Reservations

[Mich Mouse]

Hi All,

I called to make PS for dining and got a voice recording. Left my information, but no return calls four days later.

Can someone explain the dining situation at US? We will be staying at HRH, and I read that we can flash the key and we will be seated at the next available table. Does this really work out well? Should I make ressies anyway? Which restuarants will seat us with just the key? How about the City Walk restaurants?

Thanks for any information!

 

[macraven]

what number did you call and leave a message on for ressies for resturants?

are you talking about hotel resturants? Palms at hrh and tchoup tchoup at rph, etc...


the only places that do take ressies are emil and tchoup tchoup but you call them direct.


character breakfast at ioa does also take ressies.


you show your hotel key card to get head of the line/ priority seating for most of the places. at the park, mythos takes ressies but you only need a week prior to make them


i have no knowledge of any number to call to make ressies at unless you are calling one of the 3 resturants direct to make one.


you don't need ressies for city walk. many do not take them.

this is the link for city walk.
click on dining and you will get info on each resturant there.
info listed for each one.

http://www.universalorlando.com/cw_index.html?__source=googl&s_kwcid=orlando%20city%20walk|714162901


i stay at hrh and only the palms you might need a ressie especially if it is for a saturday night. the kitchen, you won't need one.

 

[Mich Mouse]

I called:

Finnegans 407-224-3613
Mythos 407-224-4012

A week before is when to make ressies? No farther in advance than that? I called WDW dining yesterday and was told Le Cellier was comletely sold out...Four months in advance!

I like to have PS in place as early as possible.

Thank for the help.

 

[phamton]

I would just make reservations for Finnegans and Mythos the day you get to the park. Just stop at any of the dining reservation carts in either citywalk or inside the park when you get there in the morning. I've never needed reservations for Finnegan's. The reason the Disney restaurants need reservations so far in advance is mostly because of the free dining plan. Universal's "meal deal" does not include Finnegans or Mythos. Mythos does close earlier than park closing, sometimes as early as 3:00 PM, so be sure you check on that when you arrive at the parks.

 

[macraven]

I called:

Finnegans 407-224-3613
Mythos 407-224-4012

A week before is when to make ressies? No farther in advance than that? I called WDW dining yesterday and was told Le Cellier was comletely sold out...Four months in advance!

I like to have PS in place as early as possible.

Thank for the help.

at disney if you are staying on site, you can make the adr's 180 days out and you can also make them for the entire time you are staying there at that 180 day out also.
i made my adr for a saturday for le cellier back in early march, there were plenty of openings at that time for late september.
if you want le cellier, keep calling to catch a cancellation. it can be done.

that is the beauty of dining at universal. you can always get into the resturaunts you want there. you don't need to hassle with trying to make ressies for your favorite places.

mythos closes at 3 pm in the afternoon when the parks close early.
you can make it the day or day before at mythos or do it the day you are going to the park. i said to make it a week before in case you are nervous of being shut out of that place.

i eat at finnegans at least twice on each trip to UO. i have never had to make a ressie. there have been a few times i have had a 35 minute wait though. i should have put my name of the list but didn't.
in busy times, go to the podium at finnegans and get on the wait list if you want to eat there at a specific time period. that is all you have to do.

if you eat at off times 11ish and 4-5:15, you would be avoiding the crowds.
it is similar to disney for crowds. people most of the times, do not change their eating habits and want to eat at the normal times they usually do.
if you do opposite of the crowd, you will always get a seat and not deal with crowds.

tell me the dates of your UO trip. i can give you better info if i know when you will be there on crowds and dining.

also, city walk at 8pm in the evening is crowded for many of the places to eat at. keep that in mind if you plan to eat there.

 

[Mich Mouse]

Hi,

Thank for the reponses!

We will be there August 21-23.

 

[macraven]

Hi,

Thank for the reponses!

We will be there August 21-23.

you picked the ideal time to be at UO.
schools start back in florida on august 20th.
this is the last week the parks are open to 8 pm. both of them.
the next week, parks start closing earlier.

you will not or should not have lines and crowds.
you have the fotl as you are staying on site and can use the express lanes over and over.

you will have the heat to deal with but not the crowds.

and, you picked weekdays to be there. another bonus!
weekdays are not as crowded as weekends.

if you want finnegans a reassurance of getting to eat when you want to,
do as phamton said and do a ressie the day the first day you are at the park.
do mythos a few days, or week prior to your stay on site.

even though you are staying on site, get to the park early before it opens.
start the rides early but check in for getting the ressies of finnegans and mythos when you arrive there.

do you have any questions?
is this your first stay or visit for UO?

if i can help, post on the thread.

 

[Ruth B]

Can i just check....... does this mean reservation can't be made for either until a week in advance?

 

[macraven]

Can i just check....... does this mean reservation can't be made for either until a week in advance?

of course you can call the resturuants to check when they take ressies.

if they will let you make a ressie way far out, then it is all set for you!

from my experience, it has not been necessary to make a ressie months in advance. also, don't know how far out the places will give a ressies.

the exceptions might be emils and tchoup tchoup for advanced ressies.

if you are concerned, then you should call the places and ask them about setting up a ressie.
some people feel better when all is planned in advanced.

when i first started going to universal, i was the same way.
after visiting there for many years, i only make them in advance for mythos.

 

[Mich Mouse]

Someone called me back today about the reservations. They said they would be happy to take them, but only thirty days in advance.

 

[bubba's mom]

Mich Mouse......we went to LeCellier back in January. I couldn't get an ADR...they were full! However, I had a plan! I'm not sure what the cutoff time between lunch and dinner is for your travel dates, but ours it was 4:00pm. So, my plan was to arrive at LeCellier at 3:55pm and ask for a table. About a half dozen of us showed up, and I was the last to get a table! Apparently, they don't book every table and keep "so many" "open" for "walk-ups". Go at the end of lunch, before dinner (by about 5-10 minutes) and try your luck....you might get lucky (like us!) Oh, and my "back-up" that day was Le Originale in Italy, the CM said she could cancel that ADR for us....(but I just had her switch it to the next night cuz they had room)....

Good luck!

 

[Daisy06492]

My family and I are going the week of 4th of July so I assume it will be busy that week. Do you think we need reservations that week. We too are staying at the HRH so we can get priority seating by showing our card. Does anyone think that will be enough or should we actually make reservations?? The only place we really want to eat at is Margaritaville. The rest we can wing it.

 

[bubba's mom]

My family and I are going the week of 4th of July so I assume it will be busy that week. Do you think we need reservations that week. We too are staying at the HRH so we can get priority seating by showing our card. Does anyone think that will be enough or should we actually make reservations?? The only place we really want to eat at is Margaritaville. The rest we can wing it.

Hard Rock Cafe takes res' 30 days in advance...margaritaville doesn't. You can make a res for there the morning of. Peak time there for dinner is 8pm, so go earlier for less crowds. Your room key will get you "next available", but the busy time of year, still best to try to go a little early to beat the crowds