Do we NEED dining reservations (July trip)

[jmm0913]

Our trip is planned from June 29 through July 3. We have a party of 7. Do we need to make dining reservations or will we be okay with just eating whenever we get hungry? Our party may split up at times. Just concerned about crowds and waiting for restaurants. We just feel like we want to go to the parks and enjoy without a schedule and worrying about getting to our reservation on time and trying to get our whole party to meet up. But on the other hand if getting a seat anywhere is going to be difficult and reservations are recommended, please let me know! thanks.

 

[tigsmom]

Our trip is planned from June 29 through July 3. We have a party of 7. Do we need to make dining reservations or will we be okay with just eating whenever we get hungry? Our party may split up at times. Just concerned about crowds and waiting for restaurants. We just feel like we want to go to the parks and enjoy without a schedule and worrying about getting to our reservation on time and trying to get our whole party to meet up. But on the other hand if getting a seat anywhere is going to be difficult and reservations are recommended, please let me know! thanks.

I feel the same way you do about vacations. The only time I made PS in advance of a trip was for the Hoop De Do Review and we were a party of 9... it had to be paid in full prior to our arrival.

What we usually do is the evening before decide what we want to do the next day (usually is a dinner convo) and then call from our room to make our PS. We are there in July or August and the only meal we were shut out of is the Princess Breakfast at Norway and that was a whim anyway.
We've stopped at the booth in MGM and asked for PS at the Concourse Steakhouse and were able to get them right away (actually we had an hour to get from MGM to the Contemporary). We've walked up to The Liberty Tree Tavern on a whim and were able to get seating after only a 5 minute wait last July. This has worked for us for years, but we are very flexible.

If you want to try a meal with the Princesses or at the Castle, or any of the dinner shows make them ASAP, but otherwise I don't think you will have too much trouble. :wave:

 

[se8472]

Well really it depends on what restaurant you want. For some of the more nicer ones at the parks and resort, I would recommend making reservations ASAP

 

[GenerationX]

In some cases, I have called for PS three or four days into the allowable call time (in other words, 57 days in advance of a 60 day window) and had to compromise on my seating time. There's five of us in our group, and I don't believe we're as easy to seat as a party of four. With a party of seven, I would make as many PS as possible beforehand.

 

[auroraarielella]

I feel that they hold back some seating until the last day for "same day" prioroity seatings. On a whim, I have been able to get into Tony's Town Square, Brown Derby, Rose and Crown - but usually at odd time. Early lunches or late dinner. I would not reccomend trying this with character meals, but I do have a friend who told me she got a 4:15 dinner at the Crystal Palace by checking in the morning when they got to the Magic Kingdom. All the food was fresh and the characters did not have alot of tables yet, so they got alot of attention.

 

[bugsbunny]

In some cases, I have called for PS three or four days into the allowable call time (in other words, 57 days in advance of a 60 day window) and had to compromise on my seating time. There's five of us in our group, and I don't believe we're as easy to seat as a party of four. With a party of seven, I would make as many PS as possible beforehand.

I'll 2nd that. I can't tell you how many people I know that go to WDW and balk when I tell them they better get PS. Then they go and come back saying they either got lucky by just walking up and getting someone's cancellation or they end up eating $11 hamburgers at a counter service.

I remember one time I wanted to eat at Le Cellier and I called 90 days out to the day. Our party of 4 ended up having to eat at 4PM becuase that was the only time that was open otherwise, it was after 7PM I would have had to eat. Then when we got there, an older couple began to complain tha it was outrageous that they had to call ahead for reservations.

Do the math. Tens of thousands of people visit a park...how many place could they eat if they stay in the park? And if they want a good place to eat, what does that narrow it down to?

If you took the time to plan a long vacation to WDW and spent all that money, why not take the 15 minutes is might take to plan out where you might want to eat and then call 407-WDW-DINE to get the reservations? You can always cancel them the day of the meal, in most cases.

Other than the Sci-Fi Drive In, I really can't remember ever having a bad meal at any of the restaurants.

 

[amfail20]

Just from working dining reservations, i would like to make the suggestion that most places accept reservations up to Three months in advance. For Character Dining this is a must for the popluar ones atleast. 407-939-3463
When you first know that you are going, make the necessary reservations. Call up the representative and they can plan your entire trip for meals and everything..
*make atleast one breakfast if you can.. leave a few lunches open to just bum around.. then make dining reservations so that you are able to make the firework shows or parades for that evening. Also they might be able to tell you what the hours are for that day.
*A word of advice have something to write with bc there is no way to get a mailing or a list of the itenary.

 

[swimmom]

We have done some trips that we haven't made any PS before we left home, but we ended up eating mostly counter service or later/earlier dinners. Then on other trips, we had specific restaurants that we wanted to eat at and we made PS as early as possible to get time we wanted. If you have some specific restaurants where you want to eat, you should make PS's.

