Hiya, Genie!
I'm so glad you've brought your question to planDisney –– thanks for stopping by! Can you believe that you're just about 2 months away from arriving at Walt Disney World Resort? You're going to be celebrating all the
magic of the holiday season on Main Street, U.S.A. before you know it! In addition to dusting off your suitcases and outlining your itinerary, you're almost ready for my favorite part of the entire planning process –– making your advance dining reservations. Let me share a few details about booking Walt Disney World dining reservations to help you get ready to grab a few tables during your upcoming stay.
The
booking window for advance dining reservations opens up 60 days in advance, this means that if you're planning to dine on December 24th, you'll be able to make those reservations on the morning of October 25th. As an added bonus, Guests staying at
Disney Resorts Collection hotels and other select hotels can make dining reservations for their entire length of stay (up to 10 days) when that 60-day window opens. And here's the best part –– the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Swan, and Swan Reserve hotels are included in those select hotels, so if you'll be checking in on December 23rd, you'll actually be able to begin making reservations for your entire stay on October 24th.
Now when it comes to scoring the perfect table, especially during
very busy times of the year (like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), dining reservations are going to be snapped up in a flash, so I recommend logging on first thing in the morning to book your tables. While the dining reservation officially opens at 6 AM EST, I've occasionally been able to book as early as 5:45 AM (or even a few minutes earlier), so since that's not-so-bright and early for your West Coasters, I definitely recommend setting an alarm and logging on a little early to start searching. Also, if you can't find reservations for a certain spot, try not to get too discouraged –– availability changes all the time, so be sure to keep checking back as your visit gets closer. I've even had great luck scoring hard-to-get reservations 72-24 hours ahead of time, so if you'd like to dine at a particular restaurant, keep checking and you might just be surprised by what pops up!
Thanks for visiting planDisney with your question, Genie. I'm wishing you lots of pixie dust and plenty of delicious dishes during your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort visit!
See Ya Real Soon,
Amy