You Might Be Breaking These 5 Disney World Food Rules Without Even Knowing

Don’t go breaking the rules when you dine in Disney World!

There are dress codes, grace periods for reservation times, and codes of conduct for dining in Disney World, but you probably know about those. So what are the dining rules you might be breaking without even knowing? We’re sharing the list!

Making Dining Reservations for the Wrong Locations

There are dozens of places you can make dining reservations in Disney World, but that doesn’t mean that you have access to ALL of them. While some restaurants can be visited by anyone with a reservation (like those in Disney Springs or at the resort hotels), others have limited access.

If you make a dining reservation for a restaurant inside a theme park, you must ALSO have a ticket to the theme park for the day of your reservation. Your reservation won’t just get you into the park on its own! This is a mistake that many people have made in the past.

Not Checking the Specifics of Your Dining Plan

Another big mistake people make is assuming that every restaurant in Disney World works with the Disney Dining Plan. Some restaurants don’t accept the Dining Plan at all, while others may only work for specific plans.

For instance, if you purchase the Quick Service Dining Plan, you will not be able to use it to pay for your meal at a sit-down restaurant. Make sure to do your research before you go on what’s included with your plan, and check to see if all your must-do restaurants are on the list!

Making a Breakfast Reservation During Rope Drop

Okay, now we’re venturing a little bit away from Disney-made rules and into the realm of best practices. We typically advise AGAINST people making breakfast reservations inside the theme parks first thing in the morning. Why? You miss out on valuable rope drop time!

Generally, the first 90-120 minutes after the park opens for the day are some of the most valuable for knocking out rides before the crowds arrive. You’ll typically find the lowest wait times of the day, and if that’s something you’re interested in, you should save the big meal until brunch or lunchtime. Instead, grab something to-go from your hotel or keep small breakfast items in your hotel room.

Reserving Sit-Down Meals During Hard-Ticketed Events

Did you know that you can make dining reservations during holiday parties? Yeah? Well, DON’T. We also don’t recommend going to the dessert parties during things like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. And we have good reason!

Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom

These types of reservations take up valuable time during an already short event. A table service meal could take an hour or more (same with the dessert party), and why would you want to spend an hour paying for something extra when you only have five hours of party time to begin with? It’s simple math and finance!

Booking TOO Many Reservations

Did you know there’s such a thing as too many dining reservations for your Disney World trip? We generally recommend people do two or less dining reservations per day, because three per day can just be too much food! Disney sit-down portions are pretty generous.

On top of that, as we mentioned above, a sit-down meal can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, and doing that three times a day eats up a lot of park time. Trust us — you’ll wish you were just snacking or eating some quick service food for one of those meals.