Ashley,
Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!
Most of the standard table service restaurants that have advanced dining reservations require you to cancel your reservation at least 2 hours prior to dining to avoid incurring a cancellation charge. A fairly comprehensive list of policies is listed on the Dining Cancellation FAQ page of the website.
Each restaurant should have the policies listed as you make the reservation. But as I mentioned, for most table service restaurants the window is 2 hours prior to your reservation. There are a few restaurants and dining experiences, often ones that involve some form of entertainment or character interaction, that require you to cancel at least a few days prior. Here are just a few examples.
As you can see, most examples of dining that require a day or more advance cancellation are Dinner shows, high-end signature dining, or fireworks dining packages. With the exception of these and just a few others, the 2-hour rule is likely to be your guide.
Now that is the technical stuff. If you write me back we can begin discussing recommendations on
where to eat! That is when dining planning gets really fun!
BONUS TIPIf you want to ask about a specific restaurant and don't see it on the FAQ page or the restaurant page, you can call
(407) 824-1391 and they can assist further.
Please feel free to
write me back directly if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!Doug