Are Priority Seatings A Must?

[dixielander]

I have a silly question, I have made all of the reservations that I thought I wanted, but now I really really want to eat at Chef Mickey's for dinner, but I cannot get priority seatings for any of the evenings that we'll be around that area.

Can we just show up and put our name down for a table??

I wouldn't mind having a long wait, because I would plan on having the kids and my husband go to the arcade or the marina for awhile.

I guess I've just assumed you NEED a reservation, but I'm not really sure you do....

Please help!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

You may just get lucky, I would try for it if you really want to eat there. I always make PS as soon as I decide where we will be each day. You can cancel if you need to but they are great when everyone is ready to eat and you can't find a place.

 

[CharlesandCamilla]

Also keep calling back all the way up to your planned dining. From talking to other DISers and CMs I learned that many people actually do cancel PS's as late as the day of the dining even though they are not required to. Only the CM's that set up the PS's have access to edit them. If a PS party does not show up they just ask for the walkin next in line. I had someone tell me once that they got a PS half an hour before going to a restaurant with a one hour wait. Don't know that this is possible or true though.

 

[sullins5]

Just a thought, Dixielander!

We, like you, did not make ps in 2001. We really wanted Chef Mickeys. So when we arrived, we called one evening and asked if there were any cancellations, there were none. However, the cm said " you're always welcome to just show up...however there might be a long wait".. We did just that! Too our surprise, we were seated in 5 minutes!

Now, that might be an unusual circumstance, but it goes without saying that WDW has so many people who get tied up at parks, get tired, forget about ressies, that it makes sense that sometimes you can just 'walk up'. Hey, it's worth a try anyway!

We made ressies this time, though if we see something we really want to do, we'll try the walk up and ask.....it never hurts!

Good luck and have a safe trip!

 

[colleen costello]

Go for it! There is a lot to do in the near vicinity. There is a lounge right there, near the bar. There are comfy seats and a tv showing Disney cartoons. You can look out at the kids on the water slide by the pool. The arcade is downstairs but if your hubby has a cell phone you could call him when it's your turn. There is also the 4th floor observation deck which has a great view of the MK.

I know this because my goofball hubby "didn't think we needed the camera" when we went to Chef Mickey's in March! I almost killed him -- made him drive BACK to Old Key West to GET the camera! Meanwhile, we waited with the kids and they seated us after he returned. After we got about a million GREAT photos, hubby admitted I was right to make him go back for the camera. I love it when he tells me I am right!

Have fun!

 

[RLewis]

Just show up. You'll probably have more success if you show up for an early dinner (5pm). Come about 15 minutes early and I'll bet you 'll have a minimal wait.

If you get tired of waiting, you can always go to the adjacent Concourse Steakhouse. No charaters, but a nice relaxing place to have a good dinner. We've shown up without PS with little wait.

 

[dzneelvr]

If you're like our family, when we need to eat, there's no fun in a long wait. I'd make sure you can get hors doevres somewhere while you wait for a PS. If your dates are over the summer, don't count on a 5 minute and you're in rule. There will be 20 others who are hoping to do the same thing.

WDW ON JUNE 24