overwhelmed with dining

[missummer]

I have a trip planned for August and only booked ADR for a character meal. Now I am hearing that I need to do ADR for all sit down meals. Is this true? Is it that way with hotel restuarants, too? Also, which restuarant would you reccommend in MGM studios? Do you reccommend the Fantasmic! package, and which one? Thanks so much for all of the help!

 

[catheren]

I recommend ADR's for your "must do" sit-down restaurants. Also, if you and your party have to eat at a certain time. For example, you may find the restaurant doesn't have anything until 9PM.

MGM I recommend the Prime Time 50's -- w. and ADR.

Fantasmic pkg is recommended if you don't want to wait in line.

 

[Microcell]

Welcome to the DIS!

You do need to schedule ADR's for most sit down restaurants or Table service as they are called at WDW. counter service or fast food you do not. What hotels are you thinking about? I am not familiar with the moderates, but I bet there are a few that need ADR's At the Deluxes, The Polynesian for instance, at Ohana, you do need an ADR.

There are instances where you can walk up right when a restaurant opens and see if anything is open, but I would not count on it if you have your heart set on something.

My favorite at MGM is 50's Prime Time!! You do need and ADR, but if you can't get one I have been able to walk in there before.

Here is a link for menus, descriptions and reviews for restaurants and resorts: www.allearsnet.com.

Good luck!

 

[janets]

I agree with the other posters that if you have certain times that you need (with smaller kids, for example) you should make ADRs for the table service places you want to patronize. At many restaurants, it's getting harder and harder to get a walkup seating. That being said, we had ADRs for breakfast at 'Ohana in April (spring break week) at about 10:50 or so and at 9:10 when we arrived to head to MK, we decided to see if we could eat early. They said of course, and within 10 minutes we were seated. But most of the time we've seen them turning away walk ups and even if they would take you, the wait time can be very extensive.

If you would be comfortable eating counter service if nothing was available at a table service place, then only make the ones you definitely want and wing the rest. If you want to sit down at each dinner (or the occasional breakfast) then make the ressies.

As for Fantasmic, if you make the dining package, you get guaranteed seating. Otherwise, I've heard that you need to be on line very early to get a decent seat. We are doing it at Mama Melrose in September because we've never had a chance to see this show. However, our ressie is for 4:30. I might try and move it later as we get closer to the trip, if they open up additional times.

 

[sameyeyam]

We usually make our dinner reservations for around 8-9pm. That way if we decide we want to eat somewhere else earlier and can get in, great, then we just cancel our first ADR's. If not, then we know we always have our late reservations.

Also, by doing them late it doesn't interfere with our plans. For instance if you are at a park and everyone is getting tired at 3pm, then you don't have to force everyone to stay until 6pm, just because you have reservations. You can go to your room, rest, swim & freshen up and then head back around 7pm.

Also, at least from my observation, most of the buffet food seems fresher after the dinner rush when it has been replenished. Also, we seem to get far better service than during the busy 5-7 dinner hour rush.

 

[JennyMominRI]

I look at the park schedules first. I Decide which parks I will do each day then plan meals from there. On MK days we eat anywhere at the monorail resorts because the food is better than the MK's... I'm not really thrilled with any food places at MGM,so we take the boat from MGM over to the boardwalk area and eat there

 

[mlwear]

We usually make our dinner reservations for around 8-9pm. That way if we decide we want to eat somewhere else earlier and can get in, great, then we just cancel our first ADR's. If not, then we know we always have our late reservations.

Also, by doing them late it doesn't interfere with our plans. For instance if you are at a park and everyone is getting tired at 3pm, then you don't have to force everyone to stay until 6pm, just because you have reservations. You can go to your room, rest, swim & freshen up and then head back around 7pm.

Also, at least from my observation, most of the buffet food seems fresher after the dinner rush when it has been replenished. Also, we seem to get far better service than during the busy 5-7 dinner hour rush.

I like your thinking! I hadn't thought of any of those things, but WOW, they all make perfect sense. I'm changing some ADRs anyway and I think I'll take this advice (or at least try)

To the OP: Our family really enjoyed Sci-Fi at MGM, but it is not part of the Fantasmic Dinner package.

 

[staciepm]

Hurry, I just tried to get 1900 Park Fare for Sun Aug 20 and my only choices for 4 was 8:10 (too late for kids) or 4:30 with 2 tables. I went with 4:30. I feels sorry for people, who do not makes ressies.

Stacie