Advanced Dining Reservations???

[crltkcagle]

Hi
I am new to the disney thing. Last time i went i was i college back in 98. I am a mom now and my husband and I have planned a trip for September for our three boys. I don't understand all of the abbreviations in the post. You have to schedule dinner reservations in advanced? If so how do I do this? Which places are good? We are recieving the dinning plan so how do I know which places to book at? Any help anyone can give this newbie is greatly appreciated. Thanks Kelly:confused:

[Figment!]

Welcome to INTERCOT :hi: , Glad you are here :)

You may find the following sections of INTERCOT helpful with planning Advanced Dining Reservations and the Disney Dining Plan:
Advanced Dining Reservations (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/../infocentral/dining/pss.asp)
INTERCOT Advanced Dining Reservation Planner (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/../infocentral/dining/adrplanner/default.asp)
Disney Dining Plan FAQ (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=91180)
Walt Disney World Dining Guide (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/../infocentral/dining/diningguide/default.asp)
Happy Planning :balloon:

[krose78]

Character meals are fun. :party: There is Hollywood and Vine Play and Dine which has characters from playhouse disney @MGM, Chef Mickeys is good at the contemporary. You should make reservation since that will be the time of free dining plan and reservation will probably go quickly. But check the menu section of info central tab above and see what you think your family would like.

[SBETigg]

Hi Kelly,

Have a look at the restaurants, handy listing with menus at Info Central here, and try and decide which ones look good to you. With the dining plan promotion, you will probably need ADRs(advanced dining reservations) for every TS(table service) meal. Once you know where you would like to eat on which days, simply call Disney Dining and make the "ADRs."

Some INTERCOT favorites for families seem to be:

Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge
Le Cellier, Marrakesh, San Angel Inn at Epcot's World Showcase
'Ohana at the Polynesian(I love it for dinner)
Liberty Tree Tavern at the MK(characters)

[DDuck66]

Our favorite character meals are the Liberty Tree Tavern at MK and the Garden Grill at EPCOT. Another good place is the Prime Time Cafe at MGM. Almost every sit down meal will require ADR's so make sure that you get them as soon as possible. I believe that most of them can be made at 180 days out. Also if you are going in late September be sure to check out the MNSSHP at MK. It is a hard ticket event but well worth the extra price. Tickets for it go on sale around the first of May.

[satchel01]

Here's a tip from me :thumbsup: ...
Once you decide which restaurants you'd like to eat at look at the days Extra Magic Hour is offered BEFORE you make your dinner plans. If you plan to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours (where you get to enter the park 1 hour early or stay 3 hours past closing) you'll want to plan your meals around them so that you're not traveling all over the place. If you make those plans early enough you will have no problem getting the Restaurants you want (and by early enough I mean aim for 6 months prior to your trip.. restaurants can fill up fast at certain times of theyear). Good luck!!

Oh and my yummy meal recommendations would be O'Hana, LeCellier, and Boma (if you like to try new things).:mickey:

[Bruegge]

Hi,

and welcome..

click here for a partial list of our abbreviations...

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/abbreviations/default.asp

Scott

[wendy*darling]

:mickey: Welcome to INTERCOT! :mickey:

You've gotten a lot of good answers already.
Mostly you just have to do a ton of advanced research to make the vacation flow smoothly. Most of us here find the planning is almost as much fun as the trip itself!
You started out great by registering here! :mickey:

READ everything you can. I'd get a good guidebook for one thing. Passporter is my favorite. Check out your local Barnes and Noble or Borders and look at all of them. The Unofficial Guide is good too.
All the guidebooks will cover the restaurants as well as the resorts and the parks- so having at least one is a great investment.
Next- spend lots of time here on INTERCOT reading what other people are saying. The Trip Report Section is great to see what other families' experiences were like. You'll pick up lots of ideas there.
As you start to learn more about what you might like- ask questions on the boards. We are always happy to share our own ideas and opinions! :thumbsup:

When you are ready to make some dining ADRs (now you know what they are ;) ) call 1-407-WDW-DINE. Remember that you can make ADRs as far out as 180 days- so you are already within the window for your trip. Some places are amazingly popular, and may already be booked for many spots during your trip. Relax and have lots of backups. Be flexible. Since you are just getting started, I would actually plan some special meals first- see when you can get them- and then, plan your days around that.

