Originally Posted By 2funwith3 Ok Disney veterans, I need suggestions for Thanksgiving Dinner at DL or around DL. It will be dh, dd (6), ds(5), dw(me). We will have a car, so we can drive. However, I prefer to stay close to dl. Please help!! TIA
Originally Posted By dlkozy I have been to DL on Thanksgiving for the last 2 years. One year we ate our dinner at 4 at the BB with reservations waaaaaay ahead of course! It was chaos! We were there 20 minutes early and we were sat at 5. All during this time they kept cramming people in telling them just 15 minute wait. Well, at 4:45 they were telling the 5 o'clock people-just 15 minute wait. I heard them tell everyone that for the previous 1 hour 15 minutes. So, as this family tries cramming into the small waiting area that was just told his 5 o'clock reservation would be in just minutes-I turned to him and said "Everyone on this side of the room has 3:45 and 4 o'clock reservations and none of us have been sat yet. Kids in the tiny waiting area were screaming-one father had a complete melt-down-he'd also been waiting with his hungry family for over an hour above their reservation time. It was HORRIBLE! The wait staff was sloooooow-unattentive and so not worth the almost $30 per person that we paid. The next year we ate at the Plaza Inn. We chose to eat just a little before 4 and it was nice. Anybody that wanted sit down had to have advance reservations because no-one last year (at least at all the restaurants that we passed on the way back to the hotel)took evening walk-ins-they were just toooooo busy. If I were to eat Thanksgiving dinner again at DLR-I would have turkey at noon, sit down with advanced reservations and then have CHOCOLATE and ICE CREAM for dinner! :0)
Originally Posted By mickeynewe We also had Thanksgiving Dinner at Disneyland two years ago. We ate at the Plaza and ate a little bit early, but not too bad...I would say about 4-4:30. We got a great little table next to the window and ate a slow, leisurely dinner and had fun people watching. Very nice, very laid-back. Later, as we watched people scrambling for tables, the lines growing longer and longer, we were glad we chose to eat a little earlier.
Originally Posted By dlkozy I agree with the eating earlier. People were lookin' mighty desperate as the evening wore on!
Originally Posted By wendebird We had Thanksgiving dinner at Goofy's Kitchen one year. It was great! They had the usual fare & added turkey & all the trimmings. I'm sure though it was sold out the day they became available. (60 days/2 months out)
Originally Posted By DJ7K >> one father had a complete melt-down-he'd also been waiting with his hungry family for over an hour above their reservation time << Thats awful. I hope they didn't go hungry for too much longer after that and Im glad you guys at least got seated eventually. But you show up 20 minutes early (3:40?) and said you didn't get sat til 5? Amazing. >> The wait staff was sloooooow-unattentive and so not worth the almost $30 per person that we paid << Almost 30 bucks per person? Wow.
Originally Posted By fkurucz We also did the early dinner, at the French Market IIRC (it was 11 years ago). The line was a little long, but we got through and had a pleasant meal. It is perhaps the only pleasant memory I have of that day!
Originally Posted By dlkozy Yup-BB was having a terrible time. I think more people would have been a little more patient had they gals up front not continued to say "It will be just about a 15 minute wait". I wish BB had a larger waiting area-nothin' like feeling like you are in an over-crowded corral! :0) I just couldn't believe it.
Originally Posted By ilvdland If you only care about turkey and not abour anything especially fancy, Riverbelle Terrace offers a turkey dinner - you could experience Thanksgiving eating outside overlooking the Rivers Of America..........
Originally Posted By DJ7K ^^^ I like the sound of that!!! Hi Fkurucz, what does IIRC stand for? The French Market is my favorite place to dine at Disneyland btw. >> I think more people would have been a little more patient had they gals up front not continued to say "It will be just about a 15 minute wait" << Yeah I thinkso too.
Originally Posted By 2funwith3 Thanks all for your suggestions. I will definately avoid the BB. If I had to choose, the Riverbelle would be my choice. The thought of having dinner overlooking the river is a great idea. OTOH, I do have small children and Goofys kitchen would be nice for them. I may call to see if they have any openings earlier in the day. I thought I had read that Thanksgiving day was a little slower so I am shocked to hear how busy the BB was. Yuck, that sounds awful. So much for reservations, huh?
Originally Posted By Ursula Why not do the Hotel's huge buffet? It's all you can eat and they have character stations for the kids to get autographs and photos. They have a lovely spread each year and if you book at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day it isn't too terribly crazy. Last time I went they had the chocolate fountains with strawberries and marshmellows for dipping. YUM!
Originally Posted By dlkozy Yup, both are walk up for lunch/dinner. Riverbelle for breakfast also is a walk-up-Plaza Inn is Character Breakfast. Someone correct me please if things have changed.
Originally Posted By fidoprincess I just called this morning and made reservations for Thanksgiving Day at BB! Our trick is we go for lunch at 11:30 instead of dinner. I was shocked that we could still makes ressies this late. We have had the best luck with BB the last 3 trips. Spring Break, we walked up at 5:30 asking how long the wait would be with no reservations and were seated immediately at a waterfront table. Same thing happened last President's Day but for lunchtime. The kids just love it and as much as I'd like to have gone for dinner, I think you can't get the Monte Cristo at dinner and I love that! Hey forget the Turkey, bring on the Monte Cristo-lol! I bet it will be crazy at dinner and we talked about all our options. For some reason, we hate to leave the park once we are in to go to Goofy's Kitchen which I've heard is great for Thanksgiving. So lunch it is and we are also going to celebrate dd's birthday at the same time with a Princess Bucket. She will be sooo happy. Now I have to watch the calendar like a hawk to try and get Fantasmic Balcony tickets. My kids have never seen it in all the times we've been because my ds was too scared but finally I think he will do just fine on the balcony. For the first time this summer he was able to watch the 4th of July fireworks-lol. I called and the CM said they will have it every night Thanksgiving week, 2 shows so we are bound to get in once I hope. Any hints for calling?
