The WORST Part of Making a Disney Dining Reservation

There is a lot of planning that goes into a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Where do you want to stay? Do you want to Park Hop or just visit one theme park per day? How much should you budget for souvenirs? Where do you want to eat? I don’t know about you, but narrowing down your dining choices is the most fun and difficult part of the trip. Between Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs, the options seem endless.

There are so many amazing options and not enough time to experience them all. However, there is one part of the dining planning experience that is the most frustrating part of planning.

I am talking about actually booking your dining reservations.

While reservations are not required for all sit-down restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort, they are highly recommended. Reservations for almost all Disney World dining spots can be made up to 60 days in advance. Dining reservations can be made over the phone, on the Walt Disney World Resort website, or on the My Disney Experience App.

The big issue that I have is that the reservations open up at 6 a.m. Eastern Time. This means that anyone traveling from the Central or Pacific Time Zones has to be up even earlier. And, as many Guests know, there are some dining reservations that book up in a matter of minutes. For example, take Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs or theme park hot spot Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom. If you do not book those reservations the second they become available, you are unlikely to get them.

However, it is completely ridiculous that someone living in a place like Los Angeles has to be up and on the site before 3 o’clock in the morning. Having to be up at 6 a.m. on the East Coast is ridiculous enough, but any earlier is absolute madness. Would it kill Disney to open up reservations at, say, 9 a.m. ET? If anything, it would make Guests happier and make planning their trip a little less stressful. There is absolutely zero need for Disney dining reservations to open up as early as they do.

So, please, Disney, just make this very small, but very significant change. I beg you!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiment of Disney Fanatic as a whole.