting a little bit we still got seated. Eatting early might be a good idea, and we could use our snack credit to hold us over for the night.

 

[william4192]

Get ADR's.

 

[RMulieri]

My DBF and I will be at Disney the 8th-12th and I'm starting to get an idea of where we're going to eat. The problem is that we don't really have any specific times. The 4 TS were I feel we'd need ressies is Teppen Edo, Planet Hollywood, Liberty Tree Tavern, and SciFi Diner.

Would it be worth it at all to call in ADRs the day of or just try walking in? Last year we made no ADRs and could pretty much be seated after a wait. Would calling in plans the morning of help at all?

The problem is that even with a small party size and offtimes you may be out of luck.Disney holds back no tables for walk ups.If you happen to score a table asa walk up, it is because someone pulled a no show or cancelled.Not because they held that table.The more popular places won't even let you wait for a table, and some of them had signs out last year( and this year)that they were not taking walkups.If you are set on having a TS for the day, try and call and make an adr.You can not rely on trying to get a walk-up anywhere.

 

[fla4fun]

We're tired of our everything else on our vacation being driven by where we are eating.

AMEN!

When the whole rush for ADR's started happening a couple years ago, I went along for the ride and made a whole trip worth of ADR's. By halfway through my trip, I cancelled every one I had left. I spent more time thinking about, traveling to, and waiting for ADR's than anything else. It felt like such a waste of time and more like work than fun. When I'm on vacation, I don't really want to think about much of anything, and I don't want to be tied to a schedule. I don't even want to know what park I'm going to the next day - because my mind might change by morning.

I am going during free dining (not on dining plan) and I don't have any ADR's. I'm in VWL, so I can prepare some meals in the room. I don't mind eating counter service. If I'm passing a restaurant and I can get in, fine, if I can't, it's not the end of the world. For my trip in January, I have three ADR's out of 12 days, for my three favorite Epcot restaurants. That's about as much planning as I want to do when it comes to eating.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Get ADR's.

I agree. I only had Chef Mickey's booked until yesterday. The CM asked if I had all my ADRs made I said no only one. That looking at menus we were still deciding. She said "oh no that won't do" (lol think she's been watching Enchanted lately). I told her I wasn't worried about making the ADRs beause worst came to worst we'd eat at ESPN or Planet Hollywood. She said so is everyone else that didn't make ADRs. So I started naming restaurants we were thinking about. 1900 Park Fair for Dinner (booked 9/3 - 9/8), WCC we got 8:30 for 9/7, HDDR (wasn't sure if we wanted to go again but DD15 loves it) Only 9/3 had Cat. 1 seating at 9:30. I had used 4 TS and saving last one for Beaches and Cream.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I always err on the side of making ADR's. If you find yourself winging it and going someplace else, you can call and cancel your ressies, but if you can't get in anywhere, its nice to have.