[Curious Alice]

When is it LESS likely to be crowded at a restaurant for dinner at Studios?

1. On a night when they're NOT having Fantasmic, one hour before park closing

OR

2. On a Fantasmic night when the show starts at 6:30, the reservation would be for 6 pm.

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[Shadow Jedi Rhy]

What time does the park close on the non Fantasmic night? Also, which restaurant are you looking for?

[Curious Alice]

Brown Derby

What if I make a 7:30 reservation and the park closes at 8?

[Shadow Jedi Rhy]

I would say go for the non Fantasmic night, the later reservation coupled with no Fantasmic means you'll likely have a less crowded dinner.

Brown Derby is a nice restaurant, I've only had it for lunch but it was very nice and a good break from the parks (or in your case more of a relaxing night cap).

[Kylie'smom]

My guess would be on a Non-Fantasmic night, I would think the entire park would be less crowded! I have heard that since they have limited the number of times they show Fantasmic that the park is packed on the days when it is shown.

[Winkster]

Could I throw in a curveball suggestion?

For a couple looking for a more relaxed dinner (particularly when paying 2 DDP credits - or signature dining prices), I would skip Brown Derby altogether, hop on a boat from outside DHS and eat at the Yachtsman Steakhouse which is far more relaxed and refined.

Brown Derby is great for families who want to eat without leaving the park but, while the food was fine (bordering on good - but not great), we found the service was far (FAR!) too rushed and the restaurant was far too noisy and chaotic.

Being in a theme park, there's obviously going to be lots of families with strollers, bags and the like all trying to get to and from their tables (most of them sweaty and tired from a day in the park I might add).

Then, add in a few (hundred - seemingly) excited kids jabbering away, staging mock fights with their new Jabba the Hut pitted against their sister's evil Jessie the Cowgirl.

Next, stir in a few handfuls of exhausted and irritable kids (especially at the time of day you're eating at) who are guaranteed to burst into wailing fits or major strops at random intervals (particularly when Jessie head-slams Jabba into the Brown Derby cobb salad and Jabba retalliates by snapping Jessie's head off and ramming it into the grilled atlantic salmon).

Then, get them all to talk loudly, run around the tables and scrape their chairs on the tiled floor at the same time (that's the tiled floor which also makes the screaming, jabbering and chattering echo around the room rather well) and you start to get a feel for how Brown Derby can be on, what I hope, was a bad day.

It did occur to me that we may have been unlucky and caught the place on a particularly loud night so, being nice, I phoned my Mum to see what they thought of it (ok, I had to ring her anyway - but I seemed to recall they weren't impressed with the place) and her impressions were exactly the same as mine.

Sorry for sounding so negative (how unlike me - lol) but, when paying a fortune for a signature meal (either in credits or real cash), I'd hate to see you disappointed so I couldn't let this one go buy without comment.

Personally, I think if you're eating at closing time anyway there's little reason to eat within the park. The Yachtsman has better service, better quality food, is far quieter, contains diners that (on the whole) have showered(!) and is a far more relaxing, pleasureable and (dare I say it) romantic dining experience.

If the Yachtsman doesn't appeal, I'd opt for any Boardwalk or Yacht and Beach restaurant (even Epcot - you can get a boat from DHS to the International Gateway) rather than waste credits/money at Brown Derby.

Just a little food for thought!



ps. sorry if I've upset any Brown Derby fans!

[Kylie'smom]

Winkster makes a great point as usual!

We didn't make any ADR's for HS, the restaurants there just don't appeal to us. I thought about MM just because I wanted a dinner in the park but then I decided it's only a boat ride away to go to the world showcase and some of the best dinning in Disney (IMHOP)!

We have decided to go to HS after our ADR at Coral Reef on our first full day at Disney to see the Osborne Lights!

I can't wait!

[Doodlemommy3]

Originally Posted by Curious Alice

Brown Derby

What if I make a 7:30 reservation and the park closes at 8?

I am going to have to say on a non fastasmic night. At least that is the way that we did it. It was not crowded at all. I will have to say that we were not impressed with the food. I am not so sure it was worth 2 table credits! Good luck and enjoy!