Hi Lauren,
How awesome that you are planning a vacation to Walt Disney World Resort for next year. There's no better time to start than now.
All guests, regardless of where they are staying, can make dining reservations up to 180 days in advance. However, when you have a reservation at select Disney Resort hotels, you can make dining reservations 180 days in advance of your check-in date, for your entire stay, up to ten days. This gives you a boost, which is crucial for certain highly desired experiences like
Cinderella's Royal Table, or
Be Our Guest Restaurant.
There are many ways to make reservations in advance. You may do so from the
My Disney Experience mobile app, the
Walt Disney World restaurants and reservations page, or by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463. Note that many guests do change their plans at the last minute, and some reservations get cancelled a couple of days before, in order to avoid fees. Sometimes you get some Pixie Dust and find a last minute must do.
I'll let you continue with your planning now, but if you have any more questions, please feel free to come back.
Ricardo.