Dining Reservations: Piece of Cake!

Walt Disney World is considered to be one of the happiest places on Earth. People from all around the world come to Orlando, Florida to come see the magic. Other than the rides and shows, one of the aspects discussed most frequently is the food that you can taste at the parks.

Today, I’m going to talk to you a little bit about dining reservations. This article is here to help you get to experience all the delicacies Disney has to offer. If Be Our Guest is a restaurant you want to try for supper, you’ve come to the right place. 

Rum and coke slushes from Isle of Java in the Animal Kingdom 

So, first things first: why bother getting dinner reservations?

Although you will never need a reservation for a Quick Service restaurant (with a Be Our Guest Breakfast or lunch as a possible exception), Table Service fare is a completely different story. Although there will be Table Service restaurants you can walk right up to on occasion, there will be others where it will be next to impossible to get a seat without a reservation.

Short of being Walt himself back from the dead, you most likely won’t be getting into Be Our Guest for supper without a reservation.

Some of the more difficult to get reservations include:

• Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)*
• ‘Ohana (Disney’s Polynesian Resort)*
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot)
• Beaches and Cream Soda Shop (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)
• Chef Mickey’s (Disney’s Contemporary Resort)
• Le Cellier Steakhouse (Epcot)
•  Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ (Disney Springs)
• The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
• Victoria & Albert’s (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa)*
• Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom - phone booking only)*

*Especially hard to book six months out

When can I book my dining reservations?

You can book your dining reservations 180 days out from your trip. If you are staying on resort, you can book for your entire trip up to 10 days at this point. If not, you will need to book each day starting at 180 days out.


How do I book my dining reservations?

You can book by either calling Disney directly at (407) 939-3463 or by using MyDisneyExperience through the Disney World website or the app.

Let’s open the app. Click on your avatar. You’ll want to click Reserve Dining.




Select your party size and the date you wish to get a reservation for.



Let’s try to get a reservation for Teppan Edo in Epcot. Delicious, btw.





Select your time slot if any are available. You will get to the review and confirm page. Once you have confirmed, the reservation will show up in the My Plans section under your account. Please note that you will need to add a payment method to confirm your reservation.

Well, that’s all well and dandy... but HOW do I get a reservation for Be Our Guest??!!

This is where you have to grit your teeth and dig deep. At the 180 day mark, you need to be ready to go with the app open prior to 7 AM Orlando time. It will be better if you can plan your harder-to-get reservations for later in your trip if possible. Others on resort may have gotten some of the reservations for the beginning of your trip already (since they will be able to book for their entire trip up to 10 days at their booking window).

 If you’re not staying on resort, you will need to get up early for each day you have difficult-to-reserve dining reservations to make.

Dig deep, you got this!

Additionally, you will want to book your reservations by difficulty, not date.

Here’s an example:

I’m staying on resort for three days. I want to go for dinner at Be Our Guest, Teppan Edo, and Victoria & Albert’s. I want to do one lunch at Le Cellier, and one Breakfast at The Crystal Palace.

I will be booking in this order:

1. Be Our Guest - Day 3
2. Victoria & Albert’s - Day 2
3. The Crystal Palace - Day 3
4. Le Cellier - Day 2
5. Teppan Edo - Day 1

Using this strategy, I have always been able to get the reservations I’ve wanted. I’m even going to Be Our Guest twice on our upcoming trip.

What happens if I do this and I still can’t get a reservation?

Keep looking! You very well could stumble upon a reservation someone decides to drop. Additionally, check Reddit! The Walt Disney World subreddit has a very positive and active community, with members sometimes letting people know if they have cancelled a reservation. If you snap one up this way, just make sure you display some common courtesy and let the community know you’ve booked it so others don’t try to book for the same time slot.

Above all, enjoy yourself! You’re sure to have a magical time!


What Table Service restaurants are a must-visit for you when you go to WDW? Comment and subscribe :)





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