Table service meals each day?

[jbrinkm]

Hi, do you tend to do a table service meal (one or more) every day during a UO trip? If so, what is your reason for doing so?

I have 3 meals reserved for a 5 day trip (2 dinners and 1 lunch) and was planning to do quick/fast/counter service for the rest of the time. Will I run into problems? Staying at HRH...

(ETA: We plan on taking a rest/pool break each afternoon so I'm most curious about quality of food and wait times at the counter service places and won't need to plan for a cool break as much as other factors)

 

[jsmla]

I book a TS lunch every day. I’m not a fan of most of the QS at Universal, especially right now with the long waits. I also really appreciate the opportunity to just sit and relax for a bit. I have most dinners at my resort, either a TS or a salad in my room. I pretty much self-cater all of my breakfasts.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

We generally do a TS every day -
The reasons:

1. There are a lot of places I enjoy / want to try! Can't get these places at home...
2. It is not that much more expensive than CS (and sometimes less expensive than CS). To be fair, we don't exactly order steaks & expensive entrees, and sometimes it is an app as an entree. Plus you can get refills on the absurdly expensive soda or actual glasses of ice water, instead of dinky cups (I refuse to pay $4 for a single cup of soda at CS).
3. We tend to maximize park time and eat dinner after park close, which means City Walk. There aren't many different/new/interesting CS places in City Walk (Breadbox being the exception; sadly it was closed for our last trip). I can eat BK anywhere - I'm not getting it on vacation!
4. Currently, it's not much longer than certain CS. Last trip, our longest wait by far was Three Broomsticks, followed by Today Cafe. Everything else was either fast or reasonable, including Leaky Cauldron.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

To specifically answer your unasked question, several of the CS places have good food and not crazy waits. Thunder Falls Terrace tops this list - super fast service and tasty BBQ! The Simpsons food area has a lot of variety, food is good but not great, few minute wait but it was an inside sitting in AC wait. I looked online & see that Red Oven Pizza is considered CS - that's also a really good meal at a good value, normal "pizza place" wait time. Breadbox is excellent, fast & efficient (pre-covid info) & reasonable price.

 

[sparky68]

Hard Rocks main restaurant The Kitchen is awesome. Never had a bad meal there.
We tend to get one restaurant meal a day. Lunch. If you don't have reservations watch the weather. The sit down places fill up with squatters during a rainstorm

 

[asuburbanman]

We are going in July and booked table service each day. Heard about the nightmares of counter service and I have no interest in waiting an hour to order mediocre food and sit outside (in many cases)

 

[mamapenguin]

We are going in July and booked table service each day. Heard about the nightmares of counter service and I have no interest in waiting an hour to order mediocre food and sit outside (in many cases)

Thank you for the reminder. (Leaves to go book more dining reservations…)

 

[sparky68]

We are going in July and booked table service each day. Heard about the nightmares of counter service and I have no interest in waiting an hour to order mediocre food and sit outside (in many cases)

Good point with the staffing concerns right now

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

We are going in July and booked table service each day. Heard about the nightmares of counter service and I have no interest in waiting an hour to order mediocre food and sit outside (in many cases)

Those reports are 100% accurate. I just came back and the waits aren't exaggerated in the slightest. We got in line at 10:45ish for Leaky Cauldron on our first day, and didn't exit the restaurant until around 12:40. After that we mostly ate meals at the Bayliner back at the resort, got in line in the parks before 10am for snacks and drinks, and had a few table service reservations that were lifesavers.

 

[asuburbanman]

planning to eat remaining meals at Roy’s Pacific, which is where we are staying. I know local restaurants are struggling so I can’t imagine the need a place like Universal has. I think a lot has to do with the inability to employ international staff. I feel like QS is where many of those folks get placed.

 

[123SA]

Because of staffing concerns and 1 person in our party with celiac, I opted for all table service for our August trip. All reservations booked. Lunch at Mythos, Confisco Grille, Finnegan's -- reservations between 12-1pm. Dinners at 9pm at Margaritaville, Hard Rock, The Kitchen, Toothsome for 1/2 our party since I read this is not the place to go for those with celiac disease, while the other half at NBC grill.

I don't like the idea of two table service dinners during parks, it just takes too long, but I'm not crazy about the idea of 9pm dinners.

 

[sparky68]

planning to eat remaining meals at Roy’s Pacific, which is where we are staying. I know local restaurants are struggling so I can’t imagine the need a place like Universal has. I think a lot has to do with the inability to employ international staff. I feel like QS is where many of those folks get placed.

