I saw on Plan Disney they suggest budgeting 2 hours for a table service meal. 2 hours! Is this actually how long it takes?
In my plans I had budgeted 45 minutes to an hour. The restaurants I have reservations at are:
Jungle Navigation Skipper Canteen
Roundup Rodeo
Biergarten
Space 220 Lounge
Tusker House
For each of those we'd need to be done in an hour to get to our next thing. Is this feasible? If not, I'd rather do quick service meals instead because for me the attractions are higher priority than dining.
Also, if you have a reservation for a given time can you expect to be seated at that time, or might they make you wait a significant time to be seated?
I can speak to Skipper's and Roundup. The food comes out pretty fast! But we were still there about an hour and a half. It was one of the reasons I went on that trip haha. If you let your server know you're in a rush they can help hopefully. The faster they turn tables the better! Are you on the dining plan? Ordering several courses can make things longer of course. Space 220 Lounge is very fun! But it's just drinks and apps. You can stay or go whenever. I was there by myself, had 2 cocktails and an app and I was there less than an hour. I would think Biergarten would be fast because it's a buffet but I've never been. Same with Tusker. My experience as far as checking in has always been a crapshoot. Sometimes I've had to wait. Sometimes I get right in. I think lately it's gotten a lot better.
I guess my general feeling is, if I'm going to spend all that money on a meal, I don't want to rush or feel rushed. Unless you really want the experience of the restaurant, you may want to budget an hour and a half. I hope any of that made sense lol.