So you’re going to Disney World! You’ve got your hotel booked, maybe you’ve even bought your tickets already, and now the 60 day mark before your first day is approaching. If you’ve read up on Disney, you’ll know that you’ll be needing restaurant reservations if you plan to have sit-down dining (which might not be the right fit for you and your family, and is something to consider).

Having been to the parks several times myself, I’ve booked for both solo dining and for a larger party of seven at different times in the year. The tips below have applied to both situations. So, do your research and figure out where you want to eat.

Then, 60 days out from your reservations, you’re going to have to get up early (sorry). Reservations open at 6AM EST (though be ready to be up a little earlier as there have been times when things open at 5:45AM or earlier).

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Tip #1:

If you’re staying on property with a Disney resort, you’re going to have a leg up on people staying off property. On the 60th day out, you’ll have access to the whole length of your trip, which means that depending on the length, you might be able to get access to reservations that a whole swath of people can’t access yet.

What does that mean? It means that if you’re aiming for a popular reservation (ie: Space 220, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Fantasmic Dining Package, and many others), plan to have those meals later in your trip so there’s less competition for reservations.

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Tip #2:

When you’re doing your research, one of the best ways to save yourself some time come the morning of your reservation-booking is to bookmark a link directly to the restaurant’s page, which has a link to make reservations. By having a master-list of those links, you’ll be able to quickly open them up on the (early) morning.

Why Bother? Seconds count, especially for popular restaurants. If you’ve prepared all your links (and made sure to log in!), it might make the difference between securing the reservation you’re chasing and having to constantly look for new openings as your trip approaches.

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Tip #3:

Remember earlier how I mentioned that reservations can open prior to 6AM? You should be logging in to your Disney account at least thirty minutes before-hand. You’re going to need to be logged in for the reservations to be booked and if you’re attempting multiple restaurants, that can take time. Take advantage of the tip before and use your link-list, and you should be ready to go.

Don’t Forget! When you’re ready to make your bookings, go to the restaurant page and refresh the page to make sure you have access to reservations as soon as possible.

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Tip #4:

If you have multiple devices? Use them! It doesn’t matter how you’re accessing My Disney Experience (or the restaurant pages directly). You can make reservations from all of them so long as you’re in your account. If you have someone who can help you, this might be a useful tactic to get some of the more in-demand reservations.

Which Is Better? From past experience, I would recommend a laptop/desktop experience simply by virtue of having to run through a few less steps (especially if you’ve already bookmarked the link).

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Tip #5:

Struggling to find reservations for a party of one, three, five, or seven? There are some occasions when, strangely, the Disney reservation system favours even parties over odd (simply because of the way tables are set up). Before you give up on your options, change your party to an even number and see what happens. You can always modify the party later!

How do I change it? You don’t have to stick by that reservation. You can book for the even number party and then modify it down, or you can simply show up with the party that you’ve got — so long as someone turns up for the reservation.

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Tip #6:

Sometimes, 60 days isn’t the magic number. There are a handful of occasions where certain restaurants won’t release their bookings until another milestone. I ran into this issue with Tusker House on my last trip — there were plenty of reservations, but on 60 days out, there was nothing. Cue eight weeks from my departure date and suddenly, there they were! There’s rumours that this also happens with Narcoosees (at 30 days), too.

How do I monitor it? You can check in yourself regularly, but if you want someone else to do the work for you, consider a service like MouseDining to do it for you and send alerts when reservations open up.

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Tip #7:

So you couldn’t get a reservation, no alerts arrived, but you still really want to dine at a specific restaurant. You’ve still gone one last option — the walk up waitlist. Once you’re in any of the parks, you’ll be able to join the waitlist at participating restaurants, either virtually by going to the app or dropping by the host stand.

How early should I book it in the park? While you might want to hold off and wait, occasionally the walk up waitlist process can take hours between your name going in and you being called. It can also be minutes — I’ve experienced both. If you’re aiming for something more popular and you desperately want to try the restaurant no matter what time you eat, err on the side of caution and book as soon as you can.

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Tip #8:

Lastly, don’t forget about Disney Springs. When your 60 day window arrives, the majority of sit-down restaurants in Disney Springs will also open up for your booking.

Where should I eat in Disney Springs? It’s hard to go wrong with your options. Homecomin’ is a hard-to-get reservation, but you’ll typically be able have no trouble finding space at the bar. There’s also Wine Bar George (a fantastic choice for those with proclivities for wine), Raglan Road, Morimoto, and more for sit-down. Plus, you don’t have to make a reservation — there’s plenty of places to grab a quick bite!

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