DHS Reservations

[Kbate]

Hello. We are planning to spend one day in DHS and I am looking for some help with our reservations. I have reservations for 50's Prime Time at 11:15 and Mama Melrose for 4:45. This will be for my three young daughters and I. I am just interested in thoughts on these restaurants and if you think it would be too much for one day. Thanks.

 

[Harambe]

Well, if you are planning on doing as much as you can on your one day, then you might benefit from two sit-down meals in order to take a breather, especially if you are going when the weather is hot, hot. You say young daughters - are we talking toddlers and up? Or pre-teens? If your girls are older, they might get a kick out of Sci-Fi Diner (which is fun and I think a great value compared to 50's Prime Time).

 

[disneyvoice]

I wouldn't be able to eat another big meal at 4:45 after eating at 50's Prime Time at 11:15. I think all WDW restaurants have enormous portions but 50's Prime Time seems especially filling to me because the food is "heavier" (I do think the food is really good though!). My DH and I often eat an early TS lunch around 11:00 or 11:30 but then we don't schedule anything for dinner. Typically we aren't hungry enough for another TS meal after eating a big lunch, but we might end up getting a snack or splitting something from a QS place.

 

[Mickey92]

I think two sit down meals could be nice breaks especially of you are staying all day. I really like both of those restaurants, but might would consider pushing back Mama Melrose so that you will not be quite so full. As pp said, portions at 50s prime time are rather big.

 

[holden]

I space the meals 6-7 hours apart. I could never eat a dinner at 4:45 after a lunch at 11:15.

 

[Hopefully]

Minimally they are too close together. I would never be able to eat anything at MM at 4:45 after a big lunch at 50's.
As others have said, that is a lot of restaurant sit down time in one day.

 

[Colleen27]

As others have said, that's really close together. Especially with 50s Prime Time, which is a very heavy "homestyle" meal, as lunch. What I would do is push Mama Melrose back to later in the day so it serves both as a meal and as a rest/break from the parks to recharge before heading off to the fireworks or Fantasmic. If, for example, the fireworks are at 8, a 6pm dinner would be both better spaced from lunch and well-timed to let your kids get their second wind before the evening shows.

As far as the restaurants themselves, 50s Prime Time is one of our family's favorites. The food and the antics are both so good, and it makes for a really fun, memorable dining experience. We've never tried Mama Melrose, partly because I've read mixed reviews but mostly because the kids also love Sci-Fi Dine-In so if we're going to have two sit-down meals at Studios on any given trip it is almost always the 50s/Sci-Fi combo.

 

[Disney Mom 7272]

We have done 2 sit down meals in one day several times over the years. We just do it for breakfast and dinner. Portions are so large at Disney that I'm not sure that I could do lunch and dinner back to back table services. We do an early PPO breakfast and then dinner sometime around 5-6. Most of the time we don't do anything for lunch on those days because we are still very full from breakfast. If we do get a little hungry then we usually just grab a Mickey pretzel for a snack in between!

 

[Colleen27]

We have done 2 sit down meals in one day several times over the years. We just do it for breakfast and dinner. Portions are so large at Disney that I'm not sure that I could do lunch and dinner back to back table services. We do an early PPO breakfast and then dinner sometime around 5-6. Most of the time we don't do anything for lunch on those days because we are still very full from breakfast. If we do get a little hungry then we usually just grab a Mickey pretzel for a snack in between!

We often do lunch and dinner because we're just not breakfast people but we aim for similar spacing - an early (11ish) lunch seating, followed by dinner at/after park closing (8-9pm). Anything less than 7 or 8 hours between meals is too little, in our experience, unless the meal is unusually light by Disney standards. We do usually have a snack in between, but not a full meal.

 

[MoreTravels]

Also, you do know that 50 Prime Time is a weird restaurant, right? The server may "force" you to finish everything in the plate by publicly shaming you. So you will end up over eating... and then you have another sit-down meal shortly, hmm.

 

[Blackadder337]

I have to agree with some of the others. Your choices are fine, but unless you are REAL big eaters, I'd at least push the times farther apart. 50's Diner is great fun, but there aren't really any "light" meals on the menu. They are all pretty much full, hearty "home cooked" meals..... I'm not sure I'd want my brunch / lunch to be that meal....