Hard to get a table during free dining?

[WishIwasThere]

Quick question:
How hard is it to get a table without reservations during the free dining time?
We will be down at WDW in September and the darling wife doesn't want to have to worry about getting reservations well ahead of time. I'm a planner, where she is more of the free spirit type.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I've read stories that it can be next to impossible.

 

[Master Yoda]

Getting walk up dining during a free dining promotion ranks right up there with winning the lottery, while simultaneously being hit by lightning and being bitten by a shark. In other words if you are traveling during free dining ADR's are a necessity.

 

[Rob562]

You can almost always find SOMETHING with availability during Free Dining. You may have to travel a little bit (like having dinner at a nearby hotel Table Service restaurant rather than in the park).

But if you want to eat at specific places, especially if they're the more-popular places, it's essential to have reservations.

-Rob

 

[Mystic]

My suggestion would be to call the Dine Line (there's a button on your hotel phone) in the morning and see what's available at your chosen park for the day or the surrounding resorts.

 

[NewfieFan]

Getting walk up dining during a free dining promotion ranks right up there with winning the lottery, while simultaneously being hit by lightning and being bitten by a shark. In other words if you are traveling during free dining ADR's are a necessity.

I'm with Master Yoda!!!

If you don't want to plan that's fine... but realize you are setting yourself up for many frustrations and disappointments. Do you really want to wander around the parks and resorts waiting an hour or more to get a table when you're hungry? I saw so many people turned away in Sept. and they were so frustrated (and some were just plain angry). When you're hot and tired the last thing you want to do is wait for food! And you won't be benefiting that much from the free dining as you would probably have to trade in a lot of your TS credits for CS ones just so you can get a meal.

 

[juscet]

You may be able to get a table, but your choices and times would be extremely limited. If you are feeling that adventurous you could call ADR's from your resort and they can see if there is anything available, but like I said I hope you like a lot of different foods. Although the one time we actually did this they had one reservation available at Spoodles and we loved it.

 

[Fade_to_Blah]

You will need ADR's. Absolutely. So your gonna have to go ahead and make some. Dont forget, you can cancel ADR's if you decide to change things and not go that day to what you planned.....

 

[yankspy]

I would agree with the above statements. It can be very difficult. However, not all restaurants on property do the dining plan. The Swan and Dolphin have some nice restaurants and I believe there are some DTD restaurants that do not honor the dining plan. Those would probably be your best bet.

 

[sueuk]

Last time we were there a couple on Honeymoon had not made any ADRs, and the girl was crying in the resort lobby as they couldn't get in anywhere they wanted to be, luckily I was just swapping a booking and was able to 'give' them a table at Chef de France. I wouldn't go without making at least SOME bookings.

 

[nepalostparks]

ADRs during free dining are a must, especially for character dining and the more popular restaurants (Coral Reef, Le Cellier, etc.)

But keep in mind that with all the reservations being made, not all will be used. On our trip this past September with free dining, we decided to change one of our dinner reservations on the morning of. We were able to get a table for 2 at the Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom around 6:00 p.m. that evening. (If memory serves me, it was a Thursday)

So it IS possible to get a reservation the day of, but I wouldn't plan on being able to, and you'll certainly have to be willing to take whatever restaurant and whatever time they have available.

And if you make ADRs, then decide not to go, PLEASE call dining or stop by guest relations and cancel them, so another group might have a crack at them

 

[Rob562]

I would agree with the above statements. It can be very difficult. However, not all restaurants on property do the dining plan. The Swan and Dolphin have some nice restaurants and I believe there are some DTD restaurants that do not honor the dining plan. Those would probably be your best bet.

That's another good point. Both ESPN Club and Big River Grille on the Boardwalk are walk-in only, and both accept the Dining Plan. They're easy to get to from both Epcot and the Studios.

-Rob

 

[gettingsmaller]

Do ADRs, but if you want to TRY walking up, then you can still TRY...

