Welcome to planDisney, Rebekah!
Thank you for trusting planDisney with such an important question about your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Disney dining is one of my favorite parts of a Disney vacation and advance reservations for dining are often the first thing I plug into my trip-planning spreadsheet. Next month I'm excited to return to Pooh Corner, also known as
The Crystal Palace, for dinner with Winnie the Pooh and friends.
Advance reservations for dining can be made
online 60 days in advance. A
theme park reservation is not required to book a dining reservation, though valid admission, a theme park reservation, and a
method of entry (MagicBand, MagicBand+, Disney MagicMobile pass, or admission card) are required to physically dine at an in-park table-service restaurant. As such, I fully support your strategy of securing your dining reservations before making your theme park reservations. Just make sure your theme park reservations are in place about a month in advance to ensure
theme park reservation availability. Theme park reservations can also be canceled or modified as needed.
On hot summer days, table-service lunch reservations are a great way to cool down and rehydrate. My top three recommendations for in-park lunches are
Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom Park,
Via Napoli in EPCOT, and
Tusker House in Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Answering your question has given me a rumbly in my tumbly. I think I have some Mickey goldfish stashed somewhere. Please come back and see us at planDisney with any other trip-planning questions.
Choose magic,
Jennifer