Osaka to Takayama Festival

I want to attend the Takayama festival on April 14. The festival is held on the 14th and the 15th. It did not occur to me that the train to Takayama may be fulled and so I will try to get reserved seats when I arrive at the end of March. I do have a rail pass. If no seats are available, these are my options:

1. Attend the festival on the 15th. Would it be just as crowed as the 14th?

2. Since I will be in Kanazawa on the 13th, I can stay overnight at a hotel and then travel to Takayama on the first morning train. Can I assume there will be room on the train during the morning hours?

3. Try to get to Takayama, by bus, from Kanazawa. Do they take reservations? I can return to Osaka, by train, during the late afternoon hrs.

Any suggestions and comments are welcome.

Here is a link to the Nohi bus line, in Takayama. Make reservation as fast as you can.

Opps. Lets try that again...

Here is a link to the Nohi bus line, in Takayama. Make reservation as fast as you can.

http://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/

And, yes, the Kanazawa to Takayama route takes reservations. It says partial, but my guess is that near the festival, all seats will be booked.

Thanks! Got my bus reservations today. Reservation can only bought 30 days before the travel date and so I had plenty of time think this over. Looking forward to the festival.

Any recommendation for place where we have dinner?

Thanks again

Mel