which MK QS during Christmas season?

[carlymcqueen]

My lovely family and I are taking a trip for a few days right after Christmas. We're doing skipper canteen for dinner but just want to do QS for lunch on our MK day. are there any QS that are particularly empty during this busy time? we were thinking either Village Haus or Cosmic Ray's because we like the food there.

 

[999_Happy_Haunts]

There is no such thing as "particularly empty" during the busiest week of the year. Just go where you like and be prepared for a longer than usual QS line. The strategy for finding a smaller line has far more to do with the time you eat as opposed to the place you eat. Our crowd avoidance strategy usually entails breakfast in our room while we get ready in the morning (which means that we are eating earlier than we ordinarily would), followed by lunch between 11:00-11:30 (which is earlier than we ordinarily would), followed by a dinner (without dessert) on the early side, capped off with a snack or dessert later in the evening to make up for the fact that we ate dinner in the five-o'clock hour. So instead of our typical dining habits would include a lunch between 12:30-1:00 and a dinner between 7:00-7:30, we do lunch at 11:00-11:30 and dinner between 5:15-5:45 and add in a snack later on. This helps avoid extreme crowds.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My lovely family and I are taking a trip for a few days right after Christmas. We're doing skipper canteen for dinner but just want to do QS for lunch on our MK day. are there any QS that are particularly empty during this busy time? we were thinking either Village Haus or Cosmic Ray's because we like the food there.

I'm sorry, this made me laugh. We were in MK on Dec. 29, 2015. Yes, I remember the exact date because it will live in WDW touring infamy in our family. The lines for QS were literally out the door (Cosmic Ray lines were spilling into Tomorrowland) and there was absolutely no place to sit. Nothing will be empty. If you want a QS lunch on that day, I would go right when it opens. I would also try the new mobile ordering app. We used it in August and it was a huge time saver. Even if you use mobile ordering, I would still do it earlier so you can actually get into the restaurant, get your food and find somewhere to sit. When we were there, we had some popcorn for lunch and sat on a rock in Frontierland (it was the only place we could find to sit). We then gave up on MK altogether and had a quiet lunch back at our resort.

 

[DizzneyDi]

Don't forget that many QS restaurants now offer online ordering. This could be the perfect time of year to try that.

 

[Disneylover99]

Go where you like, but find out what time the place you want to eat at opens for lunch. Some places open at 10:30am or 11:00am for lunch that week.

 

[pitpat]

We like eating upstairs at Columbia Harbor House. They have the online ordering now.

 

[deedubb]

I would pick somewhere with mobile ordering. We love Pecos Bill.

 

[HeidiGW]

I'm sorry, this made me laugh. We were in MK on Dec. 29, 2015. Yes, I remember the exact date because it will live in WDW touring infamy in our family. The lines for QS were literally out the door (Cosmic Ray lines were spilling into Tomorrowland) and there was absolutely no place to sit. Nothing will be empty. If you want a QS lunch on that day, I would go right when it opens. I would also try the new mobile ordering app. We used it in August and it was a huge time saver. Even if you use mobile ordering, I would still do it earlier so you can actually get into the restaurant, get your food and find somewhere to sit. When we were there, we had some popcorn for lunch and sat on a rock in Frontierland (it was the only place we could find to sit). We then gave up on MK altogether and had a quiet lunch back at our resort.

We are there that day too!!!
Only slightly better than Christmas Day, when I thought it would be nice to have BOG breakfast. OMG, the worst nightmare of my life. The only thing worse than just trying to get to the restaurant was leaving. Seriously, so many people were coming in that we could not get out!!!

 

[buzznina]

We like eating upstairs at Columbia Harbor House. They have the online ordering now.

If I had to choose one that I think would be less busy, it would be CHH. A lot of people do not even know you can sit upstairs, We saw a mom and her 2 children wondering around looking for a table and we told her to follow us upstairs. She said she was walking around for 5 minutes and never knew they had seating upstairs.

 

[GPC0321]

Go where you like, but find out what time the place you want to eat at opens for lunch. Some places open at 10:30am or 11:00am for lunch that week.

This. When we were at the World over Easter/Spring break in 2016, my mom and I just happened to be walking past both Casey's Corner in MK and Flame Tree BBQ in AK when they were about to open. With Casey's, we just walked in, ordered, got food, and had our choice of any table we wanted. Saw it later when it was slammed and not a seat/table to be had. At Flame Tree, we were actually first standing in line with maybe two or three other parties behind us. We waited about 5 minutes and then the CMs that work there led us in some song/chant/hoopla thing to open the restaurant for the day! LOL! Alrighty then! Got our food almost instantly and again, had our choice of tables. By the time we'd finished eating, the place was packed.

Timing is everything. Truly.

 

[Disneylover99]

This. When we were at the World over Easter/Spring break in 2016, my mom and I just happened to be walking past both Casey's Corner in MK and Flame Tree BBQ in AK when they were about to open. With Casey's, we just walked in, ordered, got food, and had our choice of any table we wanted. Saw it later when it was slammed and not a seat/table to be had. At Flame Tree, we were actually first standing in line with maybe two or three other parties behind us. We waited about 5 minutes and then the CMs that work there led us in some song/chant/hoopla thing to open the restaurant for the day! LOL! Alrighty then! Got our food almost instantly and again, had our choice of tables. By the time we'd finished eating, the place was packed.

Timing is everything. Truly.

People seriously underestimate their timing. You can tell them get there at 10:30am and they'll arrive at 11:15am thinking they're still super early for lunch. Nope that's too late Christmas week if you want to get a table.

 

[HopperFan]

- Off hours, before or after normal dining time.
- Mobile ordering, but won't help with seats (Casey's, Columbia, Cosmic Rays, Pecos Bill, Pinocchio)
- Mobile ordering, we've done it, GREAT!!
- Weather shouldn't be hot so outdoor seating great option.
- Remember odd spots like:
... Columbia Harbor Upstairs
... Pecos Bills back rooms on Tortuga side or tables across the way by Pirate Adventure
... Pinocchio has lots of outdoor seating in front
... Caseys has lots of seats on both sides of hub
... Tomorrowland Terrace is open busier times and lots of seating

 

[TinkSassy]

Both of those will be insane with the crowds - everywhere is busy at Christmas time. We like Cosmic Ray's as well but I won't do that on a holiday again - we did and regretted it as it was so busy and so loud.

I will also suggest Columbia Harbor upstairs - only sanity we found on our last Christmas trip. Try to plan to eat right at 11am when they open with mobile ordering. It did help alot to eat early as we were finishing as the crowd started to roll in, late didn't seem to help as everyone pushes off thinking the lines will get better #theydon't

 

[Ksquared]

Can you use mobile ordering if you are on the dining plan?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We are there that day too!!!
Only slightly better than Christmas Day, when I thought it would be nice to have BOG breakfast. OMG, the worst nightmare of my life. The only thing worse than just trying to get to the restaurant was leaving. Seriously, so many people were coming in that we could not get out!!!

Oh, I believe you. At one point, DS got his face painted in Tomorrowland because it was literally the only place we could move and find a place to sit. We basically rented a chair for $16. Then we tried to get out of Tomorrowland by walking between Stitch and Monsters, Inc. We couldn't move. It was awful.

Can you use mobile ordering if you are on the dining plan?

Unfortunately, not at the moment which doesn't bode well for those on the DDP who want to eat QS at busy times.