Getting dining reservations at Walt Disney World can be a stressful step in the planning process. There are so many great restaurants to choose from and the top, most popular restaurants throughout the Parks and Resorts can book up quickly.
If you are starting to get nervous when it comes to making dining reservations at Walt Disney World, we have 8 Do’s when it comes to making those reservations. These tips should help you feel more prepared when it comes to making those must-have dining reservations.
Set Up My Disney Experience Account
Before you get ready to make dining reservations, you will want to make sure you have your My Disney Experience account ready to go. Start by heading to My Disney Experience account. This is where you will create an account if you don’t already have one. From there, you will create profiles for everyone going, and link your reservation and tickets.
Once you have your basic information set up, make sure you also include a credit card and billing information in your profile. This will save you a lot of time on your reservation day.
Know Your 60 Days
Guests are able to start making dining reservations 60 days prior to their arrival day. For those staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you are able to make reservations for your length of stay, up to ten days. Those not staying at a Disney hotel will have to make reservations day by day.
It is extremely important that you have it marked on your calendar when this day is for you. Although it might seem silly to book reservations two months ahead of your trip, many of the most popular restaurants will book up quickly. You can use this site HERE to help you determine when your 60-day mark is.
Make a Plan
Once you know when your 60-day mark is, it is time to start thinking about what reservations you want to make. Take time to look at the different menus to find places that everyone will enjoy. We have a lot of suggestions at How to Disney as to top dining for families, character meals, and even signature dining for date night.
Look at some of these options so you can narrow down where you want to eat during your trip. Having a plan ahead of signing in is essential. You won’t want to spend time trying to determine where you want to eat during that time. Instead, go in knowing your top choices and consider having some backup options as well.
Know Park Hours and More
As you look at where you want to eat and when, make sure you look into what the Park hours are, when fireworks are happening, and any other experiences that might impact dining. Having this in mind can help you narrow down the time period for when you want to eat.
It can be fun to be the last ones in the Parks at night following a late reservation, but if you are wanting to enjoy the evening shows you won’t want to make dining around that time. Think about your overall plan and make sure you know how dining will fit into that plan.
Set Your Priorities
When you get ready to make your dining reservations on your 60-day mark, make sure you book them in order of priority not chronologically. If you are wanting to enjoy a top restaurant such as Topolinos, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guests, or Chef Mickeys, you will want to book those first even if they are for later on in your vacation.
You don’t have to make reservations in chronological order, so make sure you have your priority list ready so you know which of your dining reservations you should book first.
Park Passes and Tickets
Remember that when booking dining inside one of the four Disney Parks, you will need to have both a valid theme Park ticket as well as a Park Pass Reservation. Just because you have a dining reservation at the Park, this does not give you access to the Park. Make sure you have all of this setup either before your after you make your dining reservations.
We also recommend making your Park Pass Reservations as soon as possible so you have something locked in right away. You can often still adjust those following your dining reservations if that is something that you need to do based on availability.
Set Your Alarm
Dining reservations open early so you will need to set that alarm. Reservations become available on the app and online starting at 6 am EST. It might seem crazy that you have to be up so early in order to make reservations, but it is so important for success.
You can be signed into a few devices as well to be searching for different reservations at the same time. This can be a great use of time and a quick way to knock out your list.
Keep Trying
Finally, if you don’t get the reservations that you want, keep trying. People change plans all of the time means that availability for dining opens up all of the time as well. This even means while you are in Disney.
Keep checking the app even while you are in Disney. Guests won’t want to be charged for no-shows so you often see dining options up two hours in advance. This can be a great way to snag some fantastic last-minute reservations for top dining locations in Disney.
Making dining reservations can feel stressful, but with these top tips, you will go into it like a pro.
