What You Need to Know About
Booking Dining Reservations
Table Service Dining Reservations take 60 - 90 minutes.
That’s a significant portion of your park day. I do not suggest booking more than one table service meal per day unless you are planning a food-focused trip!
If you plan to book dining reservations for this trip, please make sure that you:
Log in to your Disney app and enter a Payment Method under your profile.
Send all dining requests by 1 p.m. the day before your Dining Day.
Booking Dining Reservations:
We can make your reservations 60 days before your park days!
Your Dining Day is listed on your confirmation email, and you will get an email reminder from me before it’s time to make your reservations.
We have a list of recommended dining reservations.
If you are feeling anxiety about getting the perfect dining reservations:
Please know that you are not alone. There tends to be a lot of stress surrounding dining reservations. I want to make sure you know that you DO NOT NEED to make dining reservations to have a great trip. There are TONS of fantastic quick service options.
Dining will not make or break your trip.
You can still see characters without a character meal & you can still find indoor seating and have a great meal at a Quick Service location.
Dining Tips
Unless your trip is designed around food, I recommend only making one Table Service or Character dining reservation daily. I like having at least one because it lets you get out of the heat, rest your feet, and relax.
You can make a reservation at any resort, you do not have to be a guest to eat there!
You do need to have a park ticket to eat inside of a park.
When should you have a sit-down meal?
Option 1: Eat at off times (between 2-4 p.m.) and grab a table service reservation for mid-day when it's hot and the lines are long. This is my preferred option.
Option 2: Take advantage of park time and have a nice reservation waiting for you when the parks close in Downtown Disney OR any resort! You can also consider a just before park closing reservation time so that you can walk out to an empty park! (between 8-10 pm)
Option 3: Have a nice long breakfast, particularly if you're doing a character breakfast. This is best done on a rest day or on your checkout day as a good way to say "goodbye, Disney!"
I don’t recommend an early table service breakfast on a park day. You want to use that morning time to maximize your time in the parks. If you do want a long, sit down breakfast, book it for after 10 am, when the park begins to get more crowded.
Please also make sure you have a credit card on file under”My Profile - Payment Method” in your Disney app. There is no fee to book dining reservations but there must be a card on file to make dining reservations.
I may need to split you into multiple reservations if you have a large party. I will make them as close together as possible. When you check in at the restaurant, you can ask to be seated together, and Disney will do their best to accommodate.
To book your dining reservations, I will need the following information sent to me by 1 p.m. the day before your booking window (at the very latest):
Dates/Restaurant/Preferred time/Party size
If you have any food allergies I need to be aware of (I'll note them on your reservation)
Have a valid credit card stored in your Disney account and your profile updated with your address/phone number. It will not be charged; it is used to hold the reservations.
I cannot guarantee that I can get you everything on your list, only that I will do my best!
I am looking forward to hearing what you decide!
If you want to make your own reservations, please let me know that, too. Your family can book dining reservations for your vacation week either on My Disney Experience at 6 a.m. PST