Hi Margaret - welcome back to planDisney!
Any guest can make an
Advanced Disney Dining Reservation at the 60-day mark. However, if you have a valid reservation at a Disney Resort Hotel, you can make your Advanced Dining Reservations for your entire length of stay (for up to a 10-night stay) rather than checking availability day by day. Park tickets are not required to make Advanced Dining Reservations.
According to the arrival date you provided to us, you can make your Advanced Dining Reservations on September 30, 2023, beginning at 6:00 a.m. EST. Prior to then, I would recommend that you map out the dining reservations you would like to make and be ready to go right at 6:00 a.m., if possible. Reservations for the more popular restaurants do tend to fill up quickly. If you are not able to secure a desired dining reservation, I would suggest that you continue to try from time to time as plans always change for other guests. If you are still having difficulty, you may want to try
Mobile Dine Walk-Up Availability for restaurants that participate.
Based on a previous question you asked planDisney, I see you are traveling with younger children. I would like to offer a few restaurant recommendations that I think your family may enjoy.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ is located in Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is a newer restaurant and although there are no characters at this meal, the theme is so much fun! Be sure to ask if your kids can ride a pony to their table!
Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch located at
'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is also a delicious meal. I like the fact that this breakfast is served family-style so you don't have to worry about missing the characters as they come to your table. I prefer a later breakfast reservation so that I can spend a few hours at Magic Kingdom Park before I take a mid-day break.
Chef Mickey's (breakfast or dinner) and
The Crystal Palace (I prefer the breakfast) are also very popular and on many must-dine lists. Both are all-you-care-to-enjoy buffets so you will need to keep an eye on where the characters are before filling your plate. Your server will provide guidance on the route of the characters so you can plan accordingly.
Margaret, I hope you find this information helpful and are able to reserve all the dining locations you are hoping for! Please let us know if there is anything further we can assist you with and thank you to your military family for serving our country.
Diane