Advance Dining Reservations at Disney World: 5 Things You Must Know
So much has changed with planning the perfect Walt Disney World vacation since Disney shut down in 2020. Understatement of the year, right?
One of the big changes (that seems to be sticking around) is that Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) are now opening for guests at the 60-day mark. Guests who are staying at a resort property can reserve dining 60 days prior to their trip for the duration of their stay (provided they aren’t staying more than 10 days).
Getting the most coveted reservations can be really difficult. Don’t worry friend! I’ve got you covered.
I just finished my ADRs for our upcoming trip and want to share my 5 tips and tricks to get the reservations you want most!
Plan ahead and prioritize
Can I be honest with you? Unlike other vacations, Disney will require a bit more forethought. If you aren’t much for planning and strategy, advanced dining reservations might be difficult for you. I am here to make it as easy as possible.
I’m going to spell it all out for you. You’ll be so good at dining reservations that your friends and family will be asking how you learned all your secrets, But not to worry, if you’re getting twitchy and all of this sounds like too much, I’ll happily book your trip for you and take as many of the details off your plate as I can.
Even if I’m helping, you can’t just go into this thing willy-nilly. With respect to dining, spontaneity doesn’t work. You’ll need to know before your window opens which reservations are most important to your travel party. Scour the Internet. Talk to your people. Ask me a gazillion questions.
This might mean some good, old-fashioned family meetings and talking about Disney way more than anyone cares to. I promise, it’s worth the effort, because you will go into your ADR day with your top picks in mind. No scrambling for you.
I wish I could tell you that figuring out where you want to eat is all you really need to do, but I’m afraid it isn’t. Dining is a huge part of the Disney experience and people take their reservations VERY SERIOUSLY.
It is unlikely you’ve discovered some amazing hole-in-the-wall all on your own (at this point), so trust me when I tell you that someone else for sure wants the same location and time slot as you. No offense, friend. You’re unique and wonderful. Just not when it comes to Disney dining desires.
In addition to the places and the days/times, you’ll want to make a priority list. Ask your travel party these questions (or if your family is like mine, just decide for them) and create an actual rank order list based on your answers:
How many dining reservations do we want each day?
Of the possible reservations we’ve identified, which ones do we consider “must do”?
Which day of our trip would we like to visit our must-do locations?
Which meal would we like to enjoy at our must-do locations?
And a quick note on reservations: I recommend no more than one must-do reservation per day of your trip. You’re just putting too much pressure on yourself and your day to do much more than than. Unless you’re choosing an early breakfast and a late dinner, in which case you can likely make it work. Reservations can be nice to have but hard to work around when you’re touring parks and everyone wants to speed on to the next fun thing.
2. Make the system work for you
When your dining reservation window opens 60 days prior to your trip, you’ve got to be ready to go. While you can officially start booking at 6 am ET, I recommend being in front of your computer by at least 5:45. Maybe make 2 coffees, just to be on the safe side.
The entirety of dining availability for the whole of Disney World is digitally managed. Seriously There are no secret back-door ways to get a spot. If it is open, it’s posted online. If it isn’t, it’s not there. This means you really have to be ready when it’s go time.
Here’s how you do that.
With your trusty list of locations and dates in hand, log into your My Disney Experience account on both your computer and your mobile device. Trust me when I tell you that you’ll want all technologies open and ready to go.
Don’t use Google Chrome or Internet Explorer. Stick to Firefox and/or Safari. The main website for Disney is slooooooooooooow to load because it’s video-heavy, so I recommend you optimize your experience as much as you can.
Once you’re logged in, use the search bar on your computer to type in your most coveted reservation.
Click on the restaurant. You should find yourself on that restaurant’s main page.
You don’t need to do anything with your mobile yet. Just consider that ready reserve - only employed in times of great need.
Open another tab and head back to the Disney website.
Make extra sure you’re logged into your MDE account on this tab and type your second coveted reservation into the search bar.
Repeat this opening-a-tab-and-using-the-search-bar-to-find-a-reservation step until you have a tab open for every one of your desired reservations, in order of preference.
By now, you’re closing in on 6 am. You’ve finished that first cup of coffee and you’re glad you listened and had that second cup ready to go. As the clock strikes 6, you have some decisions to make.
There are two schools of thought here. You could:
Go with the most coveted reservation of all first.
Go with the reservations at the END of your trip first.
Why not both? Why not secure the reservation you want most first AND put it at the end of your trip.
Here’s why: When you put your most coveted reservation at the end of your trip, you’re automatically more likely to snag a spot because there is less competition.
Your dining window opens for the full duration of your stay (provided it isn’t more than 10 days) 60 days prior to your vacation. By pushing a reservation toward the end, you’ve assured yourself that fewer guests will be trying to get that same one, resulting in a higher likelihood that you can get it.
SO
When 6 am hits follow the steps below. Or cheat and watch me walk you through it via video. Either way works :)
Go to your first tab.
Select your desired dining day.
Click “check availability”.
DO NOT choose the breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner options. This will often show you no availability. But what if that isn’t true? What if you just eat dinner at a different time than what Disney’s Dining Reservation System has decided is dinnertime?
Pick a specific time (the system will show you available reservations 2 hours before and after the time you select).
Indicate your party size.
Click “search times”.
If you don’t get anything for the first time you selected, move it forward (or backward) by 2 hours to see if something else will pop up.
