Rethinking MNSSHP Choice - Help!

[Beauty & the Best]

We hae 5:45 ressies at the Wave on the night that we're attending MNSSHP.

After reading about someone's experience @ the Wave that it took 1 1/2 hours for their meal, I am rethinking this choice. The party starts at 7 pm and we'd like to be there around 7.

I'm trying to change the reservation to 5:00 but haven't had luck yet. I'll keep trying, but in the event that we can't change it to an earlier reservation...

Should we just check in earlier (like 5:15) and hope that we'll get a table around that time?

OR

Should we change the dinner (we'd rather use TS on dinner)? Which one of these would you change it to?
Tony's
Crystal Palace
Kona

OR

Should we try to do TS for lunch at the Wave?

 

[SnowandMittens]

I think if you changed it to Crystal Palace or Tony's that would be cute. I know Crystal Palace is a buffet (a very very tasty one) and as long as you ask for the check in advance, you can be in control of how long the dinner takes. There isn't a wait for someone to cook your food or slow service... so I'd go with CP.

Besides, meeting characters before the party sounds like a great way to kickstart the night!

 

[MarkinNM]

I know what you mean as we had an ADR @ Chefs de France, we will be spending the day in Epcot, @ 5pm and heard the same 1-2 hours for the meal. That will take to close to the 7pm start time. So I changed the ADR to 4:30PM hoping we can get out by 6pm and head over to the MK…..Hopefully it will be good, either way we are going to have a awesome meal to start the night with!!!

 

[VegasMike21]

Lots of TS restaurants have you hemmed up for an hour and possibly an hour and a half. I first had ADR's for the Wave at 5:15 and am going to the MNSSHP as well, I ended up cancelling at taking an 8pm reservation at Tony's. I figure we could eat dinner wander around a bit and then catch the 10pm parade.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

Lots of TS restaurants have you hemmed up for an hour and possibly an hour and a half. I first had ADR's for the Wave at 5:15 and am going to the MNSSHP as well, I ended up cancelling at taking an 8pm reservation at Tony's. I figure we could eat dinner wander around a bit and then catch the 10pm parade.

I can live w/ an hour, but 1 1/2 hours is going to cut too close into the party time.

What do you guys think about just showing up to the restaurant 30-15 min earlier than our ressie?

 

[Inkmahm]

You do know that even though the party starts officially at 7 pm, you can get in to the park at about 4 pm? I wouldn't waste time outside of the MK for a dinner at another location when I can get in and eat somewhere in the MK. We have Liberty Tree reservations the night we are going to MNSVSHP.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

You do know that even though the party starts officially at 7 pm, you can get in to the park at about 4 pm? I wouldn't waste time outside of the MK for a dinner at another location when I can get in and eat somewhere in the MK. We have Liberty Tree reservations the night we are going to MNSVSHP.

I do know that, but we are doing MK that day (its a short trip) so the plan is to do the rope drop that morning, skip out after lunch for some rest and then re-enter during the party.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

bump!

I'd really like some more opinions on this....give me your feedback please!

 

[dancin Disney style]

If you really want to eat at the Wave how about a very late lunch and then you can just grab a snack at the party?????

There is no way of knowing if they would seat you early without an ADR. So you probably should have another plan.

 

[catne]

we ate at The Wave last year...was no way it took 1.5 hours. And that was when it was a "new" restaurant and still working out the kinks. Don't think it even took an hour. As for getting earlier seating...they may have changed their hours, but last year it did not open for dinner until 5:30...we showed up at around 5:15 to check in and ended up waiting in the Wave's lounge area. We were seated right at 5:30 when they opened. Now could be they start earlier these days.

We ate at Les Chefs twice this year...in January when Epcot was not the least bit busy, and again at the end of May when Epcot was very busy.
We were in and out in less than an hour both times. First occasion was just a party of 2...but in May, we were a party of 4 and the under-60 minutes dining time included a visit from Remy/Ratatouille.

I would have to say that people who have reported these restaurants taking 1.5 hours had incredibly bad luck with servers/food choices/whatever...have not seen this as a recurring complaint for either of those restaurants.

