Here are 10 Mistakes Not To Make With Dining Reservations:
- Not booking your meals 180 days in advance. Disney World allows you to book reservations 180 + 10 days in advance. That means that 180 days before your arrival date you can book reservations for up to 10 nights of your vacation. If you plan to dine at a popular restaurant, make sure that you book it on your 180th day.
- Not booking early breakfasts. Being able to enter the park before it opens is a unique experience that provides you the opportunity to take pictures of your family in front of the park icons with minimal Guests in the background.
- Not looking at park hours. You have to check the park hours before you book your dining reservations. You don’t want to think you are booking a meal before the park opens when it actually opens at 8 AM that day. You also don’t want to book an evening reservation just to find out that Magic Kingdom is having a party that night. Always check before you book your reservations.
- Not being persistent. Just because the reservation is not available 180 days out doesn’t mean that it will never be available. Keep checking everyday especially around the 30th day before your arrival date. We have had luck getting dining reservations the day or two before too!
- Not booking your reservations in the same park. Plan your meals around the park that you will be in. It’s frustrating to enjoy your time in a park and have to leave to go to a different one just to eat. Plan on hanging out in the park where you will be eating.
- Not considering the time it takes. Each dining reservation can take 2-3 hours. Make sure you factor in the time it takes for the reservation when you are planning out your vacation. Booking 2-3 Table Service meals in one day can cost you 4-6 hours of park time.
- Not being wise with your choices. Table Service meals are expensive. Plan on booking your meal with the best food choices. You want to make sure the meal will stick with you for a while. I recommend booking a late breakfast reservation if you are paying out of pocket or a lunch around 1:30-2 or a dinner between 4-5.
- Not cancelling your reservation in time. If you can’t make it to your dining reservation, you have to cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise they will charge you $10 per person for not showing up. Make sure if you change your mind about where you want to eat that you cancel in enough time.
- Not researching your choices. Make sure you take the time to research the menu, characters and events at the restaurants of your choosing. Don’t just assume that it will be the right place for you because your friend really liked it. Take a few minutes to look into each restaurant for yourself.
- Not disclosing food allergies ahead of time. After you have made your ADRs through the website, give Disney a call and have them go back and add any dietary restrictions to your reservations. I don’t recommend that you do it at the time of booking because you need to rush though making your dining reservations on your 180th day. But after you make them, give them a call up until 2 days before you dine to give them time to make special preparations for your family.
Learn more about Walt Disney World Dining and get suggestions for where to eat, how to use the Disney Dining Plan and more.
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