Eating at other hotel resturants?

[wideeyes]

Hi

I have just a few questions that i hope some one can help me with.

1.I am staying at allstars and i was wondering if it is possible to use the table service resturants at other hotels at wdw resort?

2.If so, how far in advance should i book?

3. is it easy to travel between the different hotels using the disney transport?

Thanks

 

[Claire L]

Yes anyone can eat at any hotel restaurant. If it is a more popular meal ie characters then booking it is a good idea. As for travel too and from you could get a bus to either the TTC or DTD from your hotel and then pick up a bus going to the hotel where your meal is. If traveling from one of the parks to the hotel than that will be direct. I take it you are not driving?

Claire

 

[wideeyes]

I am trying to decied if to hire a car or not, we are only going for a week and so will be spending most of the time at wdw.

 

[Hilary]

It's a great idea to eat at the other WDW resorts, and it's positively encouraged by Disney - you might decide to stay in a different resort on your next trip once you've seen what they're like!

Transportation between WDW resorts is possible, but not always easy and usually time-consuming. There are no direct bus routes between resorts, so you need to use one of the parks or DTD as a change-over stop. If you're planning to go straight from a park you'll have no trouble, but door to door can take up to anhour and a half, depending on where you're going.

Unless we're going to a monorail resort (Poly / Grand Florid / Contemp) we take the first bus that comes along, whichever park it's going to, then change for the resort bus when we arrive. For the monorail resorts, it's probably worth waiting for the MK bus

 

[jen_uk]

If you are only going for a week and are staying onsite I really wouldnt bother with a car, the WDW transport is really good and you dont have the hassle of parking etc. Its also cheaper to just use their service! If you book a meal at another hotel then maybe you could plan your trip so that you go to the park closest to that hotel so that you can just nip over when it is time to eat?

 

[jools]

Just want to confirm what other people have said.

Since you are planning on just doing WDW I would not bother with a car the Disney transport will be good enough. Just allow plenty of time (1 to 1 and a half hours) if you are travelling from your hotel to another. Or given the money you have saved on not having a hire car you could treat yourself to a taxi if you are running late.

First time we stayed on site we never used the car at all.

 

[Amyrlin]

I agree s well. I have find the hotel resturants are better that the parks, they are less rushed, in general and you can relax more while eating.

 

[Cinderella]

U will be fine for a week without a car - but i will say - eating at some of the resort hotels can be a pain transport wise - unless you plan things out well. For instance if eating at the AK Lodge, you'd be better getting a taxi.

If you're going to be eating at any of the Magic Kingdom Resorts - obviously tie in your meal with a visit to MK, then you can get the transport there to get back to your resorts.

As for eating in Epcot resort area - if you are eating dinner there at night, before leaving the park - you would have to walk right the way back thru epcot to get to the transportation - it is a big park, and the queues for transport late at night from there can be horrendous. You would be better getting a taxi back from the epcot resort area to your resort.

Best thing to do is plan what parks you will be visiting when then plan your meals round them. Arrange to do one park in the morning then go back to your hotel to rest and swim and do another park in the evening. You will be able to get a lot of help planning your itinerary on these boards.

 

[jools]

Just another option if you are eating in EPCOT. You could exit through the International Gateway just between Great Britain and France and will probably be a nearer exit than walking back to the front of the park. Take the boat or walk through to the Boardwalk or Y & Beach club and get a bus to Down Town Disney from there you can get a bus back to your own resort.

 

[Cinderella]

Yes - you can do what has just been suggested, but it will take a long time - and with a four year old in tow, you don't want to be wasting time travelling late at night. The taxi fares are cheap - and the front desk of any of the resorts will call one for you, regardless of whether you're staying in that particular hotel or not.