Hi Dan!
Welcome to planDisney! My family is also planning a stay at
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in 2022! This resort has one of the best locations at
Walt Disney World where you can walk or hop the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom, and even see the evening fireworks from select locations!
Dan, I hopped on the
My Disney Experience Mobile App and I did find a few dining reservations for January 2, 2022. I’m not sure why you were having difficulty, but it could be that there was a technical glitch, or perhaps the dining locations you were looking for didn’t release their openings as scheduled. I have a few tips that may help you.
First, if you are using the My Disney Experience Mobile App, make sure you have updated the app to the most recent version. There have been at least two updates in the last month, and so an old version may have been the difficulty. If you are using a desktop computer, I find that frequent visits to Disney websites seems to build up too many cookies or search history, and the system tends to glitch. Try opening a “New Private Window” on an Apple system, or use “Incognito Mode” on a windows based computer.
If you have a large group, that might be the issue. Most locations are not booking tables larger than 6 to 8 Guests. If you have a larger group, you should search for multiple smaller tables. Make a different Guest the primary reservation holder on each reservation to be able to book more than one reservation for the same time frame. When I just searched January 2, 2022, for a party of 6 I don’t find any availability at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. However, when I change my search to a party of 4, I see a reservation available at Grand Floridian Cafe. When I look for a party of 2, I see both Grand Floridian Cafe and Citricos.
If you can be flexible and would have time to visit
Disney Springs, there tend to be many delicious options available there. You might also consider dining at resorts nearby like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort or Disney’s Contemporary Resort where you could hop the Monorail to your destination. If you don’t see something that will work, I do recommend you check back regularly. Especially in the days leading up to your visit you will find that other Guests may cancel, and you might snag a last-minute reservation.
Indeed hold times are longer than they have been in years past. I try to do as much online as I possibly can when planning my trip. You may want to try the online chat feature that is sometimes available on either the app or desktop versions. I find if this option is available, it is much faster to get help from a Cast Member. Sending you pixie dust for that perfect dining reservation, Dan!
- Kate