Hi there, Rosemary, and welcome to planDisney! I'm really happy you've stopped by today with this great question about your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Traveling with a larger party is so much fun, and you're right - it poses a few challenges. Our travel party typically ranges from seven to 18 people, so I've learned a thing or two when it comes to logistics. Let's dive in!
Rosemary, I'd first like to say that I'm sorry your dining experience didn't work out the way you'd hoped. I know it's disappointing when you want to keep everyone together, but can't find a way to do it. Let's start from the very beginning and go through my best tips for dining with a large party.
First, make sure you're searching for
Advance Dining Reservations as early as possible - 60 days before your visit. If you're a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel Guest, you can make reservations for your entire visit (up to 10 days) 60 days from the day you check in. This means you could have an advantage of up to 10 days over other Guests who are looking at that same date. If you know you want to dine at a restaurant that typically books quickly, plan to go to that restaurant toward the end of your stay, so that when you're booking it, you see the maximum reservation availability. Most restaurants do have tables for a party of seven, so hopefully if you book early enough, you'll get a table for your entire party.
If you just can't get that reservation made, or you don't have a lot of notice before your visit, do keep checking back often during the days leading up to your visit, as many Guests will cancel their reservations as their other plans take shape. I've had great luck booking dining reservations for a party of seven on the day before I want to dine.
Rosemary, it sounds like you've already tried to use one of my tricks about dining with a large party, and that is to split up into two smaller groups and ask the Cast Member at check-in if they have two tables close to each other. When my family does this, we make these reservations at less popular times and check in well in advance of our reservation to make that request. Sometimes, this requires a bit of a wait as tables are shifted. Often, we are pleasantly surprised and are able to sit close together. On occasion, it just isn't possible, and it's ok. Keeping our party on a similar schedule is also important to us as we move throughout our day, even if that means we aren't sitting together as we eat.
You can also try to join the
walk-up list on the
My Disney Experience Mobile App if you decide last-minute that you'd like to dine somewhere nearby. Just go to the Map feature, choose "Dining" from the drop-down menu, and you'll be able to see the wait times at nearby dining locations. Click "Join Walk-Up List" and you'll be notified of the anticipated wait time!
I hope this is helpful to you as you make plans for your group. Please stop by planDisney with any other questions you have about dining - or anything else when it comes to enjoying your time at the Most Magical Place on Earth! I'm here to help!
See you real soon!
Jennifer