Hey there, Donna! Welcome to planDisney.
When it comes to planning for my vacations to
Walt Disney World Resort, there's nothing – and I mean nothing – that's more exciting to me than picking out which restaurants I'd like to dine at! I'm constantly dreaming of returning to familiar favorites and trying out new flavors. Do I return to
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' for the thousandth time, or do I finally make a reservation for
Space 220 Lounge? The possibilities (and meals!) are endless!
When making
advance dining reservations, I aim to make reservations for the maximum number of Guests I can expect to join me. If you're unsure if you'll have four or five Guests joining you for dinner, my best tip would be to try to make a reservation for five. From my experience, it's no problem if one of your Guests can't join you, but trying to add a Guest at a later date will depend on availability. So, it is possible to try to modify a reservation and add a Guest later! However, as Guests are making reservations at all times, the availability will be much more limited than when you originally made the reservation.
Donna, make sure that you're ready to make those
advance dining reservations 60 days prior to your trip! Reservations usually open at 6 AM, though I like to be ready with a cup of coffee in hand, freshly logged into
My Disney Experience, right at 5:45. I have the tabs open on my computer so the restaurants are easy to locate and, if he's lucky, I even wake my husband up early to help me book them! And if you have a vacation package that includes both a reservation at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel and theme park tickets, you'll be able to make reservations 60 prior to your arrival date for the length of your trip (up to 10 days)! If you have some harder-to-get reservations (like character meals) try to book those first, even if they're towards the end of your trip. Prioritizing making reservations in order of difficulty rather than going in chronological order of your trip is my best tip!
I hope I was able to point you in the right direction today! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to write to us again. We're happy to help!
See ya real soon!
Michelle