Seattle Space Needle Lines?

[dbsb3233]

We're thinking about getting tickets to the Space Needle + Chihuly exhibit. The website says it's best to pre-purchase tickets for a specific time as the lines can be long if you just show up randomly.

 

The problem is, if the weather is bad that day and visibility is poor, we'd probably want to skip going to the top. So I hate to pre-pay for tickets.

 

We'll be there a Monday in July. Any idea how long the wait usually is if you just show up without timed entry? What are the odds of the weather being super-cloudy or raining that time of year?

 

And does anyone have any idea how soon timed tickets sell out? I'm thinking of waiting until a day or two before to pre-purchase the tickets, so I can check the weather forecast. But that won't work if they tend to sell out of specific times (around 2-3pm) weeks in advance.

 

Thanks.

[Dan G]

I'll give you my 2 cents worth as a local and as a tour guide. The lines can be enormous and they often can be a wait of 40 minutes or so. If you have a ticket you walk right in. When I do groups and have the tickets we just walk in and get in the elevator line. I'm making an assumption that having the ticket is whats important vs the 'time'. I think having the ticket in hand would allow you to go up to the top even if your 'time' was off. You can probably e mail but thats my best guess. Unless its very foggy or cloudy the view is pretty spectacular. In july you should have a good chance of clear weather. Our spring has been so mild and we had no winter so summer should be hotter and nicer than normal.

[Texasopa]

I reserved lunch in the restaurant. No need to prepay and you don't have to pay to go up. Just for your meal.

I haven't done this yet, I will in about 36 days....:)

[dbsb3233]

I reserved lunch in the restaurant. No need to prepay and you don't have to pay to go up. Just for your meal.

I haven't done this yet, I will in about 36 days....:)

If we were free for lunch we'd have considered doing that. But we're doing a Savor Seattle Pike Place food tour for lunch that day, and heading to the Space Needle/Chihuly after that for the afternoon.

 

The Space Needle dinner menu doesn't look as appealing, and the price shoots up quite a bit (although all the meal prices look like they basically just bake in the ride-to-the-top cost). I think for dinner we'd rather find a good (casual) seafood place back in the Pike Place area.

Edited April 7, 2015 by dbsb3233

[Texasopa]

Our flight doesn't get in until 11 am, our hotel is about 2 blocks from the space needle. Our plan is to take a car to the hotel, and drop luggage off, then walk to our 1 pm reservations at the needle. Later that evening take the monorail down towards Pike Place area, eating dinner down there.

Hopefully it will all work out, if not, it's OK, we're still on vacation.

[SadieN]

I reserved lunch in the restaurant. No need to prepay and you don't have to pay to go up. Just for your meal.

 

I haven't done this yet, I will in about 36 days....:)

 

 

That's what we did several years ago. Saved us several hours waiting in line. Once the cost of the regular ticket was factored out the lunch was rather reasonable. The food was very good.

[Casagordita]

If we were free for lunch we'd have considered doing that. But we're doing a Savor Seattle Pike Place food tour for lunch that day, and heading to the Space Needle/Chihuly after that for the afternoon.

 

The Space Needle dinner menu doesn't look as appealing, and the price shoots up quite a bit (although all the meal prices look like they basically just bake in the ride-to-the-top cost). I think for dinner we'd rather find a good (casual) seafood place back in the Pike Place area.

 

Lunch at the Space Needle can be a good deal, if you're somewhat restrained with your ordering--and if you would have gone up to the observation deck anyway, and then had a decent sit-down lunch somewhere else. It's also more relaxing and civilized than the observation deck on a busy day. But if you have other lunch plans, the observation deck is still worthwhile (if you skip it, when you get home, everybody will ask about it and wonder why you didn't go up there!)

 

And you're right--dinner at the Space Needle is no bargain, no matter how you look at it. The food is good, but not THAT good. There are many better restaurants for the price.

[dbsb3233]

Any suggestions for a good, casual seafood dinner place in the Pike Place area? We'll be carrying our cameras and other "day trip" tourist stuff, and be casually dressed, so we don't want anything fancy. Just something that has good seafood (crab & salmon mainly) that won't break the bank (around the $20-$25/plate range).

[Casagordita]

Any suggestions for a good, casual seafood dinner place in the Pike Place area? We'll be carrying our cameras and other "day trip" tourist stuff, and be casually dressed, so we don't want anything fancy. Just something that has good seafood (crab & salmon mainly) that won't break the bank (around the $20-$25/plate range).

 

Crab is pricey--you probably won't get a good entree portion of Dungeness crab, or other varieties of crab legs, for that price. You might be able to get crab cakes, though, or a crab salad sandwich, or an entree salad with crab, and squeak by in that range. A crab cocktail appetizer is another option

 

I would suggest Anthony's Bell Street Diner, down on Pier 66 (the cruise terminal. It's the cheaper, more casual sibling to Anthony's Pier 66. They do an earlybird Sunset Dinner special that might work for you.

 

Another possibility is the "Crabby Hour" specials in the bar (only) at Etta's, the Tom Douglas Seafood place just north of the Market.

 

Across from Etta's, Cutter's Crabhouse also has some happy hour specials that might give you your crab fix.

