Hi Kim! You must be so excited that your first trip to Walt Disney World is just a
few months away! The crowds in the parks are generally at low levels in early December,
so you've picked a great time for your first visit! Even though you're visiting at a time of lower attendance levels, the table-service restaurants
can still be busy, and without dining reservations, you may find that you're
unable to get a table by walking up to popular restaurants at peak meal times.
I've found that I have the most relaxing Disney vacations when I make my dining
plans in advance so I won't end up hungry and tired and unable to find a
restaurant with availability. You're smart to have made your character dining reservations, because those meals can book up quickly. If you think you'd like to have some other sit-down meals, I recommend that you make reservations. You'll want to get the most bang for your buck with the Disney Dining Plan and I don't want you to be unable to use some of your table-service dining credits because you can't find availability at a sit-down restaurant when you walk up. Also, with three little ones, I know it's no fun waiting for a table with hungry kids, so dining reservations will make the trip magical for everyone.
You can see the various restaurants of Walt Disney World at
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/,
and you can browse the menus there or at an unofficial site such as
www.allears.net. I like to make at least one dining reservation for each day of my trip. If you're having too much fun to stop and eat, you can always cancel your reservation, but you'll have it if you need it.
Hope your first trip to Disney World is magical! Be sure to request a First
Visit button from Guest Services! Come visit us again at the Moms Panel if you
have more questions!