Hey There, Hi There, Ho There, Jeni!
You're as welcome as can be here at planDisney! For me, no part of the planning process is quite as exciting as making advance dining reservations. Once that 60-day window finally opens, I know my vacation is getting close! While it's likely that you still have a few months before you can make your reservations, now is a great time to start tentatively making your choices, especially when you're traveling as a large group. With a party of 10, though, I also suggest planning a backup restaurant for each meal, in case your first choice is unavailable. Remember, you can always keep checking for those hard-to-get reservations as your date approaches, but this way, you'll have a plan in place that can be modified later, if necessary.
Personally, I recommend making advance dining reservations online at the 60-day mark. Also, remember that if you're staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel during your visit,
you'll also be able to make reservations for your entire length of stay (up to 10 days) at that time. The reason for this is that reservations typically become available online around 5:45 AM EST, while the Walt Disney World Dining Reservation Line doesn't open until 7 AM. Also, because of the excitement surrounding the
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration, Guest Services is seeing historically high call volume. That means that even if you hop on the phone right at 7 AM, you might not be able to begin making reservations for an hour or more. At that point, you may have missed two or more hours to make reservations online.
In addition to online booking, searching for two smaller tables is a great strategy when
making reservations for a large group. When my family travels together, we're typically a party of 9-12, so this is something we do, as well. If possible, I recommend having an additional person with a My Disney Experience account search for reservations with you. That way, if two tables of five are available at the same time, you'll both be able to grab one. Once you arrive at the restaurant, simply let a Cast Member at the front of the restaurant know that your two tables are a single party and they will do their best to seat you close together. While this is never guaranteed, I can tell you that Cast Members work
really hard to make magic for their Guests and I've always had great luck getting our party seated together in the past. Just know that it might mean waiting a few extra minutes for tables in close proximity to become available –– you'll want to be sure and pack your patience (and be kind!) along with the other essentials in your park bag!
Thanks for much for visiting planDisney, Jeni. No matter where you choose to dine, I hope your upcoming vacation is filled with plenty of delicious dishes and
lots of pixie dust for you and your family!
Have a Magical Day,
Amy