Hi Kathryn,
No need to stress! You are welcome to make
advance dining reservations even if you do not have a Walt Disney World resort reservation. So if you aren't ready to book your vacation package yet, I'd suggest that you go ahead and snag those key dining reservations now. Then you will be all set if you book those dates, or you can cancel the reservations if your vacation ends up being at a later date.
Grabbing those reservations 180 days in advance is especially important if you want to dine at one of the hard-to-book restaurants such as
Cinderella's Royal Table,
Be Our Guest or
California Grill.
You will need to guarantee your dining reservations with a credit card and, if you can't keep the reservations, be sure you cancel at least 24 hours in advance to avoid a $10 per person no-show fee. Plus, if you know you can't keep the reservation, it's nice to cancel as soon as you can so that another guest can book.
Remember, too, that a few restaurants require pre-payment. Be sure you note the specific cancellation policy for each of those restaurants so that you can get a refund if the reservation doesn't fit your plans. You will find the specific cancellation policy in your confirmation email.
Thanks for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question, Kathryn. I hope you get the perfect dining reservations for your family's vacation. Please let us know if we can offer any recommendations or help in any other way as you finalize your plans. Enjoy!
Wilma