Hey Howdy Hey Laurie,
Welcome back to planDisney. If you are a family like ours, we begin discussing where we want to dine before we have even booked our next
Walt Disney World Resort vacation. There are so many unique and delicious options that it is hard to choose.
As you can imagine the Disney World restaurants are quite popular and
advanced dining reservations tend to fill quickly. The most important thing to remember is to make your reservation as early as you can. Guests can book dining reservations 180 days in advance beginning at 6am EST either online or through your
My Disney Experience app. You are also welcome to wait and speak with a friendly Cast Member by calling 407-WDW-DINE. The only problem with this plan is phone lines do not open until 7am EST, so there is a chance some locations may be booked through online reservations before you can speak with someone. Be sure to have a list of what restaurants you are looking for, and I always have a few backup options as well. This way if my preferred choice is full, I can automatically look for our next choice. An added bonus for Guests that will be staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel is you can make dining reservations for your entire vacation on the first day your reservation window opens. This means if you are staying for 5 days, you can call when you are 180 days out but make your selections for all 5 days at that time. It gives you a definite advantage over Guests that are not staying at a Disney Resort.
Even with all these tips, some locations may be hard to snag but don't get discouraged. First, there are lots of wonderful options and I have never had a problem getting reservations somewhere. Occasionally we have selected a place we would not have previously chosen and it ended up being our favorite meal of the trip. And like the saying goes - if at first you do not succeed, try, try again - if you do not get your top choice, do not give up. Additional reservations often open up as other Guests change their plans. Finally, if you still are unable to get that reservation, stop by the restaurant and ask if they have any openings or check for last minute availability, or a wait list, on your My Disney Experience app.
I hope some of these tips help you grab all your top picks. No matter what - I promise we have never missed a meal while at Disney World and have had delicious meals even at counter service locations. If I can help with any further planning questions, please stop back and
see me.
Hope to see ya real soon,
Margaret