 

[anne930]

Unless you're willing to eat at a quick service place at Magic Kingdom, I'd stick with the reservation you have and arrive a little before 5:30pm. We ate there last year and I don't remember it taking very long at all - I think you'll be OK that early in the evening - the kitchen won't be backed up yet. I don't know what date you are going, but it would be difficult to get a TS reservation at the time you're wanting to go since there will be a lot of people trying to the same thing you are.

That being said, we do prefer to eat at Magic Kingdom - it's less stressful. We made a reservation at Crystal Palace at 5:00pm the night we're going to MNSSHP, but we made our reservation pretty close to 90 days out. Other years, we've had a big breakfast late in the morning, then had hot dogs at Casey's for dinner.

Have fun at the party, whatever you decide.

 

[DLo]

This year we have an adr at 4:30 at CP on Oct 12. Last year, we had the last lunch adr at Kona (sorry can't remember time - we were staying at Poly -this was mvmcp), year before 4:30ish at Plaza (also mvmcp) year before that late lunch at LTT (mnsshp) . When we had the late lunches, we generally ate a snack or late cs at mk during party _ all that walking around makes you hungry! (sorry I can't remember exactly what we did the years before - when we stayed at the dolphin it was our first mnsshp and we ate on the boardwalk and didn't get to the party until after 7 - before i found the dis obviously) CBR - I think was cs at mk during party _still earning my ears i guess. want to say akl stay we went to boma right when it opened.

 

[disneymotherof3]

It sounds to me that you REALLY want to eat at the Wave. If that's the case then I would have to agree with a PP about trying to get a late lunch and then having a snack or CS later on. If that's not the case, then try to get a ADR inside the MK. That's what we did. We have a 5:35 at Tony's the day that we're going to the party.

 

[MarkinNM]

We ate at Les Chefs twice this year...in January when Epcot was not the least bit busy, and again at the end of May when Epcot was very busy.
We were in and out in less than an hour both times. First occasion was just a party of 2...but in May, we were a party of 4 and the under-60 minutes dining time included a visit from Remy/Ratatouille.

I would have to say that people who have reported these restaurants taking 1.5 hours had incredibly bad luck with servers/food choices/whatever...have not seen this as a recurring complaint for either of those restaurants.

WOW thanks for the report! We really have our hearts set on Chefs and am looking forward to the meal, do you happen to know when dinner starts? I have read that Lunch is fr 11-3 and dinner is 5-9, our ADR is @ 4:30pm.......Will we be able to order off the dinner menu???

 

[dancin Disney style]

Looks like a few of you have gone to CP on a party night. I have a 5pm booked but now I would rather be having dinner a bit earlier. What do you think of my chances of getting in early??? We plan to arrive at the gate at 4pm. Should we browse around Main St. for a while or go straight to CP and try to get in???

 

[Beauty & the Best]

we ate at The Wave last year...was no way it took 1.5 hours. And that was when it was a "new" restaurant and still working out the kinks. Don't think it even took an hour. As for getting earlier seating...they may have changed their hours, but last year it did not open for dinner until 5:30...we showed up at around 5:15 to check in and ended up waiting in the Wave's lounge area. We were seated right at 5:30 when they opened. Now could be they start earlier these days.

We ate at Les Chefs twice this year...in January when Epcot was not the least bit busy, and again at the end of May when Epcot was very busy.
We were in and out in less than an hour both times. First occasion was just a party of 2...but in May, we were a party of 4 and the under-60 minutes dining time included a visit from Remy/Ratatouille.

I would have to say that people who have reported these restaurants taking 1.5 hours had incredibly bad luck with servers/food choices/whatever...have not seen this as a recurring complaint for either of those restaurants.

This helps - I assumed that dinner would take an hour or so & maybe if we let our server know that we're headed to the party they can move us along so it doesn't take too much time.

As an OP stated, I do REALLY want to eat at the Wave...I just think it'll be a good way to ease into the evening. Based on the feedback, I guess I'll keep my ADR...now I feel more confident in my choice.

 

[anne930]

Looks like a few of you have gone to CP on a party night. I have a 5pm booked but now I would rather be having dinner a bit earlier. What do you think of my chances of getting in early??? We plan to arrive at the gate at 4pm. Should we browse around Main St. for a while or go straight to CP and try to get in???

Based on my experience with CP, it's doubtful that they will let you in that much earlier, but it can't hurt to try - it would probably depend on how many no-shows they had that day. They run a pretty tight ship.