Hiya, Erin! I am so glad you came to planDisney with this question. I was at the Most Magical Place on Earth earlier this month for
runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend with a large group of planDisney friends. I know firsthand, affirmed in recent experience, the joy of going to
Walt Disney World with so many of your favorite people.
We had 16 friends at
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White and the Evil Queen. (Lesson learned: the Queen dislikes being called "Evil"). It was perfection, but with that large group, it took some work. You can book dining for parties of up to 20 people, which is great! But you may also find more limited availability for those reservations.
For our large party, my friend
Kristi and I made reservations for tables of 8 at the same time. You cannot hold overlapping dining reservations, so we joined forces, sang
"Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho!" and it was off to work we would go.
With separate reservations, there is no guarantee you will be at nearby tables. One thing we did was make reservations for when the restaurant opened. Storybook Dining only serves dinner, starting at 4 p.m. Our reservations were at 4:05. We showed up right as the restaurant opened and let the Cast Member at check-in know we wanted to be seated together. It was easier for the restaurant team to arrange since we did not need to wait for other Guests to finish their meals for nearby tables to become available. This strategy may not always fit your plans, but it worked well for us because early or late reservations tend to be easier to get, and showing up when the restaurant was just opening meant we were much more likely to get tables together.
Erin, I hope you can get your desired dining reservations
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo-ked, and your trip is as magical as if the Fairy Godmother arranged it all herself. If you have any other questions, please drop back by
planDisney.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes!
Jana