Last Minute Reservations/Suggestions

[Brianna E.]

Hi everyone!

My boyfriend surprised me with a last minute trip to Disney World ! We are going from 2/12-2/18. Originally we had the dining plan booked and paid for and than changed our minds due to not being able to get any reservations. Even though we don't have the dining plan, we still want to do a lot of sit downs because one of our top things we love to do is eat lmao and we are not afraid to admit it

So my question is obviously I cannot get into any of my favorites from our last trip (Ohana - for dinner, Be our guest, Boathouse, Le Cellier, Beaches and Cream and so on...) Basically all the crazy talked about places which is why I cannot get them. What are some sit downs that you recommend that are not given enough recognition that may have openings still? I want to try new things!

So far my reservations are as planned (I haven't been to any of these places, so any input would be great)
Yachtsman Steakhouse - Is it worth the money? I have been hearing mixed reviews.
Jiko - I heard it is amazing
California Grill - Mixed Reviews Again

*Any input would be awesome!

 

[21stamps]

Do not give up on Ohana etc.. keep checking the app at random times during the day.. and just before you go to sleep.

 

[Brianna E.]

Do not give up on Ohana etc.. keep checking the app at random times during the day.. and just before you go to sleep.

I know Honestly it was my favorite restaurant my boyfriend and I could not stop talking about it after !!

I have never tried it but do you think I can walk in and try and get a table that way or do they only take reservations?

 

[larryz]

*Any input would be awesome!

Whispering Canyon Cafe. Good food, great fun dining experience.
Tokyo Dining, if you like Japanese food.
Biergarten, if you like German food.
Marrakesh, if you like Moroccan food.
Brown Derby. Haven't had a bad meal there yet.
Liberty Tree Tavern, for a family-style dinner.
50's Prime Time, with good meatloaf, roast beef, chicken and pork shanks.

 

[Brianna E.]

Whispering Canyon Cafe. Good food, great fun dining experience.
Tokyo Dining, if you like Japanese food.
Biergarten, if you like German food.
Marrakesh, if you like Moroccan food.
Brown Derby. Haven't had a bad meal there yet.
Liberty Tree Tavern, for a family-style dinner.
50's Prime Time, with good meatloaf, roast beef, chicken and pork shanks.

I do like Japanese food so I may want to try there and I have been hearing so much about Biergarten but I honestly have not had any type of German Food, I guess you just have to jump in to things like that to see if you really like it. Thank you!!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Yachtsman... We were not happy with our dining experience there and tried it out on 2 separate trips. The cut of steak and overall quality of our meal wasnt worth the price either time.
Calif Grill... Every time weve eaten there and have had various menu items, its been good meals with excellent service.
Jiko... Havent been yet but they regularly receive positive reviews.

Regarding reservations being booked up... its tougher having a last minute trip that leaves you making ADR's long after others got online at 180 days. Those choice reservations get booked quickly. But you can still get tables if you keep checking and rechecking the site and eventually some tables may pop up. People cancel reservations or change their minds on ADR's as they get closer to their dates. Weve gotten much wanted ADR's by checking in as late as 2 days before our trip. Dont give up.... Persistence pays off.

 

[DisAl]

I know Honestly it was my favorite restaurant my boyfriend and I could not stop talking about it after !!

I have never tried it but do you think I can walk in and try and get a table that way or do they only take reservations?

You can occasionally luck up and get a table when a reservation has been cancelled at the last minute or if they have a no-show. If you don't ask the answers is ALWAYS no, so keep trying. Make sure you have the direct number for the restaurant so you can check every couple of hours no matter where you are in the park. We have been able to get walk up at both Be Our Guest and Corral Reef as long as we didn't mind waiting thirty minutes or so.

 

[larryz]

I do like Japanese food so I may want to try there and I have been hearing so much about Biergarten but I honestly have not had any type of German Food, I guess you just have to jump in to things like that to see if you really like it. Thank you!!

Y/W. Teppan Edo is the hibachi-style, while Tokyo Dining is more like a sushi/tempura place. They have a good lunch special, too.

 

[nickys]

Try the Touring Plans reservation finder to try and get any that you really want. You can run 2 at a time.

You just need to register, which is free.

 

[ELeigh]

I know Honestly it was my favorite restaurant my boyfriend and I could not stop talking about it after !!

I have never tried it but do you think I can walk in and try and get a table that way or do they only take reservations?

