Priorty Seating for Everything?

[Pocohantasfan]

We know we're going to get P.S. for Chef Mickeys, Liberty Tree and The Princess Breakfast. Do we have to get our P.S. long before we leave if we're not doing any more character meals? I don't really want to commit right now to every table service we're going to have. Any suggestions?

 

[tjmouse]

It really depends on when you are going. Some places are really hard to get in on a walk up, some aren't. Take Le Cellier for example. Most of the time, if you don't have an ADR, you don't get in. So, that's hard to answer without knowing when you are going and where you want to eat. Sometimes you can call that morning and get an ADR for that evening. But, I tried everyday to get into Kona Cafe in early December and it was booked solid.

 

[bicker]

You can always find a turkey leg cart or a place to get burgers and fries, and generally some restaurant, somewhere has availability. You may have to travel to some remote resort, but you can always find a place to eat.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

For anything that you definately want to eat at, get the ADR's early. Otherwise a month out would probably be the longest I would wait. We are seeing more and more places turn people away because they don't have ADR's.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

I have also seen more people being turned away than in the past. The dining plan is having a major impact on WDW restaurants as more people are trying them. I would definitely suggest you make ADR's for dinner unless, as someone suggested, you go for a turkey leg or something from one of the carts.

 

[N&B'smom]

We usually go around the same time every year, end of Sept, beginning of Oct. we only make a few ADR's. I'm like you, I don't want my whole trip all planned out, I like to play it by ear and see what we feel like doing. We have never been turned away at a restaurant. We've always eaten where we've wanted to...I only get the ADR's for Chef Mickey's, CRT and stuff like that. The rest we leave up in the air and choose as we go!!! I'm sure you'd be fine to only do some.

Shelby

 

[n2mm]

If my math is correct, it looks like the OP is going in October. F&W makes the EPCOT restraurants difficult to get into. I will have my ADRs before we get there on Oct. 15th. Though some folks say they got in LAST year, keep in mind, starting April 1, DVC members and renters will be able to add the DDP to their reservations without having a package. THis will increase the amount of folks going into the restraurants and to make matters worse, a lot of the EPCOT DVC locations are almost completely books for October (BCV and BWV), so if that's any indication of folks coming, I would make your ADRS. While making them 180 days out, is a bit much, it does depend on your party size. IF you are a party of 2 or 4, I would make them early, but not 6 months. But if you have a larger party, I would not wait, especially places like LeCellier, Coral Reef, Ohana's, and other popular locations at EPCOT. I often make the more difficult ones first, then fill in along the way. I call for LeCellier's first so that I can get a choice of better times. (This places often only has 4:30PM and 8:30PM ADRs left for the folks not making ADRs early). I also make my Cape May reservation early because I like the 5:30 seating (the first seating--everything is neat and hot). I continue to tweak my reservations up to a week before I arrive and sometimes make changes at the front desk. It's better to have them and cancel them, then to not have them at all.

 

[Melrosgirl]

If you don't have ADR's, the next best thing is to get to the restaurant when it opens in the evening (usually around 4 or 5 p.m.). See if they have availability sometime that night.

The dining plan has really made dining at WDW a little stressful.

 

[G's mommy]

We wing some meals also. We go to guest services first thing in the morning, either at the resort or at the park and see what is available for the day. If you are willing to take an "off" time, you will be able to get something I'm sure. We sometimes take the latest lunch seating, then just grab a light dinner. I do get ADR's for our favorites before leaving home.

 

[goofy4tink]

I usually try to have one ADR (PS) for each day, usually a late lunch or early dinner. I see that you'll be there the week before us in Oct. Since the Food and Wine Festival will be in full swing at this point, I would try to get a seating for each day. Better safe than sorry....especially in Epcot.
Otherwise you may find yourself eating at counter service spots. This could be fine with you though.

 

[Hopefully]

Since you are going during Food & Wine in October, Epcot will be very busy. We were there during that time last year, and I made an ADR for our TS dinner every day. We wanted to eat at many of the WS restaurants and they were all during all walk ups away the whole week we were there.
My rule of thumb is: if there is a restaurant that I want to eat at, or a time I want to eat, I make an ADR.
Good Luck

 

[Pocohantasfan]

We are doing the dining plan and do plan to eat at our resort (POR- Boatwrights) for a few of those meals. They are rarely busy so I don't think I'll have to worry about that. But we were talking about Mexico in Epcot and Rainforest Cafe. Anyone have anything on those?

