Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Disneyworld Newbie here.

Well, we gave in and we're taking the kids to Disney in May.

I'm in the process of creating our "itinerary" (I'm using that term loosely ) and booking some dining reservations.

Are they worth it, other than to see characters? (unfortunately most of those are unavailable at this point.)

FWIW, we're staying just outside the park (Waldorf Orlando, so it's not too far) as opposed to within the resort.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Depends on what you want out of your trip. The more you pre plan with disney the more relaxing and smooth your trip will go. This is late to be booking reservations (ADRs). Do you want to do sit downs? If you do I would book immediately. If you do not care if you eat all counter service, do not care which restaurants you eat in, and are not opposed to very late meals you can wing it, but it isn't recommended. Many restaurants will be booked completely and not accept walk ups. Those less popular places might let you book for later that day but it might be very late or very early. I personally would book some. You can cancel the day before if you decide you don't want it but if you wait you might not get what you want. We have gone 2years in a row Mother's Day week. There are some openings at lesser restaurants but many places had times like 4 pm or 830/9 if they had availability. Resort restaurants were a bit easier to get depending on the place.

With the very popular places check again at the 45 day mark (when final payment is due on trips) and check regularly as it gets closer. People do cancel (especially the day before) and you might get a popular place.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

First time I took my kids I had every meal booked and did one character meal. Second time I went with my bf's fam who are DVC members and have been a million times and planned nothing. We figured out what we felt like doing everyday and everything was fine. I liked the laid back approach MUCH better

ETA: We didn't have one quick service meal with either approach. We were able to get into a decent restaurant last minute.

Message edited 2/25/2015 8:28:36 AM.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

We are DVC owners and usually make a table service reservation for each day. We do not like eating counter service every meal, and there are some restaurants that we really like.

We never used to make reservations for every day. It used to be much easier to just walk in and get a table for 2. Now, it's almost impossible - especially during times of the year when "free" dining is offered.

Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

I think they are worth it. Even if it is at least one meal a day. The restuarnts fill up so quickly and I hatetrying to find someplace to eat that doenst have a 2 hour wait with small kids. It actually takes a lot of stress off when you know you have a reservation for where you want to eat - when you want ot eat. Plus, the different restaurants is part of the whole fun and experience at Disney! There were a few I knew I really wanted my kids to go too!

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

We only booked character experiences. Other than that we prefer to go with the flow and not be tied down to a time slot and location within the park. But we are pretty easy going with food on vacation, especially since DD only eats like 5 foods.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

IMO it's needed and worth it. You can always change your mind once you are there or move things around, but things book up so fast and you risk not getting into places you wanted to eat.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

It really depends -
When I'm with my 3 & 5 year old boys I'm not fine dining ........so for ME, it isn't worth it to have everything booked like that b/c I find it annoying and not a real vacation when I'm on a schedule like that.

Unless you want to do a Character meal, I'd say it's not necessary, as long as you're fine with eating 'whatever' .........KWIM?
I made some reservations, and cancelled here and there.

Message edited 2/24/2015 1:04:18 PM.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

This whole thing really amazes me.

I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in NYC, Miami etc and never needed a reservation so far in advance.

But to eat in Disney, land of the mouse and Elsa, you better book a year in advance or you will eat super early or super late. Or they will turn you away.


Seriously?


And THIS is why we are not going to Disney.

I have never heard of such ridiculousness as I have with Disney....

It's a shame because I would have liked to have taken my daughter but stuff like this just ruins it for me.

Message edited 2/24/2015 1:15:03 PM.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Ok. I'm leaning towards just booking a couple meals (if I can find anything) for the character/atmosphere aspect, but I have a feeling my DH and I are on the same page as some of the other posters who just went with the flow.

We've got a couple strikes against us anyway:
-My kids aren't known for being open minded with food (neither is their mother. )
-We're late to the game, so availability is really limited, plus there's 5 of us.


Thanks for the input guys! I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Posted by BaseballWidow

Posted by NervousNell



It's a shame because I would have liked to have taken my daughter but stuff like this just ruins it for me.

But you don't have to do all the nonsense you see people talking about. We went last year without a dining reservation, plan or fast pass and had a great time. And we didn't starve! This year I did a few reservations for DD for Cinderella's table and something at Hollywood studio just b/c I know she will be thrilled. BUT you can see princesses in the Hall of fame (or something like that) so if I didn't book or tell her about the lunch she'd be none the wiser. I wouldn't let DD miss out just b/c I don't buy into the hype. She is my one and only and I want her to have the magic...because it really is magical for them. When she saw Tiana last time, she looked over at me, awe struck and said "She's real?" it was a moment I will never forget!

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Posted by Chatham-Chick

Ok. I'm leaning towards just booking a couple meals (if I can find anything) for the character/atmosphere aspect, but I have a feeling my DH and I are on the same page as some of the other posters who just went with the flow.

We've got a couple strikes against us anyway:
-My kids aren't known for being open minded with food (neither is their mother. )
-We're late to the game, so availability is really limited, plus there's 5 of us.


