Hi Maddie! Welcome to planDisney.
Oh my goodness, your
Walt Disney World Resort vacation will be here before you know it, so I'm glad to hear you are already starting to think about making
Advanced Dining Reservations! Let's be honest; the food is always the best part of any vacation, isn't it? But, of course, that goes double when it comes to all of the delicious culinary creations available throughout Walt Disney World! So, let’s talk about how you can snag a table at these fabulous restaurants.
While it’s definitely best to have an Advanced Dining Reservation for the restaurants you’re hoping to dine at, we all know those can get booked up rather quickly! So, I have a couple of things you can try instead. First, many dining locations throughout Walt Disney World offer a
Mobile Dine Walk-Up feature where you can add your party to a stand-by list and be notified when your table is ready. Now, this all depends on availability, so if the restaurant is at capacity for the day, they may not be offering this service that day. However, it certainly never hurts to check if you could not get a reservation! You can access this feature through your
My Disney Experience app by clicking "Check Dining Availability." Then, select the number of people in your party and the date. From there, under the “Search by time” section, click on “Now.” This is where you’ll see the restaurants offering Mobile Dine Walk-Up at the time and their estimated wait times. Once you successfully join the Mobile Dine Walk-up feature, you are free to walk around and explore a bit while you wait for your table to be ready. Just be sure you don't go too far, as the restaurant will only hold your table for so long.
Another option is to keep a super close eye on your My Disney Experience app in the days leading up to your vacation. Guest's plans change all the time, and since there is a $10 charge per Guest for any reservation cancellation done with less than 24 hours' notice, you will see that many dining times pop up in the days and weeks leading up to your visit as cancellations come through. So, I like to check the app about 2-3 times per day and almost always find the reservation I am looking for. This is especially common in the few days before my arrival. As our pal Peter Pan once said, "All you need is faith, trust, and a little pixie dust!"
I can honestly say that I have never had a meal I didn't love at Walt Disney World, and I say that as one of the pickiest eaters on the planet! So, no matter where you dine, I just know you will have a delicious meal! We have many foodies
here at planDisney, so feel free to stop in again with another question, and we would love to share some of our favorites!
Bye for now!
Diana