Touring - What time do you eat lunch?

[Katie Dawn]

We used Tour Guide Mike for our trip in 2010. His philosophy was to get there for RD and tour heavily from 9am-11am. Then eat lunch at about 11am. By that time you'll probably be hungry. But, more importantly, if you eat lunch early at a non-peak time you'll spend less time waiting to be seated (with dining reservations) or less time waiting in line to order (for counter service) because you'll be one of the first people of the day. Therefore, you'll get in and out quicker and back to touring faster.

We followed this logic during our 2015 trip as well. And he was right - we usually are kinda hungry by 11am, but not starving by any means. Specifically for Be Our Guest, though.... does that logic even apply? If you're talking about a place that is serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, does a "off-peak" reservation time even matter?

I currently have reservations at BOG for 11:15am and around 2pm. As soon as I decide which time we'll use I'm cancelling the other. What do you think. At BOG would your waiting to be seated/waiting for food to arrive time be different between 11am and 2pm? What about for other more traditional sit down restaurants?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I generally like to eat lunch between 11am and noon.
We don't eat much for breakfast so by 11am we are more than hungry for lunch.
I have 11:05am ADR's for BOG. I find that it probably doesn't matter a ton for QS at BOG as long as you preorder.
You'll walk up the left side of the bridge and confirm and pay for your order. If you go at a peak time you'll have a bit harder time to find a seat but not to get your food.

 

[loves to dive]

Hate to say it but we eat when we are hungry, no set time and I really haven't noticed any difference in lines for QS. We do tend to eat lunch a little later or even just eat lupper (lunch and supper combined) around 4 or so. Our touring style is very laid back, rarely make ADRs any further in advance than day before, more often than not day of and rarely make more than one of two FPs a day. We just go and do where and when we want and if a line is too long, for food or rides, we just move on.

 

[LISAMWDW]

We tend to eat during off hours and enjoy the parks during the peak meal times.

 

[DrunkJam]

We tend to not eat lunch. But we tend not to commando tour. We have a leisurely breakfast, then park, then leisurely dinner.

 

[jvz82]

We usually had small breakfasts at Disney and were up early so then we were ready for an early lunch by 11. Plus I felt like everyone else at the park is eating at noon and we're already done, so that's nice.

On the other hand, 2 pm is a busy time of day in the park. Might be nice to sit down for a meal during that time if you don't have napping kids. I don't know if my kids could make it until 2 pm without eating though, they'd get way too crabby.

 

[rosiebean]

We usually have lunch before noon or well after 1 pm. We avoid the typical noon lunch crowd. We've had many a relaxed sit down and counter service meal this way.

 

[JZCubed]

We used Tour Guide Mike for our trip in 2010. His philosophy was to get there for RD and tour heavily from 9am-11am. Then eat lunch at about 11am. By that time you'll probably be hungry. But, more importantly, if you eat lunch early at a non-peak time you'll spend less time waiting to be seated (with dining reservations) or less time waiting in line to order (for counter service) because you'll be one of the first people of the day. Therefore, you'll get in and out quicker and back to touring faster.

We followed this logic during our 2015 trip as well. And he was right - we usually are kinda hungry by 11am, but not starving by any means. Specifically for Be Our Guest, though.... does that logic even apply? If you're talking about a place that is serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, does a "off-peak" reservation time even matter?

I currently have reservations at BOG for 11:15am and around 2pm. As soon as I decide which time we'll use I'm cancelling the other. What do you think. At BOG would your waiting to be seated/waiting for food to arrive time be different between 11am and 2pm? What about for other more traditional sit down restaurants?

You seem to have a perfect idea of data-points for the touring-calculus your family requires.

Read on Dis'Board best description, "We like to go zagging while others are zigging."

That means lunch at 11am if you Rope Drop, particularly at QS. And in the summertime, that might mean being closer to the hotel swimming pool a.s.a.p. after morning Park time.

However, with our current Touring Plan to be at more evening activities (since winter will give my 8 y.o. a chance to be awake), we are doing the reverse - arriving at Parks for late lunch and then enjoying the Park with late afternoon/early evening FP+ before fireworks, Dessert party, etc....because we do not anticipate being able to enjoy the hotel swimming pool as much. This year is the first where we may 'sleep-in' on a few mornings and relax.

 

[srauseo]

We tend to do a big, PPO breakfast, a light lunch or snack back at the hotel and an early dinner back in a park. This plan works well for us in the heat of August.

 

[Shellyb84]

We try to eat at 11AM if we're in the parks, but most of the time we're heading back to our resort by noon so we just eat there. Much less chaotic.

 

[Katie Dawn]

OP here. Great replies guys! This is helpful!
Yes, I totally agree that when you're talking QS places eating earlier is definitely best because the lines back up fast!
I think we'll keep our 11:15 am BOG plan. We are touring the full day that day (then sleeping in the next day) so aren't going back to the room, but we'll be taking some "breaks" within the park. Hopefully the cooler temps of January will help too.

 

[Micca]

We're not big breakfast eaters so we're usually hungry pretty early--around 11. We also eat dinner fairly early because we like to take our time with a more elaborate meal and walk it off a bit before going to the resort to crash.

 

[kniquy]

I agree to eat a quick breakfast and then hit the parks running at rope drop. maybe grab a snack in between and then you can have lunch around 100, buy then you will need a break. Booking dining kind of depends on what you are trying to get - a tough restaurant you grab what you can get and it maybe later or earlier than you would like and work the rest of your plans around that.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We used Tour Guide Mike for our trip in 2010. His philosophy was to get there for RD and tour heavily from 9am-11am. Then eat lunch at about 11am. By that time you'll probably be hungry. But, more importantly, if you eat lunch early at a non-peak time you'll spend less time waiting to be seated (with dining reservations) or less time waiting in line to order (for counter service) because you'll be one of the first people of the day. Therefore, you'll get in and out quicker and back to touring faster.

Well, I like to eat around 11:00 even at home, so that sounds perfect to me!

I think eating off-peak is good theme park advice in general, though. I just wouldn't push it too far off your normal schedule if you're touring with little kids.

 

[Nancyg56]

We eat lunch when we are hungry. If I book a lunch I book it for around 12:30 or 1PM.

 

[si-am]

If we're up for Early Entry, then we've been known to eat lunch as early as 10:30! We don't typically eat much breakfast, though. Columbia Harbour House opens at 10:30 and there's usually a line even that early!

 

[elgerber]

I love to eat as early as possible, at home I eat lunch at 11, I am starving. My dh is fussier about time, even if he is hungry, prefers noon. At Disney however, he usually will eat about 11:30 because of crowds.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I eat lunch at 11:30 at work, and we do the same at WDW. If we were eating lunch at 2:00, I'd need a meal in between breakfast and lunch. I wouldn't make it!