I know it seems overwhelming right now. But trust us- it's SOOO worth it when you get there. Your kids and your husband will think you are the smartest person on earth! :D

[Damon18]

Hello and :welcome: to Intercot! The only advice I really have for you is do not wait too long to make your ADR's. It may seem like your trip is far off now but the restaurants all fill up quickly with so many people on the dining plan. Good luck and happy planning!:mickey:

[ldc12377]

Here is the 800 number for Disney::mickey:

1-800-828-0228

You can make ADRs, book or modify your Disney package, or even just ask questions...which I have done often... and since it is toll free, you won't rack up a huge phone bill and can spend more money at WDW!!!:D

Another thing to remember is that some restaurants require a credit card for ADRs even if you're on the dining plan. Just make sure you find out the cancelation policy on those so you can cancel without trouble if you need to.

Also if you aren't quite sure where you will be on each day yet, then you could make ADRs at different places for the same meal and same day. Just be sure to cancel the extra ones as soon as you know you won't use them so other people can have a chance to get ADRs.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Next hint. Since ADRs can be made 180 days in advance and you are already inside of that don't leave it too long, especially for popular places like Le Cellier. Some book fast, we're going in mid-October and Le Cellier was already filling up 179 days in advance.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

If you are going during the free dining, you really need to make ADRs right now! Do not wait. Our rule of thumb for making our ADRs was to try to get into restaurants that we normally wouldn't be able to afford to eat at if we were paying for our meals. Take a look at the menus for each restaurant and make your ADRs soon. It's almost a guarantee that you'll find something you like at each restaurant, unless you are really picky.
And welcome to Intercot!

[sunlyon]

:welcome: :rocks:

This is the best place to get all your questions answered. Do not be afraid to post or ask... everyone here is VERY helpful and willing to part with valuable advice.

I agree, make your reservations now. I made up a blank calendar page for our week and then listed all the early openings and late closings during our stay. This helped me focus on where we plan to be so I could then pick the restaurant. Some restaurants fill up fast because they are small (Le Cellier) and some because they are popular (CRT, Cinderella's Royal Table). Pick your restaurants and have 2nd choices. Be flexible about dining times. We do ours around 4-5 pm since it's easier to get what we want and the crowds are all at dinner around 6-7 pm leaving the parks a little less busy.

Definitely do a character breakfast for the kids. Chef Mickey's would probably suit them fine. It's loud, busy and lots of excitement with the characters coming to your table for a special visit. But the food selection is great and the kids will love it!

Ohana's is great for dinner. There is a lot going on and the kids can have fun.

Prime Time is fun if you "play" along.

[crltkcagle]

thanks for all of the great inside info! Wow you really have to "PLAN" this vacation. I didn't realize all the work it takes to go on vaction. LOL I know it will be worth it. I am going to make my reservations tom. Does anyone know anything about the coral reef? Is it a good place for young kids? I need entertainment to get through meals with three young boys.:D

[dolphinmickey9170]

:welcome: I think you're gonna like it here!! Actually, We all LOVE it here.

The Coral Reef is great for the kids because they can see the fish.....Not sure of the ages of your kids, but character meals are a must.

Here are a few of our family favorites:
Cinderella's Breakfast
Crystal Palace Breakfast
Le Cellier
Rose and Crown
Chef Mickey's
Planet Hollywood
Whispering Canyon Cafe
Hollywood and Vine
50's Primetime Cafe
Sci-fi Dine in Theatre

As previously stated, check out all the links, menus etc on intercot. This is THE place for information. Make your ressies as early as possible. Especially with the dining plan going on for free. Ressies might be difficult. Be flexible with your meal times and you should have good luck.
Enjoy and have a great time.

13 days and counting:cloud9: