One of the most important things about planning your Walt Disney World Resort vacation is knowing where to eat and what dining locations you want or need to make an Advanced Dining Reservation for.
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Dinsey has hundreds of dining locations for Guests to choose from, from table service dining experiences like Cinderella’s Royal at Magic Kingdom Table and Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort — where Guests can enjoy character dining — or quick-service dining, which is more affordable and requires far less planning. If you choose to dine at Disney, you need to ensure that wherever you plan to eat will be able to accommodate you. Because Disney requires dining reservations for many of their restaurants, it is important that Guests planning their visit understand what that means.
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Today, we are going to dive into the idea of making those coveted ADR’s (Advanced Dining Reservations) before you get to your Disney Resort so that you can enjoy all the food you want when you visit. We will learn which Disney dining experiences require reservations, find other dining locations at Disney that accept reservations, and figure out how to make dining reservations at Disney theme Parks and Resorts.
Disney dining experiences that require reservations
Which Disney restaurants require reservations?
Except for Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom, which turns into a quick service location for lunch, all table-service locations at Disney World require a reservation to guarantee your spot at a table. That being said, this does not mean that if you walk up to Via Napoli in EPCOT (or any other dining location), that you will be turned away.
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If there is availability or the dining reservations for a restaurant are not full, Guests can walk in or potentially get a wait time to eat there. Considering cancelations happen all of the time on the My Disney Experience app, sometimes Guests can get lucky and get in withou0t a reservation.
Personally, I find this more difficult to do when at the parks, but at Disney Springs I have walked into many restaurants! In my experience, I have gone to House of Blues, Paradiso 37, Boathouse, Chef Artsmith’s Homecomin’, Raglan Road, City Works, Frontera Cocina, and Planet Hollywood without a reservation. That being said, I have had to wait around one hour at certain locations, and these were oftentimes during a slower period of the day, and also, lucky finds.
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Many table service restaurants at Disney fill up fast when it comes to reservations, so playing it by ear may cause your to spend a lot of time hopping from restaurant to restaurant to see who has available if you do not have a reservation. One way to possibly get around not having a reservation but still dining at a packed restaurant is to sit in their bar or lounge. If a restaurant has a bar or lounge, that seating is first-come, first-serve!
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I had done this as a way to get into California Grill at the last minute before and had a great experience chatting with the bartenders all evening!
Which Disney restaurants do not require reservations?
Do not fret if you did not make a dining reservation ahead of your visit to Disney World! There are still plenty of quick-service options available for you to indulge at. Whether you are dining at a Disney Resort or one of the Parks, there are always quick-service options that will have you drooling.
Credit: Inside the Magic
Quick-service means that you are doing more of a take-out or fast-food style of dining because you order your food and bring it to your table. At the moment, a lot of ordering is being done on the My Disney Experience app through Mobile Ordering, but this is something Guests can do at the moment.
As we previously mentioned, lounges and bars at dining locations are first-come, first, serve! So if you want that lavish table service meal and don’t want a reservation, they are not required at a bar or lounge! However, you may end up having to wait for other Guests to leave to get a seat.
Other dining locations at Disney that accept reservations
Below, we will break down dining locations all over Disney World. Get ready because this list will have you ready to eat and also stuck with some tough choices. Please be advised that some of the below locations may be closed due to the pandemic, depending on when you are reading this. Be sure to check on the Walt Disney World website for hours of operation.
