Last week I told you the 5 things you need to do before you book a Walt Disney World vacation. Now that you’ve booked your trip, it's time to talk about food!!!! If you’re in my family, this is one of the most important parts of any vacation! Will you be eating at any sit down restaurants? If so, mark your calendars, because you need to make your reservations 180 days before you arrive.
I know this sounds ridiculous. Who knows what they’re going to feel like eating 6 months from now? But if you want a table at one of Walt Disney World's most popular restaurants (for example Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace or Le Cellier Steakhouse), it's vital!
Who doesn't want to eat breakfast with a princess at
Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom?
Everyday, dining reservations open up online at 6am eastern time and by phone at 7am at 407-WDW-DINE (prepare to start calling a couple minutes before 7, and wait on hold for an operator once you finally get through 7!!). Even if you set your alarm, and are online 180 days before your trip, you still may not get one of those coveted reservations.
How is that possible? Well, for people who are staying on Disney property, they can actually book for up to 10 days of their trip 180 days before your check in date. Confusing right?
This is the magnet Walt Disney World sends
to remind you of important dates- mine is right on our fridge
Okay, let me break it down. I’m going to Walt Disney World on November 28 of this year and staying at a Disney resort for 9 days. So, I was able to start booking my advanced dining reservations (ADR’s) for my entire trip on June 1- 180 days before the start of my trip.
At Chef Mickey's, at the Contemporary Resort,
you can eat with the main mouse himself!
I’m going with my husband, our 2 sons, and my parents for the entire trip. My aunt, uncle, and two cousins are joining us for a few days- so I needed reservations for either 6 or 10 people, depending on the day. So, being the designated travel guide, I woke up at 5:45 on June 1 and got online. I was able to snag reservations for- dinners at Be Our Guest, Le Cellier, and ‘Ohana, a few of the most difficult ADR's to get. I also got several other easier to get ADR's- Kona Cafe, Grand Floridian Cafe, Raglan Road, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, Mama Melrose’s Italian Ristorante Fantasmic! package, and Tusker House.
We also wanted a table for 10 at Artist Point, but that restaurant doesn’t allow you to book such a large party online. I started calling at 6:55am and at 6:59 my call went through. Even though I called right when it opened, I ended up having to wait on hold for about 25 minutes for an operator, so as you can see, online is the way to go!
For young kids, breakfast or lunch with the crew from Disney Junior
at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios
is a real hit, it was a must do for years for our boys
So what do you do if you DON’T get the reservation you want?
1- Make an alternative reservation either at a different restaurant, or if you can get the restaurant you want but at a time you’re not happy with book it, as backup.
2- Continue to check the website. If someone else cancels a reservation, something might open up. This is especially true 45 days before the trip- that's when people have to pay off any balances on their vacations and a lot of people end up cancelling.
3- There are also a few apps and websites you can subscribe too like Disney dining scout, Disney dining buddy and others that will alert you if a table becomes available (honestly, I’ve never used any of them, so I can’t tell you how good they are).
4- Join a Facebook group for people who are going the same month as you. You can let the other group members know what you’re looking for and if someone is going to cancel a reservation, you can set up a swap.
My dream of dancing with a cowboy came true at
Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness
As I said, I was able to get everything I wanted 180 days out, but some of my ADR’s were for days or times I wasn’t happy with (Italian food is my favorite, but I wasn’t looking forward to eating it at 11:00 in the morning!!!) So, I have continued to check the website and monitor the Facebook groups and eventually, I was able to get a better date for Be Our Guest (all 10 of us are going together!), and a better time for Mama Melrose’s. Also, some special holiday season packages weren’t available for booking in June, as they opened, I booked them.
If you’re anything like me, planning your meals can become an obsession. I usually get everything I want. The only time I didn’t was last year, when Be Our Guest was still brand new. But if you leave for your trip and still don't have everything you were hoping for, don’t let it ruin your vacation. You will still have a great time, and some amazing food!
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