Hardest Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) at Disney World
Many Walt Disney World restaurants are hotly in demand, with reservations being incredibly difficult to book if you aren’t up early 60+ days in advance. This post covers the ADRs that are the toughest to score, why that’s the case and how it might change, plus alternatives if you can’t score the toughest spots. (Updated May 6, 2025.)
Before we get to our list, we should probably offer some basics on Advance Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World beyond just “make them.” Conventional wisdom is that you should book ADRs as early as possible, either via the My Disney Experience app or DisneyWorld.com.
Although it’s gotten slightly easier to book in recent months, there are some tough ones–especially for larger parties. You’ll still need to make reservations early or luck-out last minute. See our Guide to Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) at Walt Disney World for tips & tricks to score elusive ADRs, info about the 60+10 rule, and more.
Speaking of which, that 60+10 rule is pretty important here. Anyone can make ADRs 60 days in advance. If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World on-site resort hotel, this means you can book 60 days prior to your arrival date and make ADRs for up to the first 10 days of your trip. For some of the restaurants on this list, that +10 is valuable, as ADRs are often fully booked by the 60 day mark, meaning off-site guests don’t even have a chance at them unless there are cancellations.
Most people don’t know where they want to eat 60 days in advance, and this problem is compounded by the fact that Walt Disney World almost never releases final park hours 60 days in advance. If you find yourself faced with this problem, the good news is that you’re not alone–cancellations, more ADR inventory being released, and Walk-Up Waitlist all are great options for snagging relatively last-minute tables. Recommendations for all of that are laid out in the above-mentioned ADR Guide for WDW.
Honestly, we rarely make more than a couple of Advance Dining Reservations before each Walt Disney World trip. In part this is because we tend to travel more at the last minute now, and in part this is because booking same-day ADRs or scoring walk-up availability is easier than ever.
For us, it’s a more pleasant experience to roll with the punches and be flexible in where we are willing to dine than determine our entire schedule months in advance and have our day be beholden to those plans–or “fail” at following through on those plans. There are a lot of restaurants we really enjoy in each park, and usually a few of them have same-day options. We also now have a baby, and don’t want to set unrealistic expectations for when things inevitably don’t go according to the plan since we’re largely on her schedule now.
Your mileage may vary on that, though. If you’re a first-timer to Walt Disney World and are doing a once-in-a-lifetime trip, your circumstances are certainly different than ours. We share this simply because there are multiple perspectives on planning your dining at Walt Disney World.
The vast majority of other sites out there certain a sense of urgency about scoring the most coveted ADRs and stress the importance of planning in advance. As a Walt Disney World planning resource, it behooves websites like this one to encourage people to plan. Us telling you to sometimes ‘wing it’ might be a bit self-defeating, but it’s honest. We feel planning is essential in some circumstances, but mixing planning with spontaneity makes for a healthy and balanced approach.
As one final note before we get going, both the Disney Dining Plan and Free Dining impact Advance Dining Reservations to some degree. Emphasis on “to some degree.”
In the last two years, the impact of the Disney Dining Plan has not been nearly as significant as expected. This is a major departure from what used to happen. Back in the good ‘ole days (2019 and earlier), Free Dining had a massive impact on both ADR availability and what got booked. In those years, it wasn’t just the most difficult ADRs that booked up–it was any restaurant that was even moderately popular.
This is likely because the paid version of the Disney Dining Plan (that includes table service credits) is prohibitively expensive and because there are now much better discounts than Free Dining. Either way, it’s an entirely different dynamic than ~5 years ago. That could change again in 2026, though, with the Free Disney Dining Plan for Kids All Year in 2026 at Walt Disney World Deal!
Anyway, we’ve digressed from the point, so let’s cut to the chase–the tough ADRs that you will want to book as far in advance as possible, plus alternatives if those are fully booked…
California Grill – This Signature Restaurant enjoyed a resurgence a few years ago thanks to improved menu quality plus a convenient location near Magic Kingdom plus a pretty fly location with great fireworks views. California Grill still has those last two things, but demand has fallen sharply for a number of reasons.
