Hello Craig!
Welcome to planDisney! This is a great question, as there are definitely some differences between the Walt Disney World Resort and the
Disneyland Resort. My family primarily visits Walt Disney World, usually once or twice a year. I always say if you are a Walt Disney World person, while Disneyland is very similar, it is just similar enough so you think you know where you are, but then you turn around and realize something isn’t where it belongs!
This statement is true about booking your dining as well.
At Disneyland, you can make your
dining reservations “up to 60 days in advance.” This means a few different things if you are accustomed to booking at Walt Disney World. First, notice those words “up to.” At times, the reservations may not open at the 60-day mark at all. I encountered this issue during our recent Disneyland trip. At the 60 day mark, nothing opened. I checked daily and they didn’t actually open until 44 days before my visit, and they opened late in the evening Pacific time. I was already sound asleep here in Indiana, and by the time I got up the next morning, one of my choices was booked. I never was able to snag it despite trying multiple times a day. So be prepared, you may not see anything open at that exact 60-day mark. Have back-up options in mind. Also, unlike Walt Disney World where you know the reservations will open at exactly 6 AM Eastern, at Disneyland there is no set time that the reservations will be released.
The next difference is that if reservations do open at that 60-day mark, you need to book each day one at a time. You cannot book reservations for the length of your stay. This adds to the challenge for sure.
Craig, I hope you can book at least most of your desired reservations. I do have a recommendation, we were very impressed with Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet at
Storyteller’s Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. My family all agreed this was the best character meal we have been to on either coast. The food was fantastic, with Eggs Benedict, Mickey-shaped waffles, bagels with lox… yummy! (Now I am jealous we don’t have something similar at Walt Disney World.) If you don’t have this on your list, I highly encourage you to consider it!
Sending you pixie dust for the perfect dining reservations, and a magical visit to the Disneyland Resort!
- Kate