Hi Michelle! Thanks for dropping by planDisney.
According to Guest Services, Guests of Disneyland Resort Hotels have
preferred access to a limited number of reservations set aside at certain Disneyland Resort
table service dining locations, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To access these reservations, you must have your hotel stay linked to your Disneyland account. According to the terms, these reservations are only open to book upon arrival and for the length of the Guest's stay.
They sound extremely limited to me, so I don't think I'd count on securing my preferred dining this way. We love to eat and where we eat matters to us on vacation, so I understand wanting to plan out your dining experiences. I have must-do dining locations, such as
Napa Rose at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and
Carthay Circle Restaurant on Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure Park, and when we have a trip coming up, I set an alarm for 60 days in advance of my trip, which is when dining reservations typically open. Being flexible with preferred dining time helps, but certain restaurants do fill up fast, so I wake up early and keep checking until the reservations open.
However, when you arrive, if you have a dining experience you haven't managed to secure, sometimes checking 24 hours out will result in success since people's plans change and cancelations happen. Also, you can check at the podium for openings. There's no guarantee, but people do report having success this way too.
Be sure to check out the official
Disney Eats blog as your visit approaches to see what delicious seasonal offerings will be available in time for the holidays. I'm sure there will be more than a few can't-miss flavors!
Have a magical day.
Elizabeth