Greetings, Jacqui!
Oh Boy! I'm so excited you are soon making the journey to California to visit the Happiest Place on Earth! Get your ears on and be ready to make some of the most magical memories of your lifetime.
When it comes to
dining at the Disneyland Resort, there is no right or wrong way to do it. In the parks and Disneyland Resort Hotels you will see there are Quick Service and casual options as well as Table Service, fine dining, and Character dining selections. Quick Service restaurants do not require a reservation. On many trips my family has only dined at Quick Service restaurants in the park and we never had to make a reservation. We like these options because they are convenient, fast, inexpensive, and they give us freedom throughout the day if we don't know what we will be craving or when exactly we will want to eat. Many Quick Service locations also offer Mobile Order on the
Disneyland app meaning you can pay and order food on your phone without having to wait in line! This is probably the number one reason why we choose this option now. It lets us really maximize our time in the parks.
For Table Service dining, you can make reservations online or on the Disneyland app up to 60 days in advance. For Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, you can only make your reservation for this bar experience up to 14 days in advance. If there is a particular Table Service experience you were looking forward to that is booked, keep trying to make reservations online. I have found reservations up until the day before and even the day of my desired reservation. You never know when someone will cancel their reservation so that you can make yours! I also suggest heading to the podium at each restaurant to ask Cast Members if there are any first-come-first-serve seating options available if you are interested in dining.
I hope this helps, and please return if you have any other questions. Have a magical day!
-Jennifer