Reservations versus mobile ordering

Hi,
We are a party of 8 ( four kids from ages 9-12) and four adults. On both the Epcot and MK day we have reservations to eat outside of the actual parks but in the resorts.
For example, on Epcot day we are leaving at noon to go to Ale & Compass House at the Disney Yacht Club and at 5pm we have reservations for dinner at the Todd English’s Bluezoo Dinner at Dolphin Hotel.
MK day we are going to Wilderness Lodge for lunch,

Our thoughts are it will be nice to just sit down and have a little bit of a moment to decompress, eat, and relax before we go back to the park.

What are people’s opinions on this? Is it worth our time to travel to these locations? Will it be relaxing or just more stress? Are we better off trying to get some fast food via mobile ordering now that it is so much more accessible?
Thanks,
Susan

We like to do that, it’s nice to get a break without having to go back to your own resort.

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I do like a meal as a means of getting a break. But two TS meals, outside of parks, is going to eat a lot of time. Figure at least 2.5hrs for EACH of the the ones you have on your Epcot day, perhaps 3 depending on how long it takes for you to travel from place to place, how long your meal takes, and whether you have any kind of a wait or slow service. On the MK day still figure at least 2 hrs perhaps 2.5.

If you’re okay with that much time out of your day then go for it. Personally we prefer to limit ourselves to one TS per day to minimize that effect.

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These time estimates are very, very helpful. Thanks so much!

I especially like your idea of taking the boat from MK to WL for lunch. If you’ve never been to WL, it’s a great place to explore. Spending time outdoors near the lake, whether you are eating lunch at Geyser Point or just sitting on outdoor benches, can be so refreshing. The landscaping, architecture, and lake make you feel far away from the chaos of MK.

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I agree with everything that has been said already. I also believe that it is like most things at Disney and depends on how well you know what to expect and what your attitude is towards it after that. For some of us the FOMO that we would experience while traveling to and from those meals would make us miserable, but for others it might be just the break we needed to get through the day. I say just know your group and set those expectations ahead of time and it will be great whatever you decide.

We’re doing that exact thing in May (party of 9). Instead of taking a mid day pool break as is often recommended, we’re showing up late to the parks and breaking for dinner at nearby hotels. We’re frequent visitors though, so we have a laid back approach to touring.

Not to be overly melodramatic about it, but I’d add one more aspect to your planning … enjoying the family & company you are with. It’s been more than 7 years since we last convinced the whole family to take a vacation to WDW. One of my favorite photos of that old trip is of all 9 of us in Tony’s Town Square restaurant enjoying our only sit down dinner together. The happy facial expressions captured on that pic are priceless.

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