Disney Dining Reservations 101 – 8 Things You Need To Know

8. Make a reservation as early as possible

Walt Disney World resort allows guests to make Advanced Dining Reservations (adr’s) 180 days prior to your arrival or 190 days if you stay at a Disney resort. .Make sure you begin planning your trip as early as possible to see what adr’smay be available by figuring out what you are going to do, where you are planning on doing it, and when.

7. Have your credit card ready

Remember the days when you could make a reservation without a credit card? Well, at Disney World, those days are over. Walt Disney World Resort restaurants require a credit card when making a dining reservation. Your credit card won’t be charged before you dine but if you don’t show up for your reservation or cancel after 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the day before your arrival, a fee of $10 per person will be charged to your card.

6. Reservation ‘No No’s’

Guests are not permitted to make dining reservations within two hours of another reservation. If you or anyone in your party is hungry within the two hours from your last meal, I would suggest grabbing a tasty snack to enjoy until your next reservation.

5. Reservations aren’t everywhere

Select restaurants at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks, Resort Hotels, and the Downtown Disney Area are the only places on Disney property that take reservations. Dinner shows and sit-down service restaurants all accept advanced dining reservations. The only restaurants that do not offer reservations are quick-service restaurants and lounges. Dinner shows and sit-down restaurants are in high demand and require a reservation. If you’re more interested in grabbing a quick bite to eat rather than planning to sit down for a meal, a quick-service restaurant is the better option for you.

4. Remember you’re not the only person looking for a reservation

There are most likely 10,000 other people searching for Disney dining reservation just like you. Keep in mind, you may not immediately find a highly sought after reservation, unless you are really lucky or schedule it 180 days exactly before your arrival. Unfortunately, restaurants that are in high demand are very difficult to book. Restaurants like Be Our Guest, ‘Ohana, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and 1900 Park Fare are examples of popular dining options. Being up against 10,000 people and finding a reservation that fits the time you need to enjoy your vacation isn’t that easy but don’t give up! Cancelled dining reservations from other guests are put back in the system as available options for other parties to grab. If you look online or call the Disney dining hotline often enough, you might be lucky and snag up someone else’s cancelled reservations.

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3. Check out the menus before you reserve

Do you have picky eaters in your family? How about your kids? The Walt Disney World Resort website contains a menu of every restaurant located on Disney property. Now you can make your dining reservation knowing exactly what is on the menu and trust that the whole family will enjoy the meal.

2. Accommodations for certain diets

Are you or anyone in your party allergic to any types of food? If so, don’t you worry, because if you check online at the Walt Disney World Resort website you’ll be able to see if there are any accommodations your reserved dining spot may allow. The Walt Disney World Resort welcomes guests with food allergies and special dietary needs. When you make reservations in advance, make sure you let them know about any allergy or dietary needs. If you arrive at any quick-service or table service restaurant without a reservation, simply tell a cast member about any dietary restrictions and they will be glad to help you find a safe dining option. Are you gluten intolerant? You’re in luck, because there is a great place in the Downtown Disney Area where you can find gluten-free products known as Eric McKenna’s Bakery NYC.

1. Canceling dining reservations

Dining reservation can be canceled by going to MyDisneyExperience.com or by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463. The limit of time to cancel the reservation is at 11:59 pm eastern time on the day before the arrival. Guests under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian’s permission to call. Some restaurants may charge a fee for late cancellations or no shows. Each restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort maintains its own cancellation policy, so be sure to check the policy when you’re making your arrangements.

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