It's a problem with many layers. Child care for low wage workers evaporated during the shut down, those child care options have not gotten back up and running. Some low wage workers may have left the area after job loss. As long as we were shutdown or restricted in our movements will be about as long as it takes to recover.
Be patient and kind to the employees they are doing the job of several people in stressful times.
Universal gives cash bonuses to employees, writing an email or leaving a note at guest services mentioning a TM by name could put some extra spending money in their pockets.

 

[MickyLynn]

I had reservations for our whole stay, but on our cabana day we decided we'd rather not leave the pool and cancelled the res.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Because of staffing concerns and 1 person in our party with celiac, I opted for all table service for our August trip. All reservations booked. Lunch at Mythos, Confisco Grille, Finnegan's -- reservations between 12-1pm. Dinners at 9pm at Margaritaville, Hard Rock, The Kitchen, Toothsome for 1/2 our party since I read this is not the place to go for those with celiac disease, while the other half at NBC grill.

I don't like the idea of two table service dinners during parks, it just takes too long, but I'm not crazy about the idea of 9pm dinners.

You may find you won't have to keep the late reservations for dinner and may be able to do CS dinners in park (although I'd keep them and cancel day by day when they send you the "are you still coming" texts) - many people like to ride all day and then head to City Walk for dinner and fun, so you might be able to get CS dinners at 6-7pm in the parks with a smaller wait than lunches have had...

Park lunch CSs are gonna be overwhelmed b/c folks don't want to leave the park to City Walk and come back, but when they "finish" for the day, they are happy to do that...

 

[DuskKodesh]

With all the impact of Covid on CS chalk me up as another person doing two TS meals a day on our trip. It's not until November but I have everything booked. We're just two middle aged adults so walking back out to Citywalk for lunch rather than riding rides isn't a big deal for us. We're Disney vets but it's our first UO trip and I just want all to go swimmingly. Also planning on tipping nicely because I cannot imagine how it is for the employees right now.

 

[jbrinkm]

You may find you won't have to keep the late reservations for dinner and may be able to do CS dinners in park (although I'd keep them and cancel day by day when they send you the "are you still coming" texts) - many people like to ride all day and then head to City Walk for dinner and fun, so you might be able to get CS dinners at 6-7pm in the parks with a smaller wait than lunches have had...

Park lunch CSs are gonna be overwhelmed b/c folks don't want to leave the park to City Walk and come back, but when they "finish" for the day, they are happy to do that...

This is a good point - are the waits for CS that much lower in the later part of the day? (you said "might be able to" -just wondering if anyone who there now or just back can confirm...)

I can see it working well for my family to do a lunch ressie in the parks or at Citywalk each day and then CS for dinner, allowing us to go straight back to the hotel at park close for pool/dessert/early bedtime.

 

[sparky68]

With all the impact of Covid on CS chalk me up as another person doing two TS meals a day on our trip. It's not until November but I have everything booked. We're just two middle aged adults so walking back out to Citywalk for lunch rather than riding rides isn't a big deal for us. We're Disney vets but it's our first UO trip and I just want all to go swimmingly. Also planning on tipping nicely because I cannot imagine how it is for the employees right now.

When my kids were little we did either a character breakfast, or a sit down restaurant lunch. I found the break made all us much happier. They got a decent meal and an aIr conditioner break from the sensory overload at the parks.

 

[sparky68]

This is a good point - are the waits for CS that much lower in the later part of the day? (you said "might be able to" -just wondering if anyone who there now or just back can confirm...)

I can see it working well for my family to do a lunch ressie in the parks or at Citywalk each day and then CS for dinner, allowing us to go straight back to the hotel at park close for pool/dessert/early bedtime.

City walk restaurants are not really a long walk from the parks. You walk by a bunch on the way to the park gates.
Not sure if they turned it back on, but there was a water feature in city walk. Kids love walking through the fountains.

 

[patster734]

Another option to CS at USF is the food trucks and tents that occur during special events. We missed Mardi Gras but we were there last month to experience Summer Bites. The food was good and the lines were reasonably short, especially compared to the CS lines.
We did do TS service everyday for the Citywalk restaurants during dinner, and we made sure to have a reservation for each TS.

 

[sparky68]

I had reservations for our whole stay, but on our cabana day we decided we'd rather not leave the pool and cancelled the res.

Now that is how to vacation.
Off topic, but where did you stay and how much was the cabana, if you don't mind.
Ohh, and do they make you leave when the daily storms arrive?