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Magic Kingdom
Aloha Isle
Aunt Polly’s
Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
Be Our Guest Restaurant
Casey’s Corner
Cheshire Cafe
Cinderella’s Royal Table Character Dining
Columbia Harbour House
Cool Ship
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Gaston’s Tavern
Golden Oak Outpost
Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen
Liberty Square Market
Liberty Tree Tavern
Main Street Bakery
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
Pinocchio Village Haus
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
Prince Eric’s Village Market
Sleepy Hollow
Storybook Treats
Sunshine Tree Terrace
The Crystal Palace Character Dining
The Diamond Horseshoe
The Friar’s Nook
The Lunching Pad
The Plaza Restaurant
Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
Tortuga Tavern
Westward Ho
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios
50’s Prime Time Cafe
ABC Commissary
Anaheim Produce
Backlot Express
BaseLine Tap House
Catalina Eddie’s
Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Dockside Diner
Epic Eats
Fairfax Fare
Hollywood and Vine
Hollywood Scoops
Kat Saka’s Kettle
KRNR The Rock Station
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
Market
Milk Stand
Neighborhood Bakery
Oga’s Cantina
PizzeRizzo
Ronto Roasters
Rosie’s All American
Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
The Hollywood Brown Derby
The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge
The Trolley Car Cafe
Tune-In Lounge
Woody’s Lunch Box
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EPCOT (excluding festival booths)
Future World
Coral Reef Restaurant
Garden Grill Space 220
Sunshine Seasons
Test Track Cool Wash
The Land Cart
World Showcase
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Biergarten
Block and Hans
Chefs de France
Choza de Margarita
Crepes des Chefs de France
Fife and Drum Tavern
Funnel Cake
Gelateria Toscana
Gelati
Joy of Tea
Kabuki Cafe
Katsura Grill
Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
L’Artisan des Glaces
La Cantina de San Angel
La Cava del Tequila
La Creperie de Paris
La Hacienda de San Angel
Le Cellier Steakhouse
Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
Les Vins des Chefs de France
Lotus Blossom Cafe
Monsieur Paul
Nine Dragons Restaurant
Popcorn in Canada
Promenade Refreshments
Refreshment Outpost
Refreshment Port
Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Restaurant Marrakesh
Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room
San Angel Inn
Sommerfest
Spice Road Table
Takumi-Tei
Tangierine Cafe
Teppan Edo
Tokyo Dining
Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar
Tutto Italia Ristorante
UK Beer Cart
Via Napoli
Yorkshire County Fish ShopCoral Reef Restaurant
Garden Grill
Space 220
Sunshine Seasons
Test Track Cool Wash
The Land Cart
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Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
Caravan Road
Creature Comforts
Dawa Bar
Dino Diner
Dino-Bite Snacks
Drinkwallah
Eight Spoon Cafe
Flame Tree Barbecue
Harambe Fruit Market
Harambe Market
Isle of Java
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery
Mahindi
Nomad Lounge
Pizzafari
Pizzafari Family-Style Dining
Pongu Pongu
Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom
Restaurantosaurus
Restaurantosaurus Burgers and Sundaes
Satu’li Canteen
Tamu Tamu Refreshments
Terra Treats
The Smiling Crocodile
Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks
Tiffins
Trilo-Bites
Tusker House Restaurant
Warung Outpost
Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes
Yak and Yeti Quality Beverages
Yak and Yeti Restaurant
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Disney Springs
4R Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck
AMC Dine-In Theatre / MacGUFFINS
Amorette’s Patisserie
AristoCrepes
BB Wolf’s Sausage Co
Beatrix
Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza
Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
Chicken Guy!
City Works Eatery and Pour House
Cookes of Dublin
D-Luxe Burger
Disney Food Trucks
Dockside Margaritas
Earl of Sandwich
Enzo’s Hideaway Tunnel Bar
Everglazed Donuts and Cold Brew
Florida Snow Company Cart
Food Truck – Cookie Dough and Everything Sweet
Frontera Cocina
Ghirardelli Soda Fountain
Gideon’s Bakehouse
House of Blues Restaurant and Bar
Häagen-Dazs at Disney Springs West Side
Jaleo
Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar
Lava Lounge
Maria and Enzo’s Ristorante
Morimoto Asia
Morimoto Street Food
Paddlefish
Paradiso 37
Pepe
Pizza Ponte
Planet Hollywood Observatory
Raglan Road
Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs Marketplace
Splitsville Luxury Lanes
Sprinkles
Stargazers Bar
STK Orlando
T-REX
Terralina Crafted Italian
The Basket at Wine Bar George
The BOATHOUSE
The Daily Poutine
The Edison
The Polite Pig
The Smokehouse
Wetzel’s Pretzels
Wetzel’s Pretzels at Disney Springs West Side
Wine Bar George
Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill
Wolfgang Puck Express at Disney Springs Marketplace
YeSake
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Walt Disney World Resorts
