Hi, Merri! (I love your name!) If you are a Walt Disney World resort guest, when your 180 day window opens up, you can make reservations for up to 10 days of your vacation. If you are not staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you do need to call back and make the reservations one day at a time.
It's definitely a perk for resort guests to be able to make the reservations in advance like that. It can give you a slight bit of an advantage for the harder to snag reservations (like Chef Mickey's). But even if you're not a resort guest, calling right at your 180 day window definitely helps increase your chances of making the reservations that you want.
Did you know you can also make those dining reservations online? Just visit
Walt Disney World Dining Reservations, and you can book dining reservations without ever picking up your phone.
I hope you get all the dining experiences that you want. Sending an extra helping of pixie dust your way.