The big one is its move to a prix fixe menu, which was popular at first–but the novelty has worn off. It also takes California Grill off the table for those who want to order smaller portions or dine in any way inconsistent with the set menu. Finally, California Grill isn’t on the Disney Dining Plan at all, and very few restaurants can sustain popularity without that. It’ll be interesting to see if popularity falls further and California Grill gets another menu overhaul or starts accepting the DDP in 2025.
Alternatives to California Grill would be pretty much any other Signature Restaurant. In terms of location, Citricos and Narcoossee’s are logical choices. In terms of cuisine and quality, Jiko or Flying Fish are the best fits. Under the same roof, Steakhouse 71 is a great option, but it’s in the “basement” of the Contemporary rather than the rooftop.
Dinner at Teppan Edo – This is the teppanyaki-style steakhouse in the Japan pavilion of World Showcase at EPCOT. Teppan Edo is located on the second floor of the the Mitsukoshi Department Store adjacent to Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya (formerly Tokyo Dining).
Teppan Edo has been one of the best objective values on the Disney Dining Plan for years, and it claims the #1 spot on our List of the 10 Best Uses of Table Service Disney Dining Plan. That alone probably helps explain its surge in popularity. Interestingly, though, Teppan Edo is a much easier ADR for lunch when it serves the same menu.
Teppan Edo does not offer a fireworks view, so that doesn’t explain the dinner rush. Unless people are confused about the (lack of) view. Given that I just overheard a group of teenage boys on the monorail debating which of Magic Kingdom’s “most intense” roller coasters to ride first, TRON Lightcycle Run or Barnstormer, I’d say that’s a distinct possibility.
Regardless, the best alternative to Teppan Edo at dinner is…Teppan Edo at lunch. That’s arguably the better option, anyway, so you can be outdoors in the evening when it’s cooler and World Showcase comes alive. Just graze from festival kiosks for dinner.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant – This is another one was almost impossible (especially for the “wrong” party sizes) for a few years, but now almost falls off the list. Nevertheless, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant can be difficult to book, especially for larger parties.
We’ve found that Sci-Fi Dine-In is easiest 60+ days in advance or at the last-minute. Now that the new restaurant smell has worn off Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ, this is the toughest ADR in the park. (It’s also worth noting that Sci-Fi routinely overbooks, so the wait to be seated can be lengthy.) As for alternatives, the aforementioned Roundup Rodeo or 50’s Prime Time Cafe are your best options.
Breakfast at Crystal Palace – As a general rule, character breakfasts are more difficult to book than their lunch and dinner counterparts. This is interesting but not totally surprising. Breakfast is usually cheaper and has less ADR inventory, but offers worse bang for buck on the Disney Dining Plan.
Crystal Palace is not a difficult ADR for lunch or dinner. At all. But breakfast is a different story, especially for later seatings that bleed into lunch. Still, if you book early…or even wait until the last minute (Crystal Palace tends to have solid Walk-Up Waitlist availability)…you shouldn’t have too much trouble here.
Dinner at 1900 Park Fare – This restaurant reopened last year after a multi-year closure. As we’ve seen with every character restaurant that has had a delayed return, there’s been a combination of pent-up demand for that venue and initial capacity constraints as the locations staff up and hit their stride. That was true at first with 1900 Park Fare, too.
After ranking in the top 5 for months, the “new meal smell” has worn off a bit and dinner has become easier to book. Nevertheless, dinner being a fantastic use of DDP credits has sustained its popularity to some degree, even if it’s now easier to book. We’re expecting 1900 Park Fare to be a hot ticket well into 2025, and perhaps beyond.
For reference, 1900 Park Fare ADRs were never challenging pre-closure. It was middle of the pack, often having relatively last minute availability. It’s simply not iconic like several other Walt Disney World character dining experiences, so we eventually expect 1900 Park Fare to drop off this list.
