Please Help!

[buckeyematthew]

We are thinking about getting the Dining Plan. We don't want to make reservations for restaurants. We just want to go with flow and eat when were ready to eat. Don't commited of leaving something early cause of reservations. So is it difficult to find a sit down restaurant that you don't have to make a reservation?

 

[the Fidge]

When we were there we had ressies and was so glad I did so many places were turning away folks so early all booked up! I would suggest it. Glad I did!

 

[rainy~daze]

we had made all of our ressie's before we left, but then a few we just couldn't make it to, all ones that didn't need a cc to reserve, it was too late to cancel them unfortunately(hopefully it got someone else a seat at those places). We were able to go to guest services and make some new ressie's for the next day at 1900 PF for dinner and breakfast in AK. That was in Jan so maybe a little slower, but there were a lot of places booked already too. Depends on flexibility, IMO.

 

[ReneeA]

When we were there in August of last year, all of the TS restaurants we dined at were turning away walk ups. I tried everyday to get into a couple popular restaurants by calling concierge and couldn't get an ADR. If you get the dining plan, I would make ADR's...otherwise all of your precious park time is going to be spent waiting in line to be seated at packed restaurants.

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

If you don't want to eat at any table service restaurants you won't need any reservations. Even if you don't buy the dining plan you are unlikely to walk up to most restaurants without reservations. You can eat at any counter service (fast food) place without reservations. If you're not on the plan this is an option, on the plan it would be a waste of table credits.
If there is somewhere you REALLY want to eat, you should call and get a time that can work for you. People are being turned away, not at just a few places, but at most of the sit down restaurants.

 

[Lesley]

Without reservations, whether you have the dining plan or not, it can be difficult at times to find a table service restaurant that is taking walk-ups.
We have a few that we count on in a pinch (mainly Nine Dragons). But our last experience on a busy Friday night in January we were told at the Garden Grill that we could get a table later on in the evening and we were able to be seated in about 20 minutes in Norway for the princess dinner. Getting something immediately when we walked up was not an option.

That said, it was January, there wasn't a free dining promotion at the time and there was still a chance we might not have found somewhere other than Nine Dragons. We actually had reservations at Shutters that night and cancelled them because the menu had changed and the new one wasn't interesting to us (hmmm...steak, chicken or fish...nah, we'll go elsewhere). I would either not get the dining plan and not expect to eat table service...or make reservations in advance. At least you'll know you have somewhere you can go to sit down for a decent meal.

I don't really care for planning this far in advance either....but you're really taking your chances without doing the planning.

 

[CleveRocks]

I would either not get the dining plan and not expect to eat table service...or make reservations in advance. At least you'll know you have somewhere you can go to sit down for a decent meal.

I don't really care for planning this far in advance either....but you're really taking your chances without doing the planning.

I would have written eveything I just quoted, but somebody already did it for me!

 

[Cookie Princess]

We were there in early November (fairly slow time and no FREE ddp). All you could here around the hotel pool were the families complaining because they bought the ddp, but all of the restaraunts they were calling at the last minute were full. They were very angry. I guess they don't read the DIS boards. I say make the reservations or you are apt to be eating chicken fingers all week. Just my 2 cents...

 

[PlutosFriend]

We are thinking about getting the Dining Plan. We don't want to make reservations for restaurants. We just want to go with flow and eat when were ready to eat. Don't commited of leaving something early cause of reservations. So is it difficult to find a sit down restaurant that you don't have to make a reservation?

We just returned yesterday. I saw people turned away at Le Cellier, and Coral Reef, that did not have ADR. I would strongly suggest making at least a few, especially if you are on the DDP.

 

[Nancyg56]

We went in January, and saw many people turned away from restaurants. I was glad that I planned ahead because chicken strips and burgers would have gotten old fast.

 

[pezpam]

We were there in early November (fairly slow time and no FREE ddp). All you could here around the hotel pool were the families complaining because they bought the ddp, but all of the restaraunts they were calling at the last minute were full. They were very angry. I guess they don't read the DIS boards. I say make the reservations or you are apt to be eating chicken fingers all week. Just my 2 cents...

I agree. On our trip a couple of weeks ago, we went OOP, but I had reserved a couple of special meals for DD and I. When I checked in, I asked for a printout of our ADRs and the woman checking us in commented that it was good we had made the ADRs. She said that a lot of folks were checking in and wanting to make the ADRs for their entire trip when they arrived..... and were angry when they had trouble getting reservations. For my upcoming free-DDP trip, I definitely made our ADRs well in advance.

ADRs do require some planning, but they don't have to over-schedule the entire trip. Since I'm flexible about our plans, I simply arrange our day so that when dinnertime rolls around, we are in the park that either houses the restaurant or has the quick transportation to it. If DD wants to get a little pool time in, it's even easier - I just get her out of the pool in time to change and head to the restaurant. We don't plan our days ahead of time too much, but we always manage to get in what we want to get in.

 

[munchkin bunchkin]

For my family reservations are the only way to go.. We wanted a quick cs one day and was told there were no tables available ...good thing we had ressies for dinner a few hours later!!!