For those who wonder if they need PS's

[wannabee princess]

Just talked to someone last night who was in the World last week. They were there for the 9th time - but without PS's. They were given wait times like 4 HOURS for Sci-Fi!!

 

[bigbabyblues]

No thanks! Makes me glad I made one PS for each day of our trip, but only one!

 

[fantasia73]

It always amazes me how many people don't know that they can make a PS. They show up at the restaurants right at meal time and are so confused and angry that there's such a long wait. They must be the same people who glare at you when you're using Fast Pass and they're stuck in the stand by line.

 

[DoeWDW]

We only make a PS the day before or the day of the meal we want to eat. Even calling a couple hours before is better than just showing up, in our experience.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I feel vindicated. I've had so many friends and family laugh at me for making PS's 90 days out. They say "how can you possibly know what you'll feel like eating that far away?". Mind you we go in July with three children, the oldest of whom will be turning 7. You can always cancel your PS if your plans change but I like the comfort of knowing we will have sit down meal at nice restaurants everyday and won't be going from restaurant to restaurant trying to find one with a wait under an hour!

 

[crisi]

Maybe they knew, but thought that this trip they'd just "wing it."

We made that mistake once. Traveling with kids for the first time, we decided "flexibility" would be more important. It was supposed to be the off season. We've seen posts from people who usually make PSs, but are traveling with someone who "can't plan that far ahead." Often the people who can't plan ahead are the same people who don't want to take time once they are there to call the day of or the day before.

 

[4greatboys]

The boys and I went the beginning of ec 2003--the slow time--and Sci Fi was not even accepting walkins, only those with ps.
Its always good to make atleast 2 or 3 ps for the places you really dont want to miss.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

We have even called from our cell phones, in the park, like 1/2 hour before we want to eat and get a PS. When we get over to the resturant, they are not taking any walk-ups! . Go figure. We make some before we leave home, some the night before and some the moring of. Changing a PS is no problem and much better than not haing one that you need.


Jordan's mom

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by DisneyMomx7
I feel vindicated. I've had so many friends and family laugh at me for making PS's 90 days out. They say "how can you possibly know what you'll feel like eating that far away?"...

Yeah and there are folks who can't imagine making hotel ressies 11 months in advance either; but once you're a DVCer, it is a great way to be sure you're gonna get what you want when you want.

For restaurant PSs, we also do at least one PS every other day at 90 days then change things as we get closer and our minds change, we fill things in. And like many of you, I also have WDW-DINE programmed into my cellphone so we can make same day PSs, or adjust existing PSs as our visit progresses.

 

[disvaclub92]

Originally posted by DoeWDW
We only make a PS the day before or the day of the meal we want to eat. Even calling a couple hours before is better than just showing up, in our experience.

We did the same thing last week - it worked out great - we were able to decide the day before and have no problems. We even witnessed large groups (7 or more) who walked right in and were surprised that they could not get a ressie. What are people thinking?

We did have difficulty getting the Fantasmic Dining Package - but still made due. A nice family who had the package gave us their card for the show - so we did not have to do the package.

 

[crazy_for_the_dis]

Waiting for our table at Sci-Fi in June, walk-ins would wait in line to get to the desk, then find out that the next available table would be ready at 9:00 pm (this was at 12:45 in the afternoon, our PS was for 1:00)!! Regardless, people were getting really, really mad, saying 9:00, not my idea of lunch!! I thought the same thing, what were they thinking not making PS's?

 

[jtjarvis]

Wow, you guys really motivated me -- we're going for a short trip in early October but over Columbus Day weekend which could very well get really busy. I thought we'd wing it for lunch at MGM as we were cutting short that day to rest up for plans later (PS's already in the can for those!). I was halfway through this thread and dialing WDW dining to get PS's for Sci-Fi for noon (their first seating) on that MGM half-day! This will guarantee us a cool sit down meal before heading back to FW cabin to rest up for later.

Thanks guys for lighting that little fire for me!

 

[hoosll]

There are just some restaurants where you must make PS - Sci-Fi is one.

Since I travel as a party of 2 (w/ DH) - I find that PS are a must - they do not have as many small tables as they do large tables at the restaurants - so you end up being offered "odd" times even when you call 90 days in advance.

 

[ducklite]

We saw people on July 6th at PT being told it would be a 3-4 hour wait for a table. The odd thing is that we had called only an hour earlier and gotten a PS for the time we wanted.

On July 4th there was a two hour wait for the Kon at about 6:30, and Ohana had stopped taking bookings for the night, period.

Have to respectfully disagree with Hoosll though. We're often a party of two, and usually find it much faster to be seated or get a good PS time.

Anne

 

[PavelB]

I will sit down right now and make some PS's. I find it hard now that the kids are older to plan ahead. On the other hand these teenage boys are always hungry and I sure do get my money's worth out of any buffet!
In the past I have always had the hardest time feeding them at MGM. Is the sci fi worth going to? One of the kids was reading about it and said he wanted to try it but I vaguely remember that the Unofficial Guide said it is not very good?
Any ideas?
Also, now that we will be paying for school (ouch) this may be our last trip for a long time. We have never eaten at Cinderella's.
Is it worth it just for the atmosphere?
3 days to go!

 

[ducklite]

I didn't think the food at Sci-i was anything to write home about, and the atmosphere did nothing for me. I'd much rather go to 50's PT, where the food is excellent and portions huge.

Cindy's is OK. With teenage boys I think there are a lot of better places to spend your cash--Donalds would probably be the best character breakfast for you

Anne

 

[jtjarvis]

Hi Pavel, we're in the paying-for-school club too -- and blowing it out (in our conservative way!) this trip for that reason!

I've always understood the Sci-Fi to be an atmospheric thing more than a food thing. Some reviews I have read have called it out-and-out bad, some think it's pretty good, most say it's OK but that the special effects and theme are fabulous and fun. That's why we're going! I think my little boys ages 5 and 7 will go nuts. But for teenage boys—and I have one too— seems like a burger, shake and fries would tide them over for, say, 45 minutes. Which is as good as we expect from most meals...

 

[alacazander]

Four hour wait times! Ughhh! Well I guess we'll end up doing counter service for the meals that we don't have ps for! Good golly!

 

[mickeymousefan]

On the trip we took for our 1st anniversary (Easter week 1999)
we called the morning to make PS for our special anniversary dinner.
We couldnt get our first two choices and wound up at the Coral Reef. My DH still talks about how it was the worst meal he ever had. Now, if I have my heart set at eating somewhere, I make the PS 90 days out.

 

[BriarRosie]

Originally posted by PavelB
I will sit down right now and make some PS's. I find it hard now that the kids are older to plan ahead. On the other hand these teenage boys are always hungry and I sure do get my money's worth out of any buffet!
In the past I have always had the hardest time feeding them at MGM. Is the sci fi worth going to? One of the kids was reading about it and said he wanted to try it but I vaguely remember that the Unofficial Guide said it is not very good?
Any ideas?
Also, now that we will be paying for school (ouch) this may be our last trip for a long time. We have never eaten at Cinderella's.
Is it worth it just for the atmosphere?
3 days to go!

I will go on the record to say that I've eaten there once, a long time ago, and while the food was adequate, it's really the experience people go there to see.

I just tell people to make a PS for a time you'd want dessert. IMHO, that's a better plan than going there for the meal.