Hi Rachel!
October is one of my absolute favorite times to visit Walt Disney World, just attending
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party alone makes it a great reason to go this time of year! The cast member that you spoke to was correct and currently you can only
book reservations online 180 days from the day that you wish to dine. In order to take advantage of booking dining reservations 180 days out plus the next 10 days of your vacation (available to guests staying at a Disney owned resort), you will have to call (407) WDW-DINE to have a cast member book them.
If your looking for a highly coveted reservation such as
Be Our Guest or
Cinderella's Royal Table, try to call at exactly 7:00 a.m. 180 days from your date of arrival. Make sure to have your reservation number and a credit card on hand for restaurants that require prepayment or a credit card guarantee in order to secure a reservation. I recommend doing a "trial" call the day before so that you can quickly maneuver through the voice prompts in order to speak with a cast member as quickly as possible.
I hope you have a magical vacation and please visit us again if you have anymore questions!
Happy Planning!
Mandy