Hi Keely! Two of my favorite things at the Walt Disney World Resort are meeting characters and enjoying Disney Dining! So, for me, nothing is better than combining the two by enjoying
Disney Character Dining!
It is strongly recommended to
make advanced dining reservations for all character dining experiences as they tend to be extremely popular. You can make your advanced dining reservations 60 days in advance. When you select your preferred restaurant, you’ll see the reservation times that are available at the restaurant. You can then select the reservation time that best fits your schedule. The characters will be around multiple times during your seating. Please note that character availability and appearances are subject to change at character dining locations.
Keely, a few years ago, I made a Disney Character Dining reservation for the afternoon that we arrived at the Walt Disney World Resort. To be honest, I cut it way too close to our arrival time. The rush of airport arrival, baggage claim, waiting for transportation from the airport to the resort, and then getting to the restaurant added a little (OK, a lot of) “stress” to our arrival day. To avoid this, I recommend leaving at least two and a half to three hours from your anticipated arrival time at the airport to your dining reservation.
Of course, that timeframe could be on the lower end if you're going to book private transportation for your travel party to go directly from the airport to your resort hotel. Please note that some transportation options will make stops at multiple resorts before arriving at your resort.
Happy Planning!
Jonathan