Keep trying for sure! When I planned a trip late I would just sit and refresh the ADRs I wanted for like 20 min a day for each day of our trip (while watching tv-multitasking lol) and eventually ended up with all of them. If you can’t get ‘Ohana I have heard Kona is also very good (haven’t tried it yet myself)

 

[wwmmd]

We have reservations at The Edison and Raglan Road on our next trip in a couple months. They both sound like interesting places and I can't wait to try them out! They both had plenty of open reservations when I booked them this week. Right now you can only make reservations at The Edison through Open Table, which was really easy and didn't require a credit card to hold it.

 

[correcaminos]

Spice Road Table and Marrakesh in Morocco are usually easy
At MK try Skipper's Canteen

Also check the resorts and Open Table as thing will show up there.

If you liked Beaches & Cream there is really excellent ice cream (sorry but I do think it was better) at Ample Hills and the Fountain at the Dolphin is really good.

I would say California Grill has a better chance of being really good of Yachtsman which is hit or miss. Also check out The Wave or Grand Floridian Cafe. They're pretty good.

 

[crxbrett]

California Grill and Jiko are both my absolute favorite dining locations at DW. You will NOT be disappointed. Jiko is incredible. CA Grill has a stellar view as well as great service and a menu that is quite good.

You definitely can try walking up and asking. It never hurst to try. And many people cancel within a few days of their reservation, so keep looking!


Another table service spot that is good is Skipper Canteen. I know it receives mixed reviews, but my GF and I loved it. And we walked right up without an ADR at Noon on a Saturday and had no trouble being seated immediately. Check out the menu and see if it looks appealing to you.

 

[crxbrett]

We have reservations at The Edison and Raglan Road on our next trip in a couple months. They both sound like interesting places and I can't wait to try them out! They both had plenty of open reservations when I booked them this week. Right now you can only make reservations at The Edison through Open Table, which was really easy and didn't require a credit card to hold it.

I personally love Raglan Road. The dancing and live entertainment is great. And the food is good, too! I like getting the steak for dinner and the bread pudding for dessert. The bread pudding was delish!

 

[imahistorygeek]

We eat at Jiko almost every trip. It's amazing every single time. I would definitely try it!

 

[danyoung56]

The California Grill is my favorite restaurant on the planet. Great food, great service, and an incredible view of the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon. If you can't get a rez, it's easy to sit at the bar with no rez at all. They serve the full menu there, so it's easy to have an excellent meal with no advance planning. Just don't go up too close to fireworks time, as the bar fills up. If they're doing fireworks at 10pm, go up around 8pm.

Also, for whatever reason the Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot's Mexico pavilion doesn't book up solid, and I've never had a bad meal there. Great views of the World Showcase Lagoon.

And if no one else mentioned this, try the Reservation Finder at touringplans.com. Several times they've found a great rez for me within days of a visit.

 

[jaimystery]

We stayed the 2nd week of November and I got 'Ohana dinner reservations the week before we left. Also got Be Our Guest breakfast the night before we ate there and snagged lunch at Kona as we walked out of BOG (the day we left). We also stopped for lunch at Gasparillas, changed our minds and got reservations at the GF Cafe after we were told they were fully booked and it would be a 45 minute wait.

(I was incredibly nervous about having a table service dining plan because I was having trouble getting reservations so I was glad it worked out well)

 

[jaklgreen]

I rarely make reservations even when we go during busier times. Most of the restaurants leave space open for walk ups. If you are OK with eating earlier when they first start serving dinner, you will be able to get into most(probably not Ohana). But with the cancellations policy now I would check the day before to see if anyone cancels. Boma is one of my favorite places if you are OK with buffets. Don't forget about the Disney Springs restaurants. Morimotos is good.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

Just us - Il Mulino (Swan), best Italian on property. Shula's (Dolphin), best Steak and Lobster on property....

BOTH may be booked via Open Table as well as WDW. Both REAL Sigs, neither takes DDP (they do take TIW).

 

[LeighM]

I've lucked out getting an 'Ohana dinner reservation last minute. Since people have to cancel by midnight without penalty, I stalked their app between the hours of 11pm-12:30am and got one A couple of years ago, I was in line there for early dinner when they opened at 3 or 3:30 and a group walked up trying to get a last minute reservation thinking earlier the better. They were told that the restaurant had no availability but they were welcome to wait at Tambu Lounge in case there were cancellations or no-shows, which was not guaranteed and could be a long wait. If you can't get 'Ohana, you can always eat dinner at Kona Cafe and go by Tambu for the bread pudding

My new favorite is Homecomin. We also ate at Raglan Road last year and really enjoyed it. We had a 5pm reservation, although they still had plenty of empty tables for walk ups, and we were seated in the main room right in front of the stage. We highly enjoyed it although the fish and chips weren't worth the price. But my freshly made chicken pot pie was fantastic!