Hi Jennifer,
Welcome to planDisney!
The
dining reservation dilemma - I have been there! Chef Mickey's is one of the most popular dining locations and the characters are adorable. I would advise you to just keep checking. Remember to search by meal period and not a specific time. We have dined at some odd times. On one visit we had dinner at 4:30 p.m. because a reservation opened up and we were happy to take it.
Unfortunately, I have no magical solutions - I just pick an evening when I can keep searching for a few hours. And I typically can find a reservation. Cancellations do happen. Sometimes, they happen the week prior to your arrival as folks solidify and/or change plans. If you have a larger group, you may want to split that group into two smaller groups to make dining reservations. To make two reservations around the same time, I have used My Disney Experience account to make one reservation and had another person traveling with me make the other reservation. When we arrived at the restaurant, we asked the Cast Members if they could seat us together. Although not guaranteed, the Cast Members have always been wonderful!
There are reservation finder tools online. I have only used a free one and had mixed success. So, you could try one of those, but I still suggest that you just pick a few nights (or days) that you can constantly check for a few hours. Remember to download the
My Disney Experience Mobile App so that you can use
Mobile Dine Check-in when you arrive. On our last visit, we loved being able to check-in for our dining reservations using the mobile app.
Jennifer, I know how disappointing it is to do everything right and not get the dining reservations you want! Hope lives on! Plan your search strategy a few days, hone those superhero powers, and stay focused. I am sending a little extra pixie dust. And do not forget to check
Topolino's Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera. It is our favorite character dining experience now!
Magic and memories,
Donyell