Hi T Scott!
Thanks so much for bringing your question to planDisney. I'm happy to lend a helping hand as you plan your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Since it sounds like your visit is just around the corner, it's almost time for my favorite part of the Disney-planning process –– making your advance dining reservations! If you're staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, don't forget that you'll be able to make reservations for your entire length of stay at the 60-day mark, otherwise, you can still reserve a table 60 days in advance, you just won't be able to book for multiple days at one time. Now that we've covered that, let me share a few details about how the process will work on the morning your dining reservation window opens.
Once it's officially time to make your reservations,
the window officially opens at 6 AM EST, however, I can tell you that sometimes you can begin making reservations as early as 5:45 AM EST. To be honest, I'm not sure when or why this happens –– I was able to book reservations for a trip last spring at 5:45, while I had to wait until 6 AM on the dot for my July trip –– but I recommend giving it a try at that earlier time, just in case. If reservations aren't available early, you should be able to submit your search query again once the clock strikes 6 AM.
As for the best method of checking for reservations, I can tell you that I've also seen reservation availability vary depending on whether you choose to use the Walt Disney World Resort website or the
My Disney Experience mobile app (isn't technology a trip sometimes?). If possible, I usually try to recruit my husband to search for reservations with me –– one of us checks the website while the other person uses the app. If you don't have a second person available to check for you, you might try checking for reservations with both methods, otherwise, I recommend using whichever option feels more intuitive. Chances are, you'll have the best luck using the method that feels the simplest to you. To that end, I also recommend doing a few practice runs with the dining reservation system today or tomorrow before your reservation window opens. That way, you'll be more comfortable with the process once you're officially on the clock (just be sure to stop before you actually confirm your selection, so you won't have to worry about canceling unwanted reservations later).
Thanks for visiting planDisney, T Scott. I hope your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort visit is filled with delicious dishes from beginning to end!
See Ya Real Soon,
Amy