My experience has been if you can't find anything on the app, call. I've had luck calling when the app had no openings.
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News Reservations only Restaurants @EPCOT
- Thread starter Dr_dealio
- Start date
Jimmy Thick
Well-Known Member
Not to change the ongoing discussion but what’s wrong with China and Germany? We ate there our last trip in December and both were outstanding and both were turning away walk ups or was it just the time of our trip possibly?
My word. Where’ve you been hiding?
Nothing is wrong with them. On the contrary we really enjoy them both. Just never had problems with walk ups there.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
luv house of the mouse
Active Member
Walked up to Via Naploi yesterday at 4:30 and was seated and the park was quite busy.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
Lol that's his usual rant against on site restaurants.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
Op, sorry you had a frustrating experience, what time did you try to walk up?? We had an early dinner, really late lunch and walked up to Via Napoli last August. I wouldn't expect any luck during prime grazing hours.
I have been told many times in outside restaurants that they were not accepting walk ups. Usually they will ask if you have reservations, if I say no they politely say " we're sorry we are fully booked this evening"
I have been told many times in outside restaurants that they were not accepting walk ups. Usually they will ask if you have reservations, if I say no they politely say " we're sorry we are fully booked this evening"
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eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
And there are some good restaurants on site. Op said that they often go to wdw specifically to grab a meal so they are evidently aware of their options.
That's silly
Disney isn't "starving" anyone. Talk about exaggeration, lol, a grown adult can figure out how to vacation at Disney all of a sudden can't figure out how to get food? 
I'm happy you like to eat off site, I like eating on site.
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The food in Germany gets good marks, mostly. However, for some people they don't like that it's not table service, you may be seated with strangers, they don't care for songs in German.
China, OTOH, generally does get poor marks. It's not that it's bad, just not at the level of other TSRs. I've been there once, and while it was fine, IMO, there's nothing there to make me want to go back. Now, if it was more of a traditional Chinese restaurant and not an Americanized version, that would draw me back.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I see that sarcasm isn't your forte'. That's fine and if you like to pay $20 for a $10 meal who am I to criticize? I do not, so I don't do it. My choice is offsite, as being onsite is your's. See what I did there... I deliberately under priced the cost for a meal at Disney to cancel out my shameful original exaggeration. We are all free to do whatever we want, but please don't deny that for those that were so "ignorant" to not realize the tight ship that Disney runs, it can be terribly frustrating to find out that you have to spend extra time finding a place where you can eat without an ADR, especially if you have hungry, tired kids in tow.And there are some good restaurants on site. Op said that they often go to wdw specifically to grab a meal so they are evidently aware of their options.
That's silly
I'm happy you like to eat off site, I like eating on site.
unmitigated disaster
Well-Known Member
I could be wrong, but I am fairly sure WDW has quick service restaurants.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
My bad.
What thread are we talking about?? The OP said they are frequent visitors AND often go solely for the restaurants. So they are aware of how Disney works. He/She said they have been going for "years" (their words) They also said that it was only TWO of them so again hyperbole. There are NO hungry kids in tow.
And yes, I do measure worth by more than dollar and cents. I will pay 4 bucks for a gallon of milk at the Wawa to avoid the hassle of going to the market. Usually it's a time thing. So often by the time you add up total cost the 10 meal gets closer to the 20 buck onsite one, lol but that's a whole 'nother topic
But I totally admit, I often don't get alot of the subtitles of online sarcasm.
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I wasn't defending the OP's. I should have made that clear, sorry. I was talking about how much of a problem that can be for people that don't really know the extent of the dining problem. There are many. Should they have done research, I guess, but that is debatable and predicated on what generally people think they were getting into by going to what would seem, on the surface, like just a brand name amusement park. We all have access, but we don't all have an understanding of the need.
If they stayed onsite, for what they paid, I would be expecting things to be easy. After all I am the high paying customer (sorry, guest). So I would guess that they will be expected to be treated in the manor that much money spent should be garnishing.
If you travel with kids and you care about their diet, you don't just go to quick service places for three meals per day. So offsite folks would probably just leave angry because Disney wasn't able to accommodate them, jump in their car and after this trip never come back again. No one is more aware that this attitude by Disney has not hurt them yet, maybe it never will, but nothing travels faster then bad news and many may hear about problems and instead of doing what I did after my first trip which was that I was personally responsible for at least a dozen people arriving to the Disney gates, will discourage many from even trying.
To make it clearer, it isn't just the problem with Dining after they have spent huge amounts of money to make sure that "guests" are sequestered onsite, yet present problems for them to make it difficult to take care of one of humans basic needs. It also is coupled with the rest of the hoops that one must jump through to make their stay as smooth as possible. It has become more work to go on a Disney Vacation then it is just staying at work.
Not apples to apples, but a few years back I went on a month long trip to Europe. Yes, it took a lot of planning to be sure we had to have a place to stay, had our transportation and destinations planned, however, not one thought was given to food. We knew, even though we don't live there, that there would be places to have a good meal and we were correct and it never crossed our minds that it wouldn't be that way. Yet, it isn't anywhere near that simple a thing at a theme park designed for families.