 

But if you just want plain, fresh crab and lots of it, without spending a fortune, here's what to do: go to any of the fish vendors in the Market. Buy a fresh-steamed Dungeness crab or two, and ask them to clean it for you. Buy a cheap pair of crab crackers and maybe some little seafood forks (the fish markets might sell them, or go to Sur le Table or Kitchen Basics in the Market). A lemon and maybe some cocktail sauce are optional but not really necessary--but lots of napkins are. A couple of crusty rolls from Three Girls Bakery would be a nice touch. Take your feast back to your hotel, or find a table nearby (there are a few that don't belong to a particular restaurant in the Economy Market building, behind DeLaurenti, and I think a few more somewhere behind the fish-throwing guys at Pike Place Fish Market). Dig in.

 

Salmon is going to be a little easier to find in your price range. For a great grilled salmon sandwich, simple and no frills but super-fresh and well-prepared, try the Market Grill on the Main Arcade. They're only open until 6 pm, so don't go too late.

[dbsb3233]

Crab is pricey--you probably won't get a good entree portion of Dungeness crab, or other varieties of crab legs, for that price. You might be able to get crab cakes, though, or a crab salad sandwich, or an entree salad with crab, and squeak by in that range. A crab cocktail appetizer is another option

 

I would suggest Anthony's Bell Street Diner, down on Pier 66 (the cruise terminal. It's the cheaper, more casual sibling to Anthony's Pier 66. They do an earlybird Sunset Dinner special that might work for you.

 

Another possibility is the "Crabby Hour" specials in the bar (only) at Etta's, the Tom Douglas Seafood place just north of the Market.

 

Across from Etta's, Cutter's Crabhouse also has some happy hour specials that might give you your crab fix.

 

But if you just want plain, fresh crab and lots of it, without spending a fortune, here's what to do: go to any of the fish vendors in the Market. Buy a fresh-steamed Dungeness crab or two, and ask them to clean it for you. Buy a cheap pair of crab crackers and maybe some little seafood forks (the fish markets might sell them, or go to Sur le Table or Kitchen Basics in the Market). A lemon and maybe some cocktail sauce are optional but not really necessary--but lots of napkins are. A couple of crusty rolls from Three Girls Bakery would be a nice touch. Take your feast back to your hotel, or find a table nearby (there are a few that don't belong to a particular restaurant in the Economy Market building, behind DeLaurenti, and I think a few more somewhere behind the fish-throwing guys at Pike Place Fish Market). Dig in.

 

Salmon is going to be a little easier to find in your price range. For a great grilled salmon sandwich, simple and no frills but super-fresh and well-prepared, try the Market Grill on the Main Arcade. They're only open until 6 pm, so don't go too late.

Good suggestions. Thanks! We can always splurge and spend more if something looks really great but we're more casual folk, and our first choice would be something with entrees topping out around $25 or so. I guess I should expect a downtown/waterfront area to be much higher than the local Red Lobster. ;)

 

I'll check some online menus of the places you mentioned and around the area.

[VibeGuy]

Dungeness crabmeat is about $30/lb at the restaurant door; it's a luxury product.

 

One option that hasn't been mentioned is my favorite choice for extremely well-handled seafood: http://tayloroysterbars.com/ - this is the restaurant division of the oyster experts at Taylor United. Their oyster bars (who serve other shellfish in season) are my pick for simply-prepared shellfish. They also invented the most genius crab cracking device known to mankind.

 

I'm also fond of Steelhead Diner across from Sur La Table when I want seafood very close to the market.

Edited April 8, 2015 by VibeGuy

[xlxo]

The problem is, if the weather is bad that day and visibility is poor, we'd probably want to skip going to the top. So I hate to pre-pay for tickets.

 

We'll be there a Monday in July. Any idea how long the wait usually is if you just show up without timed entry? What are the odds of the weather being super-cloudy or raining that time of year?

Late July is dryer than early July.

 

How soon do you need to prepay? Can you just look at the forecast a few days before to prepay? Intellicast can provide you forecast a week before.

[xlxo]

Dungeness crabmeat is about $30/lb at the restaurant door; it's a luxury product.

Dungeness is double that in Asia. Asian visitors will see that price as a bargain. For me... I prefer King Crab at that price.

[VibeGuy]

Dungeness is double that in Asia. Asian visitors will see that price as a bargain. For me... I prefer King Crab at that price.

 

When I think about the price increases for geoduck and black cod since I was a kid, my jaw drops. Thanks, air freight!

[West Coast Gal]

Good suggestions. Thanks! We can always splurge and spend more if something looks really great but we're more casual folk, and our first choice would be something with entrees topping out around $25 or so. I guess I should expect a downtown/waterfront area to be much higher than the local Red Lobster. ;)

 

I'll check some online menus of the places you mentioned and around the area.

One thing about Seattle is, we are a "casual" town . . .there are very few places that you can go that casual won't work for you. I have been to opening night of a big play and the sequin gowned lady is sitting next to a flannel shirt and jeans couple! grin . . in other words, just go with what sounds good and don't worry about it. Seattle restaurants have fabulous service and food.