Large Parties

[Dawnflower]

How hard would it be for a party of 9 to just walk into a popular restaurant and get a table together during May? Say during meal times, not off times? I have made some PS but some in the group say its not necessary. Any ideas?

 

[Crazy Hakim]

Originally posted by Dawnflower
How hard would it be for a party of 9 to just walk into a popular restaurant and get a table together during May? Say during meal times, not off times? I have made some PS but some in the group say its not necessary. Any ideas?

Most sit down restaurants have a very limited number of tables that can accommodate a party larger than 6 or 7. If you were to arrive when a restaurant was first opening, it would be all according to the amount of PS they already had on the books, but this would be your best opportunity to be seated together.
Later in the evening it is all dependent on 1. the existing large parties already booked and 2. the outside chance that two large tables become available at the same time! remember, most servers want to keep busy and it is up to the seating staff to try to keep their tables filled. Nobody like to "hold" one table in anticipation of another becoming available so that they can be pushed together for a large party that was not booked.

I am not saying that it is not possible, just that it is highly improbable, and what is the harm in making a PS? It doesn't cost you anything, the staff will be expecting your group, you won't find yourself hungry and no place to dine.

 

[catnik]

Dawnflower:
I am having the same problem with my family....they live in Florida and will meet up with us for a couple of days. When they join us we will be a party of 10 but they keep saying it won't be a problem to just walk in/get seated for meals. We are talking Memorial Day weekend during the Flower and Garden Festival and Stars Wars convention......I can not believe we will not have huge waits, be split up in order to get seated, etc. I have made a couple of PS "just in case"; even with PS the CM said they can not promise we will be seated together because of our group size (still, I picked off hours for meals to better our chances of sitting together). If we do not use the PS I've made, I expect we will be doing a lot of counter meals when they are here.

 

[Grumpy92]

I would strongly encourage making PSs before you go. Especially if you are going during a holiday period or you wan to dine at one of the popular restaurants or at busy meal times like around 7pm or noon.

Catnik & Dawnflower I would advise looking at the various restaurants now and making some choices. If you dont your wait times will be lengthy. You also increase your chances of being seated at one table, no guarantees though it depends on the restaurant. You can always cancel or change your PS when you arrive, but best to be prepared.

 

[Dawnflower]

I started making PS at 90 days out, one for each day of our stay based on what parks we had planned to be in. I have been to WDW many times and they have not, and I cannot get them to believe that it takes much planning at all. I told them either plan at home, or plan in WDW while you could be having fun! I envision the group all standing around a map trying to decide what to do next, and who would like it, and who is tall enough to do it and who will keep the ones who can't.! As for my group of 4 we will either be pulling our hair out, or doing our own thing!! Either way, I'll still be in WDW!!!

 

[Mad4Dizne]

When we went this past January--all the ribbing I take for being the park commando planner--was gone? Why you ask? Because our party of 8 saw how hard it was to get into a restaurant without PS--they saw people wait for the length of our meal or get turned away--who didn't have PS. I am a big planner--but with Disney, if you want to eat at regular meal times (like if you have kids) and eat at the best places--PS are a necessity!(IMHO)

In the past few years, I think the parks are busier all the time.

I laugh at people who tell me they are going to Disney without PS. I tell them have fun eating at 10PM.

PS For US
Flo

 

[mbcary]

I'm with Dedicated Park Commando -

I was strongly urging my party of 6 to make decisions about eating about 4 months ago. We leave in less than 20 days and I knew how important it was to make those reservations.

Low and behold, I cannot get into Le Cellier at Canada and us all be able to sit at one table. So we have decided to forgo this restaurant this time so that we can all be together. It would have been our first time eating there and we have heard good things.

That just shows you how important it is, especially with 10 people. Good luck Mad4Dizne

 

[nigel-bigel]

I'm planning a mutli-family trip and I have been concerned about PSs as well. The feedback I have gotten is that you can only make PSs for groups larger than 8 (or is it 10?) at either the beginning or end of a shift e.g., either a 11 am lunch or a 2:30 pm lunch, but Disney Dining will not grant a PS for a large group during peak meal times.

The way around this is split your group into two parties small enough to be granted a desirable PS. This is what I plan on doing for our trip. I would rather that we split up than eat all dinner together at 10 pm. By 10 pm, I would be so cranky no one would want to eat with me anyway!

Nicole

 

[Dawnflower]

I have not had that problem. Some times, we where unable to be able to sit together, but most of the time our group of 9 could be seated together, and not just at the beginning or end of the shift. I just made sure to call exactly 90 days in advance. A lot of the restaurants have large tables, ie Chef Mickeys for one, it seats like 10 people. Good luck!