Welcome back to planDisney, Carol! We appreciate you trusting us to help plan your upcoming
Walt Disney World Resort vacation. I'll be happy to discuss delectable dining while you're here, so as Peter Pan crows, "Here we gooooo!"
Guests can begin booking most Advanced Dining Reservations
60 days in advance. If you're staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, you can schedule activities for the length of your visit up to 10 days. Be sure your
resort reservation is linked to the same My Disney Experience Account you're logged into; that way, the system will open dates for your entire stay.
The magic moment when the window opens is typically at 6:00 AM EST, but I've occasionally found it can open a little earlier or later. My tip is to be up and logged into your app or online, with your notes and credit card handy, a little before 6:00 AM. Once my calendar opens up, things start happening quickly, and my adrenaline really kicks in!
If you hit any snags, you can call the
dining number listed on this page as early as 7:00 AM, seven days a week. Even though those Cast Members don't have access to additional reservation times, they can answer questions and help troubleshoot any glitches you might encounter.
My final tip is to look for any in-demand meals or experiences for dates later in your trip, if you're a resort guest. Having that window of dates gives you a big advantage since other guests book on a day-by-day basis. I was hoping to dine with the princesses at
Cinderella's Royal Table recently, so I selected to search all 5 days of my stay for openings. Spoiler alert: I snagged breakfast for our final morning!
Carol, I'm thinking happy thoughts to help you secure a magical dining itinerary for your trip. Please stop by
planDisney again; I'll keep the coffee hot and ready for you!
Magic awaits,
Elaine