Welcome to planDisney, Dorisann!
Experiencing the magic of Walt Disney World Resort's
50th Anniversary Celebration with two large families in January sounds like big fun! To get everyone on the same planning page, make sure you're all connected as
Family and Friends in My Disney Experience. I recently provided a Guest with
step-by-step directions for connecting with children in another family, which you may find helpful.
Some of my favorite Disney dining memories involve characters and Mickey-shaped waffles. I'd love to help you dream big about the possibility of securing two coveted advance reservations for breakfast at
'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort or
Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. In the words of Walt Disney, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
Advance reservations for dining can be made 60 days in advance. Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel can book for their entire length of stay (up to 10 days) 60 days before their arrival date. If you qualify for this magical perk, I highly recommend trying for a character breakfast towards the end of your stay. A few weeks ago I was unable to secure an 'Ohana breakfast reservation for my party of six during the beginning of my November stay, but I was able to find one for the last morning of our vacation.
Advance dining reservations can be made online or in the My Disney Experience mobile app ("+" sign at the bottom middle of the homepage --> Check Dining Availability). For you, I recommend using a desktop or laptop computer and being logged into your My Disney Experience account with the web pages of both restaurants pulled up by 5:45 a.m. on your Disney dining reservation day. In fact, I recommend three of four adults in your party do the same thing. Multiple reservations are needed to accommodate a party of 17. One person cannot book conflicting reservation times, which is why additional hands are needed. The reservation team should establish date and restaurant priorities in the form of Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, etc. Once reservations are open, everyone takes what they can get (a party of 6 here, a party of 5 there) and the details are sorted out later. Unneeded reservations can be canceled without penalty at least one day prior. Additional things to keep in mind are that it's fine for the reservations to not all start at the same time and you can add up to one additional person to your party during the mobile check-in process on your reservation day.
For Cast Member assistance with booking a dining reservation for your large party, you can also call (407) 939-3463 at 7:00 a.m. on your 60-day mark. Cast Members have access to the same availability you see online, which is why I still recommend grabbing as many reservations as you can online before calling. The availability you see at 6:00 a.m. may be gone by the time you call at 7:00 a.m.
My other recommendation for a delicious breakfast on property is
Trattoria al Forno at Disney's BoardWalk, which can accommodate large parties. Character dining is not currently available, but keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog for updates.
Plan magic; planDisney.
Jennifer