Is it an absolute MUSt to have PS????

[traumamama]

Hi all again I am gonna get this straight if it kills me. I have just about decided to do the dining option and was just wondering do I absolutley have to have PS to get to go to a nice resteraunt for a table service dinner? I really dont like the idea of planning meals that far in advance and being held responsible if say I am tied up at MK and dont get to Epcott in time for my PS. I would rather this be a little more of a relaxed trip yet I love the idea of not having to tell my DS12 and DS15 "you cant get the milkshake and the ribs cuz that is too much money.

 

[Susiesnowflake]

We have only made character meal PS way ahead of time. The other ones we usually make while at WDW and even the day of. I never know what I'm going to want to eat and when. We just wing it and have been lucky.

 

[mking624]

I would say yes for character meals. But I've found that for non-character meals we went to, we were able to get in without a PS (or making one just a few hours before). The longest we ever had to wait for a non-character meal without a PS was 20 minutes and that was at the 50s Primetime Cafe.

 

[vascubaguy]

No, PS is not required for any of the TS meals to use the dining plan. HOWEVER, due to the popularity of the plan you may not be able to eat where you want when you want if you don't have a PS. You could always come up with a "rough" plan of where you'd want to eat and make some PS. They aren't set in stone and you could always call and cancel them or change them around while you are there (say the morning of).

 

[Fast Pass]

Like the others said character meals have become a must PS or ADR or whatever the name is now. I have read on this and other boards that walk-ups for alot of the restaurants are being turned away.
I would make your reservations at the 90 day mark that way if you change your mind no big deal but if you don't make any reservations you might have to go without any character meals or that restaurant you are dying to try.

By the way remember that CRT has a deposit policy. If you change your mind about going there please call ahead of time and cancel. If you don't you'll be missing some money.

 

[EthansMom]

Do you HAVE to have PS's? No. Does it sometimes help? Yes.

I have two young children who like to eat at lunch time and aren't willing to wait an hour to get into a sit-down restaurant. I book PS's for lunch almost every day. On our recent trip, I didn't worry much about dinner reservations and then found myself making dinner reservations for "the day of" after being turned away at our restaurant of choice one evening.

If where and when you eat isn't terribly important, then don't make PS's. But it would be prudent to make them for the restaurants you really want to eat at.

BTW, a PS is just a reservation that gives you the next available table -- it doesn't "hold" a table open. So, if you happen to miss one or two PS's, it isn't that big a deal. But if you know ahead of time that you won't make it to the reservation, it is polite to call and cancel so that someone else can book it.

 

[foxfire]

I think I'm in the minority here on the DIS but I have only made one PS ever & that was years ago at MGM - even then it was made the morning we visited that park. We like to be flexible & not be tied down to eating at a certain time. We might be into something really fun or just not hungry when PS time arrived. If we try somewhere for seating & it's not available, we just go to another place & we don't mind eating during "off hours". This approach works for us but I realize it's not for everyone, especially if your heart is set on eating at a certain restaurant. Also, we go to Disney when it's not peak season & that helps with being able to be seated without having a PS...it doesn't guarantee it but it does increase the odds. We haven't done the dining plan yet but, if we do, I would be more likely to make PS's then, I think.

As others have said, if there are certain character meals you want, you might want to get a PS for those; however, we were able to get a seating at CP for a late lunch with no PS & only had a 10 minute wait. I think deciding whether to make a PS just depends on when you go & how important it is to you to eat at a certain restaurant.

 

[philaround]

I always make at least 1 PS a day. About 4 trips ago we had a really hard time getting into any TS restaurant in the WS. We like to sit down for a nice leasurely meal at least one a day. Standing in line and schelping a tray full of food around looking for a table for every meal does not a happy vacationer make IMHO.

 

[shruley]

I think it depends if you *really* want to eat at a certain restaurant and how long you're willing to wait.... Last time we were there it was a really slow time (early Dec.) and I remember 2 times where people trying to walk up without PS were very upset. First was Chef Mickey's where people were told it would be at least a two hour wait, and the second was Le Cellier where people trying to just walk up were being turned away, told they were booked for the evening. On both occasions even with a PS we waited a while to get a table. (Actually we lucked out at Le Cellier our pager went on the fritz so they seated us earlier than we should've been!)

I'd say if you don't want to make a PS ahead of time to plan to eat early (like 5 for supper) or to eat at off peak time (brunch or late lunch at 3 or 4). You'd also be better off calling from your hotel that morning and making a reservation than just showing up!

 

[shirleyb]

First trip we had two PS's, Chef Mickey's and CRT. This trip, we had none. We don't do a lot of TS meals, but we didn't have any trouble for those we did do, Biergarten, 50's Primetime, Boatwrights. It really depends on the time of year I think.

 

[missypie]

How will you feel if you pay for the dining plan and then can't use your TS credit because you can't get into a sit down restaurant? I'd be pretty angry. I'd make a PS for my MK and MGM days at minimum.

 

[Stiff]

I saw lots...LOTS of folks being turned away last week from various restaurants....no PS, no seat

I was glad I made what I did....though I was able to make one or two the day of, but I always made them earlier in the day rather than walking up

 

[NCombs]

There is an interesting thread on the Restaurant board on this subject. Lots of people there recently are seeing walk-ups turned away at the restaurants. I think the new dining plan is contributing to a lot more people doing PS's and there is not the availability for walk-ups that there used to be.

Someone just posted today that their friend called them today and told them they had been eating counter service for 5 days because they have been unable to get in at a table restaurant.

 

[DVCLiz]

I usually plan my meals and parks simultaneously, so that I am sure to be in the park when my PS time comes up. For example, if I know I am going to be at MK in the morning and then hop to Epcot, I'll make a PS for lunch at the MK. Then I can tour without having to worry about where I'm supposed to be. If I finish MK before my PS time, I'll usually go to the restaurant and ask if I can be seated early. This almost always works for me. If not, I go find another ride or two. It's fairly easy to keep yourself occupied while waiting!!

It does take away from the spontaneity of being able to flit about the parks as you wish, but for me the guarantee of an hour or so in a nice air-conditioned table service restaurant more than makes up for it. But it's really a personal decision. And you can almost always have counter service, so you won't starve!!

I do think the less busy times allow more flexibility, as I have called from outside Mission:Space to request a same day lunch reservation, and got one with no problem (it was for the later seating.) But I'd only try this in the off-season. If you get to the parks and find they are very busy, I'd get on the phone pronto!!!!

 

[missypie]

If you want to stay spontaneous, I read somewhere that if you dial 88 from any park pay phone, it connects you to Disney Dining.

 

[kycat]

We took a last minute trip last week...and there were no PS to be found. But the only place that we didn't get in was at Ohana's. We even got into Cindy's one morning. Take the PS if you can get it...but if you don't....go try anyway.

 

[joannwalton12]

Hi, We has PS everyday for the 7 days we were at Disney. We planned our day at the park and TS dinners. It was great. We were there at Easter time and many places were only taking PS nothing was available for walk ins. My sister went with her family and had no problems in early October but did need PS for the character breakfasts and dinners. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[DebbieB]

We had a PS at Rose & Crown last Monday night at 7:20. While we were waiting for a table, several people walked up without a PS and were turned away. We requested an outside table, waited until 8:00 and got it. Perfect table right next to the water.