Are they REALLY necessary?

[songbert]

When we have been to WDW in the past, we have never made PS arrangements. It has been 4 years since our last trip, so things may have changed considerably in that time....

We don't usually make a specific plan before we go for what park we will go to on a particular day, so I am reluctant to make PS's and have to plan around them.

We prefer late lunches to big dinners and I'm wondering if we will be able to get seating without a PS. Can we "check in" at a restaurant a couple of hours before we want to eat, and then kill time while we wait, or am I really going to have to bite the PS bullet..............

 

[minnie56]

Myself..I hate to plan my days too so I just wing it and decide where and when on the day??

I have never not gotten into a restaurant of my choice when I want to go there.I have had to wait a bit sometimes (20 mins or so) but then I have had to do that even with a PS!!!

Christmas Day I had a PS at Cape May and waited almost 45 minutes!! It is not a set time anyway.

 

[GenePA]

We very rarely get a PS for any restuarant anymore. The first few trips to WDW we did, but we found it dictated our schedule too much. Now, we do what we want, and when it's time to eat....we go somewhere. We generally don't have any problems as long as you don't mind waiting a few minutes. Most restaurants even leave a few tables just for walk-ups. Our philosophy is basically, if the restaurant is too crowded for us to get in, it wasn't meant to be....and we go elsewhere. There's enough choices in WDW where that is not a problem!

 

[Eeyore2U]

If I really really really wanted something at one of the nicer restaurants I would make a ps.

 

[ilovefh]

Most restaurants even leave a few tables just for walk-ups.

Actually this is not the case. If they can book all of their PS's then they will do that....and then possibly if enough people no show.....or everything is moving fast that night (i.e. kitchen, service etc) then they will take walk ins. But they don't leave any "tables" for walk ins. This implies they take ressies and actually save tables for people....which is not the case. It's the next available table for your party size.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

We do fine with this plan off season, Winter. We often make our PS the night before or when we enter the park for the day. July however is a whole different story. I would a least make a few and then add more as the week goes and you see how your plans work out. Calling, or going by the resturant even a few hours before you want to eat can up the chances of getting in to a certain resturant. Eating at off hours can help to.



Jordan's mom

 

[songbert]

Thanks for all of your responses. It helps to reinforce my "fly by the seat of our pants" philosophy!!

9 weeks and we'll be there

 

[UncleKyle]

my family has a great plan. If we decide where we want to eat at any time we just go to the nearest merchandise shop and ask them to call the PS hotline. Then you just find out when an opening table is. You would not believe how easy it is to find a PS at a popular restaurant within 30 min time. Sometimes we'll think of a restaurant on the other side of the property. Say we're at Animal Kingdom and want to have dinner at Ohana's at the poly. We'll on our way out of animal kingdom we'll stop by somewhere with a phone and find out when the next PS is open. It works everytime.

 

[Minniespal]

I'm a fanatical WDW planner and need to know that I will be able to eat in the restaurants that I want to eat in. That being said I have been known to change ps for different restaurants when we get there.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Songbert--for "late lunch" purposes you should be be OK w/o a PS.
However--A Friday or Saturday nite at one of the more popular restaurants may be another story. We were at Flying Fish last Saturday nite at 8:00 (with PS!!) and while we waited for our table we saw a lot of of people turned away who had no PS. They turned away parties of 2, 4, and even a party of 10. Lots of very unhappy campers, believe me!!
It was so crowded that they even had no room for them at the bar--.

 

[Shells9]

We were there on 05/03, which was a Saturday. I called about 2 weeks in advance and made a PS for the Biergarten in Germany. Got the PS for 10 with no problem.

When we checked in, we saw several parties asked if they had a priority seating, and when they said no, they were turned away. The strange thing was, I don't recall the restaurant being full.

Our thought was that perhaps as part of the infamous "cut backs" perhaps they are planning better, and trying to eliminate watse. Kind of like, "We know we are having "x" number of people, so that is what we will prepare for. We're not going to take any chances on preparing a ton of food, and having no one show up."

The food was AWESOME by the way. It is on our list of go backs!

 

[crisi]

We went in early Febuary 2002. We got turned down flat at Teppenyaki. It would have been a two hour wait at Whispering Canyon. We tried two places at MGM at lunch time and were turned away (or given a significant wait).

We didn't book PSs because we were traveling with small kids and wanted flexibility. But we didn't get flexibility, since what happened is we had tired STARVING kids who needed to eat NOW! Not in two hours, not in the time in would take us to walk from Teppenyaki over to see if anything was open at Beirgarten.

We did walk into Marrakesh early. We ate at Whispering Canyon another night when we called at 3:00 and they fit us in at 6:00 (within 1/2 an hour of when we wanted to eat).

If you don't have PSs, don't wait to start looking for a restaurant until you are hungry. And be prepared to spend time looking for restaurants that can seat you. (Bringing a cell phone and calling WDW-DINE while on the move is a GREAT idea).

 

[songbert]

We will have cell phones with us, so that's a great idea

My son will be the youngest in our party of 4, and he is 14, so waiting isn't much of an issue.

I knew I would get great answers to my post