Hiya Marcus - welcome back to
planDisney!
Thanks for stopping by with another question for us. It just so happens that I had this same question myself last week while I was visiting
Walt Disney World Resort, so I did some investigating. I'm so glad that I get to share that information with you now too!
I spoke with Cast Members at the entrance gates of two different
Disney Resorts Collection hotels, and both gave me essentially the same answer. Neither knew of a formal amount of time that was "too early" but noted that in most cases it would be at the discretion of the Cast Member at the entrance gate and be dependent on the availability of parking.
In my own experiences, I've never been turned away for showing up early for a dining reservation at a Resort. For example, last week my crew had a dinner reservation for 8 p.m. at
'Ohana, located at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and we arrived by car around 6:30 p.m. planning to do a little shopping and to enjoy drinks at the
Tambu Lounge - try the Lapu Lapu served in a fresh pineapple! The Cast Member at the entrance gate scanned my MagicBand to confirm my dining reservation and we were allowed to park at the Resort. Your mileage may vary, but I don't think this is something that you need to worry about - just don't show up at 8 a.m. asking to park for an 8 p.m. dining reservation!
I hope this helps the planning of your magical trip - stop by any time with more questions for us!
Ryan J.