THANKSGIVING DINING : Where You Can Eat In or Order to Go : Give thanks. A bounty of county restaurants and hotels will do the cooking--and the cleanup--on Turkey Day.

For every reservation in a restaurant this Thanksgiving, someone, you may be sure, is giving fervent thanks to be relieved of hours of preparation and the formidable cleanup that spell Turkey Day. Orange County restaurants and hotels offer many alternatives this year, from sumptuous buffets to leisurely sit-down dining. Some will even send you home with one of the best parts of the feast: leftovers. Others will prepare entire meals to take home.

FOR A WHOLE TURKEY-- WITH LEFTOVERS

* Both Marriott hotels in Irvine and Anaheim will devote their ballrooms to family-style dinners, with a whole turkey carved table-side for each party. Of course there will be all the traditional trimmings, and yes, the leftovers will be packaged to take home. Hours at the Anaheim Marriott will be noon to 6 p.m. The cost: adults, $18.95; children under 12, $7.95; children under five, free; seniors 62 and over, $12.95. (If you prefer a buffet with carved turkey and the typical accompaniments, you’ll find it in La Plaza restaurant at the Anaheim Marriott: adults, $14.95; children under 12, $5.95; seniors, $11.95.) Reservations: (714) 750-8000. The hotel is at 700 W. Convention Way.

* In the Irvine Marriott ballroom, noon to 7 p.m., cost for the whole turkey and embellishments is: adults, $18.95; children 12 and under, $10.95; children 3 and under, free; seniors, $15.95. (In addition, the hotel’s Sea Grill will serve a Thanksgiving brunch, with duck, swordfish, turkey, pork with peppercorns, round of beef, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s $21.95.) Reservations: (714) 553-0100, Ext. 6663. The hotel is at 18000 Von Karman Ave.

* The Disneyland Hotel’s Caffe Villa Verde gives guests the option of carving their own roast turkey (and taking home what remains) in a family-like setting. The meal includes George Washington cream of corn soup, maple-candied sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie with hard sauce. It’s $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 12 and under. Reservations: (714) 778-6600.

TAKE-HOME TURKEY

* If you prefer to dine at home sans fuss or bother, the chefs at Le Meridien in Newport Beach will prepare a takeout feast, including California-grown turkey with cranberry sauce, giblet gravy, candied yams, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. A turkey with accompaniments for four is $60; for up to eight people, $120. Place your order before noon Tuesday: (714) 476-2001, Ext. 2194.

* You can order turkey to go, too, from The Cafe in Westin South Coast Plaza hotel. They’ll roast the turkey and fix the dressing, and offer such trimmings as Waldorf salad and a choice of apple, pecan, pumpkin or mincemeat pie. Complete dinners start at $45 for two and can be prepared for any number of people. The Cafe will also prepare whole roasted turkey only--from 10 to 22 pounds--to take home, with or without condiments, giblet gravy and cranberry relish. All “turkey to go” orders must be placed by noon Tuesday. Phone (714) 540-2500.

* If you live in South County, Watercolors restaurant in the Dana Point Resort will prepare and package a gourmet Thanksgiving feast: whole turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, salad, veggies and all, with a choice of apple, pumpkin or mincemeat pies. Dinner for four is $100; for six, $140; for 10, $230. Orders will be accepted through Monday, Nov. 19. (714) 661-5000, Ext. 57.

BOUNTIFUL BUFFETS

* Ciao Bella in Fountain Valley will switch from its usual Italian focus to traditional American fare for a Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Help yourself to Waldorf salad, country garden salad, glazed ham with apples and raisins, turkey and stuffing, banana squash, Canadian yams, broccoli-cheese souffle, whipped potatoes, fresh cranberry relish, homemade rolls, pumpkin pie and apple strudel. Cost: $10.95. The restaurant is in Los Caballeros Sports Village, 17272 Newhope. (714) 546-7426.

* In the Disneyland Hotel grand ballroom, all-you-can-eat fare includes glazed ham, turkey, round of beef, salads, pies and other desserts. A musical ensemble will entertain. It’s $23.50 for adults; $11 for children. The hotel will also host a Disney Character Buffet Breakfast from 7 to 11:30 a.m., with Goofy and other Disney favorites roaming the restaurant. Cost: $10.95 for adults and $6.95 for children ages 4-12. The Disneyland Hotel is at 1150 W. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim; (714) 778-6600.

Capitalizing on the popularity of its Sunday brunch, Le Meridien Hotel will serve Thanksgiving brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Le Cafe Fleuri. Hors d’oeuvres include Dungeness crab, fresh Washington oysters, New Zealand mussels, carpaccio and assorted salads and pates. In addition to roasted turkey, roast beef and eggs Benedict will be offered, and omelets made to order. Pumpkin, pecan and apple pie, plus an assortment of French pastries, top off the meal. Cost: $24 per person. For an additional $11, you may sip unlimited Louis Roederer champagne. There’s no charge for children 6 and under; children over 6, $15. Le Meridien is at 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. Reservations: (714) 476-2001, Ext. 2194.

