Disney Dining reservations
What Are Disney Advanced Dining Reservations and Why Do I Need Them?
From dining at Cinderella's Royal Table inside the castle to enjoying a fine dining experience at Napa Rose, or even dining among the stars at Space220, there are some incredibly magical dining experiences available for guests at the Disney Resorts. However, many of these restaurants are extremely popular and require reservations or strongly recommend them, as walk-up availability is very limited.
Much like traditional restaurants, Disney has implemented a reservation system called the Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) system, which allows guests to book their restaurants in advance. Making dining reservations can be straightforward for some Disney restaurants, however, popular locations require knowledge of the dining reservation system, an early morning commitment, and a well honed strategy to secure these most sought-after reservations. Many popular restaurants fill up within minutes, and sometimes even seconds, after the reservation system opens.
What Are the Rules?
For guests staying on Disney property at Walt Disney World, Advanced Dining Reservations open 60 days in advance of your arrival for up to 10 days of your trip (if your trip is longer than 10 days, there are other restrictions)
If you are staying off property at Walt Disney World or if you are visiting Disneyland, you can make reservations 60 days in advance of your arrival one day at a time.
Reservations open at 6am in the time zone where the park is located (sometimes as early as 5:45am, though) and phone reservations open at 7am.
Some reservations require payment in full for the reservation and some only require a deposit
Where Can I Make Reservations?
Online at disneworld.com or disneyland.com
In the Disneyland App (Disneyland Resort) or the MyDisneyExperience App (Walt Disney World)
Over the phone (407) WDW-DINE (407)939-3463
What’s a Good Strategy for Booking Dining Reservations?
60+ Days in Advance of Your First Travel Day or Date of First Reservation
Determine which restaurants you want to visit and decide on the times you would like to dine before your reservation window opens. It's also a good idea to have backup options in case your first choices are not available.
Prioritize your restaurant list based on their level of difficulty to book.
Make reservations for these restaurants first.
Try to book them for the later days of your trip to increase your chances of securing a reservation.
60 Days in Advance of Your First Travel Day or Date of First Reservation
I do not recommend using the phone option to make reservations, this will cost you valuable time and the same options are available to phone operators as are available online.
Open your browser with tabs for all the restaurants you want to reserve by 5:30am in the local time zone of the resort you are visiting. Make sure you are signed into your Disney Account on each tab.
Open the time.gov website so you can be ready to refresh at exactly the right second (yes, seconds count).
Refresh your browser precisely at 6:00am in the local timezone of the resort you are visiting and make your first selection.
Keep your credit card on file with Disney and have it in front of you, just in case.
Systematically book your reservations until you have reserved all of them.
Be prepared to be as flexible as possible about the days and times you will visit each restaurant in the event that there are not reservations available for the exact times you prefer.
Will I Always Get All of the Reservations I Want?
Oooh, the question of the hour! It can often be difficult to secure reservations for popular destinations during your trip dates. However, there are backup options available. Additionally, there is still hope as trips frequently experience changes and cancellations, which may open up reservations for you. If I am booking your dining reservations and we are unable to secure everything you desired initially, I will continuously monitor for cancellations and secure reservations for you if they become available.
That Sounds Like a Lot
Never fear, help is here! As part of all my planning packages, I offer assistance in navigating the complicated ADR (Advanced Dining Reservation) system. I will help you determine which restaurants are suitable for you and your travel group. Whether you prefer coaching and strategy for a DIY approach or would like me to handle it for you, I've got you covered.