Not sure we will book any Restaurants and why !

[Simba’s Mom]

I just got back from a trip where I didn't make any ADRs in advance. I decided to not make any ADRs until I was on the ground in Orlando-and it was during free dining, when ADRs are typically harder to get. I had a little trouble with my vow when I was in transit and happened to check the DME app while waiting for my plane in Houston, and there was an ADR available at Narcoose's for dinner at a good time that same evening. Fortunately, it was still available when I landed in Orlando, so I made my first ADR on Magical Express. Otherwise, there was usually something, and my biggest problem was that I found myself snacking and eating sweets too often (so many great sweets at WDW) so I was rarely hungry for a good meal. But that's just me-I have a sweet tooth. Ghiardelli Sundae for breakfast? No Way Jose sundae for lunch? Ample Hills Creamery for dinner? Maybe not the best choice for me.

 

[Phonedave]

It has become better, after it first became worse.

When I first started going, I never made any reservations.

Then it was reservations only for certain specific things - California Grill during fireworks for example.

Along came Free Dining and the DDP. For a while there it was next to impossible to get into a TS place without reservations. Remember when they used to place a sandwich board in guest services that used the list the restaurants and next to every one it said "no availability". There was also double (or triple) booking of ADRs that CM's would adhere to (the infamous empty restaurant with no availability).

Now, things has seemed to calm down. Double booking has been eliminated. DDP seems to be toned a bit down, and the app is much better and allows you to easily see what is open.

We still book an ADR or two because sometimes we do know what we are doing on a given day, and we know we want prime time seating. Other than that, it is nice to be able to once again not have to plan every single meal.

 

[AMYROSE]

We've always booked a few ADRs (fewer and fewer as the years go by), but I can understand why people would rather be spontaneous!

I've always thought the onsite CS restaurants were good options (some of them I'd even call "great" options), the app makes it easy to see if any TS reservations are available on the spur of the moment, and if you have a Landry's Select Club card, you can always walk up to Yak & Yeti, Rainforest Cafe and T-REX anytime you want and get priority seating even without a reservation. While many people will breathlessly tell you that this restaurant or that one is a "must do," it's really not. I never stepped foot into any WDW restaurant (CS or TS) until I was a full-grown adult: all of our family trips when I was a kid had a shoestring budget, and we brought and ate our own food at the campground, yet I never felt our vacations suffered one iota by not having restaurant reservations! In fact, my own family's vacation planning, I've never regretted not making a reservation somewhere, but I've regretted having my schedule dictated by dining reservations on several occasions.

*Note: I see you mentioned "December." If you're planning a visit near Christmas, there will be lots of competition for dining venues of every kind. If you don't care to make TS reservations, be prepared to eat CS instead, and make use of mobile ordering (where available - your My Disney Experience app will have all the information and a link to order) to minimize your waits!

Thank you, Aucoin's

 

[WDWTrojan]

Disney Springs has also made it much easier. Your average Ma and Pa Kettle don't realize Disney doesn't run most of those restaurants and they can bee found on OpenTable with much better availability than MDE.

 

[OneofThree]

Some people have reported recently that restaurants in the parks would not seat them without an ADR. So if you do do a walk up, you may find you will need to go on the app and book a table there and then before being seated, even if there is space.

Definitely not my experience, and certainly not in keeping with the successful business model WDW embodies. We seldom make advanced ADR's, but are almost always able to eat anywhere we want. These places seem to have more capacity than they open up for reservations. Additionally, many, many, ADR's open up as people cancel. There are always exceptions, such as BOG, CRT, and Hoop Dee Doo for example, which I think really do require a reserved spot.

Whether room reservations, ADR's, of FP's, Disney seems to have created and fueled demand by implementing systems that encourage consumers to scramble for goods/services.

 

[Raineman]

We always plan and book our ADRs, mostly because we know where we want to eat, and we want to ensure that we can eat there the day we are at that particular park.

 

[JillC LI]

We wouldn't dream of not booking our sit-down meals and risking not getting to eat at our desired choices. We have no problem being tied to a particular ADR and look forward to them with excitement.

 

[Goofyque']

We are in the ADR camp. I always book ahead, for us, much less stress than worrying about getting in to a favorite restaurant. We find them easy to change, but have rarely felt the need. Works for us, but everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with.

 

[Hockey89]

We are in the ADR camp. Always book dinners and lunches. Would never not make them.

 

[koalacat]

No, never. We always make ADRs. It's too frustrating for me to go from place to place hoping they have a spot open for four people.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

We used to do ADR's daily religiously. THEN we found we were just plain tired of trying to make our plans fit with reality, or were just plain tired, LOL. I found that I cancelled most of our adr's, and life was much less of a hassle for us.
That was when we had the FDP. We felt like we had to use it and ate too much with the hassle of going to Epcot again for a great meal after a tiring day of MK or AK.
So, one trip, I talked my husband into no DP. Now I book only our arrival day and departing night before. I might book one more if it's what we really want. Otherwise, there are a lot of great QS offerings at WDW and DS and the resorts themselves. That's what works for us.
With just the 2 of us adults, we find we like to be more spontaneous and go to whatever park, resort we want when we want, and eat when and if we want. We have been known to grab junk food and go to the room and chill out watching TV for a while. Afterall it's vacation.