How long to allocate for TS eating?

[Etch]

I know this is probably somewhere on the board but did some searches and couldn't find the answer.

Done majority QS in the past but looking to do some TS this time around.

When planning your day at a park, how much time do you allocate for a TS lunch or dinner? I was thinking about 90 minutes? (60 minutes to eat with a 30 minute grace period for getting seated etc.) Looking for the average experience here, not something that totally went off the rails.

I'm guessing slightly longer if it's a signature restaurant?

Would be me, DW, DS11 and DS7.

Put it here because it's more about touring strategy then restaurants but feel free to move it.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[GillianP1301]

On average we are 60 - 75 minutes for TS dining (including the wait to be seated). I always go with 75 minutes in my touring plan. If you wanted to be super conservative and on the safe side, planning for 90 minutes would be more than enough for almost any 1 credit dining experience.

 

[stace1214]

We plan for 90 for character meals just to be on the safe side and a little more than an hour for other one credit meals. We've had a few that have been longer due to not being seated on time- 'Ohana and Sci-Fi always seem to run behind for us.

 

[Nancyg56]

I budget 90 minutes for character and 75 or regular TS meals.

 

[Jennasis]

Once seated, it rarely takes us more than 45 minutes to get through a sit down meal. But it's just DH and I.

 

[Lovetherodent]

I figure an hour (and put 75 into my plan just to be safe). I book "long" experiences at the end of the day or right before afternoon break. However, how long you need may depend a little on how you eat. Dxdp with 3 courses? Going to take a little longer than entree and dessert or just entree.

 

[gharter]

It really depends where you are dining.
TS lunch is usually about 60 minutes after being seated.
TS supper can be 90-120 minutes or more if its California Griil, Jiko, Flying Fish, Il Mulino.

 

[disneyvoice]

We must have entirely different experiences than everyone else. Aside from Jiko and California Grill, we rarely find that it takes us anywhere near an hour from check in to leaving. Not because we are fast eaters, but because just about every single restaurant at WDW rushes you through your meal. There are some places that have been so consistently bad with this ('Ohana) that we won't return. Yes, you can do your best to try to slow down and pace your meal but nothing about a TS meal at WDW is designed to allow for lingering over your meal. Maybe it's because we don't order an appetizer, then an entree, and then dessert. We either order appetizers to share or just an entree. Even at TS places, I feel like the atmosphere at most restaurants is chaotic so even when you want to slow down it can be difficult. In all of our years of going to WDW I have never had an issue with not having allocated enough time for a TS meal - in fact, it is pretty standard that we are in and out MUCH faster than we planned.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We must have entirely different experiences than everyone else. Aside from Jiko and California Grill, we rarely find that it takes us anywhere near an hour from check in to leaving. Not because we are fast eaters, but because just about every single restaurant at WDW rushes you through your meal. There are some places that have been so consistently bad with this ('Ohana) that we won't return. Yes, you can do your best to try to slow down and pace your meal but nothing about a TS meal at WDW is designed to allow for lingering over your meal. Maybe it's because we don't order an appetizer, then an entree, and then dessert. We either order appetizers to share or just an entree. Even at TS places, I feel like the atmosphere at most restaurants is chaotic so even when you want to slow down it can be difficult. In all of our years of going to WDW I have never had an issue with not having allocated enough time for a TS meal - in fact, it is pretty standard that we are in and out MUCH faster than we planned.

This has been our experience as well, especially in the parks. We had lunch at LTT last week, and we were out in about 40-45 minutes and that included waiting a few minutes for a table.

Although we did a have leisurely dinner at the Turf Club. It wasn't slow but definitely not rushed.

 

[kniquy]

how much time do you allocate for a TS lunch or dinner?

I think 90 minutes is reasonable. On our last trip we didn't really get to any of our restaurants until our actual ARD time and usually had to wait 10 minutes or so (Ohana was a 20-25 minute wait). Once seated and ordered I felt that most of the meals generally moved along and were probably done and had our check at an hour- hour & 15 min. The only exceptions were Brown Derby and Ohana. At Brown Derby the waiter loved to talk and seemed to take FOREVER to put our order in. He was really nice and we enjoyed the conversation, but it definitely made our meal much longer than it should have been (close to 2 hours). Ohana we did show up a few minutes early but had a 20-35 minute wait. We had a 6:50 ARD and I know for sure we were still in the restaurant when HEA was starting, so definitely 90 minutes from when we were seated.

 

[drwadadli]

I think you estimated correctly. For us, we typically allow 75 - 90 minutes total (waiting to seat, eat, waiting for check). and add maybe another 30 - 45 minutes for travel time.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[addiln]

I always plan on an hour per table service. If it is somewhere more popular I may extend that time due to a waiting for the table. Generally speaking we have found most of the TS restaurants able to turn the tables pretty quick and not much down time waiting for the food once it is ordered. At the signature restaurants we tend to plan about 90 mins since it is just the adults and we tend to stretch that meal our a little more with drinks, appetizers, and coffee after.

 

[MomOTwins]

It also depends on time of day and how popular the restaurant is, because the time to be seated can vary considerably. We have waited as much as 45 minutes to be seated at peak dinner time at Crystal Palace and Hollywood and Vine. Usually about 20-30 minutes for Akershus and CRT. 10-20 minutes most other places.