PLEASE help me understand dining at Disney!

[Timmerica]

We will be staying at the Beach Club Resort for our honeymoon from June 13-20. I am very confused about how we are going to eat!

I'd rather not have a dining plan, but do you basically have to pre-plan all of your meals for a trip to Disney or are there many places where you can just walk into or get food on the fly?

All of the talk about reservations on this board intimidates me. I don't want to have to plan my days around meal reservations (what fun is that?).

Any tips on how my soon-to-be wife and I should plan our dining at Disney?

Thanks so much!!!

 

[ktlm]

We never do the dining plan. It is too much food for us and doesn't save us any money. You will need to make ADRs if you want to be sure you get to eat at some good TS places. You might be able to get a walk up at the place you want to go, but you very well may not. We go at fairly slow times and there are days when there is absolutely not TS available anywhere in MK. You are going in the summer, so it will be more crowded. My suggestion would be to have a plan of which parks you plan to go to which day and make 1 TS ADR for each day. You can always change your mind and change things around, but that way you have something booked. I have called Disney dining and changed even the day of the ADR when I found that we weren't going to make a certain time or wanted to be in a different park that day, or wanted to eat somewhere else and they had room. You probably aren't going to want to eat more than 1 TS a day anyway. WDW TS meals typically involve a lot of food. They can take up quite a bit of time from the parks too. Sometimes we will do 1 TS for Breakfast and 1 for dinner, but we would never do a TS for both lunch and dinner, or for both breakfast and lunch. Just get something booked to fall back on. If you aren't going to keep the ADRs you make, cancel them so someone else can get them.

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

Go to the Allears website and check out their list of restaurants and menus. Planning your dining at Disney is just as important as planning your park days now if you want to eat at table service venues.

It's just reality now unfortunately.

 

[B-Ride]

All of the talk about reservations on this board intimidates me. I don't want to have to plan my days around meal reservations (what fun is that?).

While you certainly don't need to do the Dining Plan, you do need to make a few reservations if you want to eat some dinners at TS restaurants.

IMHO, a bit of planning isn't that difficult and doesn't spoil the Disney fun.

You don't really need to plan your day around dinner. For example, if you make a few reservations at resort hotels then it doesn't really matter what park you are in that day.

IMHO, the best way to tackle the issue is with a car. We make all of our reservations and then go to whatever park we want. With a car it is easy. The only park we we plan around is Epcot since it is the only park we eat in. With the others we visit the park during the day and then head out to a resort or DTD for a meal.

 

[-Hope-]

We generally do one or two TS meals that require ADRs and the rest of the time we eat CS. I do prefer not having to eat at specific times and interrupt my touring and pace BUT the right TS meal can really add to our Disney experience so we'll make the time for a couple and plan around them.

I agree with the PP that the menus on allears are priceless!

 

[Donald is #1]

Since this is your first post, you may not be familiar with the abbreviations that we use.

TS = Table Service => Basically a sit down restaurant with waitress service

CS or QS = Counter Service (or Quick Service) => Basically a version of fast food. You order at the counter and then bring your food to a table to eat.


As the other posters have mentioned, you do not need the dining plan if you don't want it. I never use it. If you don't want Table Service meals, then you don't need any reservations. However, if you want some Table Service meals, then I would do as the others suggested. Go over to AllEarsNet Menus and select a few restaruents that you would like to eat at. Then see if you can make an ADR. (ADR = Advanced Dining Reservation) One difference between ADRs and the reservations that you are used to is that an ADR is only an approximate time as to when you will be seated. Don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit.

Also as the others have mentioned, it is really easy to cancel your ADRs. I normally change or just cancel a couple of mine during any trip.

However, if you don't make any reservations, you may find it very difficult to find a sit down dinner or lunch.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We will be staying at the Beach Club Resort for our honeymoon from June 13-20. I am very confused about how we are going to eat!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I am very confused about how we are going to eat! I'd rather not have a dining plan, but do you basically have to pre-plan all of your meals for a trip to Disney or are there many places where you can just walk into or get food on the fly?

