Choosing Disney World Dining Reservations

This concept sounds so ridiculous....why would you want to choose where you want to eat and at what time a full 6 months in advance?  It seems that is just the system that Disney have created and I know from experience of going with only a few days or weeks notice that some things are almost impossible to get, particularly at times that suit.

 

  

 

My priorities this trip are mainly character meals and dinner shows - my family aren't fancy eaters and we think with a 7 year old this is the perfect time to have those magical experiences with dinner, rather than just the food.

As we are using the dining plan, we have 14 credits for what they call Table Service, which is a meal where you are seated and a waiter/waitress takes your order and brings the meal as opposed to counter service which is typically a fast food system.  There are some meals which cost 2 credits, there are marked with a *.

• Cinderella Royal Table* (dinner) - because my 7 year old daughter will love meeting the princesses
• Tusker House (breakfast) - my choice - I just love the safari outfits, and the food suits.  I'm hoping to also get the Rivers of Light package with seating for the evening show.
• Minnie's Beach (breakfast) - a good chance to meet the characters
• Garden Grill (lunch or dinner) - this one has a reputation for fun character interactions
• Hollywood and Vine (dinner) - I have heard the food can be questionable but the characters
• Be Our Guest (dinner) - just to experience the atmosphere and meet Beast
• Sci Fi Dine (lunch) - husbands choice (wouldn't be mine!)
• Hoop Dee Doo* (dinner) - heard so many good reviews of this
• Spirit of Aloha* (dinner) - not convinced about this one yet.  need to see more reviews.

 

Updates

Spirit of Aloha is out and Liberty Tree Tavern is in with one other space yet to be decided. The reviews aren't great and its not my type of food so it's just not worth the credits.

Cinderella Royal Table is out - a mixture of reading reviews and the menu made us decide against it. We are hoping to do 1900 Park Fare Happily Ever After Dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming instead for the princess fix.

Be Our Guest is out - it will have changed to a 2 credit dinner by the time we go a menu far too adventurous for us.  We may do breakfast instead.

We like to spend time at Disney Springs so we have added in 2 dinner reservations, House of Blues (for Husb) and Rainforest Café (for daughter - it has memories from a previous trip to Disneyland Paris).