Hi Chris, welcome to planDisney!
It sounds like your Walt Disney World Resort vacation countdown has reached an important milestone - the 60-day mark. Guests can make advance dining reservations for sit-down restaurants located throughout the theme parks and Disney Resort hotels
online and in the
My Disney Experience mobile app 60 days in advance. Guests staying at Disney Resorts Collection hotels can make reservations for their entire length of stay (up to 10 days) 60 days before their check-in day.
Securing advance dining reservations these days requires faith, trust, pixie dust, and a secure internet connection. Popular dining experiences such as character dining and dinner shows like Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue fill up quickly, but I'm going to give you my best tips for maximizing availability during your search.
I recommend being logged into your My Disney Experience account on a desktop computer by 5:45 a.m. EST, which is 10:45 a.m. BST. Pull up the website of your top choice restaurant. If you're staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel, I recommend going for your top-choice restaurant experience towards the end of your 10-day window. This strategy maximizes availability because a limited number of Guests have access to making reservations on those dates. If you're not staying at a Disney Resort hotel, have Plan B and Plan C ready, just in case Plan A doesn't work out. Sometimes Plan B is another restaurant, but it could also be a different meal time.
Once you're logged into your My Disney Experience account and viewing your top choice restaurant's webpage, click "Check Availability." If the date 60 days in the future is grayed out, "X" out of that window and continue clicking "Check Availability" until the date turns blue and is able to be selected. In my experience, this usually happens at 6:00 a.m. EST/11:00 a.m. BST. To maximize availability, I recommend searching by a meal (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) as opposed to a specific time. If the glass reservation slipper fits and you're able to select a time, proceed with the steps to confirm the reservation. If the glass reservation slipper does not fit right away, proceed to Plan B. You can reserve Plan B without giving up hope on Plan A. Let me explain.
Dining reservation availability is constantly changing in real-time as Guests reimagine their Disney days. This is especially true as your travel dates get closer. If the wish your heart makes is to have dinner with Winnie the Pooh, who returns to The Crystal Palace on September 20, but there are not currently any reservations, just keep checking. If you try to book a dining reservation that conflicts with an existing dining reservation, you are asked to select which one you'd like to keep and which one you'd like to cancel.
I prefer making early morning reservations online because I can be more precise with the timing of my clicks, but I prefer using the My Disney Experience mobile app to view a list of all available reservations. In the app, click the "+" found at the bottom of the home page and "Check Dining Availability." Enter your party size, desired date, and mealtime. Though it's easy to get discouraged by what's not available, you'd be amazed at everything that is available! I encourage you to be open to new dreams. Case in point - my heart was set on having a seafood dinner at Paddlefish last month but I was unable to secure a reservation for my large party. I found a day-of reservation at Disney's Grand Floridian Cafe and my family had the best time shopping and walking the grounds of this beautiful resort after a delicious meal. No regrets!
Plan magic; planDisney.
Jennifer