Because of that instead of being a dedicated fanboy like I started, I no longer have a WDW destination. I have a Florida destination and spend a day or two exploring the parks. I don't spend whole days in one park, usually two days and I pay the extra for park hoppers and actually hit all four parks, at least for a little while, and then explore the rest of central, western, eastern and southern Florida. It is a fascinating place and it is real and not plastic. I enjoy WDW and for me it is jammed with memories of the past that is comforting, but, it no longer makes me sit at home dreaming about my next trip to WDW. Just to Florida.
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eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
So let me just end it by saying there is a bit of Truth in what you say but my problem is that none of it had anything to do with the original post. It just seems that you will use any thread to rail against how horrible it is to eat at Disney.
Why not start a thread on the dining thread questioning this. There are 1000s of people who manage to feed themselves and families without undue stress.
Yep I've missed ADRs and was able to figure out how to eat. Now what is easy or healthy is a very personal thing. Me?? Vacation is probably one of the few times my family look forward to not eating healthy
. Every one is Soo different, what you see as a problem other see as a non issue. You went to Europe without planning meals, I'm going to Broadway next month and I've researched and reserved 3 restaurants ( 1 seafood, 1 Italian and 1 American) in NYC lol a food Mecca.
Again I just wonder how it is all threads seem to morph into this?
Sorry you feel it's not worth your time or energy to eat onsite. I've yet to have an issue and I rarely go with a lot of ADRs. I still enjoy it and if I plan a trip to wdw that's where I want to be.
all good
Why not start a thread on the dining thread questioning this. There are 1000s of people who manage to feed themselves and families without undue stress.
Yep I've missed ADRs and was able to figure out how to eat. Now what is easy or healthy is a very personal thing. Me?? Vacation is probably one of the few times my family look forward to not eating healthy
. Every one is Soo different, what you see as a problem other see as a non issue. You went to Europe without planning meals, I'm going to Broadway next month and I've researched and reserved 3 restaurants ( 1 seafood, 1 Italian and 1 American) in NYC lol a food Mecca.Again I just wonder how it is all threads seem to morph into this?
Sorry you feel it's not worth your time or energy to eat onsite. I've yet to have an issue and I rarely go with a lot of ADRs. I still enjoy it and if I plan a trip to wdw that's where I want to be.
all good
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If only Disney would allow you to bring your own food in the park!!!!!
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
They do...but when you've got two kids who are picky eaters...chicken fingers and french fries get old really fast. It sounds ridiculous, but I'd love to see more places to get fresh fruit and maybe a cheapo cold sandwich on the fly.
ThatMouse
Well-Known Member
I think the OP just had a bad experience. We don't make ADR's either, but we also don't spend time walking from country to country trying to figure out who has a shortest wait. It's best to do that on the app. A lot of times we'll make an ADR the same day even for places that don't need them. That way we know it's locked in and we'll get in quicker. For EPCOT we usually find a nice cozy spot at any number of counter services.
You might make a mental note which restaurants don't take walk-ups -- just go to the ADR app/website and see all the ones with no tables available. You'll notice the same ones show up down there at the bottom.
You might make a mental note which restaurants don't take walk-ups -- just go to the ADR app/website and see all the ones with no tables available. You'll notice the same ones show up down there at the bottom.
tribbleorlfl
Well-Known Member
Huh, I figured that had been the case for a long time. I see others have had sporadic, anecdotal success getting walk-up seating, but for us, it has been literal years since we've gotten a walk-up.
Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
Drive-by post?
Sometimes restaurants are booked.
Sometimes people overreact.
Sometimes restaurants are booked.
Sometimes people overreact.
DisneyDebRob
Well-Known Member
Don’t want to derail the thread to much but here goes.
I have no problem with people wanting walk ups, I have done it on occasion, usually get shot down but I mostly have reservations for 90% of my trip.
my problem is, there should be another stand, or line at each restaurant for walk ups and the other for adr’s already made. Back in November we waited from 5 minutes, no big deal to 20 minutes just trying to get to the stand to say we were there and ready. At Via Napoli, there was 9 people in front of us. Yes we counted because we wanted to see if people were being turned away as a walk up. 7 out of the 9 were looking for walk up. As I said, no big deal but when they are told no, they plead that something should be done. Added to our wait and everyone else’s wait just trying to get tables. Twenty minutes just to get to the stand is a bit much. At one point for one family, they had the manager and 2 employees talking with them trying to explain.
I get it, your family is hungry but please, if it’s a no for a table just move on the the next place.
I have no problem with people wanting walk ups, I have done it on occasion, usually get shot down but I mostly have reservations for 90% of my trip.
my problem is, there should be another stand, or line at each restaurant for walk ups and the other for adr’s already made. Back in November we waited from 5 minutes, no big deal to 20 minutes just trying to get to the stand to say we were there and ready. At Via Napoli, there was 9 people in front of us. Yes we counted because we wanted to see if people were being turned away as a walk up. 7 out of the 9 were looking for walk up. As I said, no big deal but when they are told no, they plead that something should be done. Added to our wait and everyone else’s wait just trying to get tables. Twenty minutes just to get to the stand is a bit much. At one point for one family, they had the manager and 2 employees talking with them trying to explain.
I get it, your family is hungry but please, if it’s a no for a table just move on the the next place.