Does anyone ever go to Disney without Priority Seating?

[niceblueeyedwoman]

My husband and I are staying in Disneyworld for 4 days in July. We haven't been in 18 years. How do you all know what you will feel like eating when you're there. Have any of you just gone and decided when you get there instead of doing priority seating? The only two meals that I remember when we went with our two girls were the Hoop De Doo Revue and the polynesian luau which i had reserved and neither one of those impressed me. Thanks for any input.

 

[Scottwdw]

Many people love to plan their meals in advance. I love to and eating at a WDW restaurant to me is an event in all by itself. Others just wing it and do just fine.

Just a couple of things to consider. Unless you are asked to give a credit card to hold the PS, you can just not show up for a PS if you find you are not interested that day or your plans changed and you are in another park or resort that day. Your PS will be given to the next party. That's one of the nice things about PS.

If you like to eat during prime eating times like 12pm for lunch or 5 or 6pm for dinner. You might consider a PS even if you make it from your resort room that morning. And, last, if you plan on eating in World Showcase in Epcot on a Friday or Saturday evening, I strongly suggest a PS. Character meals require a PS nowadays, they are so popular.

In my opinion, it's best to have a PS then not.

 

[Pooh67_68]

We never have priority seating when we go.

 

[bigbabyblues]

DH and I did on our honeymoon, and we were fortunate enough to be able to get a dinner in the castle one night (when it was King Stefan's), but other than that we had to eat counter service the whole trip. This was during mid March, spring break.

I'm making PS this time!

~Steph

 

[kahiko]

PS July Supper yes. Lunch only if you absolutly have to eat at a certain place at a certain time.

At luch time (11-4) I have walked up to WS restaurants during Christmas break (the busiest time of all) and gotten a table within 10 minutes. I would not try that at noon or for supper (or for Cinderella's Royal Table (over rated and over priced IMO)).

 

[Baileymouse]

Depends on the trip. Sometimes we wing it. We know places that usually don't have PS problems - like we can always get into Marrakesh. There are lots of good counter service places, too. Off season we wing it, definitely.

 

[Gluman11]

We always wing it...........................just got to be a little more flexible with your times and places, because of the people who "like to plan" and take a lot of the PS's.........

 

[westjones]

We never used PS until I found this board. Didn't even know you could make them!

Now we only do them for 'special' dinners. We have had good luck getting into places on our own. In July, I have PS's for my kids to do the Grand Floridian's Adventures in Cooking, the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, and the Fantasmic Dinner Package at Hollywood & Vine. Other than that we will wing it (but do plan to try Whispering Canyon at WL since we will be staying there).

DJ

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I am a planner so no matter when we go I always make PS. For our easter trip I made about 11 ps. We missed one, but DH and I were able to walk up at 4;50 pm and get a table. We did see a family of 4 walk up to chef mickey at 8:10 pm and get in. This past aug. we heard them announce no availability at Crystal Palace for either lunch or dinner and Hollywood and Vine was not taking walk ups for dinner either. Boy was I loving the ps I made and eating in nice air conditioned comfort. The whole family thanked me. DH and I did walk up to cape may for dinner in aug. We were stuck there during a storm. We sent the 3 ds to beaches and cream. I dont like winging it generally. I like to have a well thought out plan and stick to it.

 

[mrsltg]

I'm sure that you can do it, but be prepared for the wait. My parents went three years ago and my Dad went with the mentality of, "I'm on vacation. I don't want to have to be anywhere at any certain time." This was in the middle of July. Mom and Dad ate a lot of meals at either the hotel food court, counter service, or very, very late. It drove my mother absolutely CRAZY! It really depends on your personality, I think. When DH and I go, we make PS and really enjoy the convenience. We took my mother on the last trip and for her (a planner) it was paradise! She knew where and when, and that really realxed her.

Have a wonderful vacation!

Erin

 

[Cast Member B]

OK, I must caveat that with clarification that I'm a planner, and spontaneity is not so important to me. We usually have, and fairly closely follow, an itinerary.

I have been "stuck" many times, wandering a Disney park without a PS, ending up frustrated with either a really long wait or counter service. I enjoy the restaurants so much that I don't take chances, and I make the PS arrangements.

