Hi there, Debra!
Mmm! Now you’ve made me hungry. My family recently returned from a vacation to the Disneyland Resort. And now I’m dreaming of all the wonderful food we enjoyed at The Happiest Place on Earth! It definitely sounds better than whatever I have in my lunchbox now. So now I’m busy researching reservations for our next trip, which will be within the 60-day reservation window soon!
As I was looking over my own reservation plans, I happened to notice that there are a few wonderful dining reservations available on December 8th. I hope they are still there when you check again. And that is one of the best recommendations I can offer: to simply keep checking the available reservations as often as possible. Some of the most popular restaurants like
Lamplight Lounge and
Blue Bayou Restaurant tend to book up early in the 60-day window. But when plans change, many Guests find they need to change their reservations. So even those hard-to-find reservations may show up if you diligently look for them. Guests may cancel a dining reservation at Disney-operated restaurants up to two hours before the reservation time. Guests of non-Disney
restaurants in the Downtown Disney District can cancel up to 24 hours before the reservation time.
Another factor that sometimes affects reservation availability is party size. Many restaurants have only a limited number of tables that can accommodate larger party sizes. If your party is more than about four to six Guests, you might consider splitting into smaller parties and booking multiple reservations for the same or similar time. Sometimes the Cast Members can even seat multiple parties close to each other if you show up a little early and submit a request to the restaurant host.
Tony’s Tip: The
reservation system online or in the
Disneyland mobile app can sometimes be a little finicky. For example, I recommend searching for available reservations using the specific time of day rather than the generalized mealtime selection options. I have often found more availability that way. I also recommend searching for reservations during less-common mealtimes. Looking for an early dinner or late lunch may help find more open times.
Another option at select dining locations is
Mobile Dine Walk-up Availability. Using the Disneyland mobile app, select the dining view on the map screen. Then look for restaurants with available Walk-Up List wait times. It’s worth checking this feature throughout the day, as availability can vary.
I hope you have a delicious time at the Disneyland Resort, Debra. If you have any more questions for us at planDisney, I hope you’ll stop by again soon.
~Tony