How long do you stay at a "sit down meal"? (ADR's)

[Disneyliscious]

We are doing our first ADR's this year and I want to display some etiquette and be curteous of others. We booked an ADR at Sci Fi for 4:20pm. Our hope is that we can eat, let our food rest and then go get in line for Fantasmic about 6PM for the 7:30PM show. Is staying an hour and a half at the popular restaurants considered a no-no?

Im just not too keen on eating and then taking kids (or myself for that matter) out into he heat with bellies full of milkshakes.

Ideally, I wouldn't want to get in line for Fantasmic until 6:30pm, but Im not going to push it. Maybe we cn get a later ADR at SCi Fi......still tryin.

 

[Constance]

I think you're good with that time. I've gone to Sci Fi alone - do it every trip - and I'm there for an hour. Sometimes the food is ready to come out faster than I expect, but the waitstaff always ask me if I'd like to wait before they bring it out.

If you do find yourself with some extra time, I'd recommend heading to the water area where the ducks are - they are so much fun to watch, or toss in some change and make wishes. Or you could go right next door to the Writer's Stop and browse for a bit. Or take a few pictures of family seated in the "car" that's located outside the restaurant.

This is one of my "must-do's" at Disney, because I love the ambience and I have never had anything but exceptional service. And I made my reservations for dinner before Fantasmic (on that occasion, for two) at the time you have and we only had a little time, so we browsed in Writer's Stop. (And bought treats to bring back to the resort later....as if we weren't stuffed enough!)

Have fun!

 

[Mommy2SabrinaJeremy]

I normally spend about 90 minutes at a TS restaurant. Should be no problem.

 

[fla4fun]

Also, there are no guarantees that you will be seated precisely at your ADR time. It's not unusual to have to wait 15 minutes or so to be seated. So you may find that you don't have as much time to fill after dinner as you think.

I have found sometimes it feels like they try to rush you through a theme park TS restaurant, especially if it's busy. If you aren't ready to leave, just don't pay until you are ready to go. It's not unusual for a TS meal to take 90 minutes at the resorts (and much longer sometimes - just think Cali Grill before fireworks when people wait, and wait and wait . . . .) so I wouldln't let them rush you at the parks either.

One thing though, if I'm sitting at a table longer than I feel I normally would, I usually tip the server a little extra because I'm not allowing the table to turn as quickly. I just feel it's the courteous thing to do.

I totally understand not wanting to go out into the heat after a heavy meal. When I go to Disney during hot weather, I pretty much eat light CS meals and leave the TS meals for my winter trips.

 

[MickeyNicki]

For a non buffet sit down, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours...depends on the place. The Wave took us 2 hours both times we went but Sci Fi lunch was just under an hour

 

[blanq]

The time it takes to eat at a TS restaurant depends on:

1. The kind of patrons the restaurant is trying to cater to. (in my experience, a meal at CG for example, will take longer than a meal at Sci-Fi).
2. The number of courses you are ordering.
3. How busy the restaurant is.
4. How well the restaurant is staffed.

This actually is something that is not too easy to predict in my opinion.

 

[Kathy Z]

I agree with previous answers. There are so many variables that can affect how long it would normally take you. If you have young children even a CS meal can take an hour. At least that was our experience. Our 7 year-old granddaughter is a very slow eater. And we have this rule that she must eat a certain amount of her main course before she can have dessert. Anyone with children who are picky eaters know how long that can take. I'd say our CS meals averaged an hour and our TS meals about 90 minutes.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Our meals take much longer than the average family because we have food allergies. After we're seated, we have to wait for a chef to come out to our table to discuss our options. Then, the chef has to make our food from scratch. Even at buffets we have to go through this. I expect to take at least 2 hours for our TS meals once we're actually shown to our table. I don't worry about how long I'm taking up the table. I'm a paying customer just like anybody else and this is how long it takes for my family to finish our meals. I have no intention of scarfing down our food and making ourselves sick. We don't linger once we're done (we're anxious to get back to our activities after that long in a restaurant) but we also don't feel the need to rush.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Thanks so much for these replies. Or party will consist of myself (35), DeH (29), DS's (16 and 8), and my mother who is 57. Im concerned about my mother standing for an hour and a half in the Fantasmic line. For some reason, walking isnt as bad on her as standing.

We have only done Fantasmic once and I wasn't impressed at all. My DeH and my oldest son were with me and they loved it. DS 8 and my mother have never seen it. Im really only doing this for them because I had hoped to skip it.

Im trying daily to just get a Fantasmic Package but no luck yet. Hopefully one will open upbut I really dont look for it to. Im also trying to get my Sci Fi a little later...maybe aroud 5pm so we can leave by 6:30pm and go get in line for the 7:30pm show. I've read that you need to be in line a hour early so this is my goal.

Maybe they will be a little late seating us for our 4:20pm reservation at Sci Fi...lol

Another thing Im thinking of, since w are hitting te park at opening...is to just do a Sci Fi lunch and go back to the house for a while. Sadly, we're paying all that money for tickets to just do a few things - RnR, ToT, Stunt Show, and possibly Star Wars. We may could get all that done early enough to eat a late lunch and then go home for a few hours and come back for the show. Does that even sound realistic?

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We always seem to get the slow servers. Usually it's an hour and a half for us.

It's actually kind of funny when we do TS because it's normal for us to end up in bad seats (like by the kitchen door that the servers go in and out of or near the bathroom door that customers go in and out of). Add that to slow servers and it's a wonder DH ever wants to eat TS at WDW.

 

[webstah]

Our hope is that we can eat, let our food rest and then go get in line for Fantasmic about 6PM
Im just not too keen on eating and then taking kids (or myself for that matter) out into the heat with bellies full of milkshakes.

It seems to me that the OP is asking if it is OK to sit for a certain amount of time AFTER they are done eating, to let their dinner settle.
To me, it would depend alot on how busy the place seems to be.
I don't think it really fair to sit for 20 minutes to 1/2 hour after you have finished eating and payed, just to let dinner settle.
People are already waiting for the table to be vacated.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

It seems to me that the OP is asking if it is OK to sit for a certain amount of time AFTER they are done eating, to let their dinner settle.
To me, it would depend alot on how busy the place sems to be.
I don't think it really fair to sit for 20 minutes to 1/2 hour after you have finished eating and payed, just to let dinner settle.
People are already waiting for the table to be vacated.

I agree with you 110%.