Is it REALLY necessary to book ahead?

[hubble]

having read up about dining in and around WDW, i get the impression that you HAVE to Book ahead to even get a chance of a table at a restaurant. I can understand this for character meals etc, but is it really true for regular meals at regular cafes/restaurants?
I am scared. How will i know where or when I will want to eat if I have never been there?!!!And how do I book?!
My family is going to WDW for the first time in mid April. I thought it would be a fairly quiet time, so we could eat where and when we wanted.
Am I reading these guide books incorrectly, or do you really need to book ahead?

Please help me......

[janeywaney]

Some places like Cinderellas Royal Table do need to be booked well in advance but other places you should be able to book at guest relations in the parks. We have been to Orlando a few times now and have never done a PS before we have gone, and have always managed to get booked in where we wanted. This year we have done a PS for an illuminations cruise though.
Jane

[bustersmum]

If you want to dine memorably like at cinderellas then i would say yes you do need to.We too just sorted the rest there.

[loadsapixiedust]

Our last trip was over Easter (March/April) and we had made no PS reservations, we just decided on the day when and where we fancied eating and either asked at the restaurant or at Guest Relations on entering the parks. We were never refused a table and had no really long waits. However if you really want to eat at a particular restaurant or at a certain time I would make a PS. It goes without saying that CRT needs to be booked ahead, but we dined at Crystal Palace without a PS. If you don't have a PS just be prepared to either go elsewhere or wait a while for a table if your chosen restaurant is busy. All the parks have plenty of alternatives to the most popular eating places and you can also use the resort restaurants so there is plenty of choice.

[mapman]

All sound advice . . it really does depend how busy the parks are, and what time of year you go.

I should think that you won't need to bother most of the time - there are a few very popular restaurants which will be advisable to make a PS reservation.

Also, don't forget - a PS is just that - Priority Seating . . . it's NOT a booking for a particular table, you turn up at your PS time and then they'll give you the next available table - sometimes you still have to join a queue.
If you don't turn up for your PS, they just seat the next people who are there. It works really well.

[Sue]

We have been 4 times and only ever made one PS, when there were 8 of us and we wanted a popular time at Whispering Canyon. As a couple we have never had to wait longer than 5 mins because tables for 2 are often more available. It has been embarrassing sometimes to stroll up, ask for a table and be shown one directly when there are people hanging around waiting for theirs, Off WDW, no problems either - all depends on the size of your group

[BevS97]

No, you don't need to book ahead, unless you want to eat at a handful of restaurants (specifically Cindys)

If you want to eat at a sit down place and you don't have a PS, then you may have to wait a bit longer, but one trick we have learned is that you can make a PS in the park on the day you want to eat (even as little as half an hour before), you just need to go to Guest Services (City Hall in Magic Kingdom), Under Spaceship Earth in Epcot, not sure in the other 2 parks and make a ps.

We frequently do this at Epcot, make a PS for about half an hours time then walk around to the restaurant and we are seated just as we arrive.

Bev

[Bath1960]

In late May/early June last year you could get a booking in most places. You can always make you first port of call at the park Guest Services - where you can make reservations for that day.

[JDG]

I guess it depends on the size of your party, the time of year and where you want to eat.

When we went in October I made a few PSs before we left for things we definitely wanted to do (Ice Cream Social, Fantasmic Dinner Package etc) and then we made a few more while we were there.

The character dining does seem to get booked up quickly and there were somethings that we couldn't get a PS for while we were there.

There are also lots of counter service restaurants there as well

I work on the basis that it's easier to cancel a PS I've already made rather than being disappointed because I can't get a table.

Julie

[keswick1uk]

We PS'd the meals that were central to our holiday. Chef Mickeys, CRT, and Boma.

It seems a bit of pain beofre you go but its great to have it all sorted when you are jumping the queue or able to experience something you wouldn't without a PS.

The cafes are all queue and wait anyway and the are best avoided at the main lunchtime. If you can arrange to turn up for early or late lunches at these places then all the better. WE waited for 45 minutes at Peco Bills one day.

The rest of the time we ate offsite. Some great restaurants and half the price! (not that a lot of Disney is particularly expensive at the moment with the exchange rate as it is)

[Sue]

We love WDW but rarely eat there, apart from counter service during the parks. The beauty of being before means that you can cherry pick your shows/rides and then we leave the parks to eat - Crossroads or the 192 for example. LOADS of choice and a heck of a lot cheaper too, we round off the day with a game of mini-golf or head back for an evening parade or fireworks depending on what we have seen/done already.
It's also a lot cheaper to do this. IMHO WDW dining is nice but VERY pricey!

[TinkTatoo]

Same here - we never eat in the sit down restaurants in the parks but instead if we are hungry we get lunch / dinner from the counter service places (like Cosmic Rays which is in the MK and one of our favourite places to eat in the parks)

We never know when we will be hungry during the day so making PS's doesn't suit us. Also as Soozicue says it is better value to eat outside the parks.

[KK_Cat]

Oh thank God for this! Reading these forums sometimes it seems as if everyone makes PS's. We just want to go with the flow and eat when hungry, money will be a bit tight too (not a biggie, but don't want to spend more than necessary either). I do remember eating in Cosmic Rays when in WDW in Oct 200O and thought it was ideal, we ate in other counter service restaurants also, but no organised sit down meals.

I was beginning to feel that I wasn't a "real" Disney fan if I wasn't eating at all the good restaurants and making PS the 90 days beforehand etc. I am sure they are lovely too, and in time we will possibly do this in future holidays, but for now we (actually I, as DH just does what I do, hee, hee) just want to take it as it comes. The only thing I have organised in advance are Cirque tickets. 75 days today, can't wait!!!!

[TinkTatoo]

Originally posted by KK_Cat
...............I was beginning to feel that I wasn't a "real" Disney fan if I wasn't eating at all the good restaurants and making PS the 90 days beforehand etc. I am sure they are lovely too, and in time we will possibly do this in future holidays, but for now we (actually I, as DH just does what I do, hee, hee) just want to take it as it comes. The only thing I have organised in advance are Cirque tickets. 75 days today, can't wait!!!!

I think every one on these boards are "real" Disney fans - that's why we are here. We all have different experiences and ideas about our holidays and that's why Florida is so popular, each family can have the holiday that is right for them be it planning what to do every minute of the day or just taking each day as it comes.

However you holiday I am sure you will have a fab time :D :jump: