Some expet PS advice Please

[Cindie-rella]

Hello to all the WDW experts out there!! I'm in desperate need of some advice on PS's. My DH and I will be celebrating our 25th at WDW next April 24 thru May 4, and there are certain things I really want to try but I don't want to fill my whole agenda with reservations. We will be splitting our stay between POR & the POLY. This is the list of places I really want to eat at;
Character Breakfast's
*AK
*Crystal Palace
*O'Hauna's
Lunch...*Epcot's Rehitching Ceremony

Dinner's...*MGM Fantasmic Dinner Package
*Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue
*Epcot Rose & Crown during Illuminations
Also on the list of "to do's" is Cirque. How far in advance do I need ressies for that?

I'm wondering if I absolutely need PS's 90 days in adv. for the above or can I book any of these during my stay there? I guess I'm just trying to avoid having to follow an agenda for my entire stay. I want this 2nd honeymoon to be somewhat relaxing and spontaneous at some points. I don't want to have every day planned out when I don't know what we'll feel like doing at the time. Can I book multiple reservations i.e., Crys Pal Brkfst for Wed., Thurs & Sun so I'm covered and when I'm there & decide to do the Crys Palace on Wed. I can then cancel the the other 2 days? I guess I'm just having a hard time deciding what to PS on what day because that will decide what else we will be doing on the PS days as well.
Can you tell this is our 1st WDW vacation?

I would Greatly appreciate any advice anyone can offer.Thanks!

 

[newcomer52]

We were there about the same time last year (May 10 - May 14). The only 90 day out PS I made was for the Fantasmic package. We had some great meals at Mexico, WCC, and Boma just by calling in the morning before heading out. One of the days was even Mother's Day. We didn't really want to commit to meals for the day until seeing what we felt like. I've done the same for my coming November trip. Have three PS's for a week stay.

 

[zcomic]

I've heard that Hoop De Doo is sometimes booked 2 years in advance so I would definitely suggest getting a PS there ASAP.

 

[chyam]

You should also try 1900 Park Fare at the GF for a character meal...maybe dinner?then hop back on the monorail back to MK?
I find their character meals a bit more subdued and the GF atmosphere is great. I love their Strawberry soup, potato salad, and mashed potatos........oh heck I could go on and on. But it might be a nice anniversary dinner, then relax at the bar for a drink.

 

[Terk-1]

Here's my 2 cents:
*AK -- I love the Tusker House.
*Crystal Palace -- FAVORITE!!! I dined here for both lunch & dinner on my last trip and loved it!!
*O'Hana's -- very good
Dinner's...*MGM Fantasmic Dinner Package -- My favorite is the 50's Primetime @ MGM. Gave Sci Fi one more shot on my last trip and it was just so so.
*Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue -- did this several years ago and was not really that thrilled
*Epcot Rose & Crown during Illuminations -- FAVORITE!!! Especially during Illuminations. Great food & service!!

Can I throw a couple of suggestions in?

1. California Grill (dinner) -- This is FANTASTIC!!! The food, the service, the view!!!! Try to get a PS on a night for Wishes. They dim the lights and pump the music in, so you get a wonderful view or you can go out to their private balcony to watch.
2. Cindy's (dinner) -- the food & service are very good. Mention that you are there for your 25th and request a table by the window.

 

[swilphil]

We loved our Crystal Palace character breakfast with the Pooh characters, but weren't crazy about the AK character breakfast. Please don't book character breakfasts for the same restaurant on 3 different days "just in case." That means some poor child who really wants to eat with Tigger and Pooh won't be able to book your table. A better plan is to book your breakfast for one day, and then when you get there change it as your plans change. Since you are staying on site I would highly recommend making a PS for Weds. before the park opens. Thurs. and Sun. are early entry days. We did a Weds. 8:15 PS at Crystal Palace and it was so fun being able to get into the park before everyone else. We took some great pictures on an empty main street. We were able to finish breakfast and hop on Splash Mountain at opening.

Another fun restaurant was Alfredo's in Epcot. We were able to walk in without a PS and we had a large party.

 

[SamanthaL]

*AK- Never been so I can't say whether a PS is needed.
*Crystal Palace - It was very crowded on our Dec trip so a PS was needed.
*O'Hauna's- We waited 20 minutes for our PS here is Dec.
Lunch...*Epcot's Rehitching Ceremony- not sure

Dinner's...*MGM Fantasmic Dinner Package
*Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue- Make ressies now the sooner the better the table
*Epcot Rose & Crown during Illuminations- ABSOLUTELY and you might not a table on the patio even with a PS.
Also on the list of "to do's" is Cirque. How far in advance do I need ressies for that?- I bet you will be able to buy tix very soon. By the end of the year anyway.

 

[kidd_freeper]

My wife and I were at WDW from 9/26/03-9/29/03. We were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary there, the first time anywhere without kids since we were married.

Our experiences:

1. We had Priority Seating at the Rose and Crown (EPCOT-England) for 7:20 pm (this is a difficult PS to get, the earlier you get it the better). I made this arrangement so that we would have a good view of Illuminations at 9:00 pm. We arrived at Rose and Crown at 7:00 and requested a table under the canopy to view the fireworks. They said they couldn't guarantee it. I let them know it was our anniversary. They told me to come back at 7:10 and remind them that it was our anniversary, and they would put a 'smiley face' on our reservation card to let the staff know it was a special event. We did as we were told, they gave us a beeper and we waited for 15 minutes. They gave us a good seat near the water. We ordered drinks, an appetizer and took our time deciding on our meal. This timed things so that our meal came 15 minutes before the fireworks.

We had a fantastic view of the show. The restaurant turns off most of their lights during the show so the main lighting comes from the fireworks. Eating a nice meal in front of a fireworks show together with my best girl was something else. She loved it. But it didn't end there. By the time we were done with our meal and payed our bill it was close to 10 pm. (Spent $90 including tax and tip). We had the opportunity to walk slowly back to the EPCOT entrance while the park was nearly empty. The EPCOT background music was romantic, the lights reflecting off the lagoon were romantic and the long slow walk along the edge of the water was romantic.

2. We bought the Fantasmic dinner package at Mama Melrose. I originally wanted the Brown Derby, but I was given bad information that it was scheduled for rehab. Nevertheless, Mama's was great. Again, I let them know it was our anniversary. At first they gave us a table near the kitchen, but when I asked for a quiter table they were happy to oblige. The staff threw in several extras - like champagne for both of us and an extra appetizer. Very friendly staff. We had quite a lot to drink. Again, my wife was thrilled with the food, the service and the atmosphere. (Spent $100 including tax, tip and reserved seats at Fantasmic).

3. Mexico, at EPCOT, is always romantic. But I would not advise it for lunch - the rest of the day may drag, especially after having their large magaritas.

4. Everything doesn't have to be romantic. The Magic Kingdom with its crowds and kid oriented stuff is not very romantic, but is a lot of fun. Do some kid stuff together too.