ADRs??

[wdwaggie]

OK, I'm probably being a little too skepitcal here, but I'd like to know your thoughts on ADRs. OK, I get that there are favs that you know you want to eat at (even 180days in advance), but doens't that kind of lock you down? What if you wake up that day and decide you dont want Italian, etc, etc.

How late can you cancel a reservation?

[FriendsofMickey]

Most reservations can be cancelled the day of. However, there are some that have 1 or 2 day cancellation policies. They tell you when you make the ADR, so you will know which ones to watch for.

However, that said, you would be wise to check the availability of the Italian restaurant, before your cancel your original reservation.

I like the 180 day out reservation system. I choose where I am eating at based on where I will be on that day. I check the calendar and figure out what days I want to be at MK, HS, AK and EPCOT. Then I pick my dining options.

[PittFan]

I choose where I am eating at based on where I will be on that day. I check the calendar and figure out what days I want to be at MK, HS, AK and EPCOT. Then I pick my dining options.

i did like it better when it was 90 days though because the park schedule had already released. i'm planning my park days according to last years october schedule right now.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I like the 180 day out reservation system. I choose where I am eating at based on where I will be on that day. I check the calendar and figure out what days I want to be at MK, HS, AK and EPCOT. Then I pick my dining options.

My experience is basically about the opposite. While I would prefer to do it your way our last trip this past December was booked well into the 180 day reservation window. I think we booked only about 60 days out. So I basically had to find the restaraunt and then pick the park day based on what reservation I could get. With so many people down there on free dining it was nearly impossible to say I want XX park on this day and I want to eat here. I basically kept trying the online reservations until I would finally get a restaraunt that I wanted, then would alter our park days based on that.

Not the way I want to do it, but that's the cost of free dining.

[AllDisney]

Once we decide we are going to WDW & when we talk about who wants to eat where. We never feel locked into our choices, having made them so far in advance, we look forward to our TS after a busy day at the park.

We pick a day, pick a park & pick our restaurant. We really don't plan our vacations on morning extra magic hours, but sometimes look forward to the evening extra hours. If our reservations make it possible to enjoy the extra hours then so be it. Otherwise we don't worry.

[Jared]

I wouldn't worry too much about feeling stifled by your dining choices. Except for a few special experiences, like the Fantasmic! Dinner Package, you are not penalized for canceling at any time. A lot of folks complain about the 180-day reservation window, and I understand their concerns, but I think people have started taking Disney dining a little too seriously. If there is a restaurant you absolutely must try, then it shouldn't be a problem to reconfigure your schedule around that meal. For other restaurants, if you decide you're not hungry at the time you booked or you are craving something else, no big deal. Skip the reservation and keep having fun! The counter service restaurants are always available. I promise you will not starve either way!

[the other micki]

I just look at it like...I'm at Disney, I'm not cooking, and there's got to be something on the menu that I'd enjoy. Oh, and did I mention I'm not cooking...