It would be best if you enjoyed dining at Disney World during your vacation. However, Disney dining reservations call for some prior planning and knowledge too. As you read through this article, you will find some essential tips to solve your problems at once. Keeping these in mind means you can save more time and money. As a result, Disney meals will become more enjoyable than ever.
Before planning for your Disney dining reservations 2021, make sure that you know all the reviews about the places. It is always better to know where you are going rather than regretting your decision later.
For the same, there are several good platforms, including the Disney My Experience official website. You have to put your choices into the Disney dining reservations finder, and they will automatically show you the availability.
Tips to keep in mind while making Disney dining reservations
Here is a list of tips for you to know how to get Disney dining reservations:
Discounts
Everyone is aware that dining at any of the Disney theme parks is a matter of the expense. However, what a lot of people don’t know are the ways to save some money. For example, if you have planned a trip to Walt Disney World, it is essential to analyze whether or not the Dining plan you choose is reasonable.
If you find that the same is not a money-saving plan, then there is a plan B. You have to find out whether you are eligible for the Table in Wonderland pass. Besides, it is important to check whether that will save you money. The third situation is when none of these plans work positively for you. At that time, the options you have include Bluezoo, Shula’s, Kimono’s, and II Mulino.
On the other hand, if you sign up on restaurant.com, the website offers users $10 or $25 for restaurants. If you are a Disney Annual Passholder, then you may be entitled to some additional discount too. However, it would be best to determine whether the 10% to 20% discount is worth enough for someone to buy an annual pass.
Reading reviews always help
You must know that not all Disney restaurants are reputed enough. So, a lot of people complain of dissatisfaction despite spending good money on Disney dining reservations. One of the best options to solve this problem is to read reviews of a particular place before visiting the same.
While reading reviews, try and shortlist the good ones and the ones you want to avoid. It would be best if you decided only after reading multiple reviews and not depending on one user only. There are situations when something goes wrong with a person, and he goes on to put up a negative review about a place.
Reviews are subjective, and a place or food that you may like may not be as good for another person. If you want to be sure before putting a cross mark before a restaurant’s name, there is another parameter. Try and check out cross-website reviews. Often, a particular restaurant fetches contradictory reviews. So, you may want to change your decision later. After all the checking and reviewing also, the final decision must be yours only. Therefore, if you feel mixed reviews about a particular place, try it for yourself because you liked the menu and the pictures.
You have to be vocal about your requirements
Disney parks and resorts are famous globally, and one thing that visitors appreciate is their top-notch service. The restaurants in these locations are no exception when it comes to the heartiest food and the best of people to welcome you. Therefore, there is no reason why you should not receive very good service during your vacation.
After all, you are spending a hefty amount of money to enjoy in this magical place. However, regular Disney World visitors suggest that there are times when you must speak up and ask for things. For example, if you want to celebrate a special occasion for which you are making the Disney dining reservations, it is important to mention the same at the time of the bookings.
There is no point sulking later because the staff won’t know if you don’t mention it. On the other hand, you must make sure that you mention your food allergies to the server when you order dishes. Again, there may be a situation when the server brings you aside along with the entrée that does not look very appetizing. Please don’t touch it because you can first request a substitute side instead.
What else can you request?
Another good example is to request a window table when you have a late evening reservation. Instead of sulking, you can very politely request the hostess if she can arrange for a window-side table if you are willing to wait for some more time. You are reading here just a few of the many things you can request at Disney Park. Therefore, if you feel that there is something that the restaurant can comfortably arrange for you, ASK.
It is because small details can make your trip a lot better than you thought. Besides, the worst that can happen is the staff refusing your request because of restrictions on their end. Well, you were anyway prepared for the same. However, please be polite and reasonable at all times because you have to understand that the restaurant staff is busy and have to deal with a lot of rude people already.
Try to book early slots
While in a lot of Disney Guides, the experts suggest dining at odd hours. However, it is not wise to follow that. Besides, there is more than one benefit of eating early. Firstly, if you choose to make early Disney dining reservations 2021, you will most likely find yourself with old diners.
So, that is a lot more peaceful than otherwise. Secondly, the restaurants are usually not so crowded immediately after they open for service. Finally, a major reason is that the staff serves you better during the early hours.
Well, Disney restaurant staff is always at their best. However, we mean that every person is in a new mood when they are starting to serve for that day. Therefore, they will give you better suggestions and be more attentive towards guests who arrive early.