‘Ohana – As the world’s first Irish-Hawaiian fusion concept, it’s understandable that ‘Ohana is so popular (their Boiled Cabbage and Pineapple Upside Down Cake is to die for!). Joking aside, Walt Disney World fans have come to love ‘Ohana thanks to its good fun, jovial atmosphere, and tasty Polynesian cuisine. This is especially true for dinner, but breakfast is also popular.
Alternatives include Sebastian’s Bistro (our favorite!), Liberty Tree Tavern, Boma, Garden Grill, or Cape May Cafe. Each of these offer a slice of the ‘Ohana experience, but none is a direct analogue. ‘Ohana is something of a lightning in a bottle experience, and it’s impossible for other restaurants to replicate that completely. If you’re unable to get dinner, you might consider “settling” for breakfast at ‘Ohana. We think dinner has by far the best food, but breakfast has characters and a decent slate of food (by Walt Disney World breakfast standards).
Breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera – Topolino’s Terrace is basically two different restaurants, both of which are quite popular. For dinner, it’s a Signature Restaurant with a high-end meal that makes for a perfect date night. Although we’ve done ‘date morning’ meals at Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends, it is obviously different by virtue of being a character meal.
Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends is very popular because it’s higher end than Chef Mickey’s or Cape May Cafe (alternatives, I guess) and unlike the equally high-end dinner at Artist Point (another alternative) it features Mickey & Friends…and it’s breakfast. There’s also the fact that Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends is only 1-credit on the Disney Dining Plan (for now), at a time when many premium character dining experiences are shifting to 2-credits.
Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table – This one has been on the list of most difficult Walt Disney World ADRs for ages. Long before I started covering Disney–possibly since I was in diapers. (Don’t Google “Howie’s Angels” unless you want to go down a fascinating-but-weird rabbit hole!)
While lunch and dinner have eased up a bit, breakfast is still incredibly difficult. This is probably in part because breakfast is ~$15 per person cheaper and because there are fewer breakfast spots than lunch and dinner (which are one in the same). To each their own, but we’re big fans of dinner here and think it’s arguably “worth it” (air quotes because you can’t really put a price on dining with royalty inside their castle, but if you could, ~$100/adult seems fair-ish).
Space 220 Restaurant – This one has managed to defy the odds, continuing to orbit above the competition. The trajectory here is similar to California Grill, except that it opened with a prix fixe menu a few years ago rather than being an existing venue with a redone menu. Space 220 Restaurant also does not accept the Disney Dining Plan and also has received more mixed reviews recently.
For our part, we’re big Space 220 fans. As a complete package experience–theme, cuisine, service, etc–it’s out of this world. We’re also admittedly surprised that at its enduring stratospheric popularity. The new restaurant smell hasn’t worn off, and there’s not really any sign that Space 220 will “need” to make changes in 2025 or move to the Disney Dining Plan. Maybe this summer and fall’s Free Dining ‘season’ will do the trick?
As for alternatives, the very obvious one is Coral Reef–like Space 220, but under (real) water. That’s much easier to book, unique in its own way, but not quite as good.
Brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ – This has become my white whale. I’ve been trying to book brunch at Homecomin’ ever since we last did it a few years ago, because I “need” to try a couple more things before publishing my review. (A great excuse for pigging out further, albeit one I think Sarah sees through.) My effort level hasn’t been that high…but there was a time when I was looking every single weekend while we lived in Florida.
Brunch at Homecomin’s popularity is essentially a math problem. It’s only available on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30am until 1pm. That alone means a far smaller pool of ADRs than just about any other restaurant on this list. Add to that its cult following among locals and (probably?) sometime WDW diehards, and Brunch at Homecomin’ is exceedingly difficult to book.
All of that is probably a spoiler for our full review, coming at a date TBD, which is that Brunch at Homecomin’ is pretty pretty pretty good. As for alternatives, try Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West or Grand Floridian Cafe at Grand Floridian–both of which serve glorious fried chicken that’s on par with Homecomin’.
Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare – This is listed separately because breakfast at 1900 Park Fare is more difficult to book than dinner. This is consistent with what we’ve seen for other breakfast vs. dinner character dining spreads and it’s because dinner is more expensive.
