ADR's Necessary?

[disneymom2000]

After reading JANNINO's thread about the bad service at O'hanas - It started me thinking. How many restaurants have started refusing walk-ups due to the crowding because of the DDP? Can anyone give us the names of those restaurants? Also is this just happening during peak season?

[mickeys_princess_mom]

We had a great experience at O'hana's, and it is at the top of my list for my next two trips with DS and DH. My DD and I had no trouble getting in wherever we wanted to go at the beginning of June. We had several ADRs, and were able to call a day ahead and make additional ones, and walk up as restaurants opened to get right in to others.

[SurferStitch]

ADR's are necessary, and walkups do get turned away at A LOT of restaurants. I always plan out our meals (dinner and breakfast) at 180 days to make sure our trips flows smoothly and we can enjoy our favorite places. It's really a lot easier than running around from restaurant to restaurant trying to find a table.

Restaurants where we've seen walkups turned away (even though park crowds were small sometimes):

Le Cellier
Narcoossee's
Cali Grill
Liberty Tree Tavern
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Chef Mickey's (breakfast)
Teppanyaki
'Ohana (breakfast and dinner)
Coral Reef

We eat at these places every trip, and both when it was very crowded in October of '05, and when it wasn't crowded at all in December of '06, we saw people turned away at these locations. In '05 we saw signs up at the entrance to MK and MGM that all seatings for all TS restaurants for the entire day were booked, and that people would have to go CS or leave the park for TS. We also saw it a couple times in '06.

So, yes, ADR's are necessary almost any time of year, especially if you don't want to have to "settle" for a place just so you can scarf down something to fuel up.

[Tink's Mom]

Last November, during Thanksgiving week, I went with no ADR's. I only had a problem getting into 1900 Park Fare, and we called everyday. We also could not get into Boma the evening we wanted, but they did get us in for the next night. I would say if you really want to dine somewhere, make an ADR, better safe than sorry.

[big blue and hairy]

If where you eat is important to you, I would definitely say yes, make ADR's. If it doesn't really matter, and can't make up your mind, wing it, but realize you stand a good chance of not getting your first, second, or third choice of a sitdown.

:sulley:

[Becky'sMom]

If you want to be sure of eating where you want, not only are they necessary, but should be made as soon as you know your dates of travel (or 180 days out if you book your trip further out). Last trip I did book my cinderella breakfast right away but was lazy about the other meals....a month out I tried to book 4 differnt places...I had first, second and third choices and couldn't get ANY of them! This year I booked them all as soon as possible...Le Cellier, Fulton Crabhouse, Victoria & Albert's, Cinderella, Crystal Palace, Akershus, Jiko, Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose, Bistro De Paris (cannot be booked more than 30 days out), Ohana, Chef Mickey and Boma!
Booking far in advance also assures that you have your choice of times...important if you don't want to eat dinner at 4:40 or 8:20!
Lauren

[Roo Girl]

Almost all the TS's will turn you away without an ADR during high season. We were there Apr 22-May 2 and overslept for a couple ADRs and could NOT find a replacement and we tried very hard. Forget Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, O'Hana's, Coral Reef, even getting a last minute ADR would be impossible.

[LoriMistress]

Personally, I think ADRs are nessisary. Since we're going during the first half of December--I've booked my ADRs so I know that we'll be able to eat without all the hassle. There have been numerous people who have been turned down because of not having an ADR. If you want to make sure you eat at the restaurant you want...I would make them. If you're staying on site you can make MOST of your ADRs on teh 180+10 day mark. For some restaurants like CRT, some of the DTD, etc. you will have to call exactly on the 180 day mark.

[mrsgaribaldi]

Le Cellier and Brown Derby have turned walk ups away when I was there.

[disneycouple2004]

We always do our ADR's ..for sure the week of Christmas...last year we changed up and went the 1st week of October...not crowded at all....and believe it or not we were turned away at several places that we did not have ADR's..
better to make them than take the chance:D

[January-2007]

I have another suggestion. If you decide you want to eat someplace, even if it's the same day while you're on your trip, go to the concierge at the resort you're staying at and see if they can get you a same day ADR. We did this several times with great success during Memorial Day week. If there are places you know you want to go, yes, try to make ADRs ASAP before you leave for your trip, but if you're there and you want to try, do try to at least get a same day ADR, it sure beats waiting over an hour if and only if by that time they are accepting walk ups.

[JPL]

At the MK area I actually saw 2 surprise places turning away walk-ups

The Plaza
Concourse Steakhouse

These were always almost gauranteed last minute walk-ups for me:(

[NewmanFamily6]

I am one of those people who personally loves to plan. That being said I love to make all of our ADRs. We just plan what park based on what restaraunt and other than that we don't schedule anything else. I like to have a plan when taking 4 children:blush:

[mickey&missy]

I do what the previous poster does, plan our days around the ADR's. I think ADR's are really important, especially if you have specific places you want to eat or small kids.

When we were there in October we saw walkups get turned away from Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's, both at dinner. The man who got turned away from Crystal Palace was super nasty and rude to the CM! Screaming at her about how was he supposed to know he needed to make reservations.

[AllDisney]

We are rather newbies to the DDP. In the past we had ALWAYS made dinner reservations as soon as we could. Nowadays you can make reservations for dinner 180 days out and I think this has caused restaurants to have to turn away walk ups.

We plan our dinner reservations around the park we are at for the day. Our family always goes to MGM the first & last days of our vacation. It's a tradition to see Fantasmic the first & last day there.

We really look forward to planing our dinner reservations...it's all part of the magic! It's part of planning in advance and we have no problem doing the planning to make sure we have dinner where we want to.

[Natazu]

While I don't blame it on the DDP, here are
Jym's Top-7 Hardest to Get ADRs:
7. 'Ohana
6. Chef Mickey's
5. R&C within 90 minutes of Illuminations
4. California Grill within 90 minutes of Wishes
3. Le Cellier
2. Cindy's Breakfast
1. Vicky's Chef Table