There are 3 of us, but there will be 5 other members of our family that will be there as well. We won't try to eat every meal together, but definitely the three character meals since we're going during two of the kid's birthdays. I'll get those scheduled on the 14th. We may try to wing some of them and hope for the best.

 

[N&B'smom]

This thread has inspired me to make more ADR's. I just got done adding 4 more. Coral Reef, Rainforest Cafe & Sci-Fi for dinner and Ohana's for breakfast! The others I have are CRT (breakfast), Chef Mickey's (breakfast) and San Angel Inn (dinner). I've left our first two days and our last day completely open. We'll just do whatever we feel like on those two days. But the rest are covered!!!

Shelby

 

[dancemomnj]

We are doing the dining plan and do plan to eat at our resort (POR- Boatwrights) for a few of those meals. They are rarely busy so I don't think I'll have to worry about that. But we were talking about Mexico in Epcot and Rainforest Cafe. Anyone have anything on those?

There are 3 of us, but there will be 5 other members of our family that will be there as well. We won't try to eat every meal together, but definitely the three character meals since we're going during two of the kid's birthdays. I'll get those scheduled on the 14th. We may try to wing some of them and hope for the best.

I don't know if you know this but Rainforest Cafe isn't on the dining plan. I haven't been to one in Disney only here in NJ but can tell you my kids 3 &6 LOVE it! If you don't have one by you I would consider paying out of pocket for it still!

 

[Karnak]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. There is NO WAY I would ever plan a vacation to Walt Disney World without making advance meal reservations. (My personal preference is to have breakfast at the resort food court, and at the park of the day, lunch at a counter service spot, and a reservation for dinner somewhere in the park.)
But, to each his own.

Enjoy.

 

[Pocohantasfan]

I don't know if you know this but Rainforest Cafe isn't on the dining plan. I haven't been to one in Disney only here in NJ but can tell you my kids 3 &6 LOVE it! If you don't have one by you I would consider paying out of pocket for it still!

I did not know that the Rainforest Cafe was not on the dining plan. Yikes!! I am glad you told me. Thanks. I am not one to take many chances, but I am going to make the ADR's for the ones that are a must and then we'll play the rest by ear as we get closer. I'll go insane if I don't have all of my ducks in a row before I get there anyway. I'll probably make them all, just not next week.

 

[disgram]

I understood that the RainForest does not take ADRs. Has this changed?
I would never go to WDW without ADRs! Esp. during F&W, the summer, holidays and the Marathon time or when Spring Break!!! Have seen too many being turned away!!!

 

[dancemomnj]

I did not know that the Rainforest Cafe was not on the dining plan. Yikes!! I am glad you told me. Thanks. I am not one to take many chances, but I am going to make the ADR's for the ones that are a must and then we'll play the rest by ear as we get closer. I'll go insane if I don't have all of my ducks in a row before I get there anyway. I'll probably make them all, just not next week.

No problem. The one here in NJ is great. We're not sure if we are doing it when we go but if the kids know it's there we may have no choice. Have fun!

 

[Tam1067]

On our first vacation to WDW with the kids, in 2003, I didn't really think the ADRs were that important, but after reading about them, I called about 3 weeks before we left. I ended up having a really hard time getting into several places (Chef Mickey's in particular), which convinced me that I would always book ahead. You can always try to change when you're there, but I know with the dining plan now, those TS spots are even more popular. I would book ahead unless you want to spend a long part of each day waiting for a table to open up.

 

[Amy&Dan]

If I was on the dining plan I would definitely make ADR's. If you don't and you can't get in, you are going to waste some serious money. I also look at this way. Making ADR's so far out is sort of crazy and seems to take all the spontaneity out of a vacation, but going from one place to the next or having to go to a resort for dinner when you want to stay in the park is also not fun. I think you mentioned San Angel, we really like it. The atmosphere is great, the food is pretty good but not spicy at all. During F&W, I would have an ADR for anything at Epcot. As the popular places fill up, the folks that can't get in will start going wherever they can. Last year we were there in October and the restaurants were all very crowded. The parks themselves were not more crowded than our October 04 visit, but the restaurants all seemed packed. Everthing in a park or character type meal was turning away walk ups. Some things, like Kona for lunch and Marrakesh we were able to get during the trip. But Marrakesh was at a very early dinner time and was the only place at Epcot I could get for that night. We were a party of six incidentally. In early January for a party of 7, I was completely unable to change anything once we were there. For our next visit we are eating at Chef Mickey's, Sci Fi and the rest is cs. I didn't feel like doing so much planning after the last two planned-to-the-max trips!