Dining Questions - First trip to WDW

[firsttrip]

This is our first trip to WDW. I have a few questions about dining and would love some help.

1) Is it true that you can only book Priority Seating 90 days in advance. Is that for all restaurants including ones in the resorts?

2) Once you are at 90 days in advance can you book PS for all of the days of your stay or do you need to call back each day?

3) Do you book PS for all your meals. My husband feels that there is no way that people go to so much trouble prior to getting to the park. I think he is mistaken and that alot of people do book PS in advance.

4) Do you book PS for all your meals or just a few of the special ones?

5) Please give me a suggestion of the top 3 picks for girls age 4 & 7

Thanks so much. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Nancy

 

[Kaycee]

With the exception of the dinner shows and a couple of restaurants (Victoria & Albert's, Bistro de Paris) all PS's can be made 90 days in advance. Here's a link that lists when PS's can be made for all restaurants and dinner shows as well as a couple of other special events:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html

Up until recently, you had to call back each day as the dates for your trip came within the 90 day period. But now if you are staying at a WDW resort you can call when the first day of your trip is within the 90 day period and make your PS's for that day as well as the rest of the days of your trip, up to 10 days out. If your trip is longer than 10 days, you'd have to call back for those later days. If you are staying offsite you will still need to call for each day when it is within the 90 day period.

The number of PS's that people make for their trip varies from person to person. Some people make PS's for almost all their meals, some make one for each day, some make just a few PS's. And, of course, some people don't make any. The number of PS's my family makes varies from trip to trip, but we usually make between four and seven PS's for a week-long trip. I think that with the popularity of the dining plan, it's more important than ever to make PS's for any restaurant where you really want to eat.

I don't have any daughters, so I can't give you any recommendations for which restaurants little girls like. But I think that the character meals, especially the ones with princesses, would be a hit.

Happy planning!

 

[bellarella]

1) Is it true that you can only book Priority Seating 90 days in advance. Is that for all restaurants including ones in the resorts?
Yes, except for the shows (Hoopdy Do, Spirit of Aloha, etc.) and Victoria and Alberts, which can be booked earlier.

2) Once you are at 90 days in advance can you book PS for all of the days of your stay or do you need to call back each day?I believe they have just changed this for guests staying on-site that yes, you can now book all PS/ADRs 90 days from your arrival (up to 100 days in advance, so if you are staying more than 10 days you would have to call back for those later dates)

3) Do you book PS for all your meals. My husband feels that there is no way that people go to so much trouble prior to getting to the park. I think he is mistaken and that alot of people do book PS in advance.
Your husband is mistaken, especially with the dining plan, many people are booking for all their TS meals in advance.

4) Do you book PS for all your meals or just a few of the special ones?
I booked at least one meal a day.

5) Please give me a suggestion of the top 3 picks for girls age 4 & 7
1900 Park Fare, CRT, and Chef Mickey (though I really didn't like the food there)

 

[Ranatra]

Have a great first trip! (When are you going?)

1. 90 days in advance is the earliest you can book your priority seating

2. Yes, you can book for all of your days, you don't have to call back

3. I do book Priority Seating for all my meals

4. I know where and when we are eating before we leave for our trip and all my PS's are booked, except of course for Rainforest Cafe or Planet Hollywood, if we are eating there that trip.

5. I think these are good choices that your age girls would enjoy

Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge
Prime Time Cafe in MGM
Sci Fi in MGM

 

[ccw]

As I always tell my sons, "It's always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." SOOOOO I would encourage you to make as many ADRs at the 90 day window as you think you would POSSIBLY need, then please cancel those you rule out later. No, having said that, I have made two trips with no ADRs...one in the summer when we did not expect to eat in "the world" and one in early December with just one son and his preference was to just "go with the flow." During the summer trip, there was one night where we would like to have had a reservation to avoid long waits but nothing was available at the last minute so we just did counter service in the Magic Kingdom and it was o.k. For the Dec. trip because crowds were so low, we were able to walk in to a couple of table service places with no reservations and it actually was kind of nice to not be bound up by adhering to reservation times. We had been so many times before that we were comfortable with doing that...if you are new to WDW you might like a little more structure to your days to avoid disappointment.

 

[ybcart7]

Cinderella's Round Table Breakfast -- ressies must be made at the 90 day mark - 6:59 am EST - your DD's will love it -- take a princess costume with you to make it even more magical!!

Ohana's is a great place for kids -- Coconut races - hula hoop contests - head-shoulders-knee's-toes in Hawaiin - just a fabulous time! and wonderful food!!!

 

[sue1013]

I'll try to answer your questions.
1. I think the only exception to the 90 days is Hoop De Doo that can be booked 2 yrs ahead.
2. They have recently changed so that at your first date that is 90 you can book all your dates for resort guests.
3. Depends on when you are going and if your group needs to eat at certain times. When we go at Easter time we make all dinner AR's (what were PS) since it is so crowded. We go in the beginning of December each year and except for the weekends have never had a problem getting in the restaurant we want. But there are only 2 of us that may make a difference. Sometimes we will decide in the morning where we want to eat and call that day. Most people on these boards seem to make AR's for every day so if you decide to tell hubby you're not alone.
4. Again depending if you're going at a crowded time or not. Even at crowded times I've never made one for breakfast except character breakfasts when my kids were small.
5. We went with my 4 yrs nephew in March. He loved Chef Mickey's, Ohana, Whispering Canyon, Biergarten and Sci Fi. If your girls like to princesses there are a couple places that have them.