Any Disney foodie can tell you that the theme park restaurants are second to none when it comes to enjoying a good meal. However, most would agree that the reservation application has been full of annoying issues for too long. Disney has finally acknowledged this oversight and is immediately implementing some major changes. The Disney dining reservation system will now be much less troublesome while also providing ways to address longstanding pain points.
A Whole Food World
Dining reservations are a crucial part of a Disney vacation, ensuring Guests secure a spot at their preferred restaurants and dining times. The reservation system allows visitors to plan ahead, especially for popular eateries and character dining experiences. By booking in advance, Guests can minimize wait times, guarantee a table for their group, and enhance their overall Disney experience, making the most of their time in the parks and resorts.
Disney Dining Reservation System Changes
Disney enthusiast and journalist Scott Gustin on Twitter/X has shown off some of the major changes coming to the Disney dining reservation system for both Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. This overhaul affects both the My Disney Experience App and the websites.
The first upgrade comes in the form of displaying ALL reservation slots in a single view when searching for a restaurant and time. Previously, the search would only display a few random times that fell within the Guest’s desired time.
NEW: Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort are making updates to the dining reservation system over the coming days. The biggest upgrade: When you search for a restaurant and time, you will soon see ALL reservation slots in a single view vs. a few random options. Old vs. new: pic.twitter.com/JSPBzzh4xd
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 2, 2023
Next, Gustin revealed that available times will be sorted by meal period. This will make it immediately clear whether you are booking a breakfast, lunch, or dinner time slot.
Available times will also be sorted by meal period so it's more clear when you're booking a lunch or dinner reservation timeslot. Old vs. new: pic.twitter.com/TzwayPJQm3
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 2, 2023
Login Required
Finally, Gustin shared that Guests will now have to log in before searching for specific times available for a restaurant. While Disney hasn’t commented on this change, it will likely solve a longstanding issue. Third-party websites have long provided controversial and gimmicky services by charging Guests to book a restaurant on their behalf. Some fans have speculated that Disney now requires a login in order to put a stop to these reservation alert sites.
Another noteworthy change I noticed as part of this dining reservation system update: If you navigate to a specific restaurant's page, you will now be required to login BEFORE searching for times. pic.twitter.com/QcXcStCWaH
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 2, 2023
Guests have taken extremely well to the announced changes. These issues have been annoying for too long, and it is good to see Disney finally addressing them. Some now hope that the company will tackle the hotel reservation system next!
