Howdy, Nancy!
Though it may feel like lightyears away, your Walt Disney World Resort vacation will be here before you know it! You have found the key to my heart, my favorite topic, my not-so-secret passion.. dining at Walt Disney World! I am a super Disney-foodie, lover of all snacks, conquerer of all restaurants! I'm happy to share some advice!
First, the Guests in your party who are staying at a
Disney Resort Hotel can indeed make
advance dining reservations for your entire group of ten. When making the reservation online or through the
My Disney Experience app, simply change the Guest count to ten before searching for dining. These Guests are eligible to make advance dining reservations up to 60 days before their check-in date. The reservation window opens at 6 a.m. EST, so I'd recommend setting an alarm for about 15 minutes early to get prepped for the rush of booking your favorite restaurants! They can make reservations at that time for the duration of their stay.
With a group as large as ten, dining reservations can get a little tricky. Though this party size can sometimes be accommodated, there are some restaurants that cannot seat such a large group. If there are specific restaurants your party would like to try that do not show availability for a party of ten, I'd recommend splitting the party into two separate groups and trying to grab reservations close to the same time. When you arrive at the restaurant, you can request that your tables be close to one another. Cast Members use all of the power in their magic wands to make these requests happen! I recently planned a trip for fourteen Guests. I was unable to get a table that large at any restaurant, but I managed to get two reservations within 15 minutes of one another at our favorite spot in Disney Springs,
The BOATHOUSE®. Yay! The two Guests of Disney Resort Hotels can also try to get these split reservations at the same time. It helps to work together to maximize your options!
Nancy, the Guests in your party who are not staying at a Disney Resort Hotel can also make dining reservations at the 60-day mark. They will just need to do so each day, rather than just once for the duration of their stay. It may help to have multiple people working on the reservations, or having non-Disney Resort Hotel Guests checking daily for new availability.
I think it is important to add that some restaurants are larger than others and have more flexibility in accommodating groups.
Boma - Flavors of Africa,
Chef Mickey's and
Biergarten Restaurant are a few restaurants that can accommodate larger groups, so keep these in mind when making reservations!
Finally, Nancy, if you're still having trouble getting reservations for a group your size, you can
contact a Cast Member directly. They are both friendly and knowledgeable and can check availability and book reservations for you over the phone. This may help if you try at the 60-day mark and are unable to find anything together.
I hope I've helped guide you in the right direction today, Nancy! Whichever restaurants you're able to reserve, I hope you have an absolutely magical stay at the Walt Disney World Resort!
ChEARS,
Ashley