Dining Plan and no reservations

[tita598]

I am going next month with my family and we are in the dining plan. I have reservations for Princess Story book dining @ Epcot, Donalds Breakfast and chefs mickey. I have a 3 year old daughter and I know she is going to enjoy them a lot. It is our first trip and we are the type of family that just don't like schedules ...we like to go wherever we want to and eat when we are hungry that is why we decided on not making any more reservations. but after all the reading I being doing here it seems to me that we wont be able to find any decent dinners .... has any of you been to WDW and not made reservations and just show up at restaurants ....please help me ..I need opinions, experiences... I know for the really good restaurants we are not going to have any luck but I just want something nice besides fast food. and also kind of take advantage of having the dining plan

thanks so much

 

[bekkiz]

I think there is no good answer.

Even in the typically less crowded October, people were being turned away at many sit-down restaurants. I think it's always better to be prepared than frustrated when your waits are an hour plus, or even worse, told to leave becuase there's no way to seat you.

On the other hand, I understand the difficulty in planning meals months in advance, esp. with a toddler.

Since you have a few ADRs already made, you won't starve and there's always CS. However, I would suggest that once you do decide where you'll be for the day, making an ADR, so you're not left in the cold (so to speak.) Even calling the morning of can sometimes get you a dinner that evening.

Best of luck!

 

[robinb]

First of all ...

to the DIS!!!

Now onto the advise.

First of all, not planning and "going with the flow" is one of the biggest newbie mistakes for first-time visitors to WDW.

Failing to plan a WDW vacation is planning to fail.
​

Everything is far too overwhelming to wait until you get there and go with the flow. I'm not talking about scheduling every single minute. I'm talking about scheduling the biggies: the fireworks (Wishes, IllumiNations), Fantasmic! and SpectroMagic. If you're going at a quiet time then your will want to nail SpectroMagic first since it may only run one or two nights during your stay and then work the remaining things around that.

Next, you may also think about your family and what kind of people they are: early birds or sleep ins. If you're early birds then I would recommend that you take advantage of the Extra Magical Hours in the morning. Here is a schedule:

November 2006

Morning Extra Magic Hours
Magic Kingdom - November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Epcot - November 11, 14, 21, 28
Disney-MGM Studios - November 4, 7, 18, 25
Animal Kingdom - November 6, 13, 20, 27

Evening Extra Magic Hours
Magic Kingdom - November 5, 12, 19, 26
Epcot - November 3, 10, 17, 24
Disney-MGM Studios - November 6, 13, 20, 27
Animal Kingdom - November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

If you don't think you can be at a park at 8:00 AM, then pick a different park for that day.

I would recommend that you have a very basic schedule that includes which park on what day. The day that you're at the Princess meal would be an Epcot day, the day at Donald's would be an Animal Kingdom day and the day at Chef Mickey's can be a Magic Kingdom day.

As for your dining. If you can plan your days then you know where you can fit in your remaining Table Service meals. I have seen people turned away at restaurants even before the now popular Dining Plan. I have personally tried to get a last minute reservation for 3 at a preferred restaurant while at WDW on vacation and failed. The DP has made it much, much worse.

So ... my recommendation would be to make a plan and then drop your Table Service meals into it.

Good luck!

 

[bicker]

I agree. Even in the middle of January, when temperatures could dip into the 40s, people were being turned away from every restaurant in the MK some nights. Definitely have reservations.

 

[zzyzx409]

I have a similar question about Priority Seating and Disney Dining.

In the past I usually wait until I get there and make Priority Seating plans about two days out.

We are going for a short trip, arriving evening Dec 9, leaving morning Dec 14.

I guess what I am trying to figure out...

Is waiting until I get there too late to start making Priority Seating?

Thanks,

Andy

 

[bicker]

Perhaps. I feel it isn't worth the risk being stuck taking a bus to Port Orleans just to have dinner one night.