Dining Reservations

[LaurieRL]

We're planning a 1 day visit to Disneyland only the week before Galaxy's Edge opens. It will be our first time in Disneyland although we visiting WDW last year (and several times prior). We were thinking of doing a Fantasmic package but I don't think it will be on the day we are there. I see on the app that there are 3 restaurants that take reservations so I assume the rest are quick service type restaurants. Do we need to make reservations at one those or will we be good with the quick service options? We were disappointed in some of the Magic Kingdom offerings last year (we did a character lunch and wished we had reserved something for dinner).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Dining reservations open up 60 days (usually, sometimes it takes a bit longer) before your date. So the F! dining package reservations will open up soon. (The dining and entertainment calendar has been a little slow to fill in lately -- don't worry if you don't see F! on your date right away.) Keep watching the website and app, or call when your date opens up. For dining at DL in general, you can make a TS reservation if that is something you'd like to do (e.g. eat at Blue Bayou -- inside POTC), but it isn't necessary. CS options at DLR are very good (many people here think CS at DLR is better than at WDW) -- and Mobile Ordering on the app makes thing much easier and quicker. You can look at the menus online to see what kind of choices are available.

 

[figment_jii]

There are five table service restaurants in Disneyland (Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, River Belle Terrace, Carnation Cafe, and the Plaza Inn for breakfast only) that take reservations. If you want to eat at any of the TS locations at a specific time, I would make a reservation. Walk-ups are much more likely to be available at DL than they are at WDW, but there are times when they are not accepting walk-ups or the wait is pretty long (>45 minutes). Blue Bayou is the only one that almost never takes walk-ups (or if they do, it's at really slow times). The Plaza Inn is a character breakfast buffet (so it takes reservation) and then it switches to a CS location (no characters) for lunch and dinner.

Otherwise, DL has a lot of really good CS options. I generally like DL CS better than MK CS. I especially like Jolly Holiday (the desserts!), the French Market, Plaza Inn (Fried Chicken!), and the Red Rose Taverne (the poutine and the grey stuff dessert).

In terms of F!, it might only be presented on Fri, Sat, and Sun while you're there. It's being presented nightly now, but this is "Spring Break Season" in DLR, which ends in late-April. They usually start the summer season schedule with Memorial Day weekend. However, with the opening of SW:GE that weekend, the schedule might all be in flux at this point and the past might not be a good predictor of the future. When it is being shown, the Fantasmic Dining Package is usually available at the Blue Bayou and River Belle Terrace. There is also a "on-the-go" option at Hungry Bear (a CS location).

 

[CableKC]

To piggy back on figment_jii's post:

Blue Bayou - If you want a high end restaurant while enjoying the atmosphere, make Reservations now. It's worth it if you like to enjoy a really nice 4+ star meal. But keep in mind that this is the priciest option at CL ( the other would be the Carthay Restaurant at DCA ).

Carnation Cafe - Good for Breakfast. Same thing here, book dining reservations ahead of time. It's a good breakfast option that is closer to a table dining service. All the other breakfast options are more like a cafeteria experience.

In terms of everything else? I like Cafe Orleans as it's another table service restaurant that serves something different than what you can get elsewhere in the park. River Belle Terrace is okay, but I haven't been a real fan of the food. I'd choose Cafe Orleans over River Belle Terrace.

Either way, you can't go wrong if you want to sit down to take a break while at the park. Just be sure to book as soon as you are able to.