Hi there, Alison! Welcome to planDisney. It sounds like you are eager to get those Disneyland ducks in a row, so let's get right to your question!
You are correct that
dining reservations will open up 60 days prior around 6 a.m. PST. For some of the more popular dining locations, these reservations can go very quickly, which may be why you are seeing some limited availability. I can tell that you are a Disneyland planner at heart, just like myself, and like to be up early on reservation day to start refreshing the site and be first in line when those reservations open up! If you grab hold of some of that faith, trust, and pixie dust and continue to check availability, you may find that reservations open up. Guests are always changing their plans, especially as you get closer to your dates!
Another option is to check out the
Mobile Dine Walk Up list as soon as you scan into the park. This relatively new feature allows you to add yourself to a walk-up list for select table-service restaurants that may have some last minute availability. Once you are in the park, open up your app and head to the "+" in the bottom navigation bar. Select "Check Dining Availability", enter your party size, date, and then tap "NOW" as the time. This will show you which restaurants are offering this option for the day! The best part is that you will get a notification when your table is ready!
The good news is that
Disney California Adventure Park has tons of quick service dining options as well, many of which provide a magical touch! When I'm planning out our park days, I like to have one table-service meal to take a break from the park hustle and bustle, and we generally play our other two meals by ear so we can have some flexibility in our day. Some of our favorite options for meals on the go are
Pym Test Kitchen (which has superhero-size portions great for sharing!) in Avengers Campus,
Flo's V8 Café in Cars Land (which comes with a side of the most magnificent views of Radiator Springs!), or any of the spots on
Pacific Wharf! If you're ready to indulge your sweet tooth, head to
Willie's Churros on Buena Vista Street. This is the best churro cart in the park, if you ask me!
Alison, I'm wishing on a star that some of those reservations start to open up for you! If you have any more questions in your planning, please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. We are always here for you at
planDisney.
Magic awaits!
Tara