There are 2 types of restaurants at Disney - Counter Service (CS) and Table Service (TS). To complicate matters further, there are also Disney Dining Plans (basically you prepay for all your meals and then when at Disney you would pay for your meal with "credits" which are placed on your Disney room key). The Dining Plan is only an option if you book a package vs. a room only with Disney.

Because people on the dining plan have so many CS credits and so many TS credits per day per person, they need to book reservations (called ADRs) at the TS restaurants to make sure they utilize their TS credits each day they are at Disney.

For those people not on the dining plan, you technically don't need to book an ADR at a TS restaurant, but because some of the more popular restaurants often fill up with ADRs very quickly, many of them do not have same-day walk-up availability. Thus the need to make ADRs if you want to be assured of eating at a specific restaurant, especially during more busier times.

Any tips on how my soon-to-be wife and I should plan our dining at Disney?

Because you are going at the end of June which is part of peak summer season, I would make a rough plan and make some ADRs at the restaurants you are sure you'd like to eat at. That way you are not disappointed that you can't get into a specific restaurant. As others have said, you can always cancel the ADR if you change your mind (which can be done at the concierge desk of your Disney resort - or at Guest Services at any park).

If you decide that you really don't want to make any ADRs, there is always a board at the front of every park that lists what TS restaurants are accepting walk-ups that day. Also, say you decide you want to go somewhere nice for dinner the next evening - just stop by the concierge desk and they can help you book an ADR.

Also remember that ADRs are only for your "sit down" restaurants. Counter service restaurants are available at every park which don't require ADRs.

 

[pink5683]

When my husband and I went to Disney for our honeymoon (we also stayed at the Beach Club), we didn't make any dining reservations before we went. Every morning we just stopped by the concierge desk and checked to see what was available that evening. They were always able to find us a table, and we were never disappointed with our meal.

So, if you don't feel like planning that far ahead, don't think your honeymoon will be ruined. As long as you are flexible, you will have a wonderful time, and you may even find some unexpected gems of restaurants.

 

[CathieArms]

We will be staying at the Beach Club Resort for our honeymoon from June 13-20. I am very confused about how we are going to eat!

I'd rather not have a dining plan, but do you basically have to pre-plan all of your meals for a trip to Disney or are there many places where you can just walk into or get food on the fly?

All of the talk about reservations on this board intimidates me. I don't want to have to plan my days around meal reservations (what fun is that?).

Any tips on how my soon-to-be wife and I should plan our dining at Disney?

Thanks so much!!!

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! We'll be there at BC at the same time you're there!!! We'll probably run into each other at SAB and not even realize it!

I honestly wouldn't go to WDW without having ADRs. You can always change or try to tweak them once you get there, but to not have them would mean potentially eating counter service the whole time you're there.

Here's my suggestion: You'll want to take a look at the calendar and decide which days - in advance - that you want to spend at which parks. Then, maybe just make an ADR for a late lunch around 1:30 or 2:00. You won't be racing from one park to another, and that's usually a good time to rest in the middle of the afternoon. You can then eat CS for breakfast and be flexible for dinner in that if you want a TS you can see if you can make a last minute one. And, if you can't, you've already had a big meal and you may not even feel like having another sit-down meal.

 

[jwfla422]

We will be staying at the Beach Club Resort for our honeymoon from June 13-20. I am very confused about how we are going to eat!

I'd rather not have a dining plan, but do you basically have to pre-plan all of your meals for a trip to Disney or are there many places where you can just walk into or get food on the fly?

All of the talk about reservations on this board intimidates me. I don't want to have to plan my days around meal reservations (what fun is that?).

Any tips on how my soon-to-be wife and I should plan our dining at Disney?

Thanks so much!!!

Well judging by the time of year you will be there, it will be a very, very busy one. If you don't mind eating really early or really late or waiting a long time or not getting into a lot of "sit-down" places at all you can go without any ADR's. I always believe it's better to have them, than not to. (and dining at many of the sit downs is a big part of the Disney experience ESPECIALLY for your honeymoon).

