Here’s what you’ll find on this page:
- Step-by-step directions for making advance dining reservations (in various ways: website, calling, etc.)
- Tips for increasing your odds of getting the reservations that you want.
To see how Disney’s Advance Dining Reservations work, and for answers to all your questions, visit here: Dining Reservations at Disney World – FAQs – and All Your Questions Answered!
DISNEY’S CURRENT RULES DURING COVID: All Guests may now make dining reservations online up to 60 days in advance.
FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON DINING DURING COVID: Check Disney’s Site Here.
How to make Advance Dining Reservations (and increase your chances of getting what you want)
You can make dining reservations at Disney World restaurants in several ways:
- Go online at www.DisneyWorld.com/dining where you can book your own reservations for most full-service restaurants throughout Disney World. You can search one date at a time for available dining times and restaurants.
- You can use the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device.
- Call Disney Dining directly at (407) WDW-DINE [939-3463]. They can search a broader time frame than you can by yourself when you use Disney’s website.
- Call the Central Reservations Office where you call to book your resort. They can also help you with dining. That number is (407) 934-7649.
- In the Disney resort rooms the phones have a Disney Dining button that connects you without having to dial a full phone number.
- You can go right to the restaurant to make a reservation.
There are a small number of restaurants that are not Disney-owned, which will take reservations directly. You’ll avoid having to reserve with a credit card this way, and they usually don’t have any fees for cancelling or missing your reservation. Planet Hollywood in Disney Springs takes reservations directly, for example. We’ll be adding all the restaurant to this site, and we’ll share phone numbers for the ones that have direct booking access.
Making your reservations on the Disney World Website
In my opinion, making my reservations on my home computer is the easiest and quickest way to make dining reservations.
1. Set up your account on Disneyworld.com. Do this preferably before your 180 or 190 day reservation window opens up.
- Go to Disneyworld.com.
- In the top right, just to the left of the search button, choose “Sign in or Create Account”. Follow the prompts and fill out the information.
2. Put your credit card information on your Disneyworld.com account. This will help things go faster when you make your reservations.
- Go to Disneyworld.com.
- In the upper right, just under the search bar, hover over “My Disney Experience”.
- Go to “My Account” and then click on “Profile”.
- Scroll down to “Payment Method”. Click on “Store a credit card and PIN”.
- Under “Dining Reservations”, choose “Add Credit Card” and follow the prompts.
3. Practice and plan on Disney’s website, and research on other sites. Get to know how the system works. Practice using the site to get dining reservations using a fake date within the 180 days, and just don’t complete the process.
Use the site to research restaurants, and make sure you know exactly what restaurants and times you’re hoping to get for each day of your trip. Have alternative options ready just in case. Be sure to write it all down.
You can also research restaurants on sites like:
4. Plan to make your reservations as early as possible on the first day you’re allowed. From the info above you calculated the date, and you know what time Disney allows you to start.
Get ready a little early so you’re all set to go at the right time. Disney is pretty consistent about opening up reservations at the right time. They should be synchronized to the clock on this page here at time.gov. You can try booking a few minutes before the actual time.
For some of you, calling at the earliest allowed time won’t be possible. Don’t worry. You should still be able to get some great dining reservations. Just be ready with alternative choices.
5. Book your reservations.
- Go to Disney’s Dining Reservations page.
- Be sure you’re signed in.
- On the upper left you’ll see “All Parks & Resorts”. Click on it to see the drop down menu. Choose the location where you’re restaurant is (Magic Kingdom, Disney Springs, etc.).
- Go to “Date”. Choose the date you’re looking for.
- Go to “Time”. Choose the time you’d like using the drop down box. If you’re not really caring about exact times, at the top of the list you can just choose breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Go to “Party Size”. Choose the number of your party using the drop down box.
- Press the “Search Times” green button on the upper right.
- View the list of restaurants that are available. These are the only restaurants with reservations available around the time you requested.
- Under “Reserve a Table” you’ll see the available times for each restaurant. Click on the time you want. Follow the prompts from there. After each page you’ll click on the “Next” button in the lower right corner.
- Be sure to let Disney know if you have any special dietary requests, or if you require wheelchair accessible seating.
- You can cancel at any time using the “Cancel” button on the lower left.
Tip: To save time so you can move on to your next reservation request, don’t write down your reservation confirmation info until you’re done making all of of your reservations. Disney records them all for you. To see your reservations, hover over the “My Disney Experience” tab in the upper right corner. Choose “My Reservations and Tickets”. Scroll down to the dining reservations.
Tip: If you call or go online for a reservation and can’t get in, or can’t get a time you prefer, try again. Often we’ll take a less desirable reservation, but we’ll keep trying. People cancel and change their reservations all the time. Sometimes we end up with our initial preference.
Calling Disney To Make Advance Dining Reservations
If you’re not comfortable with using your computer or using the app on a mobile device, you can call Disney. This is likely to go a little slower than if you did it yourself, but some people prefer this method.
When you call to book your reservations you’ll be asked for the restaurant you’re interested in. The reservationist can assist you with choosing a restaurant if you need help, however keep in mind that they may or may not have tried the restaurants themselves. They may be working off the same type of written description you’ll find on the Disney website. It’s a good idea to ask them if they’ve eaten in the restaurants they’re recommending.
When you call, you’ll be asked for the name of the Disney resort you’re staying at and the date you’ll be arriving. As mentioned, you don’t need to be staying at a Disney resort to make a dining reservation. Just let them know that you’ll be staying elsewhere if you are. When you’re given your reservation, you’ll receive a confirmation number. This is also given to you when you book online yourself. We always write this down and take it with us. Though we’ve never needed it, we’ve heard of rare occasions when others have needed it because of a mix ups.
If you’re in a wheelchair, have a service animal, have allergies or special food requirements or if you have any other special need, be sure to let them know when you make your reservation. Most of the full-service restaurants will go out of their way to meet your needs. See the page on Allergies & Special Diets section for more information.
Do you have more tips or thoughts on this topic?
Please feel free to post them in a comment below. We’d love your input.
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