Getting seated without an ADR

[NearTheEars]

We stopped by EPCOT yesterday to meet some family in town this week on vacation. We walked to the Mexico pavilion for the ride, and it was dinner time, and on a whim, they said "let's eat here."

I chuckled (with an I am an AP and know everything tone) and said, "on a holiday weekend without and ADR ... HA! no way."

Then about 5 minutes later our party of 6 was promptly seated.

I ended up looking a little dumb

Does this happen often? I mean, EPCOT was pretty packed. And it was around 5:30 p.m.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Does this happen often? I mean, EPCOT was pretty packed. And it was around 5:30 p.m.

Not often - although you have more chance if you decide to eat at the less popular times as you did (an hour later and you'd probably be laughed out of the restaurant)

 

[alissafalco]

Things happen, people cancel. You might just happen to be the lucky ones at that moment when you walk up that a table opens up. I would never assume you couldn't get a table.

 

[Matt_Black]

It never hurts to ask. The only stupid question is the one that remains unspoken.

 

[righttrack]

There are some restaurants that have good capacity, like Biergarten, which is good for a no-ADR dinner.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Oh well... Sometimes you roll the dice and it comes up 7s.....

You were fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time to get in. Lucky you. I've done the same thing and hit it just right and other times been on the losing side. You never know... you had the Disney magic with you that time.

 

[NearTheEars]

This is good to know. Just from reading here, many folks have made it seem impossible. But now, if on a whim we might want to catch dinner inside the park I'll give it a shot.

 

[Matt_Black]

Bear in mind- many folks reserve multiple spots at the same time because they don't what they'll really be in the mood for when they get there ( ) and then cancel as the ADR gets closer. Now, with the new policy, if you cancel or no-show with less than 24 hour notice, you'll get charged, but I'm sure the practice has only abated and not ceased entirely. What that means for you is that even for restaurants that book almost immediately, there's still that chance you can benefit from someone else's inconsiderate behavior.

 

[Master Yoda]

This is good to know. Just from reading here, many folks have made it seem impossible. But now, if on a whim we might want to catch dinner inside the park I'll give it a shot.

It is not impossible, you just can't rely on it.

Since we are semi-locals it is not uncommon for us to get a wild hair and make the drive down for a day trip. We typically set up dining on the drive down via the MM+ app and can often find openings, but we rarely have our choice of restaurants. We are just picking over the scraps and taking what is left.

The park you are at has a good deal to do with as well. Epcot is fairly easy to get last minute dining as since there are so many TS restaurants to chose from. MK, DHS and AK are much different stories in this regard.

 

[WhatJaneSays]

Getting TS without an ADR can be hit or miss but I've often had a lot of luck with it. My friends came over for a last minute day trip when Maelstrom closed. We asked at a few restaurants on our way around the showcase if there were any openings for lunch and there were openings available at Rose & Crown, Teppan Edo, and Tokyo Dining.

Lunch seems easier to snag a table. I have the best luck asking 20-30 minutes before a restaurant starts serving for lunch.

Dinner is far harder because people are more commited to those ADRs. You can luck out if you’re willing to eat dinner early, at say, 4 pm.

 

[LAKid53]

Bear in mind- many folks reserve multiple spots at the same time because they don't what they'll really be in the mood for when they get there ( ) and then cancel as the ADR gets closer. Now, with the new policy, if you cancel or no-show with less than 24 hour notice, you'll get charged, but I'm sure the practice has only abated and not ceased entirely. What that means for you is that even for restaurants that book almost immediately, there's still that chance you can benefit from someone else's inconsiderate behavior.

The system no longer lets you book more than one reservation within a specified time frame. I think the OP just got lucky during a holiday weekend - right restaurant, right time of day. We tried a walk up for a late lunch at Via Napoli on Saturday with no luck. And forget about Be Our Guest....

 

[Victor Kelly]

You got pretty lucky.