Happy to oblige, though my favorites come with some caveats so I hope my statement isn't seen as incredibly misleading in retrospect! (a) I only go to WDW in relative off-seasons. For example, my birthday is right after all US schools have finished their spring break and my better half's birthday is right after the xmas season ends. We're just kinda lucky on when we "need" to celebrate things...and I was once part of a military honor guard at DLand on 4th of July so I know first hand what kind of crowds are way too much for me! (b) We're a relatively young couple with no kids. There's a lot that goes with that like only doing a character meal once in a while and only if we really feel strongly about a location or character. (c) We tend to eat at off-times more in line with european norms than american or "park-stormer" conventions would call for.
Our favorite restaurants I have great luck walking into over the last several years are:
(1) Morimoto. This is the new top of our list. Their food is great, their staff is great with special dietary concerns, and a party of 2 never waits at lunch time in my experience. Might be a short wait at dinner time for the Forbidden Lounge, but usually not in my experience.
(2) Sanaa. I'm expecting the board members who know about this place to crucify me for adding it to yet another "best of" list but it really is one of the best. I guess the last few times I've grabbed a reservation on the Lyft ride over, but I count it as a walk-in if I didn't have to decide at least the day before. (Before someone calls me out: no you can't walk in with no reservation at sunset and expect a table by the windows, but that's not my claim. This list is just good TS restaurants one can frequently get into without a reservation or with a very-short-notice reservation.)
(3) Grand Floridian Cafe. I've not been there in a few years, but they were great last time I was there. And at lunch time, they act like they're thrilled someone remembers they exist. Beautiful, light & airy space in a beautiful hotel. I'm not sure why more MK visitors don't take a monorail lunch break...
(4) Spice Road Table. Great food and generally only booked up around Illuminations. This place usually does give me a short wait, but that's not so bad when there's stuff nearby to look at. I do, however, think that being able to walk in here is becoming rarer and I think that's because of all the over-planners grabbing tons of reservations just in case. Rarely seems full when we're actually there.
(5) If all else fails, I believe every signature restaurant has a lounge that doesn't accept reservations. Also, one can sometimes get a couple of seats held in a lounge for a short time if you have access to assistance from your hotel's staff. A call from any Deluxe resort's concierge, or a call from anywhere inside the Grand Floridian, seems to work wonders in making sure there's a seat or barstool available upon your arrival.
I'm sure this list is far from complete...basically the upshot is that most people overlook a lot of restaurants at hotels and Disney Springs in addition to anything that seems too adventurous for the picky eaters (and I'm not just referencing children here). I hope that answers the question though, and I hope you enjoy some new hidden gems that don't require ADRs on your next magical adventure!
Thanks for adding to my knowledge base! I do a far amt of planning dinners but next to none for lunch. I particularly like that each of the restaurant you listed are in different parks/locales.
