Magical greetings, Jennifer, from one over-50 Tennessee girl to another, almost. Allow me to wish you an early welcome to the 50-club. We have comfy chairs and good snacks over here. Also, welcome back to planDisney where we love a birthday queen!
Celebrating such an important milestone birthday at Walt Disney World sounds like a positively lovely idea. And to celebrate with 20 of your favorite people? You're doing it right!
Kona Cafe at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is a smart choice because the setting is absolutely gorgeous, and it's home to one of the more unique breakfast menus there. I'm looking at you,
Tonga Toast and Macadamia Nut Pancakes! While it's popular, it is one of the more attainable restaurants for large parties. That being said, you'll need to do a bit a strategizing to make sure you secure your reservation.
If you're staying at a
Disney Resort hotel, you may begin making reservations at 6 AM ET 60 days in advance of your check in date for your entire trip, up to 10 days. If this applies to you, I recommend trying for this reservation toward the end of your visit, if your schedule allows, to give you the best chance at snagging your spot. If this doesn't apply to you, you'll be able to make the reservation 60 days before the day you plan to visit.
Now that you know when you can make your reservation, let's talk about how. You'll probably want to enlist the help of some of your birthday crew. I'd recommend rounding up a total of 4 people, and if they don't already have a My Disney Experience account, they'll need to create one before it's go-time. Personally, I like using the
My Disney Experience Mobile App from my bed on dining reservation day. While the reservation system technically allows you to book a reservation of up to 10 Guests in theory, it's not always that easy. For example, I took a look at Kona Cafe for the next 60 days, and I couldn't make one single pretend breakfast reservation for 10, but I could make one for 4, 5 or 6. So, if you aren't able to make two for 10, I'd either try four for 5 or two for 4 and two for 6. You'll also want to make sure the multiple reservations are around the same time. Then, on the day of your meal, get there early and let the restaurant know you'd like to be seated as close together as possible. It's not guaranteed, but I've found that they do the best they can.
Jennifer, I'm sure you have many other birthday shenanigans planned for your trip, and remember to pick up a Happy Birthday celebration button either at Guest Services or at a merchandise location. I hope you have the best birthday ever and the best trip ever celebrating you. We'd love to see you real soon if you have any other planning questions we can help with!
Grab hold of your dreams!
Melanie