Hi Brandon,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! How exciting to have your 180-day mark for making
advanced dining reservations approaching!
Since we always want to make sure we get the resort hotel and room type we prefer, I make reservations about a year in advance and then I consistently check the
Special Offers to see if a promotion comes out that is applicable to our travel dates and saves us money. Although there is no guarantee that a cast member will be able to apply a particular special offer to our vacation package, I have been able to do so in the past, so I always advise that you ask.
When I have made changes to a reservation and/or taken advantage of a different promotion, our dining reservations have been unaffected. Thankfully, we were able to keep those hard-to-get reservations. Remember, however, that your credit card is being used to guarantee dining reservations. So, if you need to cancel, be sure to do so within the time frame specified to avoid penalties. I failed to cancel a dining reservation once and was charged $10 per person. Lesson learned!
Brandon, as you consider dining reservations, remember to check out restaurants at Disney Springs. I also must suggest
California Grill or
'Ohana for dinner during the Happily Ever After fireworks show. Arrive early and request a window table. Although cast members may not be able to accommodate the request, they try their best. The views are amazing!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell