Just need to vent!!

[Lynn J Mc]

We have finally decided to go during the free dining. The last week of free dining. And I am having a hard time getting ADRs. I have no idea what time or where we will eat. I'll work out something. I hate this 180 day deal. It stinks for people who have to wait till later to book. We didn't wait, we just are able to tie in to a business trip for my husband that we didn't know about.

[faline]

Generally, if you can be flexible on where you eat and what time you eat, you can work something out though not necessarily the most popular spots.

We've gone on a last minute weekend and had some good luck with walking up right as the restaurant we were interested in was opening. We were even able to do this with Le Cellier! We were, however, prepared to walk away and try something else.

[Seasonscraps]

Lynn, I had the same problem last year.

We booked a semi last minute trip last year during free dining - 6-8 weeks out. Except for one meal, we got undesirable times/restaurants. It was our vacation, we are perfectly willing to be flexible but I don't want to have to settle on a meal all the time.

We weren't even on the dining plan - just happen to celebrate a wedding anniversary in Sept. We basically ate at ESPN, Big River Grill & Beaches & Cream since we were staying at the Boardwalk & they don't take ADRs.

Good luck and keep trying!!!

[chick20679]

That's so frustrating!

I would just call and ask what IS available for the night / time / park (or resort) you are interested in. Then go from there?

I would imagine you should be able to get into some of the less 'popular' restaurants (try marakesh? ~ we love it, but it tends to be less desirable of an ADR than CRT or Le Cellier), and maybe not at the 'peak' times, but you should be able to find some options that will work.

Good luck!

[mouseketeer mom]

I'm with you totally. Sometimes we decide and firm up our trip less than 180 days out, and some of our ADR's are usually based around where we stay. I like to make the most of our trips, not just settle for what's available. So it stinks for those plans made after the 180 day mark. Its too far out for me, this 180 days. When I get to it sometimes, all of our faves are gone., and no chance of getting anything special like CRT. Bummer.

[KineGirl]

That's so frustrating!

I would just call and ask what IS available for the night / time / park (or resort) you are interested in. Then go from there?

I would imagine you should be able to get into some of the less 'popular' restaurants (try marakesh? ~ we love it, but it tends to be less desirable of an ADR than CRT or Le Cellier), and maybe not at the 'peak' times, but you should be able to find some options that will work.

Good luck!

Thats what I did last summer when I only made 2 ADRs for our 5 day trip and surprisingly something was available every night for dinner (mind you I was calling during our trip even!). Albeit we ate at 8 -830 but we ate. We got into Tonys, Chefs de France and even a Fantasmic pkg at Mamas! I called each morning . One time there was nothing but when we got back to the room late that afternoon (5ish) and called back there was a spot at Tonys. WHICH btw (a little here) .. to anybody who hasn't been in a while, I would suggest revisiting. I used to really dislike it but I think its under a new chef/mngment/menu and our last trip it was really really good! I had seafood diavolo & the tomatos/mozzerella and they were surprisingly fresh and delicious.

[Lynn J Mc]

One good thing -- I have been able to get The Wave at the CR. I hope it will be open by then and the food will be great! I really want O'hana's but am having trouble with it. Also have gotten San Angel and a Fantasmic (at 4:00).

[thrillme]

I can't stand this ADR program. I still like the old days where you made reservations only 1 or 2 days out at the most. In the really old times you stopped by the giant ball at Epcot and booked your reservations for that evening.

The last number of times I went to Disney...I never made ADRs...I just walked up when my son and I started getting hungry and got my name on the list. We got in everywhere we tried within an hour (more commonly 20 minutes). They'd just tell us to come back at "X" time to make sure we didn't miss out call. The ONLY place we had a problem with was Germany. Not all that huge of a loss.

I just don't know how anybody knows when they're going to be hungry when they're on vacation and what time they're going to want to eat 180 days before they even get there. Shucks...I don't even have a clue what we're going to eat tomorrow.

[sndral]

I am in the process of making ADR's for sept. right now. I've called 2xs and gotten what I wanted both times. I gave the cm my first choice and the evenings we were there (@that point 7.) Then I gave them my second choice and the evenings left (@that point 6) etc.. So far I've been lucky, but I chose to grab 'must haves' first when I had the most available nights.
Then again, maybe I just want not so popular places, or maybe it's easier because I want later times (we're west coast so 7 there is really 4 'our time.')

[Natazu]

I don't know if ths will help but here goes...

Jym's Top-7 Best WDW Restaurants that have Easy-to-Get ADRs:
7. Biergarten
6. Nine Dragons
5. Garden Grill
4. Olivia’s
3. Grand Floridian Café
2. Kona Café
1. Wolfgang Puck Café

[AHOTE]

Last year we went spur of the moment during Wine & Food with no ADR's at all. We were on the DDP and we made our dining reservations each morning based on the park we were planning to visit and we were able to dine where we wanted all but one day. Granted it wasn't the best way to do it but it did work out for us. You have to be flexible with times and have alternate places in mind when calling for reservations but it's do-able. Sometimes you just have to ask what's available and go for it. BTW the only reservation we couldn't get was for Cali Grill, we had to settle for Narcoossees'.

[RALPH]

"I just don't know how anybody knows when they're going to be hungry when they're on vacation and what time they're going to want to eat 180 days before they even get there. Shucks...I don't even have a clue what we're going to eat tomorrow."

