How do we plan dinner around these park hours?...

[OFF TO WDW!]

Hello all!

Question,

We are going to be arriving on Monday April 30th for 5 nights and staying at the DL hotel.

My wife and I are not sure about planning dinner because when I called to make "Priority seating" for dinner at a couple of different park restaurants at 6:00 p.m., the CSR told me although the park hours are not released on the website yet, that he had them for the week we are there and the Park hours for both parks would be 10 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.all week.

Now reality is if we go for dinner at 5:30 (earliest we would want to) or 6:00 p.m., we really aren't going to be able to do much after that.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice from experience the best way to plan while the park is on the schedule that I mention?


Thanks

 

[jennilouwho]

We'd probably eat lunch in the park and then a hearty snack around 5 or 6 while waiting for a show, parade, what not and then eat peanut butter sandwiches or something easy when we got back to the hotel at night if still hungry.

 

[HydroGuy]

I would have dinner later at 7 or 7:30 or maybe even 8.

 

[Tiny Little Seed]

I would also vote for the later dinner (7-7:30pm or later). Popcorn at 3pm makes it bearable.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Restaurants are cheaper for lunch so we like to eat before the evening prices kick in. Often we'll eat breakfast at the Carnation Cafe, then have a late(!) lunch and we're set for the day. YMMV

Or you could eat after the parks close. Downtown Disney is open late, and there's also several good restaurants just outside Disneyland.

 

[Susie63]

We always had a late afternoon snack and then ate in DTD after the park closed.There are lots of great places to eat in DTD.

 

[californiamomof4grls]

I called yesterday too to make our AR's for April 29th - May 2nd and they told me 9 - 8 I hope it isn't really 10! I like to get started early!
To comment on Op's post, we chose to do late lunches around 3:00. We bring snacks in and our hotel does a hot free breakfast and if the kids are hungry we'll pick something up when we leave.
The weird thing was I was trying to get her to tell the time the parks were opened and closed. So I said to her I know it's off Season and the park isn't open as late but I was thinking of dinner around 7 and she said it isn't really off season but the park will be open from 9 -8pm So you wouldn't be able to go back in to the park for rides by the time your done eating. What did she mean it isn't really off season and if it isn't off season why isn't the park open later??