What You Need to Know About
Booking Dining Reservations

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HARD TO GET RESERVATIONS:

When you stay on-site, you get to make dining reservations for your entire trip 60 days before you check-in. That means everyone checking in before you will have first dibs on the reservations during your vacation days. So, we would like to make your reservations as soon as possible when your reservation window opens to secure the best seating time for your family.

Know that those hard-to-get reservations will likely already be booked entirely for those first few days of your trip. But they will be much easier to book on and after day 4! 

I will make these reservations for you. Let me know what you want, and I will do my best!
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. EST or the phone line at 7 a.m. EST.

Tips on choosing your reservations:

• If you have an extremely popular dining destination on your must-do list, I recommend scheduling it for later in your trip (after Day 4 is best) when it is more likely to have availability. 

• 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 Disney Springs 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 like Chef Mickey's or Topolinos. This is best done on a rest day. I like to book them on my checkout day as a good way to say "goodbye, Disney!"

Please also make sure you have a credit card on file under”My Profile - Payment Method” in your MDE app - there is no fee to book dining reservations (except for select reservations like Cinderella's Royal Table - I will let you know if you choose a reservation with a booking fee) - 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!