ADRs - yes, you do need to book some meals in advance!

[Andre]

Just a quick note of caution to all those who ask whether you need to make ADRs before you go.

On Saturday I booked our remaining few ADRs for October (I couldn't do the final ones when I first called as it went outside of the 180+10 days for onsite resort guests). So far, I had managed to get all of the times and dates we wanted - result!

One that we particularly wanted was the Princess breakfast held at the Akershus (Norway) restaurant in Epcot's World Showcase for around 9.15 in the morning on the 8th of October. I phoned on Saturday 6th April (184 days out) and there was already nothing available between 8.50am and 9.50am. Don't forget, this was still four days before the normal 180 days off-site guest booking window started, and in a very low season period. Heaven help us if we'd been trying to book for Christmas or July - or sometime when the free Dining Plan was being offered!

Anyway, I went for 9.50 in the end as I didn't fancy the chances of us all being up in time to get to Norway for 8.40am near the end of our holiday. LOL.

Andre

[BenH]

Have to agree, we tried going for a meal at Le Cellier last year to be basically laughed at and told the next available seating was three months later!! This time we have ADRs for all the places we want to eat.

[Vabeth]

Totally agree Andre!
We went at the beginning of November last year and on a couple of occassions couldn't get a walk-up anywhere and breakfast at Chef Mickeys was fully booked the whole time we were there!
The DDP has definately made it much more difficult to get last minute adr's and reservations on the day, so i'd advise booking well in advance! :wave:

[CBR600]

Even though we will be going in january which is supposed to be a 'quiet' period I will still make our ADR's at the 180 point -especially for places like Le cellier and some of the character meals. I hope I get lucky with the days that I want!

[marlouwrig]

When I booked our ADR's (the first time we have ever done this before arriving in the resort) the cast member at Member Services told me they always leave some availability for walk ups.

[Enright78]

We are not on DDP but still managed to get a good time for a Fantasmic package booking and Artists Point in August when I rang last week. However I do appreciate that these are not necessarily the most popular bookings.

[Andre]

When I booked our ADR's (the first time we have ever done this before arriving in the resort) the cast member at Member Services told me they always leave some availability for walk ups.

That used to be the theory, but not so sure these days. You may get lucky, but at Le Cellier last year we saw people being turned away as they were fully booked for the rest of the day.

Just done all of ours for Sept/Oct. We got mostly the time/date we wanted, although one was already sold out for the hour that we wanted (this was 184 days in advance).

Andre

[Sue]

I couldn't agree more André - ok we were there at Xmas but we saw so many walk ups being turned away at any time of day.
Having had our Fantasmic package rained off on Xmas Eve, we tried every day for cancellations from 26th December to 5th January and NOTHING came up at any of the restaurants - so if you want to do that, definitely book it at 180 days!

[CBR600]

While we were waiting outside Le Cellier for our ADR we also saw loads of people being turned away - we ate there in May and the CM on the podium told one couple that they were fully booked until September!

[Treacle44]

Oh my, people must be getting more an more organised when it comes to WDW, the secret's out! ;)

So I best plan our 10 most important meals for the first 10 days we're there then?

T
x

[gamelsby]

i have only booked 3 ADRs so far, i am on the DDP. what happens if i dont book any more and turn up and cant get a meal anywhere. (other than being hungry that is).

[Treacle44]

i have only booked 3 ADRs so far, i am on the DDP. what happens if i dont book any more and turn up and cant get a meal anywhere. (other than being hungry that is).

You'll end up having to use table service credits at counter service restaurants. Get booking! :)

[Villainlover]

I couldn't get a table for LeCellier last December for any time for dinner(first two weeks!! supposed to be quiet) luckily another group of Dibbers had double booked and let me have thiers :spin: had to ditch part of my family though :(
asking at the podium about having some free tables for walkins or for people that didn't know about ADRs and such I was told that they do not leave any tables for this...
I was then told by my waitress that they actually tend to overbook! I guess it is due to no shows and such but the girl said most people for that restaurant do turn up.. she didn't seem too impressed by this I might add.

I guess this is why some dibbers may have felt rushed and others not :erm:

but moral is if you want to eat at a certain restaurant get it booked as soon as you can :thumb:

[cerigirl]

I agree too - our ADR's are done and dusted - got the times we wanted, bar the odd 10 minutes here and there on a couple, but nothing that is drastic. Yippeee!! - when you talk to that voice on the other end of the phone, it makes it seem that much closer. We managed to get CRT too on my DD's 8th birthday morning, just as we wanted!!

