Restaurants with a group

[squirrel922]

We have a Family Reunion going down and we're trying to get a handle on meals. We know we want to do a group dinner show at the Hoop de Doo. We also know we want to do a character breakfast. Lunch we can grab anywhere and breakfast at the hotels.

I'm just wondering 2 things.

1) Does anyone have any experience with large groups at restaurants? Would it be difficult to have dinner every night as a group?

2) Any suggestions for restaurants that are good for large groups?

Thanks!
Stacy

 

[shellybaxter]

I'm not sure how large of a group you are talking about, but I just got back from a trip with 11 people for meals. Eleven wasn't too many to make regular dinning PS (we didn't have to go through group dining) but it was enough for the resturants to automatically add the gratuity (18%). We ate at several places and most were able to accommidate us easily. Some places we had to have two tables and some we sat together. If we were at two tables they were right next to each other.

One Table Resturants
Whispering Canyons
Ohanna
Chef Mickeys
Rain Forest Cafe

Two Table Resturants
Sci Fi Dine In
Rose and Crown (hardest to get together - the tables were in the same room but separated by a path in the middle)
Cinderella's Royal Table

Shelly

 

[Cheshire Figment]

One very important thing is to have your PS within the first fifteen minutes that the restaurant is open and get there prior to opening if possible. At the beginning it is very easy to move tables together or seat people at adjoining tables. After the restaurant has been open an hour or so, due to eating speeds you probably will not be able to get adjoining tables (let alone pushed together) and the restaurant will not hold tables empty.

I have been with a group of 30 at Chef Mickey. Alfredo's (in Italy) has a private room of the main dining room that can handle about 40. Oktoberfest (Germany) can also handle groups. Spoodles (Boardwalk) has a semi-private area that can handle about 24 and 'Ohana has some semi-private areas.

 

[yoopermom]

We're going to go through this this summer, having a group of 14. I'm hoping to make regular p.s. and just make it two groups of seven or whatever. The reason I don't like to go through group sales is that there's a 24 hour cancellation requirement, and we have to been known to change p.s.s the day of, and wouldn't want to lose any $$. As the others have said, if you try to make it for right away when they open, or at quieter times, they tend to be really good about trying to seat you together. The worst attitude I've seen is from a few of the CM waiters who don't like the idea of splitting the bill up four or five ways (sorry, I'm NOT paying for my cousins!). I am hoping the fact that some are going to have the meal plans on the room cards, and some of us are going to have the DDE card doesn't send our waiter into apoplexy!
Terri