With that said, 1900 Park Fare (both meals) are much easier now and will only continue to have more abundant ADRs in 2025. Moreover, Free Dining season flips the script to some degree. While both are good uses of Disney Dining Plan credits, dinner is top tier. If fewer guests are paying out-of-pocket and instead using DDP credits, it stands to reason that more would opt for the pricier meal.
Alternatives to 1900 Park Fare include Story Book Dining at Artist Point, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
Space 220 Lounge – This is listed separately from Space 220 Restaurant because it is, technically, a different option. Not only is it a distinct ADR, but it’s also much more difficult to book. This is another white whale for me. We did the Space 220 Lounge a couple of times when it first opened, but have been shut out ever since. (I could’ve done it via walk-up a few times, but that meant sitting at the actual bar with no view into outer space.)
Space 220 Lounge is such a difficult ADR for two reasons (above and beyond regular Space 220 Restaurant): supply and that it offers an a la carte menu that can be cheaper. With far fewer tables and the chance to dine in space on a dime, its popularity is sky-high. Also, I personally prefer the view from these seats, but I really don’t think others are taking my personal preferences into account when booking the lounge versus the restaurant.
GEO-82 Lounge – The new bar inside Spaceship Earth is currently the hottest ticket ADR in all of Walt Disney World. One hour after reservations opened, availability for the new GEO-82 Spaceship Earth lounge is sold out for as far out as the calendar goes.
This is likely to be an ongoing trend as, similar to Space 220, seating is extremely limited in GEO-82. On top of that, there’s a certain coolness factor and bragging rights to drinking inside Spaceship Earth. (Well, technically, inside the post-show building, not the geodesic sphere itself, but that’s a minor detail.)
Our expectation is that ADRs remain extremely competitive throughout 2025, routinely booking up in full 60 days out. Over time, we’d expect GEO-82 to settle into second-place behind Space 220. Once Walt Disney World diehards get their fill, GEO-82 won’t appeal to first-timers and newcomers as much as Space 220. (I’ve been inside both spaces, and seeing into outer space is cooler than the lounge inside Spaceship Earth. It’s cool but not that cool.)
Candlelight Processional Dining Packages – Candlelight Processional is Walt Disney World’s telling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator with music sung by a mass choir and performed by a 50-piece live orchestra. It’s one component of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, and is a fan favorite. Calling Candlelight Processional one of the most popular events is no exaggeration–long lines can be a huge hassle if you don’t have a dining package.
Once Candlelight Processional Dining Packages are released, they will fill up fast. Last year, just about every single date sold within hours of release. For guests with larger parties wanting popular restaurants or prime meal times, availability was gone very quickly. Some restaurants had a bit more availability for couples, but even then, the vast majority of ADRs were gone on day one. It’s very important to book ASAP when reservations go live.
For everything else you need to know, including answers to common questions, see our Guide to Candlelight Processional Dining Packages. We address everything: price increases, changes to what’s included, standby line & alternatives, what time to be ready to book ADRs, and whether these dinner plans are “worth it” in the first place.
Victoria & Albert’s – Chef’s Table goes very quickly, in large part because of limited supply: it’s an intimate experience with only one seating per night. The main dining room is easier since there are more tables, but it still can be a big challenge because of scarcity.
Victoria & Albert’s winning accolade after accolade probably doesn’t hurt with demand, either. This is one of the few Walt Disney World restaurants that is elite by real world standards, likely making it appealing to Four Seasons, Golden Oak, etc. guests looking for a sophisticated dining experience.
Unfortunately, there is no suitable alternative to Victoria & Albert’s. The closest you’ll probably get is Monsieur Paul in the France pavilion or Takumi-Tei in Japan. There’s also Capa or Ravello at Four Seasons Orlando or Bull & Bear at Waldorf Astoria Orlando. Maybe a few other third party options I’m forgetting.
