dining at disney world

[Okeena]

my wife and i will be at disney world october 5 - 12. Should we make dining reservations before we go or will the crowds be small enough at this time to make them while we are there? i've been around new years time and we've always made them while we were there and it was really crowded then. so i wasn't going to make them till we got down there this time but i wanted a few other opinions on the matter.

thanks

 

[KevinPage]

Okeena,

Really depends on the type of person you are: do you like to wing it last minute and are flexible when you eat OR do you like to know that things are set in stone before you get there?

I'm a mixture of both but tend to lean towards the latter.

My suggestion, make a few reservations for places you want to eat, so you have SOMETHING booked, then when you get here you can always attempt to amend the reservation. If there is nothing available to make the change, at least you have your initial reservation.

But the time of year you are going you should have too much trouble getting what you need (with few exceptions-V&A, Chef Mickey's, Contemporary at MK firework hours)

 

[AriBelle23]

We always are able to book when we get there...like at the begining of the week...I am not sure how far in advance you would have to book for charcter breakfast and those places...but we have always got in at our desired times and dates for the last 6 years

 

[tigsmom]

We rarely book anything ahead...unless its a must .
We felt like a steak dinner when we were leaving MGM...stopped at the booth and got reservations at the Concourse Steakhouse for an hour later. We kind of just go with the flow. If you are more rigid about things I'd make them now.

 

[mrtoad]

Depends on the place and how important it is to you.

Last time we were there we had made some reserations ahead. One was the California Grill on the top of the Contemporary for the fireworks. We had the res for the first night and decided to blow it off because we were having too much fun on the first day. We figured we would make a new one the next day. We could not get one for the rest of the week for the fireworks.

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

I think it is better to only make reservations in the most popular restaurants (i.e. California Grille, Crystal Palace)
But places like Sci-Fi Diner seem to be easier to get into quick

 

[LivefortheMouse]

well priority seating also guarenties u the best seats in the house. like for example at scifi dine in ur guarented to get a car with priority seating if not u get the table loooking thing which in my oppinion problably kills the experience.

 

[flounder]

We just got back from a funfilled week at WDW and we had no problem what so ever getting in anywhere to dine. . .when you go during the off season I don't think there is a problem. We even got into Character Meals without a problem! It is true that a PS does guarantee that you will have a reservation but it also locks you into an exact time. . .I like to go with the flow and stop when we are hungry! Disney Dream everyone!!