Thanks for the input guys! I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Not at all necessary.
The food is pretty universally horrible at the theme parks.
I stay offsite & eat offsite.
The nights that I stay late at Disney, we get some fast food/ counter service from there or do the last minute stand by. We do play those days by weather forecast so we are last minute with booking.

Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

there can be some AMAZING food in Disney. the horrible food comes from the quick services that you end up having to eat bc you cant get into the restuarants bc there are all booked up. If you only eat at the counter service you are going to get over it real fast. and think the food sucks. I knew I wanted good food so I made sure to make reservations ahead in the places that are worth eating in

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Posted by BaseballWidow

Posted by NervousNell



It's a shame because I would have liked to have taken my daughter but stuff like this just ruins it for me.

But you don't have to do all the nonsense you see people talking about. We went last year without a dining reservation, plan or fast pass and had a great time. And we didn't starve! This year I did a few reservations for DD for Cinderella's table and something at Hollywood studio just b/c I know she will be thrilled. BUT you can see princesses in the Hall of fame (or something like that) so if I didn't book or tell her about the lunch she'd be none the wiser. I wouldn't let DD miss out just b/c I don't buy into the hype. She is my one and only and I want her to have the magic...because it really is magical for them. When she saw Tiana last time, she looked over at me, awe struck and said "She's real?" it was a moment I will never forget!

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

If you don't mind eating quick service food you don't need reservations.

I'm a foodie and my kids are not chicken nugget/hot dog/ burger lovers, so part of the Disney experience for us is dining. We just got back on Sunday. We were in Disney for 5 days and had dinner at 3 signature restaurants and 2 others. We were a party of 13 and planned our trip pretty last minute (by Disney's standards) so if you want to make reservations at this point it can be done, but it's totally not necessary.

Also, if you're going to do a character meal I highly recommended doing an early breakfast in one of the parks so you're in the park before it even opens.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

See I'm the opposite in that I love planning disney- I know I'm a freak lol.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Posted by NervousNell

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

I think a lot depends on your schedule and logistics.

If you are going to have several full park days where you are there from morning until night and not leaving for any reason, it might be nice to have a few ADRs to break up the counter service. Even still, they're not necessary with a car, because you can always have a late dinner out of the parks on the way to the hotel at night.

If you are planning to either leave the parks on the early side or to go back to the hotel and return to the parks at night, then they're less necessary, because you're in your car anyway and have more options.

As far as overall thoughts on dining:

I think dining in Disney is a mixed bag. It is impossible to categorize all sit down restaurants or all counter service restaurants one way or the other.

Yes, there are crappy counter service restaurants. However, there are also many that have healthy and inventive choices like quinoa salads, grilled veggie sandwiches, etc. You just have to know which ones are good. Allears.net has updated menus for all. Some good ones that come to mind are Columbia Harbour House at MK, ABC Commissary at HS, and Sunshine Seasons in Epcot's Future World. Also, most of the counter service in Epcot's World Showcase are good quality.

The sit down restaurants also vary, although I have been less impressed overall, especially with the value or lack thereof. I find them to have Applebee's or slightly better quality food for much more - like $10 a plate or more - than Applebee's would charge.

Even the exceptions like Ohana's dinner - a meal my family loved - had 1-2 substandard components: the broccoli tasted like it was overnuked, overseasoned frozen Green Giant. At the price point they are charging there is no excuse for that.

The $10 pp cancellation fee with less than 24 hours notice really turns me off too.

I think sit downs could be "worth it" if you pick a place with something unique to offer - characters, a "signature" level meal, an unusual setting, etc. Otherwise, meh - save your money.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

We go once or twice every year, but we do only do one park for one day each trip. Once every couple of years I will make a special dining reservation, but we normally just wing it. I also have never pre-booked our fast passes. And we still survive and get to ride just about everything.

Re: Disney - Restaurant Reservations...are they necessary/worth it?

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by BaseballWidow

Posted by NervousNell



It's a shame because I would have liked to have taken my daughter but stuff like this just ruins it for me.

But you don't have to do all the nonsense you see people talking about. We went last year without a dining reservation, plan or fast pass and had a great time. And we didn't starve! This year I did a few reservations for DD for Cinderella's table and something at Hollywood studio just b/c I know she will be thrilled. BUT you can see princesses in the Hall of fame (or something like that) so if I didn't book or tell her about the lunch she'd be none the wiser. I wouldn't let DD miss out just b/c I don't buy into the hype. She is my one and only and I want her to have the magic...because it really is magical for them. When she saw Tiana last time, she looked over at me, awe struck and said "She's real?" it was a moment I will never forget!

I know.
I know I need to suck it up and do it.
I am dreading it more than a root canal.
I get so little vacation time, the last thing I want to be doing is spending it in the cult of Disney.
And the money.
To me it's a sin what they charge for this magic.

However, since i chose to have a kid, I feel like I have to go.
It's one of the unpleasant things that come with parenthood, like hemorrhoids in pregnancy, and sleepless nights.
You do it for the kids.

When I do find the strength to finally go, I will make sure we stay offsite in a nice resort like the Waldorf and hopefully only eat off site.
I refuse to make reservations 6 months in advance like it's Per Se in NYC