 

[shoppingnut]

You should be aware that you are going during the fourth of July weekend and Disney will be crowded. I would make at least 2-3 dinner reservations focusing on Friday & Saturday nights and if you want play the others by ear. Definitely make any character breakfast reservations asap. Also, it is more difficult to seat a larger group, so I would try to plan where you're going to be and then make reservations accordingly, i.e., day in MK, maybe make a PS for Chef Mickey's one stop on the monorail from MK and after dinner you could come back to MK.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

After problems getting PSs for Crystal Palace, Donalds Restarantsaurus, Bomas, for any time during our two week stay we make PSs for everything.

Paid of last year during all the thunderstorms.

 

[The Mom]

I agree that the afternoon thunderstorms should be factored in. The restaurants get REALLY busy, and people aren't in a hurry to get out, so that those without a PS are the last to be seated, if at all.

There's nothing worse than being forced to eat counter service for every meal just because you didn't have a PS anywhere. At the very least, make one before leaving your room in the morning, or before you go to bed the night before.

 

[Tim G]

If I were you, I would make a PS reservations, just to be shure... better start calling CRO

Greetz!

 

[Nicole]

With a party of 7 I would make at least a few PSs. You are under no obligation to actually show up at the restaurant, but if you want to you can. Much easier that way than if you do decide you want to eat together but don't have a spot reserved somewhere.

 

[AEfx]

Some great advice here. I'll add my 2 cents - hopefully it will help.

For a party of 7, some PS's are really advisable. It doesn't have to be part of a "plan every second of every day" thing, but setting up several meals as sign-posts for your trip would really be smart. Say, one every other day - more often if you are the type of people who want to do more sit-down than counter service.

It also depends on how fussy you are when it comes to time. If you need to eat between 5 and 6, chances of getting a PS for prime-time like that on short notice isn't good. Here, again, the large party is going to get you - if you were 2 people you'd have an easier time, with anything over that it's going to be much tougher.

I'd look at the great menus and reviews over at AllEarsNet and pick out some places you think would be fun, and sell them as experiences and not meals to your fellow travelers. In a few weeks when the park hours for your trip are available (as well as Extra Magic Hour schedules) it's a good idea to come up with a rough idea of which parks you might like on what day. As Nicole said above, you don't have to be at the restaurant just like you don't have to absoultely decide where you are going to be what day - but it does help to have a possible framework in mind before you go.

Also, this isn't policy, but I have found that once you have a PS it's a lot easier to get a PS. With a party of 7, I'm sure someone will have a cell phone (and if not, a Disney house phone will do - just ask a CM) - if you think you won't make it or want to adjust the time you are much more likely to be able to if you already have one. I've just found that works well in practice.

Making PS's ahead of time, with large parties and busy time periods (and especially a combination of both as you have here) can really be life-savers. Popular sit-downs (Brown Derby, Sci-Fi, Le Cellier, anything in Magic Kingdom) turn people away no matter how long you are willing to wait at times like those, and the rest of the places that you can actually get in to you will have a long wait. You may get lucky - but that's a chance you have to decide to take or not yourself.

I do understand the anti-commando mentality. I'm of both minds - I love to plan incessantly before I go and when I'm there I'm totally carefree. I don't think, "OMG! We have to get to Boma before 5:45 or the vacation is ruined!" I think, "Gee, it's 4PM. Hungry? Let's head to Boma - we've got that PS." I keep most of them this way, and it doesn't feel like a bother.

More options = better. Although I wouldn't make a habit out of it, in deference to other guests, PS's (with the exception of the small handful of meals that require actual monetary deposits) don't need to be cancelled - the system is designed to simply skip you and move to the next name. If you know in advance, however, it is always nice to call so other last-minute guests can make PS's in your place.

Good luck!

AEfx

 

[wannabeBelle]

I couldnt agree more with making a PS. As Shoppingnut put it, just plan it loosely around where you are going to be on a particular day. I have gotten to eat at some really good restuarants that way!!! A PS is almst a necessity during a busy season such as the 4th of July!!! Belle

 

[DisneyMarg]

One thing not mentioned is the added impact of Dining Your Way, which should be in full swing by summer. The new "Your Way" packages make resort stays and dining more affordable, and families (like ours) who have never spent that much money or time eating on property are now trying it out. I would think that this is going to result in many more PS's and more crowded restaurants. On another thread I saw people reporting long wait times to make PS reservations. My thought then was that we are now seeing the influx of new folks "Dining Their Way".

 

[SpectroMan]

I agree with everyone so far. My last time going was the week before Christmas, and we had 14 people. There was really no one in the theme parks, not like during the summer, and I had to push hard for some times even when we would split up. Narcoosee's was easy, but it was so difficult to get in at San Angel. All I could get with splitting up was 4:30, and this was in October. Well, we got lucky, and the concierge at the Grand Floridian was able to get us in at 5:30.

Sometimes you can get lucky, but I wouldn't bet on it!

 

[Nicole]

Thanks for this thread, by the way. It motivated me to call WDW today and set up some PSs for my trip this weekend. Several seating times were already full and we are only a party of four. We may not use the PS but at least we have it if we want it.