Hi there Shelley,
I'm so glad that you contacted planDisney with your question! I often travel to
Disneyland Resort with my kids and my parents. Watching my children experience my Happiest Place on Earth with their grandparents is indescribably special!
I'm happy to share that it is possible to get dining reservations for a party of 8 on the
Disneyland Resort website. However, it is sometimes difficult to find a dining reservation when you have more than six people in your party. When I'm traveling with a large group, I coordinate with another adult in the family to make multiple, smaller reservations around the same time.
For example, I would make a dining reservation for 4 Guests at 6:00 PM at
Lamplight Lounge, while my husband would make a separate dining reservation for 4 different Guests at 6:05 PM at the same restaurant. We would then head to Lamplight Lounge about 15 minutes before our reservation time and ask the Cast Member to be seated together. Although being seated together is not guaranteed, I have never had any issues with our request. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to be seated while they wait for tables to become available.
If you aren't able to secure a dining reservation ahead of time, there is still hope! There are often last minute cancellations, or you may be able to join a walk-up list at select restaurants. When you arrive in the United States, I recommend downloading the Disneyland Mobile app. On it, you can check for dining reservations, view wait times, mobile order food, and more. It's a great resource right at your fingertips!
Shelley, I hope you and your grandchildren have a magical vacation! Please visit us again if you have more questions!
Jen