Best time to make dining reservations?

[aussietravellers]

We are going to Disneyland from 11th December until 19th December. There are a few restaurants that we do really want to eat at.

When is the best time to make the reservations for this time period? Before we go? If so, how far in advance is recommended? We are not going to Disney parks every day, we will be going to Paris for a day (or two) but haven't worked out which days on our trip we will do this so we don't want to book too early.

Is the time period we are going really busy? Will we have any chance of getting into restaurants if we book when we arrive? If the parks are closing early during our visit (I think it's around 7pm) are the restaurants open for dinner? (eg Walts, Lucky Nugget, Blue Lagoon?)

Restaurants we will be visiting on our trip are, Innoventions,Walts, Lucky Nugget, Blue Lagoon, Rendez vous des stars, Annettes, Cafe Mickeys, King Ludwigs, The Steakhouse (for Sunday Lunch character meal).

Would really appreciate any advice, from our trip to WDW earlier this year, it was IMPOSSIBLE , to get bookings at any restaurants whilst we were there, and even a month before when making some bookings we hardly got any or our choices, so want to know if its that bad at DLRP.

Thank you very much

 

[dlpfan]

last time we went on our trip we didnt book any of the meals prior to our holiday. we booked them at the concierge desk as soon as we arrived at our hotel. luckily, all our options were avaiable. however, we went in march which tends to be quiter.
so for you to be safe, i would advice you to call a little bit before your trip to make the reservations in order not to be disappointed.

as far as i know not all the restaurants take bookings but im not sure which ones do and which ones dont.

cafe mickey take reservations for sure and the steakhouse also i think. but im not sure about the others.

 

[ukstitch]

We are going to Disneyland from 11th December until 19th December. There are a few restaurants that we do really want to eat at.

When is the best time to make the reservations for this time period? Before we go? If so, how far in advance is recommended? We are not going to Disney parks every day, we will be going to Paris for a day (or two) but haven't worked out which days on our trip we will do this so we don't want to book too early.

Is the time period we are going really busy? Will we have any chance of getting into restaurants if we book when we arrive? If the parks are closing early during our visit (I think it's around 7pm) are the restaurants open for dinner? (eg Walts, Lucky Nugget, Blue Lagoon?)

Restaurants we will be visiting on our trip are, Innoventions,Walts, Lucky Nugget, Blue Lagoon, Rendez vous des stars, Annettes, Cafe Mickeys, King Ludwigs, The Steakhouse (for Sunday Lunch character meal).

Would really appreciate any advice, from our trip to WDW earlier this year, it was IMPOSSIBLE , to get bookings at any restaurants whilst we were there, and even a month before when making some bookings we hardly got any or our choices, so want to know if its that bad at DLRP.

Thank you very much

As you're going in the "off" season (i.e. not at high summer), some restaurants are closed on certain days.

We've been in this time period in the past and found that the parks can get very busy, meaning that the restaurants do also get very busy, especially the ones in the village just after park closing.

If your heart is set on a certain restaurant, then I would recommend booking as soon as you know where and when you want to eat, just to avoid any disappointment.

Many people do not bother booking though and still manage to get a decent meal without a stupidly long wait, so booking is by no means compulsory at DLRP, although it does cut your wait down greatly at the more popular restaurants.

Of the restaurants, you can book tables for all of them up to 60 days before your trip, except for Ludwig's and Annettes.

 

[aussietravellers]

Thanks for your replies.

Guess I have to do some sort of planning. I know which restaurants we want to dine at, and some are easy as Steakhouse for Sunday Character meal, means we are going for Sunday lunch. Now that I know which restaurants we want to eat at, guess I have to find out, which don't take reservations as I didn't realise that some of them didn't (I had figured counter service probably wouldn't but table service I assumed all would), so thanks ukstitch for the info on Ludwigs and Annettes not taking reservations.

Being a ridiculous planner (with a family of nonplanners) I am always the one getting things prebooked and organised with everyone else just wanting to play it by ear. So will get onto this dining and get all booked in the next couple of weeks, as we go in about 7 weeks (well sooner than that because we are going to the UK for a week before DLRP, so leave in 6 weeks)

 

[hildasmuriel]

I always book our meals before we go, but never more than about a week or ten days before, so I guess you have plenty of time yet. We went 20 - 23 December last year, which was a very busy time, but even a week before we were able to get all the restaurants we wanted and all the times we wanted too.

My advice for Annette's would be to eat either at lunchtime, during the parade time or an hour before Park closing - we have got a table immediately at those times.