Reservations necessary??

[Stitchaholic84]

Since we don't know what we will feel like eating months in advance, I was just looking to ask if reservations are always necessary for the table service restaurants in any of the 4 parks?

I know they will be recommended more for the character dining but we don't plan to do this, it will be more for the different pavillions in Epcot.

 

[WDWmazprty]

ADR's are always recommended if you want to be certain you get a table. Of course, you may get lucky as a walk-in, but its very rare. I say look at the restaurants and menus and just decide the best you can now and make your ressies.

There's nothing worse than trying to find a place to eat at the last minute when you're hungry. :wave:

 

[mickeysshoes]

It really depend on the time of year you go and if Free Dining was offered for that time period. You will be much better off with ADR's for any time you go..at least a couple. I would hate to waste time waiting to see if they can fit you in when you could be enjoying your day or evening touring the parks. We make our 180 out for the most part we never mind whats on the menu for the day. But we have been I dont really want this so i make a call to see if we can get in somewhere else and if we are lucky we get in if not we have a fall back.

 

[wdwfan100]

We usually just make ADR's for our must do restaurants. We have been lucky for the most part when we have gone the walk in route. There is only 2 of us and we typically sit at the bar and have a drink or 3 while we wait. That is not to say we never have had an issue finding a place to eat. We have been told that there will not be any tables available, but we have never gone hungry. Sometimes that means eating at a counter service. No biggie. We make do.

 

[Dinardo]

It definitely depends on the month you are going.

My family went in September last year which is usually low in crowd level. We had ADRs for each day of the week just to make sure that we at least had a table somewhere. There were a few times where we dashed into the Guest Services in the resort and one time in Epcot where we changed our reservations for that same day.

I don't recommend you do this if going in the middle of the summer months. Heck, I don't recommend you do it at all - but it can be done as long as you go at the right time of the year.

That being said, that also depends on if you are picky about where you eat. Some restaurants are more popular than others.

Make an ADR for somewhere, and then see about changing it later.

 

[Master Yoda]

If you want to do ANY table service dining in WDW ADR's are just a tick shy of an absolute necessity. Walk up dining in WDW is becoming increasingly rare. The sign below is a very common sight and if you are on the dining plan you risk leaving WDW with several unused table service credits. Even if you do not make reservations in advance you will want to still make them on th day of or day before.

 

[fyn]

I'm slowly succumbing to the idea that ADRs are simply a necessary evil at WDW. That's not to say they're evil in themselves, they just don't jibe with how I'm used to touring the parks. We almost never plan ahead (and haven't over the course of 40+ trips) and would always decide where to eat that day. In the past few years, this has just lead to frustration, mainly due to our own unwillingness to change with the times. If you're really resistant to the idea of making ADRs months or weeks in advance, try calling WDW-DINE once you decide what park you'll be in that day, and see what ADRs are available. I think you have to do this 2-3 hours before the time you're looking for.

In other words, just make ADRs as far out as you're comfortable. If your plans change, cancel them and try making new ones, but it's likely the majority of your plans just won't change.

 

[ShadyLady]

Yes, you need to go ahead and plan your days, even 8 months in advance. tourguidemike.com has been an invaluable resource for me in planning our last 3 trips, and ADR's. If you want to eat at a desirable restaurant, at a desirable time, you have to plan your days months ahead.

 

[Lynne M]

If you're very flexible about where you eat, and you don't mind doing counter service if you can't get in at a table service place, then no, you don't need to make reservations.

I'd still recommend that you make some ADRs if you want to eat TS, even if it's same-day. The thing is, restaurants don't hold tables for walk-ups. When they're fully booked, they just start turning guests away. So without an ADR, you're likely to be wandering the park, looking for a restaurant that can seat you. I'd much rather know that I'm going to get a table.

Remember, there are nowhere near enough seats in table service restaurants in any given park to feed all of the guests there. The advent of the dining plan also means that more people are making ADRs. The result is packed restaurants, often booked up months in advance. And I'm not just talking character meals.....this is ANY table service.

If you're willing to leave the park, you may have better luck at resort restaurants, and there are many, many excellent restaurants in the Disney resorts. If you're in a park and want to try dining at a resort spur-of-the-moment, I'd definitely call 407-WDW-DINE before you leave the park to make sure you can get a table.

 

[Stitchaholic84]

I don't recommend you do this if going in the middle of the summer months. Heck, I don't recommend you do it at all - but it can be done as long as you go at the right time of the year.