Since the start of the DDP (Disney Dining Plan) it's tough to even get an ADR (Advanced Dining Reservation) at some restaurants at all even months before you go. We also stayed at the BC (Beach Club) for our honeymoon many years ago just a few weeks prior to the time of your stay. I did make ADRs and was glad I did as it started a very busy time and we wouldn't have been able to get into the places we made them at if we didn't make the reservations ahead of time.

If you're not a 3 meal a day type of person, then just go for making the dinner ones (you can always cancel them). You can always do counter service at breakfast and lunch if you can't get into a restaurant, but still expect to wait at a counter service as well.

If you're staying at the BC, I highly recommend the following dinner places (especially since you're on your honeymoon):
FF (Flying Fish)- The BW which is right across the way
Il Mulino at the Swan
Blue Zoo at the Dolphin
YSH (Yachtsman Steakhouse)-at the YC/BC
Don't be shy about indicating on your ADR that it's your honeymoon. which you can do these right online at the WDW official website (very easy to make).
These are all restaurants within walking distance of the BC (Beach Club). They are all upscale signature locations to go to during your honeymoon.

Lots of patience needed for mid June, not only is a busy time, it's hot!

 

[j&j620]

Congratulations and

I'd rather not have a dining plan, but do you basically have to pre-plan all of your meals for a trip to Disney or are there many places where you can just walk into or get food on the fly?

DH and I went for our honeymoon during the month of June, too. We didn't make any ADRs before the trip. The only place that we were able to walk right into was 50's Prime Time on our first night there. We got there right around the time they started seating for dinner, so maybe that had something to do with it. I understand that you don't want to feel like your trip is over-planned, but I can tell you from personal experience that it isn't fun to walk around and be turned away from restaurant after restaurant.

 

[Agri]

It's not fun to plan your days, but at WDW its necessary to a certain extent - especially when going during a busy time of year.

There are touring guides available which predict what will be the best park(s) to be in each day. Most of the time, the guides are correct and from experience, following their recommendations makes a HUGE difference in the crowds you deal with - which in turn, makes your days much more pleasant.

We usually plan our days around which parks are the least crowded and what we want to do - for example - say we want to see Fantasmic, but MK is the recommended day. We'd start out having breakfast either at Kona Cafe or Crystal Palace, then spend a good portion of the day in the MK. Then we'd probably have an early dinner ADR for the Brown Derby, Cape May, or Kouzzina - giving us plenty of time to get to DHS for Fantasmic.

We going into it knowing we like all of the parks, some more than others, but I make a general outline of which parks are the least crowded on which days, then go from there.

I don't mind planning because it means I won't be walking around the park being turned away from restaurant to restaurant, and that I won't be settling for CS more often than not.

 

[crazik]

I've been many times with my husband. we never get the dining plan.. too many snacks. I also believe that just making a reservation the day of helps.. before you head to the parks in the morning make a plan of where you might want to eat. I do know you can certainly walk in in the fly but remember that you might be waiting quite awhile. It is totally worth making a reservation. Have fun!

 

[Hobbes]

IMHO, a bit of planning isn't that difficult and doesn't spoil the Disney fun.

Its PART of the fun for DH2B and me-we have all the menus printed off at home and lie in bed at night reading them to each other.... Even if you only plan a TS meal for every other day you need some booked, and to be honest if you're going in June you need to be doing it NOW!

 

[MHSweb79]

It's been my experience that during busy times, most table-service restaurants inside the parks will have a sign something like: "In order to serve our guests with reservations, we are not taking any walk-in's at this time." We've seen a version of this sign over & over again, and many many unhappy people walking away from the podium.

Now, if you're willing to eat dinner at 9pm, then you could probably have good luck just checking in with your hotel concierge in the morning and seeing what's available for that night. Also, if you're willing to travel to a resort, you are more likely to find a table. This is much easier if you're going to have a car, since resort-hopping by Disney bus can eat up hours.

But if you want to eat a sit-down meal every day, then it surely doesn't hurt to make ADR's as far in advance as you can. Unless you are asked for a credit card to hold the reservation (for very few meals, mostly shows or special princess experiences) you can skip it without penalty, or cancel in the morning if you decide to do something else.