Click on the time you want.
Select any celebrations or congratulations you’d like to add or click “skip” in the bottom right corner. The button is green.
Identify the person in your travel party who will manage the reservation. You don’t have to select the other guests right now.
Select which card you’d like to use to hold the reservation. They aren’t charging you yet. Just making sure you feel obligated to come at your scheduled time.
Click next. Again with the green button in the bottom right corner.
Update (if necessary) any contact info.
Indicate any allergy or special requests by clicking “add”. This is where you can indicate special diets and/or the need for wheelchair accessibility. When you’re finished here, click “done”.
Click the checkbox beside “I have read and agree to the Guest Policies.”
Click “reserve”.
Repeat these steps for all the tabs you have open.
You did it! Get a 3rd cup of coffee. You deserve it.
3. Have back-up options
Sometimes even the best plans go awry. Those coveted reservations are coveted for a reason - they’re amazing and everyone wants them. It is far too easy for us to get wrapped up in the idea of a particular dining scenario. Believe me. I feel you and I’ve been there. But when there are SO MANY amazing options, chances are very good that something else you and your family would enjoy is available.
Don’t fret, my pet.
I’m going to give you a quick list here of some oft-missed alternatives for each park (and some resorts) that could work as backups for your trip.
Magic Kingdom:
Instead of Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest, try The Plaza or Crystal Palace. You can see the castle from both of these, and they’re such great places to get out of the sun for a bit. Also, tucked away in the back is Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen. This is a GREAT option with a unique menu. A hidden gem, in my opinion.
EPCOT:
Maybe try for a Space 220 Lounge spot instead of the restaurant? It’s all in the same space (pun intended) and gives you the same look and feel without the pre-fixe menu. And I truly can’t recommend the booths around the World Showcase enough. I know you want to sit, but my goodness. You are missing out on some amazing food experiences. If you end up wanting a last minute table service restaurant, I’ve had good luck with La Creperie in France. But seriously, don’t sleep on the World Showcase.
Hollywood Studios:
I know that Hollywood & Vine character meal is on your mind. I get it. So fun! And you’d love to try Sci-Fi or 50’s Prime Time or even Hollywood Brown Derby. With so few table service options, it’s often difficult to get ANYTHING at Hollywood Studios. Lucky for you, the quick service options (that offer mobile ordering…hallelujah) are unbelievable. I have absolutely loved my experience at both Docking Bay and Backlot Express.
Animal Kingdom:
Even fewer table service options here. Yak & Yeti seems to be the one everyone wants, but I’ll be honest. It wasn’t my favorite. I see spots for Tusker House available all the time, and I’d be much more inclined to go that route. Plus, Safari characters? Yes, please! And if you’re feeling like you want a sit-down without too much pressure, grab a Nomad spot when it opens at 11 am. It’s such a chill vibe and right on the water.
Polynesian:
I feel guilty every time I eat at ‘Ohana. The food is amazing. The views are unreal. But the waste…so much food left on the table. I cannot ever eat enough to feel like I’m justifying the price and we’re never at a place in our day where I can get make taking it back to our room work. I always feel better grabbing the pot stickers from Tambu Lounge (Kona Cafe has pot stickers too) or the Pan-Asian Noodles and Veggies from Captain Cook’s. I still get the amazing Poly feel for way less money and way less food waste.
Animal Kingdom Lodge:
Listen. Sanaa is my very favorite restaurant on property. I am not even kidding. Did you know you can get Sanaa TO GO?! I know. It’s bananas. So don’t you even worry if you didn’t get that res, friend. You grab your Sanaa through the mobile ordering platform in MDE and sit by the safari as the sun sets. NO BACKUP NEEDED!
4. Stay vigilant.
I get it. You had your heart set on Cinderella’s Royal Table, but no matter which day or time or strategy you tried, nothing worked. Everything was booked. Not to worry, my friend.
Did you know there are people out in the world who will search reservation availability for you and let you know when something opens? There are and they are awesome!
I have had great success in securing reservations after that first ADR day by using watchers and trackers. Here are a few I recommend:
Mousewatcher - Charge of $5 per alert or a flat fee for $19 per month for multiple alerts
Mousedining - Free for up to 6 email alerts or $9 per month for up to 50 text alerts or $90 per year for 100 text alerts
Touring Plans - Free for reservation finder for up to 2 alerts
Stakeout - Free for one alert for a single restaurant and date or premium upgrades for more alerts and dates (up to $88 for the highest subscription)
And you know what?
Even if these watchers don’t seem to be working, be patient. People make so many changes to dining reservations right before the cancellation window closes. If you’re paying attention, you just might grab the one you’ve been looking for! Scroll through the available reservations for the dining location you’re hoping for 24-48 hours prior to your desired day/time. I’ve even scored a dinner I really wanted the MORNING OF. Someone else’s last-minute change is your gain!
5. Use a planner :)
In case it isn’t clear to you yet, I am a Disney fanatic pro. When you book your trip through me, you get access to all of my Disney trips, tricks, and tutorials. And I am delighted to report that YOU’RE NOT THE ONE GETTING UP TO MAKE THESE RESERVATIONS. I do that for you as a part of my complimentary service. Yes. You read that correctly. Free. Disney Travel Professionals cost you absolutely nothing. How fun is that?!
Ready to book your perfect trip?
