wondering if PS's are necessary

[McKeeFamily3]

Ok, this trip I promissed I would not plan everything down to the last detail. We'll be there for 9 days and are going to try and relax and not have a definite plan for the day,just wing it This is going to kill me by the way, but my family is not hard wired the same way I am and they made me promiss.
Soooo...My concern is about PS's We have a list of places we want to eat. Are we going to be able to call that day and get a PS or will we possibly not even need a PS, just show up. I've always had PS's for every meal except counter lunches of course.
Oh, we'll be there the week after Thanksgiving so it's off season, low crowds, no need for PS's I hope... please.......did I mention this was going to kill me.

Cindy's (definite PS)
Mama Melrose lunch
Ohana's
Bomas dinner and breakfast
WCC lunch or dinner
Coral Reef lunch
Sanangel Inn dinner
or
Lecellier dinner dinner
California Grill dinner

Thanks!

 

[crisi]

We were at WCC in low season Feb and were told a two hour wait for dinner (about 5:00)

We had PSs for San Angel Inn the same trip and people were being turned away for dinner (7:00)

We went this year in low season October with PSs for Boma and people were being turned away for dinner. (6:00)

 

[jwfla422]

If you have your heart set on going to certain places I would make the PS. Although the crowds are lower during this time than the actual holidays themselves the past few years have gotten busier during this time.

The weekends tend to be busier with locals at the restaurants too. I recommend PS's, you can always adjust the times if you need to as long as there's availability.

The popular meals, like the Princess Breakfasts are a PS MUST or you more than likely won't get in to those.

I always make PS's for our trip. We have yet to actually use them all, but I'm always glad I made them because you never know how busy a particular place can get. (ie. O'Hana's is very popular for wedding parties anytime of the year)

 

[rdrjj5]

We go every year the week after thanksgiving and always decided while we are down there where to go a couple of days in advance and usually have no problems ( we have even called an hour before and got in to the cape may). The exception to this is any character meals. We always make ps for those. I would say make a couple of ps for the resturants that are on your must do list just incase. You can always cancel or try to reschedule if your plans change. If you know what you want to do the morning of, I would go to guest relations and see if ps is available. If not then you might still be able to get in by showing up but I would go early.

 

[crisi]

I should say that the day after we were told a two hour wait for WCC, we called for PSs about 3:00. It did take 20 minutes on hold that I would have rather not spent, but we did get a PS - not a lot of choices in time, however.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I've called to make a PS for Boma's a couple of days before I wanted to go. This was in May. We got a wide range of times to choose from. I agree with jwfla422, make a PS for any restaurant that you really want to go to.

 

[#1hockeymom]

I don't know about November crowds, but in January I was worried about PSs right up until I walked into Brown Derby at 1pm, holding my breath, asking when the earliest walk in reservation could be. We were then taken into the BD and sat at a table in a near empty restaurant!

We ended up just walking into any place we wanted to eat after that. We even walked up to CRT and were seated 10 minutes later at a window seat! I did make a PS for Boma and WCC since I was sure about our timing and where I would be, but I didn't need them at either. I made both of these PSs hours before we wanted to use them.

Have fun planning!
Debbie

 

[wld]

We like more freedom than being tied down to PS times when we are on vacation we have found. On our last trip I didn't make any and in most cases we were seated right away. This was in January. The only one we didn't was for Ohana's and we didn't want to wait. However I called the next day and immediately got a PS for the day after that whenever I wanted. I agree that if you want a character meal you may need one, we never checked as these do not interest us.

 

[ILUVDXL]

I never make PS's for breakfast or lunch, but I do think they are a must for dinner, especially if the restaurant is somewhere you have you're heart set on. All too often I see people without PS's for dinner who are eiher turned away or told the wait could be hours. We are always seated withing 5 or 10 minutes of arrival. I think you might want to be safe than sorry.

 

[sherry8253]

We were there the week after Thanksgiving last week. My DH said that we should not make PS because crowds were low - After being turned away from some restaurants we tried some new ones that we really enjoyed. We even tried to make some PS while we were there after we were told some of the restaurants were not accepting walk ups. so... here are the places we did not get to go because there was no space available - Le Cellier (dinner), Crystal Palace (breakfast), Japan, Brown Derby. We did get to dine at some of the places we wanted but either very very early or very very late dinner - ex: Rose N Crown. China and Morocco were walks ins. If you want to dine in Epcot, don't forget that most of the restaurants are crowded because of CP packages. So my advice is, if you don't care where you eat or you don't mind dining very early or very late, you can go with no PS. But, if you really want to dine at a specific place or you like normal dining times, then make at least a few PS's. Have a great trip.

 

[McKeeFamily3]

Thanks everyone!
This is as I thought it would be. I will definitely be making some ps's then.

 

[Slade]

You're at Disney...maybe it's a trip of a lifetime, or just a yearly trip. Regardless it's a place to be enjoyed...experienced...why waste your time searching for a place to eat or waiting for a table? So go ahead and make at some PS's. That's the way we see it.

 

[topcat011]

We ate at O'hana's on Sunday February 8th. I had a PS for 6:20 and arrived at 6:00. Lots of people were coming in and asking for a reservation. THere was an hour wait. I am thinking its because the fireworks were at 7.

 

[mitros]

If you don't want to plan Waaaay ahead, and you go at an off time, {week after Thanksgiving would be in that classification} most of the time you can just make a PS from your room the night before for the next day. We rarely make PSs on the off season times. However for the really hot places ,the Castle, Hoop De Do, make a PS as early as you can.

 

[bmoc_ny]

This really depends on howmany people you have I found that 4 or less you can either try and make a PS that morning or stop by where you want to eat and check about an hour befor you want.

 

[crisi]

Do keep in mind that if you are calling from your room or day of you are at the mercy of Disney Dining's hold system - which - depending on what is happening 90 days out - may be busy. When we went in October, we were about 80 days out from Christmas - so my husband was on hold for quite a while to get a same day PS for Spoodles. So while you can "just call" from your room or a cell phone or guest services - it may take time from your day you'd rather not spend on hold with Disney Dining. (Course, you could get right through - we've done that as well).

And, as has been said, keep in mind the number in your party. We've had great luck walking in with two. Marginal luck with four. Absolutely lousy luck with six.

 

[bmoc_ny]

Do not call for PS if you are in wdw PS can be made from any park for any resturant just go to guest services or town hall in MK

 

[jann1033]

according to the cm at Ohana they are always at capacity, even during the slow times..with a Ps we waited 40 mins or so in very dead Jan.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Well, our experience has been, we usually make PS's for the restaurants we really, really want. Then, if we change our minds, we call from our room, or the parks, sometimes just 1-2 hours before we want to eat. We have never had trouble getting in. BUT, the advice a pp gave about Epcot restaurants during Dec. with the Candlelight Processional is very good, especially Le Cellier. We were there last Dec. 8-13, and Le Cellier was booked every night (luckily we booked a CP pkg.)

Good Luck, and have a great trip!!

 

[crisi]

In my experience, guest services involved a wait as well. I haven't made a PS there for years, but have been there for other things.

Most things at Disney involve some sort of queue - from making phone calls, to checking in to riding attactations (although I've had a few trips where the crowds were nowhere to be seen and its wonderful!) My preference is to move as much of the waiting (and some of the decision making - which can be overwhelming when you are there) to before you go. Or, if you do need to call Disney Dining while you are there, my recommendation would be to do it from your cell phone while you wait in line for Mission Space.