This article will bring you on a delicious journey through Disney World dining reservations! Not only will we give you all the information you need to know when looking to dine at Walt Disney World. But we are also going to rank them in order from least to most worth your time and money! Whether it’s your first or fifty-first time at Walt Disney World Resort, we offer helpful information to make your Disney Vacation memories last a life time.
Every Disney World dining reservations has a different vibe and will cater to different guests. Finding the right restaurant for you will be based off of the type of vacation you’re looking to experience! That’s what makes the Disney dining some of the best dining in the world! And if you’re anything like us, you go hungry! Disney food really is some of the best!
We hope you find this post helpful! And if you are planning a trip to Disney World be sure to check out our other FREE vacation planning tools. Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time on your next vacation and find the cheapest Walt Disney World vacation packages!
SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Disney World check out our Disney Crowd calendar!
With more than 200 restaurants on Disney property, each one is guaranteed to satisfy all of your cravings and budget! Before we begin to break down dining reservations at Disney World, it’s important to know the two major types of dining options offered in the parks. Disney World dining runs on Quick Service Dining and Table Service Dining. Both offer an array of cuisine to be enjoyed by the entire family! Quick service options consist of mostly counter-service, cafeteria like dining options with an open seating plan. This type of dining does not require any Disney dining reservations. All Table service dining on the other hand will require reservations and will be the focus for his guide.
While this system is helpful, it is for lack of better term, cut throat. When your window to book Disney dining reservations opens, reservations go quickly. Some guests think the ADR system only benefits guests staying on Disney property or those able to be awake and able to book when the time comes. We will go over exactly how to use the advance Disney dining reservations system in the next section. As well as giving our expert tried and true methods to secure a reservation.
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Where you decide to lodge on your Disney vacation will determine how far out you can make restaurant reservations at Disney. The key date to remember is 60 days before the first day of your vacation. No matter where you stay, on or off property, you can start making Disney World dining reservations at the 60 day mark. Now let’s break that down even further because it is slightly different for guests on property. How far out can I book Disney dining is a very important question! All guests staying at a Disney World Resort hotel or not can make reservations 60 days before the first night of your vacation. However, if you are staying on property, you can make them for the entire length of your stay. This gives you the advantage of booking ahead of guests not staying at a Disney World Resort hotel. It also means you will have a better chance of securing difficult to find reservations.
As you can tell, it’s important to know how far out can you book Disney dining. If you are looking to use the Mobile Walk-Up Wait List, there are some important tips to know. Not all Table Service restaurants participate in the program. In order to know if the restaurant you want to dine at does support this feature, simply look at the restaurant details on the MDE app. Or you can scan the QR Code located in the restaurant’s lobby. You will also have to be in close proximity to the restaurant to join the Walk-Up List if available. So plan ahead if you’re wanting to have dinner at your resort but spending your day in Magic Kingdom!
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Out of almost 200 restaurants property wide, what restaurants need reservations at Disney world? To tackle this answer more simply, there are about 70 restaurants offer Disney park dining reservations. If you’re not wanting to look for specific restaurants, a quick way to know a location takes reservations is to assume if there is a wait staff, there is a reservation. These restaurants are spread property wide! You can find reservations at locations from Disney Resorts, Disney Springs, to every park! Yes, even Disney restaurants Magic Kingdom can require reservations. This is why planning ahead of time can significantly improve your vacation and theme park experience!
Now, before you come after us, the restaurants listed above are only SOME of the most popular dining reservations. There are other locations that are equally as difficult to secure. But the ones we have listed are historically challenging. Mostly due to the demand to have dinner reservations at Magic Kingdom or near by for a view of the fire works. Which is possible from almost all of the locations listed above. If you are having trouble securing a reservation, try using our free Disney Dining Reservation Tool by clicking here! This Park Prodigy feature allows our system to constantly run the Disney World website for available dining reservations so you don’t have to!
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Thankfully, knowing how to reserve dining at Disney World is quite simple. There are only 3 ways to make an advanced dining reservations. On the phone by calling the Disney Dining Line at (407) 939-3463, on the WDW Website, and on The My Disney Experience App. If you choose to book Disney dining reservations by phone, know that the phone lines are only open from 7:00AM-11:00PM Monday-Friday and 7:00AM-8:00PM Saturday and Sunday EST. The easiest way by far is to book online or through the MDE App. If this is the route you want to take, make sure you are logged into your My Disney Experience account before you begin. If you don’t have one, it will only take a few minutes to create one!
Once you are logged into your MDE account, there are two methods to make reservations:
Option 1: Searching for a specific restaurant
Option 2: Browsing by date and time
After completing either option, your reservation will be automatically added to your account plans. You will also receive an email confirmation with your reservation number.
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We hope this guide has been helpful in your quest to securing dining reservations at Disney World. Our team has been traveling to Disney & Universal theme parks for the past 20 years. Some of us are even proudly former Cast Members! Over our time traveling to and working at the Disney Parks, we have acquired a long list of tips and tricks for dining at Disney. Below is a list of our most important, tried and true methods of booking reservations at Disney World restaurants. If desserts are more your speed, you’re not alone! Our team member Kurt has proudly worked as a Disneyland Candy Maker and put a list together of his favorite Disneyland Treats just for you!
Related Post: What are the Best Desserts at Disney World?
A: If you want to take advantage of this feature of Disney Dining, you have to be within the vicinity of the restaurant. If you’re looking to dine at your hotel but spending the day in Magic Kingdom, you can not join the wait list until you are near the restaurant at your hotel.
A: If you are staying at a Disney Resort, you can make reservations for each day of your stay up to 10 days. If you are not staying on property, you can make reservations one day at a time 60 days in advance.
A: Yes! Disney has a limit of 20 guests at one time per reservation.
A: Disney Advanced Dining Reservations open up at approximately 6AM daily. It’s important to note this is Eastern Standard Time. So take time change into consideration when planning ahead!
Our Disney World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.
Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets.
Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well