As Walt Disney World increases the capacity inside the parks, we are definitely starting to see the crowds return. With this comes longer lines, higher wait times, and fewer reservations!
As we approach the 50th Anniversary in Walt Disney World and the Holiday Season soon after, it’s likely that those crowds will only increase through the remainder of the year.
With the higher capacity, we’ve seen one big problem — and it comes with dining. It’s gotten harder and harder to get dining reservations! Currently, guests can make dining reservations up to 60 days in advance compared to the 180-day window pre-COVID.
Some reservations have been difficult to get a hold of for years, like Cinderella’s Royal Table, Oga’s Cantina, and Via Napoli, to name a few. But lately, we’ve noticed that availability for almost every restaurant is extremely limited — even at 60 days out! Luckily, we have some tips to help you snag tricky restaurant reservations despite all the changes.
1. Check back for new reservations frequently
It may be frustrating to try and make a reservation only to come up empty-handed, but do not give up! Keep checking for reservations as often as you can, because people may change or cancel plans and free up a reservation for you!
New restaurant reservations pop up unexpectedly all the time, so the more you look, the better the odds of securing a reservation.
2. Check for reservations closer to your vacation
You already know that you can start making restaurant reservations up to 60 days in advance, but sometimes people have better luck finding a reservation a week (or even a day!) before their trip.
This tip might not excite those of us who like to have an organized plan, but sometimes you will find a same-day reservation for a restaurant that you have been trying to get for weeks.
Click here to learn how to get a day of dining reservation
Cancellations happen all the time, so keep checking back and you might get lucky!
3. Try using OpenTable to secure a dining reservation
While Disney World-owned restaurants and third-party restaurants in the parks are not available on this website, you can reserve dining at select Disney Springs and Swan and Dolphin restaurants with OpenTable. The best part is–you can book these reservations over 60 days in advance!
OpenTable reservations also do not charge a no-show fee, unlike dining reservations booked through Disney! Check out the OpenTable website or download the app to check for availability.
4. Become a member of Landry’s Select Club
Landry’s Select Club offers discounts, rewards, and priority seating for select memberships! Even if you don’t have a dining reservation, you will still get priority seating. Especially now, this is a huge perk!
A Landry’s Select Club membership will get you discounts and benefits at the sit-down Yak & Yeti location, T-Rex, and Rainforest Cafe in Walt Disney World. If you try for a walk-up reservation at Yak and Yeti, for example, with a Landry’s Select card, you will be seated ahead of others!
Finding a dining reservation can be stressful, especially if you aren’t prepared, but use these tips and check for cancellations to help yourself score some reservations. If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World, be sure to stay tuned for even more Disney tips and tricks!
Click here to read about all of the table service restaurants in Disney World, ranked!
Do you have any other dining reservation tips? Share them in the comments!
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When you try to book at midnight (earliest possible time) for 60 days out from your visit, the app tells you the servers are down. I tried again several times and kept getting the same message… for 2 hours, before I gave up. I’m assuming this is because thousands of people are trying to use the app at the very first possible second to book all the popular dining locations and times. Is anyone else having this problem?
Dining reservations open at 3am pacific and 6am eastern time.
I don’t have a problem booking a seat at any of the WDW restaurants. I just don’t eat at them. After nearly 40 years and over 100 trips to WDW I can no longer afford the prices.