Last Dec, we had free dining. We ate at O'hana and wanted to go back, but didn't have any more ADRs there. So, we called and called and called, every day... Finally, a very helpful agent suggested Kona. Well, we got to Kona and were kind of bummed, BUT the good news was that it was RIGHT NEXT to O'hana. So, I walked over to O'hana and was told that they WERE taking walk-ups. So, we ended up--happily--at O'hana.

SO, our walk-up did work out, but I think having banked on availability at O'hana would have been a mistake (and it was really late, so that probably helped us get in...).

 

[goodtimes5286]

ok im really slow and i must have missed this but how do you get free dining?

 

[gettingsmaller]

ok im really slow and i must have missed this but how do you get free dining?

Disney has offered it in the past to people who stay onsite and buy park tickets during certain slower times of year (Sept and December, primarily). All the normal restrictions apply (limited availability, etc.).

 

[Scooter]

My wife and I rarely do ADR's.
If you know the system well, and know which places are most popular/busy, you can still do walk ups if you don't mind eating at odd hours.
I've always said that I don't like ADR's because I don't know what I'll be hungry for or where I will be 6 months in advance.

We have done walk ups at every restaurant except Cinderellas Royal Table and got in.
But you have to be flexible.
Can you eat lunch at 11:00 AM or 2:00PM?
Can you eat dinner at 4:30 PM or 8:00PM?

If so, then walk up dining IS possible.
It's a gamble but for my wife and I it's half the fun.
If we can't do a walk up at Rose & Crown, we just stroll over and get Fish and Chips.. no biggie.
If we can't get a walk up at The Coral Reef, we stroll over to the Land and eat at The Sunshine Food Fair.
It's all good...and we eat when WE want to eat, not when some Disney Dinner Reservation Phone dork-wad tells us what date, what time, and where we have to eat.

 

[gettingsmaller]

My wife and I rarely do ADR's.
If you know the system well, and know which places are most popular/busy, you can still do walk ups if you don't mind eating at odd hours.
I've always said that I don't like ADR's because I don't know what I'll be hungry for or where I will be 6 months in advance.

We have done walk ups at every restaurant except Cinderellas Royal Table and got in.
But you have to be flexible.
Can you eat lunch at 11:00 AM or 2:00PM?
Can you eat dinner at 4:30 PM or 8:00PM?

If so, then walk up dining IS possible.
It's a gamble but for my wife and I it's half the fun.
If we can't do a walk up at Rose & Crown, we just stroll over and get Fish and Chips.. no biggie.
If we can't get a walk up at The Coral Reef, we stroll over to the Land and eat at The Sunshine Food Fair.
It's all good...and we eat when WE want to eat, not when some Disney Dinner Reservation Phone dork-wad tells us what date, what time, and where we have to eat.

That's fine--as long as you aren't on the dining plan. If you're on the dining plan, then you've got this "pressure" to get your table service meals.

 

[Rob562]

Disney has offered it in the past to people who stay onsite and buy park tickets during certain slower times of year (Sept and December, primarily). All the normal restrictions apply (limited availability, etc.).

They also send out special-offer emails to random people on their mailing list for Free Dining other times of the year. I got one, and we're going on Free Dining in June.

-Rob

 

[WishIwasThere]

They also send out special-offer emails to random people on their mailing list for Free Dining other times of the year. I got one, and we're going on Free Dining in June.

-Rob

Free dining plus 7/4...man that would be AWESOME.

Thanks for all the help on this. We are staying at Shades of Green so we are not elegible for the free dining. But staying at a deluxe resort for about the same cost as a value certainly makes up for this. I'm sure I'll be able to convince my DW to agree to some reservations sometimes during the trip. Especially after I show her some of these posts.

 

[bgraham34]

Sept was really hard for me the last few years. We have to take odd times and not all restaurants have we been able to get into. Plus we dont use the dining option.