Hi there, Diane, and welcome to planDisney! Your Walt Disney World Resort vacation will be here in just a couple of short months, and you must be getting so excited! Now is the perfect time to think about where you'd like to dine during your visit, and I'm thrilled to help you navigate the ins and outs of making Advance Dining Reservations.
Diane, you'll be happy to know that it has never been easier to search for
Advance Dining Reservations. There are a few ways to do this, and I'll give you my best tips and tricks! You'll want to set your alarm before 6:00am on the day that marks 60 days until you check in to your
Disney Resorts Collection hotel. As soon as the clock strikes 6:00am, you should already be logged in to My Disney Experience and ready to go! I like to use my computer and pull up a Walt Disney World Resort website tab for each of the restaurants I'd like to visit, in order of importance to me. That way, I can easily click "Check Available Days" when my booking window opens.
You'll also want to think about which restaurants are more in demand, because you'll want to prioritize those as well. It will likely be easier to get reservations for the more popular dining locations the further you get into your visit, since not all Guests will be able to book their reservations that far in advance. So, if you're hoping to go to a highly sought-after restaurant like
Cinderella's Royal Table, consider trying for a reservation toward the end of your vacation for the best chances at booking a desirable time.
If you're traveling with family or friends, you don't have to be the only one booking reservations. Enlist your travel party to help get those times booked, and split the duties by day or by restaurant. If you happen to book overlapping times, you can then decide which to cancel or modify. It's better to start with more options than to hesitate and not be able to book. I'm probably making it sound a little more intense than it really is - and this is because I typically travel with a large party, so booking reservations. for my crew is more than simply finding a table for four.
When I book Advance Dining Reservations for my large family that often includes between 12 and 18 Guests, we often need to split into two or three smaller groups in order to dine at the same location at the same time. When we check in, we always let the Cast Member know that we'd love to sit near each other if possible. Sometimes we are pleasantly surprised by being seated at one large table, and sometimes we are seated in separate sections of the restaurant. Either way, dining at the same time keeps our group on a similar schedule, which is helpful when making plans.
Another great way to make Advance Dining Reservations is by checking general dining availability within the My Disney Experience Mobile App. You'll specify your party size, date, and time, and then you'll see all available reservations throughout Walt Disney World Resort. One of my favorite features lives here - you'll see it in blue, and it says "Check Availability for Multiple Days." This feature allows you to select up to ten days on the calendar to view availability for your party size. You can then narrow the results by time of day. This feature is a game-changer and will hopefully be helpful to you as you make your selections!
I hope this is helpful to you as you firm up your plans. Please stop back by planDisney with any other questions you have! If you need any recommendations on where to dine, you have a friend in me!
Bon appetit!
Jennifer