Last year my trip was cancelled and I had to reschedule. I planned a lot around character meals and pre-park openings and almost nothing is open now.
Tomorrow is my 60 day window for ADR and I have no idea what to pick, everything seems unavailable. I’m completely lost. Is CRT, garden grill, ect worth getting with no characters? Should I just try to go for places that are cheaper since there’s no meal plan now?
I’ll take any advice. Thanks.
Garden Grill has characters, but they visit behind a plexiglass that goes behind the tables. We went to Chef Mickey’s in December, and although the characters didn’t come close to each table to give hugs/high fives, they still interacted with each table and we were able to get selfies. Same with Hollywood and Vine character dining. CRT has cinderella come out and awkwardly wave from the side of the dining room. For us the character meals were worth it even with the less personal “meets” because there is no other way to see the characters in the parks besides cavalcades and from afar- which is even less personal. For our upcoming trip, we are trying to go the cheaper route, but also I was talked into trying to get a Topolino’s Terrace ADR by this group, just because saying hello to Mickey and Minnie is such a quintessential part of WDW… even if it is 6 feet away.
I hope this information helps with your decision
Cinderella is at CRT - from a distance
Mickey and friends are at GG - from a distance
Topolinos has Mickey and friends - at a distance
Tusker House will reopen in a couple of weeks with characters -at a distance
They are not all the same (Topolino’s gets very high marks) but they are still there and people are enjoying them
But for other choices it will help to know a little more about you:
Who is going?
Where are you staying?
Will you have a car?
Do you have foods you like or dislike?
Do you prefer quiet places or more lively environments?
Classics or hidden gems?
Multi-generational DD7, parents and grandmother. First time for everyone.
A week at Boulder Ridge
No car intended to eat at the parks or resort.
edit: Bette Midler - From A Distance (Official Music Video) - YouTube
Thanks for the info!
Well, you’re in luck! ‘Ohana just announced today they are reopening July 9. Not exactly the way it was before but you can read about it in this post and see if it’s something that still might work for your family:
We did Hollywood and Vine with 2 kids and grandparents for lunch. It was better than I expected from reviews (the menu has been revamped) and the character visits were great! It was also a good option to break midday at HS when lines were at the longest.
Oh wow. Looks like I’m going to have to keep a close eye over the next 2 months. I was expected like a mass coordinated opening of restaurants but it looks like they are slowly opening them.
Yeah I wasn’t planning on going in August but I’m lucky I was even able to reschedule so it’s going to be a lot hotter than I planned for. Maybe having lunch inside might be a good plan and skip sit down breakfasts. Thanks for the suggestion.
Took me a minute on the video. All my references to characters “from a distance” 
Well played.
Definitely add Whispering Canyon Cafe if you need another TS since you are at Wilderness Lodge, it’s good and usually fun. Geyser Pointe there is also very good. Also look at Biergarten in Epcot, their German band is still playing and is really fun for all ages. Many of your previous choices are open and I’d say go for them still! BOG still has the Beast wave from a distance as well. I’d advise to aim for one TS per day, but actually I myself would try to book two and then narrow down a day or two before depending on what sounds good to everyone and what works with the schedule we want to do at that point. Since it will be a hot time of year midday is a great time to take a break for a long meal in AC. Also don’t worry too much if you have trouble finding certain ADRs you want, just keep checking and use the reservation finder and eventually most things will come up. Sounds like a great trip, have fun!!
Also (you may know this already), a lot of DS restaurants have reservations via Open Table, so if you don’t get what you want, that could be a good back-up!
Second whispering canyon or geyser point as an easy on site option at WL (we were at Boulder Ridge too). Good luck booking!!