Tips to Score the BEST Disney Dining Reservations

Today, I’m covering tips and strategies to utilize when booking your Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) for Walt Disney World! 

Ahhhh ADRs, just thinking about all the tasty food options makes this Disney Foodie’s stomach growl.  One of the BEST things about a Walt Disney World vacation is all the amazing food you can eat!  I relish planning out every snack, Quick Service meal, and Table Service reservation for us to enjoy on our vacation.  Like I always say, it’s best to go in with a plan!  So, if you are hoping to score some of those most popular Disney World dining reservations, make sure to follow these tips below! 

Do Your Research

Currently, Disney allows guests to book their ADRs 60 days before arrival.  Before that window opens, look over restaurant menus, prices, and reviews to determine which route you want to go on your eating journey!  I know, it seems crazy.  How are you supposed to know what you will want to eat months in advance?!  While it may seem silly to plan these things so far out, if you don’t act quickly, you may find that many dining experiences won’t have availability later.

So, BEFORE your reservation window opens, have a solid game plan of which ADRs you want to secure.  If you’re hoping to get the full Star Wars experience and enjoy some cocktails at Oga’s Cantina, be prepared to make those reservations RIGHT AWAY as they don’t hang around long. 

Once you have an idea of which Disney dining reservations you’d like to secure, start creating a tentative itinerary around those reservations.  Keep in mind, you will need theme park tickets for any in-park dining reservations booked.

Get the Planning Edge Over Other Guests

At 60 days before your check-in, you can start booking your ADRs!  Booking will be available at 6am EST online, and 7am EST by phone.  ADRs are important to book as soon as possible, because those popular spots will fill up FAST!

The booking window works a little differently for on property vs off property guests.  For guests staying on property, you can make ADRs for your entire stay (up to 10 days) 60 days from your arrival date.  For off property guests, you can make your ADRs 60 days out from the specific date you are looking to make a reservation.  This can make it trickier for off property guests to score some of those extremely popular ADRs, as on property guests will be able to book later dates of their stay first.

Trip Planning Tip: If you are staying on-site and want to secure a popular ADR during your stay, you will have the best chance of booking towards the end of your stay as those dates are available to a limited number of on-site guests.

You will want to get up bright and early to book your ADRs if you are hoping to get into the most popular signature or character dining experiences.  Get cozy with a cup of coffee, get your website/app pulled up and be ready to go right at 6am EST! 

High Priority Disney Dining Reservations

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the most popular Disney dining reservations, so you know which ones should be a priority for you to secure.  Some of the most popular reservations to book in advance include:

Be Our Guest

‘Ohana

Victoria and Albert’s

Le Cellier

Toppolino’s Terrace

Oga’s Cantina

California Grill

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Space 220

Roundup Rodeo BBQ

And of course…anything new! 

Keep in mind, Disney reservations are not just limited to dining. There are also experiences which require guest reservations, and the most popular ones will book quickly. If you are hoping to build a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop or get a princess makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, make these reservations high on your priority list! Officially, these Enchanting Extras can be booked at 5:45am EST 60 days out. But, we have seen some open early at 12am (such as dessert parties and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique). With no official explanation from Disney, my advice is to keep both time frames on your radar if possible!

Looking for other Disney dining recommendations?  We’ve broken down our favorite Table Service Restaurants in each park HERE and our favorite Quick Service spots HERE!

When and How to Book

As I mentioned before, booking will be available at 6am EST online, and 7am EST by phone.  I highly recommend booking online for that extra hour to get a leg up on the competition. Not to mention, the website and app and very user friendly. 

When booking online, you can utilize My Disney Experience on the Disney website or app.  Use a computer if you are able.  That way, you can open several different search tabs with each reservation you are looking to make.  After you have your tabs opened and organized by priority, make sure to login to the site before 6am EST hits.  This will greatly speed up the process of reserving each experience and help your chances of getting everything you want at your ideal dining times.

There have been occasions where dining has opened early, and people have been able to secure a reservation as early as 5:45am EST. So it doesn’t hurt to make sure you’re logged in, ready to go, and refreshing those dining pages before 6am EST.

There is always a chance there may be issues with the website, so be sure to keep the dining phone number handy just in case you need to speak with a Cast Member directly: 407-WDW-DINE.  You will also want your credit card on hand, as most dining reservations require a credit card guarantee.

Booking For Large Groups

If you are making reservations for large groups, it may help to enlist the help of another member of your party to secure some of your high priority reservations.  Divide and conquer!  Be sure to delegate who is responsible for each reservation and keep each other posted on your successes. 

If it isn’t possible to get one large reservation for your group (for example, a group of 12), try splitting your large group into smaller ones (such as two groups of 6, or even three groups of 4).  This will help your chances of still getting those reservations, although you may not be able to sit near each other.  Sometimes cast members can work some magic at check-in, depending on your party size and which specific tables are available. 

Didn’t Get That Coveted Disney Dining Reservation?

If you don’t score the ADRs you were hoping to, keep checking the website/app as people will modify and drop reservations quite a bit in the coming weeks while finalizing their travel plans.  This is especially true during the week leading up to your trip. Make sure to keep checking the app! 

You may also want to try calling some restaurants directly to check their availability.  There are several restaurants that are not owned by Disney, and only release a certain number of their seats to the Disney Dining reservation system.  Most of these restaurants are in the Disney Springs area, but there are also several located throughout the parks and resorts.  Some of these restaurants include T-Rex Café, Rainforest Café, Morimoto Asia, Via Napoli, and Yak & Yeti.  It never hurts to call and give it a shot!  

Disney Dining Reservation Tips and Strategies Recap

Here is a quick summary of the dining reservation tips shared throughout this article:

1. Make sure to book your reservations 60 days out.
2. Familiarize yourself with the most popular reservations that may be tricky to secure, and make those a PRIORITY when booking.
3. On property guests will have a better chance of booking the most popular experiences toward the end of their stay, as these booking dates will not be available to off property guests. 
4. Book online rather than over the phone; online reservations (6am EST) open an hour before phone reservations (7am EST) and the process is much quicker!  If there are issues with the website/app, call 407-WDW-DINE.
5. Try booking as early as 5:45 EST, you may get lucky and snag a reservation before anyone else!
6. Keep your credit card handy; most reservations require a credit card guarantee.
7. If you don’t secure one of your most sought after ADRs, keep checking the site to see if availability opens.  It also doesn’t hurt to call the restaurant directly!

I hope these tips and strategies will help you secure the Disney dining reservations you desire for your magical vacation!

What are some of your favorite ADRs to book for your trip?  Are there any MUST-DOs or experiences you’ve been DYING to try?!  Let me know in the comments!

For more vacation planning tips and tricks, check out our Walt Disney World Planning Guide HERE!

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