Hi Lori!
Wow, your first trip to Walt Disney World...I'm so excited for you! I'm glad to hear that you're starting to plan now. I consider myself a seasoned veteran, yet I still start planning way in advance (especially when it comes to dining!).
If I were in your shoes, I would start booking your dining reservations as soon as possible. (The earliest you can book a dining reservation is 180 days out). Dining reservations for popular restaurants (like
Be Our Guest) can be hard to come by if you wait too long.
Next, I would recommend downloading the My Disney Experience app on your smartphone. Not only will it help you on your vacation with maps, estimated wait times for attractions, and show times, but it will also help you keep track of your dining reservations.
The cool thing about this app is that is has a "Family and Friends" feature that allows you to connect with other people and share information about your trip (e.g. dining reservations). If you encourage your family members (the ones that are on the fence about joining you in December) to download this app, they can see all the awesome experiences they'll be missing if they don't come along. The other neat feature is that it allows you to manage your dining reservations and edit the number of people in your party (if they decide to join you).
Now, if smartphone apps aren't your thing, you can always manage your dining reservations on DisneyWorld.com through the web-based version of My Disney Experience. Or, you can call Disney Dining at (407) WDW-DINE for help from a live cast member.
I hope that helps get the party started! I'm a self-proclaimed Disney foodie, so feel free to write back if you have any questions about any of the restaurants as you work though your plans.
Bon Appetit!
Best regards,
Derek