On the other hand, if you are looking for late slots on the Disney dining reservations finder, it is more likely that you will encounter mostly tired servers after a long and busy evening. Besides, there will be so many people that the servers will try to be quick with you. As a result, you may not be able to get the best suggestions at times.
What is the argument?
There is still a justification that supports why you may choose a late dining slot. It is usually when you plan to visit a restaurant where you get a lovely view that going late sounds logical. For example, if you are in the Walt Disney World, the restaurants with a beautiful view include the California Grill, Ohana, Narcoossee’s, and more.
On the other hand, a place like Monsieur Paul, Tokyo Dining, Rose & Crown, and La Hacienda de San Angel gives you the best illumination views. Now, if you are going to choose one of the restaurants mentioned here, there are two things you should make sure of.
Firstly, reach the location a little earlier, and request the hostess to arrange for a window seat. Moreover, you should first ensure that you book a slot that coincides with the timing of the fireworks event. Imagine what a magical view you will get there!
Share your meals
There is nothing wrong with asking for dishes that can serve two people well. After all, Disney food is quite expensive, and not everyone can afford to ignore the prices on the menu. Besides, there are a lot of dishes that are enough to make two people full. What you have to do is ask for suggestions from the server as he knows things the best. For example, if you go to the Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, go for the Barbequed Rib and ½ chicken combo.
The dishes cost $7.50 each, which makes for a total of $15, which is again relatively cheap. Apart from being enough for two people, the food is super delicious too. The other option that you get in the same café is that of a large cheeseburger.
You can order an extra bun that will cost you about $1, using which you can make two burgers. So, you save money there also because the toppings are enough for two smaller cheeseburgers. Plus, ordering these together with some other dishes means that you can try more varieties at a reasonable cost.
Share a pizza or some ribs.
Another great option if you are looking forward to a shared meal is ordering a pizza at the Pizza Planet or Pizzafari. Moreover, there is the Sunshine Seasons that sells delicious Oak-grilled rotisserie chicken. Then there is a ½ St. Louis Flaming ribs slab at the Flame Tree BBQ that is enough to satisfy two people at once.
If you feel that one serving of a dish is not enough to serve two people, there is another option. In this case, instead of ordering two portions of the same dish, you can choose to order two or three different dishes and share them with others. As a result, you don’t have to pay double for the same dish and can taste more types of food.
Plus, different types of dishes mean you can satisfy your hunger faster too. However, you have to understand that if you aim to try out all Disney dishes, then it is next to impossible even if you visit the parks every week because there are so many.
Don’t order more than you want to eat
An excellent option to experience different Disney restaurants within one stay and still save money is to limit your orders. It means that you can choose to go and have just a dessert in a place. Therefore, you can enjoy the vibe and witness the ambiance and understand how Disney food tastes like after all.
Besides, some restaurants serve big bowls of salads and decent cake portions, which means that those are enough to quench your hunger. For example, you can visit the Hollywood Brown Derby and try their grapefruit cake and Cobb salad. It rests assured that you will be full only after eating these two dishes and want no more food.
Often, people order huge amounts of food out of excitement and then end up wasting it. As a result, you lose money and regret your decision later. Besides, if you are going into a restaurant planning to have a shake or a salad only, there is no reason why you should occupy a table.
Please understand that people are waiting for a slot reservation because they want to have lunch. This much cooperation will also help you save a lot more money than expected.
Bring your snacks
If saving money is a priority for you, there is no point going to expensive Disney restaurants to grab snacks only. Pack some nutritious and protein-rich snacks that can keep you full for a longer time.
For example, fiber bars, energy bars, beef jerkies, and more are good examples of food that you may carry during park visits. Besides, carrying these snacks ensures that you save some extra bucks that you can spend elsewhere.
It is because the minimum price of a snack at Disneyland parks is $3 to $6. The same goes for water, too, especially if you don’t like the taste of the fountain water in the parks.
In this case, you can also get inside a restaurant and ask for some ice water which is usually complimentary. On the contrary, if saving money is not much of a concern, there is no other reason why you should miss the delicious churros and cupcakes that you get at the Disney parks.
Final thoughts
What you see here are only some of the tips that can help you save money while you are making Disney dining reservations. There are many more, and you can check out user reviews to know what else you should be aware of.
