Hiya Noreen - welcome to
planDisney!
It's always great to see a question from a fellow Ohioan, and I'm excited to hEAR about your upcoming trip in October! The
Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary Celebration will be going strong with exciting new
attractions,
entertainment,
food, and so much more - get ready to make some magical memories!
Advance Dining Reservations can be made starting 60 days in advance, meaning that tomorrow (August 5th) will be the first day you can make reservations based on your arrival date. If you are staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, you'll be able to make dining reservations for your entire stay (up to 10 days) at that time, and if you are staying elsewhere, it will be day-by-day (e.g., tomorrow you can only book dining reservations for the first day of your trip, and reservations for your second day can be made the following day).
If you've been checking availability, you'll likely notice that many reservations are snapped up right at or around that 60-day mark. Many of us like to over-plan a bit right out of the gate, which is likely why you've noticed limited availability, especially if you're looking at dates between 50 and 60 days in the future.
Other Guests' plans change
all the time, and when they cancel or reschedule their original reservations, those times then open up for others to book! My tactic is to book as much as I can bright and early the morning of my 60-day window opening up, and then checking periodically to see if anything else becomes available closer to my arrival. I've noticed that there starts to be a lot of shifting in availability starting about a week before my arrival, peaking the two days before I get there. This is when I've been able to grab some usually hard to get reservations!
I hope this information is helpful as you continue planning for your Fall trip -
please let me know if you have any additional questions I can help answer!
Ryan J.