Do I need to make PS reservations?

[fairycat]

One hint for people as well, you can call the PS line for free from any pay phone in the parks. I have often called and made PS's for later the same day. Even when we had no luck with walk up. But we also made it easy and were willing to take any time available.

The main places I have had issues getting into with walk up were Blue Bayou and occassionally WCT. Otherwise we have had pretty good luck getting in same day through calling or walking up everywhere else. With some place like Goofy's though I would make a PS.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Well, I totally agree with Goofy's buffet for breakfast (remember, try to get there between 8:00 and 10:30 a.m., if possible, for best chance at lots of characters, but if not, it will still be fun).

I also agree with the previous posters who suggested Carnation Cafe for another breakfast (and that definitely should have a PS).

I love Rain Forest Cafe for lunch or dinner, but a really great time to eat there to get a sense of the restaurant and soak in the atmosphere is for breakfast - hardly anyone goes there in the morning, so that is something to consider. If you eat at RFC for dinner, definitely make a PS!

I love ESPN Zone too, so that's a good choice. Blue Bayou will be a great experience for you (great atmosphere).

You might want to try River Belle Terrace (counter service) for Mickey pancakes.

Storytellers Cafe in GCH is a nice restaurant for lunch or dinner. Wine Country Trattoria in DCA is great.

Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn in DL has lots of characters.

I have never done Hook's Pointe.

Sherry, is it okay to go to Goofy's earlier than 8am? Does it even open earlier than 8am anyway? Are there less characters before 8?

Would 5.30pm be an alright time to have dinner at Blue Bayou?

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry, is it okay to go to Goofy's earlier than 8am? Does it even open earlier than 8am anyway? Are there less characters before 8?

Would 5.30pm be an alright time to have dinner at Blue Bayou?

Goofy's opens at 7:00 a.m. every day, and truthfully, on the last couple of visits to DLR, we were there at either 7:00 a.m. on the dot or at 7:30 a.m. Prior to that we would get there closer to maybe 8:30 or so. Chances are, when you arrive at Goofy's - if you arrive at 7:00 a.m. - there will only be Goofy and possibly one other character there at opening. When we walked in, Goofy and Baloo were standing by the entrance, watching us enter, kind of leaning on a wall, trying to size up the weekend morning crowd. So we got to our table and my friend instantly headed to the buffet while I got my camera out and set it on the table to be prepared. I waited for her. As soon as she returned and I got up to get my food, however, some character or other showed up at our table while I was gone and I missed him. My friend told him someone was missing and to please some back later, which he thankfully did. Anyway, as the morning wore on (in the 90 minutes we were there), more characters began to arrive, such as regulars Chip, Dale and Pluto (he stands at the entry to Goofy's, taking photos with either your camera or PhotoPass cameras) and Aurora, Prince Philip and Jasmine. But they were not all there at 7:00 a.m. They seemed to trickle in over time.

So, knowing that many folks are used to the mass quantities of characters at Minnie & Friends and that Goofy's tends to get a bad rap for 'not having enough characters,' I now try to remember to put out the disclaimer that there may be characters at 7:00 a.m., but the bulk of them probably do not show up until 8:00 a.m., and hang around for a good 2 or 3 hours. I don't mind as much if we get there while the characters arrive over the course of our 90 minutes, because it gives me a chance to eat my food, but I know other folks do mind, so I like to forewarn everyone now! So you can go at 7:00 a.m. but just be aware that only a couple might be there then and the rest will show up as the morning unfolds. The food is hot and fresh at that time, the fruit is juicy and ripe, and the restaurant is not all that crowded right at 7:00 a.m., so I like it, even if we only see Goofy and Baloo or one of the Chipmunks for the first 30 minutes. They tend to come back to the table repeatedly when the restaurant is slower and they have fewer folks to visit, so you get more one-on-one time (my friend was sick of Chip and Dale and Goofy after a while because they kept coming back to our table before Aurora & Jasmine, etc., showed up).

As for Blue Bayou, I would say if you can't make it there at the early 11:30 a.m. seating, then the earlier in the evening, the better. When we were at BB last year at around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. (I am blanking out on the exact time now), we had to wait at least 45 minutes for a table, and the parlor waiting area was jam packed and HOT. I have a hunch that it gets more crowded as the night wears on. So 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. would probably be good.