Restaurants that didn’t make the cut but that can be moderately difficult at some times of year or for larger parties include the following:
- Story Book Dining at Artist Point
- Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Akershus
- Beaches & Cream
- Via Napoli
- Rose & Crown
- Minnie’s Seasonal Dining
- EPCOT Dining Packages
- Fantasmic Dining Package
A few others that have been historically difficult include Le Cellier, Crystal Palace, and Chef Mickey’s. More recently due to price increases or policy changes, I’d say these restaurants have become much easier to book. That doesn’t mean they’re downright easy, but gone are the days of these being must-book dining options 60 days out.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Which Walt Disney World restaurants do you think are the most difficult to book? Do you agree or disagree with our list? Any tough ADRs we didn’t mention? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Is there or app or website that notifies you when a reservation becomes available? I remember paying a nominal fee and getting a text saying that “be our guest” reservation was available. I can’t find it now and wanted to use this service again.
Touring Plans has a great reservation finder. I’ve had good luck with it.
TouringPlans.com has a beta reservation finder. We’ve had pretty good luck with it. You can have two reservation searches active at a time, and it checks every hour (I think) for reservations within a time window, then emails/texts you if it becomes available. Touring Plans requires a subscription (~$15 for a year), but we find it well worth it. Honestly, we feel like this site and that site are the only 2 websites you really need for planning a trip.
The trifecta for planning a trip is this site, Touring Plans and EasyWDW to round everything out.
You don’t actually have to pay for a Touring Plans subscription to use their ADR finder. You just have to sign up for a free account on TP’s website to access it. (I believ that’s how they’re able to offer it without Disney shutting it down, like they did the other ones that charged a fee.)
The one I am on is called Mousewatcher. They charge a monthly fee to monitor and notify of reservations. I have been able to secure some reservations with this. However, one must jump immediately upon receiving a text, or the reservation will quickly be snapped up by someone else. My one comment is that I have received a hundred reservation notifications for Ohana, and none of them at dinner time. I eventually took one for 8:40 pm, the earliest I could get. The rest were either at 3:30 pm or after 9:00 pm.
I plan on having my 50th bday dinner at be our guest (which I’d not til 2020) my whole goal of this is getting a pic with the Beast! Going to stay onsite, if I do the 180+10 would it still be super difficult to get trying at the exact time I possibly can???
If you book the earliest ADR of the day and there are Morning EMH, what would a good second time be to book an ADR so not to mess up your plans?
It might be helpful to mention which restaurant and resort hosts Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast. So very grateful for this blog!
It’s at Trattoria al Forno at the Boardwalk. Heh, threw me for a loop to, since there’s no listing for Bon Voyage Breakfast on Disney’s website. The characters: Ariel and Prince Eric, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.
Ok, boiled cabbage and pineapple upside down cake….. If that is served with the proper Irish whiskey (lots of it), then I might not care that it probably tastes as bad as it sounds. Is this why Pele is blowing her top in Hawaii???
I had a hard time getting a lot of reservations this time for our upcoming trip (week of Nov 3, 2018), and it surprised me what I could and couldn’t get.
I was able to get – Be Our Guest breakfast (which I only looked for as a backup to CRT), Beaches n Cream (although not the time I wanted), California Grill (a week after the 180 day mark – using the Touring Plan finder), and Akershush Royal Banquet (lunch).
I was not able to get – Cinderella’s Table (any day/any time), O’Hana (dinner), 50’s Prime Time (for dinner after 4pm) or Whispering Canyon Cafe (for dinner the day/time I wanted)
You’ll have a harder time booking at the 180 day mark than you will a month or even a week or two before your trip. Waiting allows time for cancellations to come in (of which many will). If you check daily something usually opens up.
Lauren,
Our trip is for the week following yours, and we had the same issue. CRT and `Ohana are the only two on our list. I was able to get 1900 Park Fare character breakfast luckily. In our experience last year (we also use TouringPlans), several cancellations occurred for both `Ohana and CRT in the last 6 weeks prior to our trip, and we got times we wanted on both. Good luck!
I agree that most of these are difficult reservations, however, with a little persistence I’ve been able to book quite a few of them within a month or so of our trips. Ohana, Be our Guest, and Crystal Palace were some of them. I got decent times and all it took was browsing at all different times of the day and snatching up things as soon as I saw them.
We have a little guy, so most of our ADRs are at places with characters, animals, or some kind of cool theming. We don’t usually get around to the fancier fare like Le Cellier or Victoria and Alberts.
I’m curious, why is V&A not eligible for a Michelin star?
I’d definitely put Beaches & Cream on the list, from my experience. It’s so small that I’ve had worse luck there than Akershus and even Be Our Guest. (Party size also factors into that. We were looking for a group >4)
Michelin doesn’t cover Orlando, or most regions in the U.S. for that matter.
I don’t get why the non-publishing of the “park hours and Extra Magic Hours” would be an impediment to taking a reservation. If they offer ADR on that date, it means the park is opened on that date. Even if the park closes early, thus your park visit is restricted, would you not take the reservation regardless for a very popular restaurant like “Be Our Guest”? When it comes down to it, only a few restaurants are must haves. The rest of filler. Luckily, I did “Be Our Guest” and “Cinderella’s Royal Table” and don’t feel like I need to do it again for awhile.
Because people often plan out what park they want to visit that day once they know the hours it will be open. You might not want to want to do dinner at Be Our Guest on the same night that Epcot is open for evening EMH, assuming you even have Park Hoppers. Likewise, if you want to do morning magic hours at a particular park, then knowing what day that would be is helpful before trying to book a hard to get breakfast reservation – there or elsewhere.
Then you’ll be trying to get reservations at a park that is even more popular, thus worsening the odds that you’ll actually get the coveted reservation. If the priority is getting a reservation, then you’ll make the accommodation. Besides, you can already anticipate when park will have an EMH based on previous schedules. It isn’t that hard to take it into account. The park schedules are available 6 months in advance. I can see the schedules into November 2018.
Not normally one to point out grammar or typos, but my side is seriously hurting from “Plus, who can ‘exist’ dining inside Cinderella Castle?!” I am imagining people just disintegrating upon entering CRT. Made me giggle.
I was able to snag a reservation for the Bon Voyage Character Breakfast around Christmastime using the Touring Plans reservation finder (which I swear by, used the same tool to find a California Grill Mother’s Day brunch reservation). The food for the Bon Voyage breakfast was “good” by Disney standards, but the character experience and great service made it a very memorable breakfast. If you’re paying out of pocket, I thought the price was right too (for Disney).
Ohana – Irish Hawaiian fusion had me choking on my drink laughing!
Ironic that this was posted today, since I spent his afternoon working out my plan of attack for our dining window that opens in a few days. I do have kind of an odd question though. For the 180 +10, it’s based on hotel check in date correct? So, theoretically, a new check in should open up additional days? We’re arriving the first part of the week of Thanksgiving, but our resort had no availability on Thanksgiving night, so we are checking into a different resort for one night, then back into our original one on Friday. So, our original check in plus 10 would be the end of the next week, and then anything last that we would have to wait till the actual 180 day mark. But with a check in again a few days later on Thanksgiving, won’t that open up another 10 day window? We won’t be at Disneyworld for the week after Thanksgiving, but that added few days of Thanksgiving +10 would be in a perfect spot to try to score a BoG reservation if it works out like I think it should.
You can only book ADRs for the length of your reservation, with the maximum number of days allowed being 10. So because you are moving about you will have to do reservations 3 separate times. Unless this recently changed and I missed something, so anyone feel free to correct me!! The only trips we’ve done in the past 6 months were a 11 day stay at the swan where there is no ADR benefit, and short 2-3 day stays on property where I didn’t look past our dates.
Confirmed — we are doing a split stay in November, and I couldn’t book ADRs for the 2nd part of the trip until 180 days before the start of the 2nd hotel reservation. (I called as well and they confirmed it over the phone). I just hope it doesn’t work that way for FastPasses and that it’s instead tied to the length of your park ticket !
I booked my reservation through DVC so it may be different, but I could only book for the first part of my split stay and then needed to log in a few days later to do the rest. I called DVC about it after the fact, mostly to check about whether I’d have the same issue with fastpasses. The woman I spoke to told me that if you call the dining reservation number, rather than do it online, they’ll create a ‘false’ reservation for your entire trip and can book your dining over the phone for the entire trip. I don’t know if this is true or not, but that’s what the DVC cast member told me when I called yesterday.
We were there recently, and decided to try off-the-beaten-path, easy to get into restaurants this time. We had dinner at Artist Point and enjoyed it so much, we went a second time. The food and service were excellent. No problem getting reservations, as the restaurant wasn’t crowded either time. No wait for a table.
We also went to Trails End at Ft. Wilderness twice…once for breakfast and once for dinner. Loved both. We had a slight wait for both meals, but it was worth it. Biggest bang for your buck on Disney property.
Had a late lunch at Grand Floridian Cafe, with no reservation. Enjoyed it tremendously. We were just about the only people there. Dined at the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs also. Plus, there are a multitude of hotel lounges that serve wonderful food and drink.
Been going to Disney World since the early 70s, and have had to review how we vacationed then compared to now. The economy (especially my economy), price increases and crowd levels have dictated that we revamp the tried and true habits we developed years ago. If we can’t get into those hard to get into restaurants, we don’t cry. We adjust. Our expectations have changed as Disney has changed.
All that being said, we always go from end of April and stay for ten days. This trip, we didn’t see many long lines at all. Josh from EasyWDW recently noted that particular time period as the best week to go (thanks Josh). BTW, I have never seen anyone go into detail like Josh does.
Tom,
You mentioned that The Chef’s Take at Victoria and Albert’s has two seatings a nights. It’s actually one. And that’s true for all the tables at that restaurant.
Fixed, thanks. Between this and the Boiled Cabbage Upside Down Cake, I made all sorts of errors here! 😉
I don’t know when you’ve been to ‘Ohana last, but I’ve been going there for 18 years and never had boiled cabbage or pineapple upside down cake. This makes me question the accuracy of the article.
LOL. Michelle, he was very clearly joking.
Terrible joke if he is writing for people who do not go to Disney often
We’ve scoured for BoG for months, with no luck. And although we snagged breakfast at Ohana, we’d no luck getting dinner, until our kid’s daily scouring snagged us a dinner reservation 3 months back (we’ve hit ‘Ohana every time he’s gone). I can’t say enough good things about ‘Ohana. I’d seen the original luau show a number of times and enjoyed it, including with my wife. But the new show? Meh. IMHO, ‘Ohana beats it hands down (Hoop De Do, however remains great and is on our list this year, again).
Your best bet is when you get there, the night before (say between 11:30 and 12:30am) check to see if anything opens up. You have until 11:59pm to cancel reservations for the next day so people usually wait until the last minute. I got ‘Ohana dinner reservation for the next along with lunch at BoG (the better option). Worth a try
Going in November and really wanted to eat at BOG for dinner before the Christmas party. Nothing was available at the 180 day mark. Was able to get a 8:15 for breakfast a couple of days later though.
What time can you start making your reservations? 1201 or 6:00 AM?
Thanks!
6:00 am Eastern time.
Not that I want to double book but does anyone know how far apart 2 dinner reservations would have to be booked for Disney to allow it? Thank you in advance.
I’m not positive on this, but I think its about 3 hours. I know we have held early and late dinner reservations in the same night trying to decide if we wanted to do fireworks in the park or from California Grill.
Thank you Mack!!!
Bear in mind that a cast member can override that on the phone. We travelled with a party of 8, and grandparents sometimes wanted to eat at a different table service restaurant than the parents and kids. Because our tickets were linked we couldn’t book the second restaurant online, even if we had only booked 2 guests on the first booking, but calling up to explain and book solved that. Of course there has to be availability, so book the popular one online first, then call to book the less popular one.
We have booked Be our guest at 4:15 and liberty tree around 7:30 before. Sometimes you just have to play with the times, occasionally it says you already have one at this time. Then I cancel after our fast passes are made so like 50 plus days before our trip.
In my experience, they must be one hour apart (maybe one hour and five minutes maximum).
1 hour apart.