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Mom And Daughter Magic Kingdom Cinderella's Castle
  • On Nov 17, 2008
    Leslie from NJ Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    do i need to have dinner reservations for our entire trip?? we are traveling with a 5 and 3 yr old and i don't want our schedule to be to structured

    Once Upon A Time...

    I would tell friends that booking Advance Dining Reservations for every meal in the off-season was not a necessity.

    In recent years, however, I've found it increasingly important to have ADRs for any sit-down meals. Just this week, I was juggling around my family's itinerary for our January trip to WDW. I was surprised (yet again) to find limited availability for our preferred restaurants and/or dining times.

    If you feel that your family would be okay with dining at the nearest quick service location should the table service restaurants be booked solid, then you could use a more unstructured approach to your vacation.

    I like to schedule one sit down meal per day. I reserve breakfast for an early morning prior to a park's official opening time. Dining at the Tusker House at 8 a.m. on non-Extra Magic Hour mornings works well. For example, in a 10 night stay, I might book 2 breakfast meals, 4 lunch meals and 4 dinners.

    I also try to book these ADRs so that we are dining at a nearby resort or within the park that we are touring. If we are leaving the Magic Kingdom for an afternoon break, then a meal at Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge works well.

    Table service meals can be a calming respite!
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Meet the Panelist: Kimberly, Tennessee

I am a stay-at-home mom with a 12 year old son. I thrive on planning vacations, especially to WDW. Inspiring families to vacation at Disney with a memorable itinerary and budget-saving tips is extremely rewarding for me. Learn More About Kimberly

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