 

[funatdisney]

As for Blue Bayou, I would say if you can't make it there at the early 11:30 a.m. seating, then the earlier in the evening, the better.... So 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. would probably be good.

Your dead on with this one, Sherry. I just ate at BB last Friday. We were seated within 15 minutes of arrival and they were turning away walk ups. I made my PS for 5:20pm, but arrived at 5:10pm. I was surprised that the wait was not that long. It was so crowded, we had to stand for a short time before a space on the steps opened up. We had a pleasant wonderful dinner and it was perfectly timed. Gave us a rest when we needed it and still have time to go back to the parks for more fun. (We had to leave by 9pm that day.)

 

[~ButterflyKisses~]

Ok what do you think of my list so far?

We've decided to make two PS's a day and then if we decide not to use them then it's no loss but I'd rather we have booked somewhere just incase.

Tues - Dinner at EPSN Zone at 7pm
Thurs - Lunch at Ariel's Grotto at 12pm, Dinner at Rainforest Cafe at 7pm
Fri - Breakfast at Goofy's at 9am, Dinner at ??? (suggestions please!)
Sat - Lunch at Carnation Cafe at 12pm, Dinner at Blue Bayou at 6.30pm

Are these times ok? Where else would you suggest for dinner? I'm thinking maybe Hook's Pointe or Storyteller's Cafe. Is storyteller's a character meal?

 

[Sherry E]

Ok what do you think of my list so far?

We've decided to make two PS's a day and then if we decide not to use them then it's no loss but I'd rather we have booked somewhere just incase.

Tues - Dinner at EPSN Zone at 7pm
Thurs - Lunch at Ariel's Grotto at 12pm, Dinner at Rainforest Cafe at 7pm
Fri - Breakfast at Goofy's at 9am, Dinner at ??? (suggestions please!)
Sat - Lunch at Carnation Cafe at 12pm, Dinner at Blue Bayou at 6.30pm

Are these times ok? Where else would you suggest for dinner? I'm thinking maybe Hook's Pointe or Storyteller's Cafe. Is storyteller's a character meal?

Looks good so far!! You have some great choices! Storytellers Cafe is only a character meal for breakfast. The rest of the day it is open for lunch and dinner without characters. At the character meal, you will find the woodsy/jungly Disney characters such as the ever-present Chip and Dale (they get around to a few character meals!), Koda and Kenai, Terk, sometimes Meeko, sometimes Rafiki, occasionally Baloo, and a random sighting of a Brer character here and there (but not often). For breakfast, you can order buffet or from the menu (which is almost as expensive as the buffet!). Many people like the calm, laid back character breakfast at Storytellers, but I actually prefer the restaurant for lunch or dinner during the non-character hours. It is a cozy, warm, toasty type of restaurant. Nice environment.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Goofy's opens at 7:00 a.m. every day, and truthfully, on the last couple of visits to DLR, we were there at either 7:00 a.m. on the dot or at 7:30 a.m. Prior to that we would get there closer to maybe 8:30 or so. Chances are, when you arrive at Goofy's - if you arrive at 7:00 a.m. - there will only be Goofy and possibly one other character there at opening. When we walked in, Goofy and Baloo were standing by the entrance, watching us enter, kind of leaning on a wall, trying to size up the weekend morning crowd. So we got to our table and my friend instantly headed to the buffet while I got my camera out and set it on the table to be prepared. I waited for her. As soon as she returned and I got up to get my food, however, some character or other showed up at our table while I was gone and I missed him. My friend told him someone was missing and to please some back later, which he thankfully did. Anyway, as the morning wore on (in the 90 minutes we were there), more characters began to arrive, such as regulars Chip, Dale and Pluto (he stands at the entry to Goofy's, taking photos with either your camera or PhotoPass cameras) and Aurora, Prince Philip and Jasmine. But they were not all there at 7:00 a.m. They seemed to trickle in over time.