Have fun!

 

[LuvTigger]

I've done it both ways...a PS for practically every meal, and no PS. A PS for every meal was too much (and I am a planner). Having no PS is okay most of the time IF you go during slower periods or non-peak eating hours.

For my upcoming trip in October, I plan to only make PS's for the places that I MUST go to, and wing the rest.

 

[wld]

We found PS's to be much to restrictive. With just 2 its easier to get a table. We have made them like the day before when we know there is somewhere like Ohana that we really want to eat and we don't want to wait. But weeks or months ahead??? Tried it didn't like it.

 

[donac]

We have gone down with out ps's and made them the day we want to eat. In Epcot just make one at guest relations when you walk in. For the other parks use your room phone or a house phone and make them that day. You may have to be flexible but it does work.

Dona

 

[Barbday62]

We went May 2002 and we decided no PS ahead of time. My only regret was I should have written down places I wanted to try. I couldnt remmebr anything and had no book and no internet to check things out so we missed out on places I wish we would have gone to (IT was our third trip and the other two were booked to the hilt.) The only place we couldnt walk up to was 50's Primetime because they said they was booked until 9PM

We go again next August and I plan to do a happy medium. One PS per day and maybe one day with none and the other meals will be on the go.

I think if you have somewhere you want you should have a PS but if you dont care if your whim changes than go with out.

Barb

 

[maggiew]

I would say that if there are sit down places that you want to try, you should make a PS. Especially in July when its busy. We've gone in the summer before and was always glad we had a PS. They were turning people away at almost every sit down place we went - even at lunch. They turned people away at Sci Fi (lunch), Le Cellier (dinner) and an extremely long wait at Rainforest Cafe (AK).

If you want to do any character breakfast, I would make these PSs because those get full. Although on our last trip we were able to get a spur of the moment PS for Cape May Cafe character breakfast one day. (We called from our room before heading out.)

At the very least, I would make a PS the morning of, once you decided what park you will be going to. But then, you may only have a few available times.

Maggie

 

[Tiziminchac]

I pretty much stay away from the parks in the summer months so I never have too many problems getting tables. When I do use PS it's on the day I go to the park. If you have you heart set on a certain restaurant I'd recommend you make them though. Better safe than hungry!

 

[Antonia]

One year during the Christmas season, we could not get into a sit down restaurant without a PS. I was so grateful for the ones I had made. Wished I had made more. Oh, well, live and learn. For my trip in June with nieces and brother - we'll be there 5 days and I have made 4 PS's. One day will be a water park day so I made none that day and none on lur last full day because we plan to do a lot of park hopping and have no set itinerary that day.

 

[kramer_clan]

Our first trip in 1995, I made breakfast ressies for everyday since we were on the "old" Fall Fantasy package.

It got to be too much.

This trip (June), I have Chef Mickey's breakfast and a late lunch at Teppanyaki secured with a PS. We will eat at the villa for most other meals.

If I were going during the summer and did not have access to a kitchen, I would at least make one seating per day for whatever meal that you would like. It does get crowded in the parks during the summer and like a lot of people have said, they could not get into sit down restaurants.

Vicki

 

[crisi]

We did a "wing it" trip several years ago. We did have a few PSs. It was really horrible. But there were six of us - which is a hard number to sit. Two would have been easier. It was early Feb - before the crowds are supposed to hit.

Now we make one sit down dinnertime reservation each day and a character breakfast. Next time I'll switch one of the dinners for an big MGM lunch before Fantasmic. We don't HAVE to go, but it does mean that we will have someplace to eat. And it adds some structure to the day.

We like to spend out evenings at Epcot, so its usually not a big deal to plan for dinner. To me, MK and AK are morning parks, Epcot is an evening park. MGM an all day park.

If you do want to wing it, my advice is to do a little pre-spoting on good counter services places that offer variety. You may get lucky and walk in to sit down, but chances are pretty good at least once you'll run into "hungry NOW, hour wait." And chicken fingers get old. There are some pretty good counter service restaurants, the trick is to know which ones offer something interesting.