Boy, I guess I am a different bird. I'm pretty regimented and can plan that detail that far out. I know when I am going to be hungry every day of the year, no matter what I am doing or where I am because I am on a regular schedule. I get up eat breakfast between 7 and 9, at work eat lunch between 12 and 1 and I'm hungry for dinner between 5 an 7 when I get home from work. I'm not trying to be a smart A but I don't see the problem.

Since I know the above parameters it is not to hard to plan ADR's for dinner's, even if it was 280 days. Breakfast and lunches never seem to require them, so we just walk up and get seated after a short wait at the most. Dinner ADR's are made between 5 and 6:30 which is the same time we would eat if we were home.

Now if the issue is stopping your touring to think about eating, then I guess you have an issue. If your taking a spur of the moment trip, then I understand.

We do plan our touring around our ADR's, but that is not so hard to do either. If we have a 5:30 at Yachtsman Steakhouse we usually don't tour MK late in the afternoon, we tour at the Studio's or Epcot.

Like I said above, I am not trying to be a smart A, I really just dont see the problem.

For our Aug trip I got all the ADR's except Le Cellier on the first night due to the free dining. We have a family tradition of eating there on our first night. We just have to wait until the second night this year.

[tinksmom02]

I would imagine you should be able to get into some of the less 'popular' restaurants (try marakesh? ~ we love it, but it tends to be less desirable of an ADR than CRT or Le Cellier), and maybe not at the 'peak' times, but you should be able to find some options that will work.

Good luck!

We made day-of ADR's at Marrakesh during free dining last Sept. Granted, the ressie was for 4:30, but it worked out for us, as we'd had a late breakfast, so we just skipped lunch.

Turned out to be a wonderful meal, we really enjoyed it!

[Dakota Rose]

Boy, I guess I am a different bird. I'm pretty regimented and can plan that detail that far out. I know when I am going to be hungry every day of the year, no matter what I am doing or where I am because I am on a regular schedule. I get up eat breakfast between 7 and 9, at work eat lunch between 12 and 1 and I'm hungry for dinner between 5 an 7 when I get home from work. I'm not trying to be a smart A but I don't see the problem.

Okay I have to laugh because this pretty much describes me. On one visit to the World, I even scheduled potty breaks. Oh yes, I'm not only that regimented, I'm that regular too. I don't plan that anymore, but I do find that when I try to "go with the flow" on any vacation (WDW or elsewhere except camping) I always leave feeling jipped. When we got married, our pastor asked what I would do if he prayed longer than the 3 minutes I scheduled. I said, "Just don't do it and we won't have to go there."

[RALPH]

Potty breaks! Good god, now thats planning!

My thinking is it is not to hard to plan major meals on any WDW trip. If you want to wing it, do so. But a TS ADR may not mesh with your plans. We just set aside part of the day for a TS dinner ADR and eat a light lunch. A big breakfast gets us through the day. You have to eat so work it into what ever your schedule is.

If you have no schedule, then do things on the spur of the moment, but if nothing is available for an ADR, that is the trade off. Unfortunatly I would rather have the dinner ADR secured vs the flexibility of touring and deciding at the last moment of where and what to eat. But that is just me. I like the structure.There is no right or wrong, you just have to deal with the reality as it is presented.

Heck my wife makes fun of me, becuase 180 days out, I'm looking at the menu!

[little disney lovers]

We too are going for free dining. But we are going for 23 nights, Yes, everyone goes WOW, Good for you....But I tried to make 23 ADR's last week!!!
Let me say, we go most of the ressies we wanted, but had to seriously compromise on times, Sometimes change breakfast to dinners and Dinners to 3:30pm. Oh, well, It's free!
And we could not get any ADR's at Chef Mickey's or Liberty Tree on the days left. I tried again 3 days later and got both of them!
So, keep trying, You never know!!!

[pluto 77]

just call ever day. we got into CRT and lecellor within 3 weaks of our trip. I no its a pain but you may get what you want.

[Dragongirlx]

My sister and I are going in September and are not on the dining plan. We have made absolutley no ADRS. The reason for this is we hate to be held to having to be somewhere at an exact time, especially when we don't know how hungry we are going to be or what we will feel like eating.
We are going to try and see if we can get reservations via guest services when we are in the parks and if not its no big deal as the CS restaurants are just as good.

[Young@Heart]

Good luck w/ your ADR's! Even if you don't get your #1 choices, you have a great time! I'm sure you can find something you'll enjoy eating at almost any restaurant, and it may give you a chance to try some places you otherwise wouldn't have experienced.

[garthbarth1]

My sister and I are going in September and are not on the dining plan. We have made absolutley no ADRS. The reason for this is we hate to be held to having to be somewhere at an exact time, especially when we don't know how hungry we are going to be or what we will feel like eating.
We are going to try and see if we can get reservations via guest services when we are in the parks and if not its no big deal as the CS restaurants are just as good.

This is exactly how DH and I feel. Last time we went we felt so tied down by our ADR that it made me nuts! So this year, with one ADR exception at Libery Tree Tavern (and by the way, I am already feeling tied down by this one!) we are going to wing it! I dont know what I am going to eat 8 hours from now, let alone 180 days from now!