So, knowing that many folks are used to the mass quantities of characters at Minnie & Friends and that Goofy's tends to get a bad rap for 'not having enough characters,' I now try to remember to put out the disclaimer that there may be characters at 7:00 a.m., but the bulk of them probably do not show up until 8:00 a.m., and hang around for a good 2 or 3 hours. I don't mind as much if we get there while the characters arrive over the course of our 90 minutes, because it gives me a chance to eat my food, but I know other folks do mind, so I like to forewarn everyone now! So you can go at 7:00 a.m. but just be aware that only a couple might be there then and the rest will show up as the morning unfolds. The food is hot and fresh at that time, the fruit is juicy and ripe, and the restaurant is not all that crowded right at 7:00 a.m., so I like it, even if we only see Goofy and Baloo or one of the Chipmunks for the first 30 minutes. They tend to come back to the table repeatedly when the restaurant is slower and they have fewer folks to visit, so you get more one-on-one time (my friend was sick of Chip and Dale and Goofy after a while because they kept coming back to our table before Aurora & Jasmine, etc., showed up).

As for Blue Bayou, I would say if you can't make it there at the early 11:30 a.m. seating, then the earlier in the evening, the better. When we were at BB last year at around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. (I am blanking out on the exact time now), we had to wait at least 45 minutes for a table, and the parlor waiting area was jam packed and HOT. I have a hunch that it gets more crowded as the night wears on. So 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. would probably be good.

Okay Sherry, well I think I might make the PS for 7.30am and then we should be fine.

Thanks for the info on the Blue Bayou also, any tips on how to get a waterside table?

 

[~ButterflyKisses~]

Thanks for your reply Sherry!

Storyteller's sounds good for dinner. Are there any other places you would suggest? What about the House of Blues? We've never been to DL or even America before so have no idea what any of these places are like!

What characters can we expect to see at Goofy's and Ariel's?

 

[Sherry E]

Okay Sherry, well I think I might make the PS for 7.30am and then we should be fine.

Thanks for the info on the Blue Bayou also, any tips on how to get a waterside table?

Well, we didn't get a waterside table last year because we simply went too late in the evening on too busy of a weekend, and there were too many people waiting for tables at that point. But what other DIS-ers have said, and what Disneyland Dining tends to recommend, is to go up to the check-in desk at BB about 15 minutes before your PS time and tell them you are there and request a waterside table at that moment. Other folks have said it is best to just eat lunch there at 11:30 a.m. and get a waterside table that way. We tried to go up to the check-in desk early and request the table, but they told us we would have to wait for an hour if we wanted waterside (again, this was somewhere after 8:00 p.m.), and we said no. Then we ended up waiting almost an hour to be seated anyway - except we were at a table in the back of the restaurant. So I would do a fairly early evening PS and show ups early and let them know you want waterside.

Your Goofy's time should be okay, I think!

Thanks for your reply Sherry!

Storyteller's sounds good for dinner. Are there any other places you would suggest? What about the House of Blues? We've never been to DL or even America before so have no idea what any of these places are like!

What characters can we expect to see at Goofy's and Ariel's?

Wine Country Trattoria in DCA is a nice little place for lunch or dinner. Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square, maybe. I have not eaten at the House of Blues in Anaheim. I have only been to the one that is closer to where I live - and that was years ago - but if you have never been to a HOB, then you may want to try it once to have the HOB experience. A LOT of people love Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in DTD, so you may want to try that. I also like Naples in DTD (but a lot of folks do not like it). Steakhouse 55 in the DLH is another option.

Characters at Goofy's breakfast tend to be: Goofy, Chip, Dale, Pluto and Baloo (regulars, always there when I am there), and rotating guest stars which could include anyone from Jasmine and Aladdin to Aurora and Prince Phillip, Belle, Snow White, Alice and the Mad Hatter, Captain Hook, Minnie Mouse, the Genie, Max (Goofy's son), etc. You never know exactly who will be there and when, but it will be some combination of some of those characters. I think someone saw Cinderella there a couple of weeks ago as well. You may see 5 characters or 8 - one never knows.

I have not eaten at Ariel's yet, but from DIS-ers' photos it appears Ariel is always there, of course, as well as 3 or 4 other Princesses which range from Cinderella to Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White, Belle, Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. It looks like there are always 4 or 5 of them there, but you never know exactly which ones besides Ariel.

 

[~ButterflyKisses~]

Ok I have just revised my list. We have a magic morning on Thursday so I swapped Ariel's & carnation cafe around as we'd rather stay in DL on that morning rather than heading over to DCA. Do you think 12.30pm for lunch on Thursday is ok or should we make it 1pm? How much time should I allow to do the rides on that morning considering we will have a magic morning entry?

