Welcome to planDisney, Kathy!
If you want to dine at a restaurant inside one of the
theme parks, you’ll need valid park admission for that day. Disney requires a ticket for any park you enter, even if you’re just going in for a
dining reservation. So, for example, if you have a dinner booked at
Be Our Guest in
Magic Kingdom, you’ll need a ticket to get into Magic Kingdom that day.
The only exception is if the restaurant is located at a resort or in
Disney Springs. You don’t need a park ticket for those. But once it’s inside a park, tickets are always required.
It’s something to keep in mind when you’re making reservations, because sometimes people book a meal without realizing they don’t have park access for that day. In that case, you’d either need to buy a ticket, adjust your park plans, or change the dining reservation to a location outside the parks.
Some great non-park dining options that still give you that Disney magic are places like
Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort,
‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and
Story Book Dining at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. These experiences offer character dining and fun atmospheres without requiring a trip to a park, making them a nice option if you want to save a park day but still enjoy something special.
Kathy, I hope this tip helps you plan for a spectacular time at Disney. Stop by and visit with us again soon if you have more questions.
Toodles,
Korliss