That being said, that also depends on if you are picky about where you eat. Some restaurants are more popular than others.

Make an ADR for somewhere, and then see about changing it later.

We are going end of May, beginning of June so we may have left it too late for some places.

And I'd say i'm picky - a vegetarian that doesn't like most vegetarian food that's offered!!

Also, as we are travelling from the UK, I wouldn't know how to go about changing or making reservations over there - we tend to leave our mobile phones at the hotel as they are added bulk and too expensive to use abroad.

 

[Master Yoda]

We are going end of May, beginning of June so we may have left it too late for some places.

And I'd say i'm picky - a vegetarian that doesn't like most vegetarian food that's offered!!

Also, as we are travelling from the UK, I wouldn't know how to go about changing or making reservations over there - we tend to leave our mobile phones at the hotel as they are added bulk and too expensive to use abroad.

I would make whatever reservations you can ASAP. Disney is very good about meeting what ever dietary needs you have but if you leave it to chance you will be eating quick service where vegetarian options are incredibly limited. You can make or cancel ADR's property wide at any guest services location in or outside of the parks or over the phone in your Disney resort.

 

[MichWolv]

We are going end of May, beginning of June so we may have left it too late for some places.

And I'd say i'm picky - a vegetarian that doesn't like most vegetarian food that's offered!!

Also, as we are travelling from the UK, I wouldn't know how to go about changing or making reservations over there - we tend to leave our mobile phones at the hotel as they are added bulk and too expensive to use abroad.

You can make ressies online and change them online as well. Go to www.disneyworld.com to get started. Or, of course, you can call. Changing reservations (or making them if you haven't yet) while at WDW involves simply going to any guest services location (park, downtown disney, or any WDW hotel) or picking up a resort phone. Or, of course, you can still do it online or using your mobile.

Late May, early June isn't an extremely busy time, so you should have some choice left on ADRs, but, as others have said, make them ASAP. Better to have something and decide not to use it then have no ADR at all.

That being said, I have, however, been successful at getting reservations in parks day-of, even during busy times, by being flexible. Have table-service at lunch instead of dinner, or be willing to eat dinner at 4:30 or 9 pm. Or be willing to take whatever restaurant in the park has availability. Over the December holidays, some combinationof Nine Dragons, La Hacienda de San Angel, Biergarten, and Restaurant Marrakesh, generally had same day ADRs available at Epcot. Tusker House did at DAK. And Mama Melrose's did at DHS. MK was much harder, although we did snag a same-day ADR at Crystal Palace, which was extremely lucky.

If you expand your table-service locations to the entire resort (hotels and DtD), it is much easier to find ADRs, although, of course, the better and more popular places do get booked early. Some places that we were able to get ADRs with little advance notice, even during the Holidays, included Kona Cafe, Trail's End Buffeteria, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Cape May Cafe (although that was a shock), Captain Jack's, Sanaa, Wolfgang Puck, the Wave, Maya Grill, Rainforest Cafe, and Fulton's.

 

[Cendure]

We are going end of May, beginning of June so we may have left it too late for some places.

And I'd say i'm picky - a vegetarian that doesn't like most vegetarian food that's offered!!

Also, as we are travelling from the UK, I wouldn't know how to go about changing or making reservations over there - we tend to leave our mobile phones at the hotel as they are added bulk and too expensive to use abroad.

You don't even have to go to Guest Relations in the parks to make Reservations. Pay phones are usually located next to washrooms. They have a button on them that will link you directly to Disney Dining for free. Just make sure you have pen and paper handy to write down a reservation number. We did this in Epcot one year when we had to change some reservations. Also if you call, have a list of restaurants you might want to eat in. If you don't get choice A, you can then try B or even C and be very flexible with times.

 

[Stitchaholic84]

You don't even have to go to Guest Relations in the parks to make Reservations. Pay phones are usually located next to washrooms. They have a button on them that will link you directly to Disney Dining for free.

Thanks, that's really handy to know!
Thanks for all the advice guys

What about dress code in these places? I mean, is it acceptable to go to dinner in one of the sit down places wearing the shorts & tshirts we've worn all day, or do they expect you to dress a bit smarter?

 

[Master Yoda]

Thanks, that's really handy to know!
Thanks for all the advice guys

What about dress code in these places? I mean, is it acceptable to go to dinner in one of the sit down places wearing the shorts & tshirts we've worn all day, or do they expect you to dress a bit smarter?

For the most part you will be fine in park wear. For signature restaurants you might want to adhere to the business casual dress code.