Hi there, Jacquie!
Welcome to planDisney, and thank you for stopping by with your question for us.
I want to start by saying I LOVE that you’re going with a fun-loving group! It’s always wonderful to share magical experiences, and when I go with my extended family of 8, we have such an enchanting time together! You may have difficulty finding available dining since you’re going during a very popular time; however, I don’t want you to panic. Here are some of the tricks I use to snag dining reservations:
-Don’t give up, and keep checking for reservation availability. People change and cancel their plans frequently. I like to check often every day, but especially the day before the reservation since people tend to cancel right before they have to pay the
cancellation fee.
-Split up your party. As you asked earlier, you can absolutely split up your party to make your dining reservations. Sometimes, when I’m traveling with my group, I find two dining reservations within 15-20 minutes of each other and grab those. You would have to use your
My Disney Experience account to make one reservation, and another Guest will have to use theirs to make the other. I recommend arriving a bit earlier than your reservation time to ask the Cast Member if there’s a way that your two parties can be seated together. Please understand this is only a request, and although Cast Members do their best to meet requests, sometimes, it’s not possible.
-Join a
Mobile Dine Walk-up Availability list! If you don’t have a reservation, you can use your
My Disney Experience Mobile app to add your party to the walk-up list at select restaurants. You can check availability at participating restaurants via your app or by scanning the QR code located in the restaurant’s lobby.
I also wanted to add,
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays begins November 26th. In celebration, there will be several Holiday Kitchens (food booths) scattered around the World Showcase with incredible cuisine from around the globe! And you won’t need to make dining reservations for these! Check out the
Foodie Guide to the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays here!
Have an enchanting visit, Jacquie!
Aena