Hey there, Stephen! Welcome to planDisney! I'm so glad that you've stopped by with such a great vacation planning question. Chatting with a fellow Disney Vacation Club Member always makes my day!
Stephen, before you know it, you'll be arriving at The Most Magical Place on Earth, excitedly ready to begin your magical summer vacation. How exciting! It sounds as if your vacation planning is already off to a great start. You have your dates set, and you are preparing for the most important part of any vacation, in my opinion - the FOOD. In
Walt Disney World Resort, the dining experiences are part of the whole magical journey, so, let's be sure you're ready to book 60 days before your arrival.
I have been told by a Cast Member that both Guests and Cast Members see the exact same
dining availability when searching the system. Therefore, I recommend making your reservations online on your
My Disney Experience account or on the My Disney Experience app. Advanced Dining Reservations for most Walt Disney World Resort restaurants can be made online or on the app 60 days prior to your arrival at approximately 5:45 a.m. EST. Just be aware that some of the new special dining experiences, such as dessert parties cannot be booked until 7:00 a.m. EST. The Dining/Enchanting Extras Reservation line (407-WDW-DINE or 407-939-3463) does not become available until 7:00 a.m. EST, so you can get a head start on booking most of your must-do dining experiences if you do so online.
The time that I do find it advantageous to make a reservation through
DVC Member Services is if I am booking an experience that cannot be booked online and a DVC discount is offered. For example, while the
DVC benefits and discounts are always subject to change, currently, DVC Members receive a 15 percent discount on
poolside cabana rentals at participating Resorts. So, in order to easily apply my discount at the time of booking, I have found it fast and easy to book this through DVC Member Services. If you wish to book any other
Enchanting Extras, you can also call (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529.
If you find that you are having any difficulty finding dining reservations for your larger party, try breaking them up into two parties for around the same reservation time. Last summer, we traveled as a party of seven, and my friend booked some reservations for his party of four, while I booked reservations at the same restaurant at or around the same time for my party of three. Then, once we arrived at the host podium at the restaurant, we informed the Cast Member that we were together, and while it is not a guarantee, the restaurants always made every attempt to seat us together.
Last summer, we had great success with booking a table together as a party of seven at
Biergarten Restaurant in the Germany Pavilion in EPCOT, and I am SO glad that we did! This meal was AMAZING. The adults enjoyed liters of German beer while the entire party, including the kiddos, LOVED the German entertainment and food. I highly recommend this dining experience!
Stephen, happy booking, my friend! I hope that this was helpful, and I hope that you book every dining experience on your wish list. Please stop by any time with any vacation planning or DVC questions!
I hope to see ya real soon,
Mandy