I think I would panic if I hadn't booked anything solid. With the free DDP, it is probably going to be busier in the park restuarants, as people are obviously going to eat there for free, who would usually have gone to I-Drive, etc. I have left a couple of free days, so we can go to Seaworld/Shoping/etc and not rush back for a WDW meal, so on those couple of days, we can get a Sizzler/Denny's/Olive Garden/Bahama Breeze meal - we'll see what take sour fancy, but I am so looking forward to trying all these places in WDW I have read and re-read about!!:d: :wavey: :d:

[Disneybunny]

I have all our TS book for our trip, even on to pay OOP for.

[highlander447]

Hi one thing I noticed a couple of weeks ago was that some of the discount ticket sellers that offer u tickets at reduced price if u attend their timeshare presentation where also offering free character breakfasts at Disney and they seemed to have reserved a block on a daily basis, what surprised me was they had early slots available for whenever u wanted

[Andre]

With the free DDP, it is probably going to be busier in the park restuarants, as people are obviously going to eat there for free, who would usually have gone to I-Drive, etc.

Luckily for you and me, this year's free ADRs will apparently finish mid-September. Or so the well-informed rumour has it, anyway.

Andre

[Bobbins]

I don't think the free dining will make much, if any, difference - the popular table service restaurants are booked out solidly the whole year round anyway.

We've been to WDW many times but we're staying on property for the first time this year. I was initially against using the DDP as I thought the whole holiday would turn into a meal planning exercise. We booked a couple of restaurants anyway, so we then decided to add the DDP.

Sure enough, planning and booking the ADR's has been a major exercise - we're there in late April / early May and I really struggled to get quite a lot of the ADR's when I called in January. Failed completely on HDDR - not a single opening the whole 2 weeks, and Le-Cellier was really difficult to find an open slot. Several times I had to switch plans around (not easy when you're looking at EMH's etc) to get into a particular restuarant.

It's definitely put me off, and the whole experience is going to have to be really stunning to make me want to stay on-site again. Strikes me that it's a whole lot easier (and more flexible) to stay in LBV and then nip to Bahama Breeze, Olive Garden etc etc as the mood takes you.

[LizzyBear]

Apparently they release more 'slots' at the exact 180 day mark, so that may useful to some who couldn't get the time they wanted at 180 + whatever days :thumbs-up
I've booked all of ours, especially relieved since free dining has been released in the US for Disney Visa card holders now (probably will be released to the general public shortly)

[Andre]

Apparently they release more 'slots' at the exact 180 day mark, so that may useful to some who couldn't get the time they wanted at 180 + whatever days

Yes, I think that happens too. I'm going to try again tomorrow for our Norway breakfast at the exact time we wanted, if I get the chance to call (in meetings all day, hopefully we'll get a lunch break)

Andre

[Carlmelia]

Do people tend to go for the 'dinner' slots more than the 'lunch' ones?

Only reason I ask is that we're taking our little one and are not planning any dinners in the parks just some nice lunches eg Le Cellier. But i've only booked ADR's for Chef Mickeys (Breakfast) and Crystal Palace (Lunch) and planned to book some ADR's when were there for lunch at the Customer Service Desk in the parks.

Get the impression that the majority go for dinner at the good restaurants rather than lunch or have I gone wrong here?

[Bobbins]

Certainly all dinners for us, and we were offered lunch at Le-Cellier, when there was nothing at all in the evening - so I guess the majority must go from the dinner slots.

[CBR600]

Dinner for us too!

[BevS97]

We have always been able to book lunch on the day, but we haven't been during Free Dining. We really like to have a late lunch as we find the kids are tired and less receptive to a nice meal in the evening.

[Andre]

Usually dinner, but this time I've booked a few breaks in the middle of the day too, which will be nice chillout times. Don't book more than one a day though, you'll be stuffed!! I've just booked us for 7 meals over 14 days:

27th Sept: Chef Mickey's (character dinner)
29th Sept: Cape May (character breakfast)
1st Oct: Le Cellier (dinner)
2nd Oct: Libery Tree Tavern (early character dinner @ 4pm after parade)
3rd Oct: Prime Time Cafe (lunch, before parade)
5th Oct: Whisering Canyon Cafe (dinner)
8th Oct: Akershus (character breakfast)

Plus other fun stuff to do like an Epcot Segway Tour, Illuminations Cruise, MNSSHP, a carriage ride at Port Orleans Riverside and Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique for DD (7).

Andre

[Carlmelia]

Phewww, that's a relief thought i'd have to be doing another call to book some lunchtime ADR's for a while then.

Didn't want to be too tied down with having to do a particular park on a particular day just because i'd booked an ADR there. Our first trip with DD so we're going to 'play it by ear(s)' ;) as they say.

[LizzyBear]

We have a mix of mostly dinners and a few breakfasts. I think dinners make the best use of dining plan credits and also I guess this is when most people eat their main meal.