Four Disney World Restaurant CHEATS We Use All the Time

There are so many places to dine at Disney World that it can be overwhelming.

Coral Reef Dining Room

We dine at Disney World every day, and know how to “cheat” the system when it comes to dining. Today we’re bringing you four Disney World restaurant tricks that we use all the time!

Now, we’re not really telling you to cheat on anything at Disney World! It’s a busy place, and the systems that Disney World has established are there to manage those crowds and give everyone a great experience. But it can be HARD to get a reservation at your desired restaurants, so we’re sharing some tips on ways to get your favorite meals that are perfectly within the “rules” at Disney World. They feel illegal, but they’re not! Let’s get into it!

Refreshing the App

The My Disney Experience app is your go-to tool for booking dining reservations and even ordering food at Disney World. You can start making reservations for your trip 60 days out from your check-in date. Those reservations come online at about 5:45AM Eastern Time, so we do recommend setting an alarm and geting up EARLY to try for your desired restauarants!

My Disney Experience app

But what if there’s no availability for a restaurant you were really wanting? Our tip for this is to REFRESH! When you refresh the app sometimes other reservations time slots can pop up. If you do not get the reservation that you want at your 60-day advance dining reservation window, you can refresh the app daily and more reservations could appear.

‘Ohana Dining Room

People tend to let go of their reservations or sometimes Disney adds more. Same-day reservations can even pop up for popular restaurants. Keep checking each day and refreshing the app, and you just might be surprised with what opens up! This tip also works for time slots for mobile order, as well as modifying times for your reservation.

Joining Walk Up Waitlists

If you are a more go-with-the-flow type of person and do not like to be on a schedule, you can still dine at restaurants without a reservation. In 2020, the My Disney Experience app added the ability to join a walk-up waitlist or virtual queue all from your phone.

Mobile Dine Walk-Up Waitlist

If you are walking past a restaurant and see this sign, you can scan the QR code and join the mobile dine walk-up waitlist list. You can also find the walk-up list in the app, you just need to be close enough to the location to join it. Think of this as more of a virtual queue rather than an exact dining time. When it is your turn to dine, you will receive a notification and will have a certain amount of time to return to the restaurant.

Nomad Lounge walk-up estimated wait

This is a great way to eat at a table service restaurant when you do not have a reservation. This is not always offered, but is a good backup plan if you would like to have a table service meal.

Sharing Meals

Portions at Disney World can be huge! Some portions are big enough to split. This a perfect tip at quick-service restaurants if you want to try multiple items but do not want to be too full. If you want a smaller meal, you can order a kid’s meal at quick-service restaurants, as well. Not only is this cheaper, but most kids’ meals come with an entrée, side (sometimes two sides!), and a drink.

Kid’s meal at Docking Bay 7

Mobile Ordering from Table Service Restaurants

If you are not in the mood to dine in a dining room for a table service meal, there is a way for you to still try certain table service menus! Some table service restaurants offer mobile order. This is offered at only a handful of restaurants outside of the park, but is a great way to get a good meal to take back to your room or enjoy poolside!

©Disney

You can currently mobile order from Steakhouse 71 To Go, Olivia’s Cafe To Go, Kona Cafe To Go, Geyser Point Bar & Grill To Go, and Ale & Compass Restaurant To Go. It is important to note that sometimes this offering is only offered to guests staying at that resort due to demand.

And if you still can’t get into the restaurant you really wanted? Try not to fret about it too much! There are so many great places to eat in Disney World. We recommend talking with your travel agent about their recommendations (pssst … need a travel agent who specializes in Disney World? Try Mouse Fan Travel!), or talk with cast members during your trip to see what alternate restaurants they recommend!