* In Dana Point, the Ritz-Carlton’s Thanksgiving buffet will be served from 2 to 6 p.m. in the ocean-view Pavilion Rooms. Price: $38. Thanksgiving-themed dinners will also be featured in the Dining Room, the Club Grill & Bar and the Cafe. Reservations: (714) 240-2000.

* Down the coast, at the Dana Point Resort, the buffet in Watercolors highlights filet mignon, ham and sea bass, as well as turkey. Look, too, for a vast variety of salads, vegetables, potatoes and desserts. It will be served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: adults, $19; children under 12, $14.50. (After the buffet, from 6 to 10 p.m., the restaurant will offer its regular a la carte menu, plus one holiday pre-fixed dinner.) Reservations: (714) 661-5000, Ext. 57. The resort is at 24135 Park Lantern, Dana Point.

* In Newport Beach, JW’s Sea Grill will serve a traditional Thanksgiving buffet with four different seatings: noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. It’s $21.95 for adults; $17.95 for seniors; $12.95 for children 12 and under and children under 5 eat free at 900 Newport Center Drive; (714) 640-4000, Ext. 6138.

* The Westin South Coast Plaza Cafe will offer a bountiful buffet with turkey, prime rib, honey-baked ham, assorted salads and trimmings. In addition, each guest will be sent home with an individual-size pumpkin pie, boxed to go. Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: adults, $15; children under 12, $10. The hotel is at 666 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 540-2500.

* It’s buffet time, too, in both the Pavilion restaurant and Conservatory Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach, with seating every half-hour, from noon to 6 p.m. For openers, sip hot cinnamon wine or mulled cider. The cold buffet includes maple-smoked sturgeon, pates, seasonal fruits and an assortment of shellfish. Hot choices vary from breast of chicken with curry almond sauce

to medallions of beef with shallots and sun-dried tomatoes, sea bass with fennel and ginger sauce. Carved meats include turkey with apple chestnut dressing and honey-glazed ham. Cost: $39 for adults, $22 for children under 12. The hotel is at 690 Newport Center Drive. Reservations: (714) 759-0808, Ext. 4120.

SIT DOWN AND BE SERVED

* For Thanksgiving a la Francaise, visit Le Midi in Newport Beach, where chef Walter treats turkey like the game bird it originally was. He’ll prepare it with chestnut stuffing and raspberry vinegar sauce and garnish it with spatzle, brussel sprouts, red cabbage and apple rings with lingonberries. Begin the meal with shrimp salad and cream of Porcini mushroom soup and top it off with--this is French?--old-fashioned pumpkin pie. Cost: $25. Service begins at 5:30 p.m. at 3421 Via Lido. Reservations: (714) 675-4904.

* From 1 to 8:30 p.m., the Five Crowns gives you a choice of seven entrees, from turkey and prime rib to salmon and duckling. Dinner prices range from $18.95 for a vegetable plate to $25.95 for rack of lamb, and children may dig into turkey, prime rib or salmon for $13.95. Desserts include English trifle, Rome apple pie, pecan tart. The Five Crowns is at 3801 Pacific Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. Reservations: (714) 760-0331.

* If you’d prefer dinner on the bay overlooking the historic Balboa Ferry, call Newport Landing Restaurant. Here the special menu includes a selection of entrees, beginning with hickory-smoked turkey with apple-pecan dressing, orange-glazed yams, creamed corn and potatoes and gravy. But there’s also grilled lemon-ginger swordfish with a rice medley and garden fresh vegetables, or hickory smoked prime rib of beef with baby red rose potatoes and fresh vegetables. Each entree will be accompanied by soup or house salad, pumpkin pie and a nonalcoholic beverage. Cost: $18.95 for adults; $9.95 for children. Service will be from 2 to 9 p.m. at 503 E. Edgewater Ave., Balboa. Reservations: (714) 675-2373.

* Meanwhile, at the Fullerton Marriott, the University Court will serve a turkey dinner special from 12:30 to 9 p.m. for $9.95. For children 9 and under, dinner is half price, and seniors receive a 25% discount. 2701 E. Nutwood Ave., Fullerton. (714) 738-7800.

* In the Westin South Coast Plaza, Alfredo’s Ristorante will present a five-course feast with a choice of four entrees: garlic roast tom turkey with corn bread and chestnut stuffing; lamb loin stuffed with veal and pesto; baked salmon en croute with wild mushroom and sun-dried tomato sauce; roast veal rib-eye with Madeira chanterelle sauce. Dinners, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. will be priced from $23 to $26. Reservations: (714) 540-2500.

* To make Thanksgiving “just like home, but without the mess,” Mr. Stox in Anaheim offers seconds on turkey and ham. The menu also includes soup, salad, garnishes and a choice of desserts. Cost: $15.95. Or, if you’re a nontraditionalist, for $18.50 you may have mesquite-grilled round of swordfish or roast prime rib of beef instead. Dinner for children under 12, $9.95. Service will be from 1 to 8 p.m. at 1105 E. Katella Ave. (714) 634-2994).