Is It Worth Making Dining Reservations for my Whole Trip?

[duffdo]

I am visiting WDW for 14 nights in late October and have purchased the table service dining plan. Is it worth me booking ALL of my table service meals prior to travelling? I plan to make dinner reservations for Illuminations etc, but do not particularly want to have to make a detailed itinerary before I travel. Is it normally easy to make dinner reservations the night before or on the day?

Thanks

 

[sscassel]

I have always made my reservations in advance because the good places & times WILL be taken up. I personally would not go on a trip w/ out making them. If your schedule changes for the day. Not that big of a deal. You can call reservations or go to the desk at the hotel and switch them for whatever is open.

 

[ancestry]

If you want to be guaranteed to eat at the restaurant of your choice then yes, definitely make reservations. The good restaurants are usually booked up in full months in advance. Many do not take walk-ups.

 

[purple figment]

to the disboards!

Because you've purchased the Table Service dining plan (known on the disboards as the DDP) it would be better to make your reservations in advance to get the full value of the plan. In particular I would recommend making reservations for restaurants in the parks and the more popular ones at the resorts ('Ohana, Chef Mickey, 1900 Park Fair, California Grill).

If your day's plan changes after you arrive at DW, you can check with the concierge at your resort if you're staying in DW or at Guest Services in the parks to see what is available for that day.

If you're willing to eat at an off hour, at one of the less popular places, or are willing to travel to a resort there will be something available, but it might not be what you had hoped for. For any place you know you want to eat at, I would definitely make a reservation in advance.

 

[duffdo]

OK, thanks for your input, I will be making my reservations prior to travel

 

[NJDisneymom]

I would absolutely make dining plans (at 180 days out if you haven't already passed that) for any of your "must try" restaurants. I booked my trip 90 days out and it was/is near impossible to get ADR's for many of the sit down restaurants we wanted.
Do you have to plan meals for every day of your trip - no, but I would book anything that really interests you now. Make a rough draft of what parks you think you'd like to do each day and work from there. You can make changes as you get closer to your trip but then you know if you really want that meal and it is no longer avail to work around the ADR you already made. Does that make sense?

 

[MsPeggySue911]

I would make your ADR's as soon as possible. My 180 day window opened up today and I made all my reservations for my upcoming trip. I made the ressies by phone and couldn't get the exact times I wanted but when I went online myself I was able to find the exact time I wanted. Try making them online yourself you may have better luck getting them.

 

[dskib]

14 days is a lot of reservations to worry about. I definitely recommend booking at 180 days, but if I was going for 2 weeks, I'd probably just make ressies for the places I don't want to miss - special character meals, favorite restaurants, super popular stuff.

Once those are done, if you really have no other preferences, you can almost always get a same day reservation somewhere at a time you want. That way you're not tied down for your whole trip. You have to take what you can get, though.

Have fun!

 

[ses1230]

I am visiting WDW for 14 nights in late October and have purchased the table service dining plan. Is it worth me booking ALL of my table service meals prior to travelling? I plan to make dinner reservations for Illuminations etc, but do not particularly want to have to make a detailed itinerary before I travel. Is it normally easy to make dinner reservations the night before or on the day?

Thanks

Yes, I would make ADRs, especially so as not to lose the TS credits. Your 180 days is likely past, (my check-in day is Oct. 22 and my 180 days was last Monday) so I would check out the Disney dining website soon.

 

[Meekogsd]

I have to agree w/ everyone else. Make the ressies, you can always cancel that day if you aren't near that park or whatever. But nothing is worse than being hungry and not being able to get into a table service rest.

 

[duffdo]

Just an update to this thread. I have now made reservations taking into account most of my TS credits. What do you guys think? Is there a particular restaurant you would definitely visit or avoid? Below are my dinner reservations (apart from Grand Floridian Café, that is a breakfast!)


Teppan Edo
Epcot®


The Crystal Palace
Magic Kingdom® Park


Planet Hollywood®
Downtown Disney® Area


Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room
Epcot®


California Grill
Disney's Contemporary Resort


50's Prime Time Café
Disney's Hollywood Studios®


Raglan Road™ Irish Pub and Restaurant
Downtown Disney® Area


Artist Point
Disney's Wilderness Lodge


Grand Floridian Café
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa