Really?

[MarinaDelRay]

We are planning our first vacation to Disney and are overwhelmed to say the least. We have 3 kids ages 8,6 and 2. We are looking into the package with the regular meal plan but we have no idea where we will be or when we want to eat each day. Do we really have to book table service 180 days in advance? Really? What about counter service - can we just walk into those? And what about cancelling table service...is there a penalty?

Thanks so much

 

[TDC Nala]

Do we really have to book table service 180 days in advance? Really?

Depends on the restaurant you want and the time of year you're going. If you want anything ultra-popular (Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, maybe Cinderella's Royal Table, 'Ohana dinner before 8 PM), then yes. If you're asking if you can just walk up to a restaurant and be seated, that also depends. During a peak attendance time for restaurants inside theme parks at peak mealtimes, probably not. That said, if you don't want ultrapopular restaurants you could probably wait to make reservations, but you should likely have them, especially if you want a character meal. If you don't mind restaurants in resorts that are not near parks, you could probably walk into a few of those. There's varying stories about the ability to walk into some of the less popular in-park restaurants.

If you have a meal plan that includes TS meals, you probably want to make sure that you use all your meal entitlements during your trip, so you may want to plan your meals ahead of time.

What about counter service - can we just walk into those?

Yes. At peak times you may have a long wait though.

And what about cancelling table service...is there a penalty?

In general, no.

For certain restaurants, there may be. Some restaurants (Cinderella's Royal Table or the dinner shows) require prepayment in advance and have a cancellation deadline. Some other restaurants (Akershus Storybook Dining, California Grill, special meal/show packages like Candlelight Processional or Fantasmic) require a credit card number as a hold for the reservation and they also have a cancellation policy. If you don't cancel before the deadline and you don't show up, the credit card you gave will be charged a no-show fee per person (it's $20 per person for California Grill).

 

[Nadjalu]

Hi and welcome.

It would be helpful to know when you are going to answer if you absolutely need reservations. But to be honest, yes they are necessary.
Table service restaurants book quickly, especially during peak travel and free dining times. So if you want a sit down meal you will have to plan in advance and book it.
Most places don't penalize you except if you are going to a place that needs a credit card hold....like CRT (cinderella's royal table, hoop de do revue), then if you don't show they will charge you anyway.

Counter service places don't require a adr, but again during peak and free dining they can be packed at meal times. So eating an hour before or after the "meal time" helps that.

We often encounter signs at the parks at midday that state, no TS restaurant has room, in order to eat you will have to use CS or go somewhere else.

So to avoid this I always recommend making your adr's. If you don't know 180 days out, try a month or 2 out, but know that most the popular places will most likely be booked.

Have fun on your trip and good luck.

 

[MarinaDelRay]

Thanks SO much for the replies, I think I am getting a sense of it now. We are hoping to book the first week of December, which I think is low season? Hmmmm - should I book Crystal Palace months before I even book my flight, rooms, park tickets? Just to hold it? Thanks again.

 

[Cafeen]

Thanks SO much for the replies, I think I am getting a sense of it now. We are hoping to book the first week of December, which I think is low season? Hmmmm - should I book Crystal Palace months before I even book my flight, rooms, park tickets? Just to hold it? Thanks again.

If it's a "must-do" then certainly. There's no penalty for cancellations (except as noted in the posts above) but they could very well turn you away without an ADR.

Just take it step by step and soon enough you'll have it all squared away . Good luck. If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

 

[TDC Nala]

If you know you want a specific restaurant on a specific day at a specific time, then I'd advise that you book it as soon as you know what you want and are within your 180 day window.

First week of December may be value season but it's really not all that "low" anymore. It's not summer or spring break crowds, but it won't be uncrowded either.

 

[Darcy03231]

Thanks SO much for the replies, I think I am getting a sense of it now. We are hoping to book the first week of December, which I think is low season? Hmmmm - should I book Crystal Palace months before I even book my flight, rooms, park tickets? Just to hold it? Thanks again.

We went the first week of December last year and I made my ADR's the first day I could. While I was able to get in to all the restaurants I wanted to, I didn't get my first choice of times on Le Cellier for dinner, Chef Mickey's for dinner, Crystal Palace for breakfast, and O'Hana for breakfast and dinner. I didn't have any trouble with 1900 Park Fare for dinner. I was able to change things around a bit as we got closer to our trip for some better times at O'Hana and Chef Mickey's, but if you want to eat someplace that's really popular you should make your reservations ASAP.