Making dining reservations at Walt Disney World just got a little easier. The resort has added a new tool to its online site that allows guests to make changes to existing reservations, which eliminates a lot of confusion and extra steps.
The introduction of its online reservation system in My Disney Experience gave guests more flexibility about when they could book their meals for upcoming vacations. They no longer had to wait for a phone operator, and reservations could be secured even after the phone line closed each night at 11 p.m. ET.
Still, there wasn’t the same comprehensive interaction that a guest would have had with a live assistant. In order to change a reservation, a guest first had to search for the new reservation. If it were available, the online system prompted the user to cancel the old reservation before it would allow the new reservation to be booked, if the times overlapped. (My Disney Experience will not allow a guest to book multiple reservations within the same two-hour window.)
For example, let’s say you made hard-to-get reservations for Cinderella’s Royal Table when the booking window opened 180 days before your visit. As your vacation approached, local friends also decided that Spring Break at Walt Disney World sounded like a good idea and they’d love to join you for dinner. In the past, you couldn’t just add four more people to your reservation; you had to cancel your old reservation before confirming a new reservation and risk losing the original booking if the new one was snapped up before you could confirm it. The same scenario would occur if your day’s schedule changed and you needed to shift your dining time.
Now, however, the online system allows you to see what, if any, other reservations are available and makes the change you select at the same time it cancels your existing reservation. That’s definitely an improvement!
Dining reservations still can be made through the phone line (407-WDW-DINE) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
Here are a series of screenshots to illustrate the step=by-step process of making a change:
In other Disney Dining news, Walt Disney World has just announced a new discount for vacationers staying at a Disney value resort this summer. The Summer Meal Offer gives each person age 3 or older one free quick service meal per night they stay. Guests must purchase a Magic Your Way vacation package at a Disney Value Resort of at least three nights in length with at least two-day base tickets. Guests must arrive between 5/29/16 and 6/30/16 or 7/5/16 and 8/13/16.
Tip: If you plan to arrive on a date not covered in these weeks, you can book a split stay to take advantage of the deal. In other words, you make two hotel reservations so that you are checking in on a date that falls in the weeks covered by the Summer Meal Offer. Also, as long as you check in on a date that the deal is offered, you can take advantage of the deal for your entire vacation, even if you stay past the dates the deal is offered.
The Summer Meal Offer is NOT the same as the free Quick Service Dining Plan that has been offered at value resorts for fall vacations for the past several years. The Summer Meal Offer is just one meal (one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage) per night and there is no snack or refillable mug included.
The Summer Meal Offer is valid for stays at All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century and Art of Animation suites. (It cannot be used or stays in Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation.) You must book by Feb. 29.
Have doubts it will work for me! I can’t seem to make any dining reservations using online system for the +10 days. Have to phone. No idea why. Perhaps because a TA books my resort?
Years ago, our family loved a promotion Disney offered. One special price for a moderate resort, park hoppers for each person, and a character meal of your choice. We visited Disney World many times with that Magic Your Way promotion. Wish they would bring that back !