Hey there, Hi there, Joann! I'm so happy you brought your wonderful question about dining reservations to us here at planDisney!
For me, I truly believe that half the fun of the vacation is the planning! Like you, I am eager to book my favorite dining experiences as soon as those
booking windows open up. In general,
dining reservations at select locations are made available at 6:00 a.m. EST, 60 days in advance of your visit. In the past, I have noticed that not all dining reservations are offered right at that time, so sometimes I will set an alarm for a few hours later, so I can try to search for availability again. Because reservations are subject to availability, and some of the most popular dining locations can get booked up quickly, I typically try to secure my reservations as close to the 60-day advance mark as possible.
However, if you are not successful on the first try, please don't give up! Keep checking back for dining reservation availability, as Guests frequently change their plans, and you never know when a cancellation will free up a reservation that you've been hoping for! This happened to me recently, when I planned a spontaneous visit with my daughter and I wanted to treat her to the
Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose. Unfortunately, all dining availability was already gone by the time we decided to make the trip, so I kept checking back until I finally secured a reservation about a week before our arrival. All to say, you never know when the pixie dust will fly in your direction!
Finally, another option available at certain dining locations is the
Mobile Dine Walk-Up Availability. This is a wonderful feature that allows Guests to join a walk-up list when they are in the vicinity of the restaurant, right from the
Disneyland mobile app. Depending on the time of day, your party size, and the degree of flexibility in your plans, you might find great success with this option, even for some of the more popular dining locations! We have done this at both
Blue Bayou Restaurant and
Lamplight Lounge - Boardwalk Dining.
One more quick recommendation for you, Joann. Since you'll be visiting during the month of April, I suggest checking out the
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, available March 3 - April 25. My family loves all the festive food and beverages curated especially for this event!
I hope your upcoming visit is full of magical experiences and flavorful culinary adventures, Joann! If we can offer any other recommendations, please don't hesitate to
reach out again. We'd love to help!
Wishing you
Wondrous Journeys,
Tishra