Tuesday – Dinner at EPSN zone 7pm
Thursday –Lunch at Carnation Café 12.30pm, Dinner at Rainforest Café 7pm
Friday – Breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen 9am, Dinner at Blue Bayou 6.30pm
Saturday – Lunch at Ariel’s Grotto 12pm, Dinner at either Hook’s Pointe, Storytellers or House of Blues at 6.30pm

 

[Sherry E]

Ok I have just revised my list. We have a magic morning on Thursday so I swapped Ariel's & carnation cafe around as we'd rather stay in DL on that morning rather than heading over to DCA. Do you think 12.30pm for lunch on Thursday is ok or should we make it 1pm? How much time should I allow to do the rides on that morning considering we will have a magic morning entry?

Tuesday – Dinner at EPSN zone 7pm
Thursday –Lunch at Carnation Café 12.30pm, Dinner at Rainforest Café 7pm
Friday – Breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen 9am, Dinner at Blue Bayou 6.30pm
Saturday – Lunch at Ariel’s Grotto 12pm, Dinner at either Hook’s Pointe, Storytellers or House of Blues at 6.30pm

That makes sense, to stay in DL for Carnation after the MM hour. I don't know if your MM hour is going to be at 7:00 a.m. that day or later (depends on what time the park opens that day). If you hit Fantasyland first and knock out a bunch of those rides that develop lines quickly during your MM hour, and then follow other DIS-ers' tips on which rides to get on early in the morning, you should be able to get a lot done before your Carnation Cafe 12:30 lunch time. That's a lot of time!

I am excited for you! You have a lot of good meals awaiting you, and you will have a wonderful time at DLR during that time of year, and in America!!! I can't tell by your ticker/countdown clock - I know you are coming to America in just over one month, and will be visiting New York (my friend just sent me some pins from the 3-story World of Disney store in New York City - and make sure to stop by the M&M's Store, the Hershey Store, Dylan's Candy Bar, Serendipity 3 - for frozen hot chocolate - and Magnolia Bakery if you can, for cupcakes, along with all the other wonderful places in New York like Central Park, Times Square, etc.), along with Las Vegas (make sure to visit the Disney Store in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace - they sell cute little Mickeys and Minnies wearing Roman togas and things) and San Diego (beautiful city). But I can't tell if you will be in DLR during the beginning of Halloweentime (on September 25). What are your actual dates for the DLR portion of your trip?

 

[~ButterflyKisses~]

Thank you Sherry for taking the time to reply. Your comments are so helpful!

We'll be at the DLR from 21st-28th September so just in time for the beginning of the Halloween season. We'll have 4 full days in the parks on Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat. We arrive just after lunch on the 21st and will be going to the Angels vs Yankees game that night.

Our magic morning on the Thursday will be at 9am as the parks don't open until 10am. As we're staying at the DLH we'll get MM on Saturday too won't we?

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you Sherry for taking the time to reply. Your comments are so helpful!

We'll be at the DLR from 21st-28th September so just in time for the beginning of the Halloween season. We'll have 4 full days in the parks on Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat. We arrive just after lunch on the 21st and will be going to the Angels vs Yankees game that night.

Our magic morning on the Thursday will be at 9am as the parks don't open until 10am. As we're staying at the DLH we'll get MM on Saturday too won't we?

Oh, you're very welcome! No problem at all. I am excited for you and can't wait to get the full rundown of your trip when you get back! In fact, if I could hurry and make my own DLR plans for the Halloween season, I may end up being there for a day or two during the time you are there (I am considering 9/25 or 9/26, possibly, but not sure yet).

It will be so fun for you to be at DLR during part of the 'regular' season with the Celebration balloons and all, and then all of a sudden, on September 25th, it will be magically transformed for Halloween season. Suddenly the pumpkins will be up everywhere and the Haunted Mansion Holiday will be running. You will get the best of both worlds - the regular DLR and the Halloween DLR! And you will get a whole bunch of Mickey 'ears' bath products suring your stay at the DLH!

Yes, you should be getting two MMs! Your Saturday MM will most likely start earlier than the Thursday MM. In fact, if you checked out of the DLH on Sunday, I THINK you can technically use the Sunday MM option as well (assuming your Hoppers were still valid). But if not, Thursday and Saturday MMs will be good.