Advanced Dining Reservations: Disney Style

If you want to have a sit-down meal at Walt Disney World it’s imperative to have Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs). This means advanced planning on your part. For the most popular venues, this can mean making reservations 180+ days in advance.

Do you really have to make reservations 180+ days in advance? No. It is possible to wing it. But if you have a specific place in mind, you must. Walt Disney World is crowded at just about any time of the year. Restaurants fill up. Advanced Dining Reservations allow you to have a plan in place. With Advanced Dining Reservations you know you’ll have a place to sit-down and have a great meal at least once a day.

If you want some down-time and a chance to have a relaxing meal, follow the steps below.

1. Sketch out a workable itinerary for your visit. I say sketch, because you need to be flexible. If a meal at Cinderella’s castle is a must-do and it’s completely booked on your Magic Kingdom day but not your EPCOT day? You’re going to need to flip-flop days. Check out undercovertourist.com for an accurate, free crowd prediction calendar. Map out your days and make a list of your must-do meals.

2. When mapping out your schedule, remember; lunch and breakfast tend to be cheaper options than dinner. Sitting down for a mid-day meal also gets you out of the heat and heavier crowds. Our family enjoys having our largest meal earlier in the day and then taking advantage of the less crowded atmosphere while everyone else is having their dinner.

3. Have a plan? Great. You’re almost there. For guests staying on-property, you are able to begin making reservations at the 180 + 10 day mark of your visit. This means you may make reservations 180 days in advance of your first day and for up to 10 days after that. For off-site guests (and this includes those staying at Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Green) you may begin making reservations at the 180 day mark for each day you’d like a reservation. Mark your 180 day mark on your calendar and set your alarm!

4. At 6am ET for online reservations and at 7am ET for phone reservations (407) WDW–DINE or (407) 939-3463,  the fun begins. Focus on the most popular restaurants first, places like Cinderella’s Royal Table, California Grill and Be Our Guest. Once you’ve snagged your first priorities, move on to the rest. Online reservations are perfect for typical party sizes. I prefer the online option, as it is usually faster. But you can run into glitches in the system.  And if you have a large group, more than 5, the phone option can be advantageous. Sometimes, online reservations will tell you no tables are available when, indeed, there might be. This is especially true if you’re willing to split up your party or dine at a less conventional time. We recently had difficulties getting reservations at the newest sit-down restaurant, Be Our Guest. I was persistent and kept trying online with no luck. I called daily for a couple days after that and was finally able to get a table. Persistence pays off. Don’t give up if you are initially turned away.

5. Have your credit card ready. All Disney dining locations require a credit card guarantee. You will be charged anywhere from $10-25 per person if you don’t show up.  Keep a record of your dining reservations and plug (407) WDW-DINE into your phone so you can cancel if need be. The My Disney Experience application makes this easy to do right from your phone.

6. Be sure to note on your reservation if anyone in your party has special dietary restrictions or if you are celebrating a special event.

7. Be flexible. My daughter and I recently planned a spur-of-the-moment trip. We wanted to do things we normally wouldn’t when her brothers are tagging along. This meant a meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table. I tried and tried and tried again to pick up a cancellation, but to no avail. This venue books up fast and tends to stay booked. And I knew this. So……I had a back-up plan. Cinderella also appears at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, just a monorail hop away from Magic Kingdom. With dinner reservations there, we still got to visit with Cinderella. Perfect planning! (For a post about where to find your favorite characters, click here.)

7. Once your reservations are made and plugged into the My Disney Experience app, you’re good to go. Or eat, as the case may be!

Bon Appetit!