Deb:
What may be difficult to do this close in is to marry reservations with the TOP 3 places to dine at Disney....
However, one of my favorite non-official Disney sites, www.touringplans.com, wrote a great blog post last year (June 14, 2009) on the number of days needed to secure many of the table-service restaurants at Disney. It gives me hope for you--and many who go to Disney at the last minute or simply don't know about Advanced Dining Reservations. If you can't get one of my favorites that do require either months-in-advance reservations, like Chef Mickey's, Ohana's, or Le Cellier, here are some our family's favorites that were on the shorter end of the list that you might be able to snag:
1. Biergarten at Epcot. Its meat and potatoes buffet fare appeals to most everyone in the family, and the Oktoberfest theming, complete with traditional German music, makes this a dining experience I love to come back to again and again.
2. Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom. Save it for dinner after the park closes so you can get the most of your time. The menu is less expensive than most Disney table-service restaurants and our kids, as well as the grandparents, enjoy the animatronics!
3. Hollywood Brown Derby or Hollywood & Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Go at lunch as the prices will be cheaper. Brown Derby's atmosphere appeals more to the older set than to children. If you have young kids, go for Hollywood & Vine. They'll love Handy Manny at breakfast or lunch.
I'm sending pixie dust to help you make those reservations. But remember, diners can cancel trips and reservations at any time. So if you're persistent and are willing to call the dining line (409-939-3463) whenever think about, you might get lucky at some of the more popular spots, too.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney