Do I need dining reservations?

For table service restaurants, you have the option to make Dining Reservations. Generally speaking this is not a reservation per se, but rather somewhere between a traditional reservation and call-ahead seating. While it does not guarantee you a table at your selected time, it does place you in the queue ahead of people who have not made similar arrangements.
It is easiest to think of a reservation as a Fast Pass for table service restaurants. However, unlike a Fast Pass, you can make arrangements 180 days prior to your arrival.
While it isn't mandatory that you make dining reservations, it will save you time if you make reservations before you arrive.  Like most of you local table service restaurants, there are high-traffic times where you will wait an hour or more for a table.  I would prefer to spend that hour enjoying the parks rather than waiting to eat, so I always make dining reservations for our sit-down meals. Additionally, there are several venues where reservations are almost required, like dining inside Cinderella's Castle (Cinderella's Royal Table), Character Dining, or Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian. 


Here is how I go about making my reservations:

• Plan a park for each day, typically based on extra hours, firework times, and other special attractions. 
• Determine which meal or meals we would like to have at a table service restaurant. 
• Find restaurants that have available seating for that meal, either in the park or near the park at a reasonable time for my family. I typically have a list of restaurants I want to visit at any given park (or resort) which helps in the decision making process. (Another post on that later!)

Be sure to have paper and pen ready when you go to make your dining reservations, because you are going to get a LONG reservation number to write down.  While you won't need this number when you check in at the restaurant for your reservation, it will be necessary if you want to verify your dining arrangements online.


There are a number of ways to make your arrangements before your arrival:

• By telephone call 407-WDW-Dine
• Online via this link

Once you are at the parks, choose one of these options:

• On your smart phone with the Disney Parks app
• Via your hotel concierge desk
• Customer service locations within the parks

The one thing I cannot encourage enough is to be flexible about what you consider "in the park" dining.  If you plan on being in Magic Kingdom, remember that the Magic Kingdom resorts (Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian) are only a monorail ride away.  Wilderness Lodge is also available via a boat launch right outside the park.  Animal Kingdom Lodge also has some incredible restaurants if you are willing to leave the park and go for a short bus ride.  Consider taking some time away to enjoy a meal outside the park rather than the hustle and bustle within.