Hi Jena,
Thank you so much for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question. There are so many options for
dining at Walt Disney World. I am glad that you are thinking ahead about how to have the best dining experience while on vacation!
As you plan, I absolutely suggest that you make dining reservations for
character dining experiences and
dinner shows. These are very popular and can book up quickly, so booking them ahead of time is a good idea. As for other dining experiences, while yes, it is possible that you would be able to walk up to a restaurant and be seated for the meal that you want, at certain times of year and for certain popular restaurants, you might not be able to be seated. Therefore, I like to make at least one dining reservation per day of our Walt Disney World vacations. This way, for one meal each day, I know where we are going to be dining and when we will be dining. Then we remain flexible for our other meals of the day.
If you decide not to use a reservation that you have made, do be sure to
cancel the dining reservation as there is a cancellation fee if you do not show up for a reservation that is on the books.
I hope that these thoughts are helpful for you, Jena. Have a wonderful time planning your magical vacation, and please do let us know if you have any further questions.