Are reservations recommeneded for Downtown Disney restaurants?

[TonyNano]

hey everyone, I'll be visiting the Disneyland Resort on the 25th! Looking forward to it, but we are curious, as we are new passholders:

Would you say DownTown Disney restaurants need reservations? I see the option for them online, but I'm just curious if we have to do this. As we eat whenever we feel hungry, we wouldn't wanna eat when we might not be hungry or so.

As well, are there any restaurants in the parks you would consider to be easy to do Walk ins?

 

[Bud Ice]

I'd recommend reservations, especially around weekends

 

[emmybee]

I resolved to make reservations from now on for the Jazz Kitchen after I had some difficulty getting into the piano room. It didn't seem to be a problem at all the first time as a walk up, but I got a little bit of grief about it the second time. While the inner courtyard is nice, and it's fun to people watch from the outside tables, I had a blast in the piano room and would hate to miss a good time.

 

[wdwfan22]

I have only eaten at Naples, because I just can't get enough of their pizza. Anytime we have not had reservations, we have had to wait. One time an hour, usually about 30 mins. I try to make a reservation if I can. But if you don't mind waiting, you should be ok.

 

[Astylla]

I would highly recommend reservations, even if you don't think it's a peak time. As an AP holder I see so many frustrated families and guests shocked at wait times or nothing is available, it's just not worth it.

As for the cancellation policy, don't let it scare you. I've had to cancel same-day due to unforseen illness or injury and just called and was honest and have never been charged. It's better to have some plans than nothing at all.

 

[GenGen22]

I definitely recommend reservations because on the weekends the restaurants get very busy. I've been to house of blues several times sometimes I've made reservations and didn't need them, the one time I didn't make them there was an hour & a half wait & I had to wait as I had a restaurant.com gift cert. Also, we have eaten at Rainforest cafe & even with a reservation you wait like 30 minutes. We are like you & don't like to schedule our meals but if you want to eat in table service restaurants especially on the weekend you have to make a reservation.

 

[LizzyS]

If there's somewhere in DTD you'd be disappointed if you didn't get to eat there, then make reservations.

 

[chrisaman]

If u want to eat at the popular restaurants like ESPN zone or jazz kitchen then I would, wait times for walk up can be an hour or more and often times they just stop taking walk ups

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

If there is somewhere you really want to eat at you might as well make a reservation. We have had good luck with walk ups at Naples, but we have gone at nonpeak dinner hours.

 

[agamble]

It is possible to make same day, or day before, reservations at some of the DTD locations. That being said, if you want to eat at one of those restaurants, I would make a reservation at least a week before. You can always call and cancel the day before if you change your mind. If you know you have a reservation for dinner at 6pm, just be sure not to eat anything too close to your reservation so you know you'll be hungry. Running around the parks all day makes me hungry, well unless it's real hot.

 

[taniahappy]

If its a place that you just have to try then do make reservations. I agree to not let the cancellation scare you... I have cancelled same day and have never been charged

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Agree with the other posters about making a reservation. It can't hurt. Sept. 25th is the first MHP which is sold out. So there will be party guests wanting to eat before MHP and lots of people leaving DL looking for dinner and other things to do.

 

[jina]

If you know you want to dine at Rainforest Cafe at some point during your trip, get a Landry's Select membership (online). I think it's something like $25 but you get that credited toward your first meal. That gives you preferred seating which puts you at the front of the line - we've never had to wait more than 5 min or a table when we do that.

 

[DLgal]

We never bother. We never have to wait very long. Just had lunch at Naples right at noon on a Sunday (today). Party of 4, only 15 min wait. Most places will text you when your table is ready so you can wander around and shop while you wait.

 

[GenGen22]

We never bother. We never have to wait very long. Just had lunch at Naples right at noon on a Sunday (today). Party of 4, only 15 min wait. Most places will text you when your table is ready so you can wander around and shop while you wait.

This is true. They do text you but if your hungry, your hungry. Just depends if your willing to wait or not.

 

[5forMickey]

Our last trip 2014 week between Christmas and New Years I was so grateful to this board for letting me know about dining reservations...we would never have ate on site without them. Most TS were not even taking walk up's ....I so many frustrated visitors get turned away and I could feel their pain. This trip (Nov 2015) I won't even think about not having reservations for the nights we for sure want to eat at certain places .....BB Fantasmic, WOC, Carnation, Jazz Kitchen. I did leave some free time in our schedule so that if we want we can just get room services or grab something at CS but I'm not risking the places that are must do for us ever again.

Just a note about cancellations -- last year the night we had reservations at Wine Country for WOC the wind and rain was pretty bad. They were fine about letting us cancel on the spot because we didn't want to sit outside in the cold. I cancelled another reservation within the 24 hour limit and everything was fine.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree with the PPs that recommend making reservations for any location you know you want to eat at especially on weekend evenings (Fri-Sun). The walka-up wait times tend to be fairly lengthy at prime dining times. I've been to RFC, HoB, and Naples when the walk-up wait time (party of 4) was between 45 minutes and an hour. RFC tends to be the worse (even with the Landrys Club the wait can be 30 minutes). You can often find short notice reservation times on Open Table.

In terms of eating in the parks, I haven't seen guests have much luck with walk-ups at most venues on a consistent basis for the last few years. I think your best bet is Big Thunder BBQ. I've been there when they turned away walk-ups from BB, Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Carthay. Given that DL is closing at 7:00 pm for MHP, I would guess that the restaurants in DCA, DTD, and the resorts will be busy.