 

[Mackie Mouse]

I agree with the advice of previous posters in that you may be willing to enjoy meals on your honeymoon with no advanced planning, but if you research and want to enjoy certain restaurants, you will need to make dining reservations well ahead of time. Since you are going in June, you should be able to start making dining reservations right now for places you see and like.

I do agree with your viewpoint about not wanting to have to stick to a rigid schedule while at WDW; however, I have learned from my many trips there that it is better to plan ahead and then be flexible then to not go in with a plan at all. Like others have said, you can always make reservations early and then cancel them if your day goes a different way...but most of the popular restaurants in Disney World book up fast, and I would hate for you to miss out on some terrific dining opportunities because of that. It is absolutely true that some restaurants will be booked solid six months in advance. As an experienced Disney traveler, I'm as bugged by it as everyone else but have learned to deal with it and just plan ahead! There are so many romantic restaurants for honeymooners to see at Disney - research, make reservations, and see where your days take you. And of course let us know if you want recommendations

As for the dining plan, DH and I took advantage of a free dining promotion during a 3-day stay in WDW to kick off our own honeymoon two years ago. We found that based on our eating habits, paying for the dining plan out of pocket would not be economical. We like appetizers and an alcoholic beverage or two with meals out, which would only be available with the Deluxe dining plan. That plan just included way too much food for our needs and would not have saved us money. Some say that he advantage of having most (if not all) of your food paid for pre-trip still makes the dining plan worth it...I would prefer to just budget and pay as I go.

 

[GeneralTso]

It really is confusing at first! As helpful as this board is (truly, truly LOVE it), it can be intimidating--so I get what you're saying!

When I first read about people obsessively planning and fretting over reservations, it made me think it was nearly impossible to get what you want, let alone at a time you want. The dining plan is overwhelming FOR ME. Others love it and wouldn't travel there without it. I see people posting their breakfast-lunch-dinner reservations and it makes my tummy hurt! It's just too much. Don't even get me started on the time issue. Planning my days around eating at restaurants is not a good time FOR ME. Vacation needs to be more spontaneous for my family.

I make reservations at the key places we don't want to miss. We leave on Friday for a week. We've got spots at Prime Time Cafe, O'Hana, Akershus, Park Faire. We'll have 3 girls with us (older "girls", 22 y.o.) who are there to run the Princess Marathon. We have several days without any reservations at all. One day we'll be at Universal to see Harry Potter. Another day at Kennedy Space Center. We like to break it up a bit.

When we're at Disney though, especially Epcot, there are so many food options. We love stopping at the different countries and getting things along the way throughout the day.

Again, this plan may not work for others, but it does for us. We hit the places we don't want to miss. This means me spending some time making the ADR, sometimes unsuccessfully and trying back another time. I typically end up getting what we want. If I don't, there are so many other choices.

We go to Disneyland more often than WDW since we live in Seattle. Believe me, dining choices there are no where near as great or varied as WDW. We are in Orlando twice a year and find that if we don't go somewhere we really want to this time, we'll get it next time.

Akershus was the big desire this trip since we'll have 3 girls who grew up loving Disney and all the princess stuff. I'm really looking forward to that meal.

Don't sweat the reservation thing. Don't buy the dining plan unless you really enjoy anchoring your entire stay around food and reservations. Do what works for you and your family. You'll be so much happier.

 

[TillyMarigold]

I would say, it depends on how much of a foodie you are! If you want to eat at certain restaurants at certain times, then yes, you need a reservation. Other than that, you can either eat counter service or call the day of and see what's available. It will be at less popular times and less popular restaurants, but it can usually be done. Lunch, or early/late dinners, especially at Epcot and the resorts, are usually available. Late breakfasts at the resorts, too--assuming you're not a rope-drop person.

Or in short, if you're not picky, you'll find food, even sit-down food. If you are attached to certain foods or certain times, or want to eat sit-down meals *in* the parks (other than Epcot), though, you need reservations.