Hi, Richard!
The only thing you need to do to book your
dining reservations in Walt Disney World is be 180 days out from your visit. Dining reservations are not linked to your resort reservation, so feel free to book your favorite restaurants when you hit the magical 180 day window. Remember that dining reservations must be secured with a credit card to hold your date and time.
Before you start booking your dining plans, you might want to begin making your trip itinerary so you know which park you plan to visit each day. This way, you can coordinate your dining locations with your parks. Valid park admission is required to enter a theme park even just for dining, so plan accordingly.
Some fun dining locations in each theme park that you might want to reserve:
Crystal Palace (buffet dining with Pooh and Friends) in the Magic Kingdom
Via Napoli (delicious pizza in Italy Pavilion) in Epcot
Tusker House (character buffet with Donald and Pals) in
Disney's Animal Kingdom Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (dine in your own "convertible") in Disney's Hollywood Studios
Have fun dining all around Walt Disney World!
Cathy