Hi Meaghan!
While I wish that you were writing to us under better circumstances, I'd like to welcome you to planDisney while also giving you a big virtual bear hug. I'm so, so sorry for your loss, Meaghan. It sounds like this visit to Mickey's house is going to be very special indeed!
Disneyland Dining Reservations open for bookings 60 days in advance of every Disney day, which for this meal will be Sept 1. I'm happy to report that no, you do not need to have your tickets purchased or
Park Pass Reservations made before securing dining. However, Halloween is a very popular day at Disneyland Resort, and tickets and
Park Pass Reservations may sell out fast, so it'd be better to get those as soon as you can vs. waiting too much longer.
Dining Reservations used to open around 3:00 A.M. PST, but now its closer to 6:00 A.M.
Blue Bayou Restaurant is one of the hottest tickets in town and truly does book solid almost as soon as the reservation window opens, so if this were me I'd set an alarm and start trying at 3 just in case. Another dining change that seems to still be in the air is that upon reopening from the historic pandemic closure,
dining reservations had a cap of six Guests per table. The way large parties can get around this limit is for three in your group to each book a table with seating times as close together as you can get them, and then at check-in ask that those tables be near each other or possibly pushed together. I'm not sure if the seating cap is still the case or if there are only so many large tables per dining time, but at least this strategy gives you another opportunity to dine together. (Pro Tip: It's perfectly okay to sEARch for and book tables that are larger than 15 and show up with fewer Guests the day of. Ex: Book three tables of six for a total of 18 chairs or two tables of six and one four-top for 16, etc. You're only charged per-person no-show fees if a whole table ditches the reservation.)
If you're unable to get in on your reservation day, keep trying! Guests change plans all the time, and thanks to the
Disneyland Mobile App it's super convenient to sEARch for dining reservations wherever you are. You never know what you'll find at the last minute! And speaking of last minute, you might be able to secure a same-day dining reservation once in
Disneyland Park either at the Blue Bayou check-in stand or through the new
Mobile Dine Walk-Up Availability list in the
Disneyland App. I know this seems like a long shot, but I was part of a group of eight who were successful in getting a same-day table in February, so I'll for sure wish for Pixie Dust for you and your crew!
I hope that this helped a bit in planning your upcoming Disney days, Meaghan! I hope that this visit to the parks is every bit as fun as your brother was. Be sure to follow the
official planDisney Panel Instagram account for even more tips and tricks. And if you have any other Disneyland Resort planning questions, We're All Ears!
~Kristen N.