Hi Stephanie! Welcome to planDisney.
The
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve looks absolutely gorgeous - I am happy for you AND a teeny bit jealous that you'll be staying there soon! I know you are going to enjoy the stunning rooms, fabulous location...and I have heard that
Grounds (the on-site coffee shop) is wonderful. Have a cup for me, please!
I'm sorry to hear you ran into this issue with making your
dining reservations. I hope you've already found the answer and are now at the stage of dreaming about all the yummy food you're going to enjoy on your vacation. If not, never fear! We'll get this all sorted out.
I'm guessing the technical issue is that it can take up to 48 hours for your Walt Disney World Swan, Walt Disney World Dolphin, or Walt Disney World Swan Reserve reservations to register in Disney's system. Because those hotels are currently owned and managed by Marriott, there are actually two associated reservation numbers for each reservation: a Disney one, and a Marriott one. Disney's system wants to read a Disney reservation number. When we were in this situation, my husband called Marriott directly and they were able to provide the "Disney-friendly" number. Once you have that number, you will need to
link it to your My Disney Experience account so you can make your dining reservations.
As a military spouse, my family is often traveling last-minute, so I want to assure you that even if you didn't get to make your reservations at the 60-day mark, you'll still be able to find great options. I use the
My Disney Experience mobile app to check regularly for dining reservations; especially as Guests approach one week from travel, they begin to change plans and drop reservations. I have scored many hard-to-get reservations on the day before or even day-of, so keep checking!
I see you're arriving right at the end of the
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! Not only is this celebration of the culinary, performing, and visual arts walking distance from your hotel, but there will be lots of delicious snacks, drinks, and treats available at the festival booths. My husband and I love to skip lunch or dinner and instead wander the Word Showcase, snacking as we go. Keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog as we lead up to the festival's opening, as they'll share Foodie Guides and lots of tips for making the most of this event.
Stephanie, I'm sending pixie-dusted wishes that you get this straightened out quickly and can focus on planning a vacation that is practically perfect in every way. Thanks for stopping by planDisney, and please come back and see us if you have any further questions!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn