Skipping TS

[disney144]

We are an adult couple visiting in January. Are we missing out if we skip TS restaurants? We're not sure if it's worth it on our budget. Anyone else do the same?

 

[Doug S]

I've been with my family & by myself to WDW 6 times and have only eaten at 5 TS places. You're not alone in that it's simply not in the budget.

WDW has really upped their QS game lately and you can easily feel like you had a good food experience without eating at a TS once. I would still try to eat at one TS, but even if one isn't possible your trip will not be ruined.

 

[Dis703]

Before kids we really never did TS meals. Not that we didn't try, but the wait times were always insane so we ended up eating all QS meals. Now we plan for one a day and I have to say it's very much a part of the overall experience for us. We do a few character meals and have some favorites, but the food quality is definitely better at most TS restaurants. Some places have entertainment and just a really fun atmosphere. It has definitely enhanced the overall experience.

That said, if doing TS was going to kill our budget I could probably make it work if it was an adult only trip. I'd rather go and skip TS than not go at all.

 

[MikeOhio]

It really depends on the couple.

For me a huge part of any vacation is eating at nice restaurants and I would feel very deprived if I did not have at least one table service meal every day in Disney.

For other folks they would prefer the speed of counter service to spend more time riding rides and walking around the parks. It all depends on your priorities and budget. One thing to note is that counter service restaurants in Disney are pretty expensive and often a table service meal is not a major difference in price (of course there are exceptions to this).

 

[loves to dive]

Are you missing out? Maybe, maybe not, it really all depends on what you like. There are a lot of great QS places at WDW and you certainly can have a great trip and eat lots of different and good food going QS. Would we do it? Probably not but just because there are certain restaurants we like and I can't imagine us skipping them. Having said that, when I go solo to F&W I don't eat at a single TS restaurant, to be fair all my meals except breakfast are either at booths or food and wine pairing meals.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

You'll never know until you try some of them and can make a proper comparison for yourself.

 

[stinkpickle]

TS meals eat up a lot of time.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

TS meals eat up a lot of time.

For us, that's not a bother as we enjoy the entire experience of being there. For those who are focused on attractions, yes, TS takes lots of time.

Again, until you try them out, you won't know.

 

[leebee]

No, not really. You can have a truly wonderful, amazing, memorable Disney vacation and never set foot in a table-service restaurant. It's all what you make of it... and if your budget is tight, you aren't going to enjoy spending that money anyhow!

 

[livyy]

TS is definitely not a priority to us. TS usually takes a long time. I would rather have more park time than food time. Plus, most TS require a reservation. I hate planning all around a reservation. I like going with the flow, hitting as many rides as I can, and eating whenever I want. Time is money at Disney and I prefer the rides and atmosphere

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

We don't do TS for a few reasons:
Cost
Planning involved
Time taken for meal.

We had "Free Dining" one year and we absolutely hated being tied to a schedule I had made months in advance. Now we only book one or two TS over a 2 week stay. And even then we often end up cancelling them.

 

[Corbie]

We scheduled two TS meals a day and obtained ADRs...and have subsequently cancelled nearly all of them. We're down to three: Whispering Canyon (all you can eat BBQ skillet) Boma (we want to try AKL's African cuisine) and 1900 Park Fare (to meet Mary and the Mad Hatter). I have one more at Yak & Yeti (our only in-park TS) which we will probably wind up canceling.

There are many great CS choices, plus we'll be at Epcot during F&W. Why book TS when you're visiting in October?

But for us, dining out is part of our vacation "feel." It's a way for us to treat ourselves. I think that's a decision every family needs to make for itself.

 

[rwdavis2]

It depends on the restaurant. Take a look a the menus. IMHO, dining at WDW gets way overblown as to the quality. Most is OK and a few are exceptional. It depends on the type of places available where you live.

 

[Ceryssa]

Not necessarily. I like sitting down, having someone wait on me and taking a break from the parks. Some people are more go-go-go and just want to grab a bite quickly and get back to touring. I might suggest doing one, if there's one that appeals to both of you. Honestly, a lot of the food at Disney restaurants isn't top notch, especially the character meals. There are some good ones, and none of it is really terrible, but not worth going out of your way for, you know? They're more about the experience. There are some really, REALLY good signature restaurants, but if you're concerned about budget those might not be the best option, and again, you can get just as good at other places for the most part.

Another option is one of the lounges--all the Deluxe resorts have them, with a limited menu from one or more of their TS restaurants--usually small plate type options. There's also one at Hollywood Brown Derby in HS, Tiffin's in AK, and I think a couple others. That might be a more affordable option if you're wanting something other than QS but don't want a full-blown TS meal. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

 

[Anthony1971]

It depends.. There are great CS places at EPCOT, AK, Disney Springs and some of the resorts... The rest of the parks.. not so much. we seem to spend almost the same on the days we do CS meals as we will always have 2. On days we have TS meals we may not have another meal and if we do it usually a kids meal. Recently with the huge price increase in not so great CS items --a burger is 12.50 -15.50 last year plus a soda 3.69.... much rather pay a few $ more and eat at TS....but I will not order a burger in Disney either way. However if you are to compare places in EPCOT or Disney Springs... while some are cheap like Earl of Sandwich, Cooks of Dublin (compared to what Disney gives you) some are expensive Wolfgang Puck express the CS at Mexico in EPCOT and Flame tree at AK but I will gladly eat at any of them and enjoy my meal... but cost wise you are truly getting close to a TS minus the tip if you eat at the places which still have a lunch menu.

 

[jsmla]

For me it depends on the length of the trip. After about 4 or 5 days I need to either have TS or, if I'm offsite, cook something for myself at the condo. I was there for 11 days in February and, midway, broke down and booked a few TS even though I was very uncomfortable with the idea of dining alone. I upgraded my QS Free Dining to the regular plan for this September.

There are some excellent QS venues but it doesn't matter how much I enjoy Tangierine Cafe if I'm stuck in Hollywood Studios. Disney Springs had great QS but it's just too much trouble to get over there just for lunch.

 

[nkereina]

It's true that TS meals are time consuming and expensive, but we (also an adult couple) will utilize them as a break. We also get sick of the QS food and process. Some QS locations can be quite chaotic and a lot of QS locations offer the same kinds of food. And other places (like DHS) have poor QS options all together IMO. So we like to add in some TS meals to break that up. If budget is the main concern, you can save by sticking to TS breakfast and lunch, visiting resort restaurants rather than in park ones, sharing food, and avoiding buffets/family style places with one price.

 

[Oneanne]

I do a mix of both, booking TS/ADR's for half of my days and then doing CS for the other half. That way I get the best of both... a few relaxing sit down meals where someone is waiting on me and the flexibility to eat when/where I feel like at the time and not being tied to reservations. I've also had good luck picking up ADR's day-of, if I decide that what I want to do.

 

[Elle23]

The killer for us with the TS meals was the tips. It was hundreds of dollars, considering how expensive most TS meals are.

When/ if we return, we plan on doing all QS except for BOG. That was the only one that justified the cost for us.

 

[Elleshoodat]

We are an adult couple visiting in January. Are we missing out if we skip TS restaurants? We're not sure if it's worth it on our budget. Anyone else do the same?

I wouldn't say that you are "missing out" necessarily. We prefer counter-service to table-service, but we still like to have one or two TS meals over a five- or six-day trip for the experience. Some of the restaurants are really relaxing, and -- especially when I'm on vacation -- I sometimes just want someone to serve me rather than doing all the work myself (gathering and placing my family's order, waiting for our food, finding a table, cleaning up after the kids, etc.).