Hey, Deana! Thanks for asking your question here at planDisney.
Dining reservations are such a big part of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Since the reopening of Walt Disney World last summer, Guests have been able to make advanced dining reservations only 60 days in advance instead of the 180 days prior like it used to be. While Disney has never really said why, I think it has a lot to do with the phased reopening. Certain restaurants that are open now, weren't last summer and some restaurants still haven't opened back up yet. I think by keeping the reservation window shortened they are able to provide the most up-to-date information about what's open and what's not to Guests like you and me.
Since your arrival date is July 4th, you'll be able to make your reservations bright and early on May 5th. Currently, there are two ways to make advanced dining reservations. Starting at 6:00 a.m. 60 days out you can make your dining reservations online. What you'll need to do is log into your
MyDisneyExperience account and hover your cursor over the "Things To Do" option at the top of the screen. Under the "Dining" category you'll see the option to "Make a Reservation" and you'll want to select that. From there you'll follow the prompts to select a date and time to see all of the available restaurants. The other option is to speak to a Cast Member on the phone, starting at 7:00 a.m., by calling (407)WDW-DINE and they will be able to help you secure your dining reservation. Keep in mind that if you a making a reservation at a restaurant that is located inside of one of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks you will need to have a
park pass reservation for that park or if your reservation is after 2:00 p.m. you can also have the park hopper option on your ticket.
If you are looking for a great restaurant suggestion,
The BOATHOUSE at Disney Springs gets my vote. I have been obsessed with eating there lately. In fact, I planned a whole weekend getaway around a reservation I was able to snag there a few weeks ago. The restaurant is set on the lake and has the most gorgeous sunset views of Disney Springs. The menu has something that will please even the pickiest of eaters and I haven't had a bad dish there. My current favorite is the lobster roll, served warm with butter and upgrade to the truffle fries! It's so delicious.
Deana, I hope you are able to make reservations for all of the restaurants you want to enjoy during your Walt Disney World vacation. If you have any other questions before you go, please come back and
ask me. I'm happy to help.
Have fun!