Disney’s Art of Animation
Landscape of Flavors
Disney’s All-Star Resorts
End Zone Food Court
Grandstand Spirits
Intermission Food Court
Silver Screen Spirits
Singing Spirits
World Premiere Food Court
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Boma
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Maji Pool Bar
Sanaa
The Mara
Uzima Springs Pool Bar
Victoria Falls Lounge
Disney’s Beach Club
Beach Club Marketplace
Cape May Cafe
Martha’s Vineyard Lounge
Disney’s Boardwalk
AbracadaBAR
Big River Grille and Brewing Works
BoardWalk Bakery
BoardWalk Ice Cream
Boardwalk Pizza Window
ESPN Club
Flying Fish
Leaping Horse Libations
Trattoria al Forno
Disney’s Contemporary
California Grill
Chef Mickey’s Buffet
Contempo Cafe
Cove Bar
Outer Rim
Sand Bar
The Wave
The Wave Lounge
Disney’s Coronado Springs
Barcelona Lounge
Dahlia Lounge
El Mercado de Coronado
Maya Grill
Rix Cafe
Rix Sports Bar and Grill
Siestas Cantina
The Laguna Bar
Three Bridges Bar and Grill
Toledo
Dolphin
Cabana Bar and Beach Grill
Fresh Mediterranean Market
Phins
Picabu Buffeteria
Shula’s Steak House
The Dolphin Fountain
Todd English’s bluezoo
Swan
Garden Grove
Il Mulino
Kimonos
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Crockett’s Tavern
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
Meadow Snack Bar
P and J’s Southern Takeout
Trail’s End Restaurant
Disney’s Grand Floridian
1900 Park Fare
Beaches Pool Bar
Citricos
Courtyard Pool Bar
Enchanted Rose
Garden View Tea Room
Gasparilla Grill and Games
Grand Floridian Cafe
Narcoossee’s
Perfectly Princess Tea Party
Victoria and Albert’s
Victoria and Alberts Chef’s Table
Wonderland Tea Party
Disney’s Old Key West
Good’s Food To Go
Gurgling Suitcase
Olivia’s Cafe
Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks
Disney’s Polynesian Village
‘Ohana
Barefoot Pool Bar
Capt. Cook’s
Kona Cafe
Kona Island Sushi Bar
Oasis Bar and Grill
Ohana’s Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo and Stitch
Pineapple Lanai
Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Luau Cove
Tambu Lounge
Disney’s Pop Century
Everything Pop
Petals Pool Bar
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter
Mardi Grogs
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory
Scat Cat’s Club
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
Boatwright’s Dining Hall
Muddy Rivers
River Roost
Riverside Mill
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
On The Rocks
The Artist’s Palette
The Turf Club Bar and Grill
The Turf Club Lounge
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Artist Point
Geyser Point Bar and Grill
Roaring Fork
Territory Lounge
Trout Pass Pool Bar
Whispering Canyon Cafe
Disney’s Yacht Club
Ale and Compass
Ale and Compass Lounge
Beaches and Cream
Crew’s Cup Lounge Hurricane Hanna’s Grille
Yachtsman Steakhouse
The above lists are a compilation of both table service and quick service dining options and bars that Guests can purchase beverages at. As you can see, there is an extensive list of food options for Guests to enjoy.
What are your dining options, other than restaurants, at Disney theme parks and resorts?
If you are not looking to dine at a restaurant, you can always do a quick service meal and either eat it sitting down or on the go. Disney World is also full of snacks that Guests can purchase and eat on one hand while walking to their next attraction. Classic snacks like the Mickey Premium Bar, Mickey Pretzel, Dole Whip, Churros, Turkey Legs, Popcorn, and more are often available all around the Disney Parks in smaller kiosks or carts.
There are also specialty snacks such as the maple glazed bacon and cheeseburger spring rolls at Magic Kingdom or all of the festival food at EPCOT that can kick your hunger pang with something delicious.
How can you make reservations at other dining locations in Disney theme parks and resorts?
If you want to eat at a Disney World restaurant, you can make a reservation on the My Disney Experience account, and it is very simple to do! Log in to your account and click the plus button on the bottom of your screen. The first thing you will see is an option to check dining availability. Once you click it, you can choose your party size and date.
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The app will give you all available options for whatever time you are looking for, but if you want, you can also filter those options to a specific Park or Resort. Be aware that if you make a reservation and do not show up, you will be charged a cancelation fee of $10.00 for each Guests in your group. This will be the best and easiest way to make a dining reservation when you are visiting Disney.
To avoid this, the $10.00 fee for making a dining reservation on the My Disney Experience app is always your best bet. The only thing to note is that if you have a reservation that you want to cancel, you must do so 24 hours prior, or else you will incur a fee of $10.00 per person. If you attempt to cancel within 24 hours, you will notice that the app does not let you and provides a number you can call to cancel. It also notes that you may still be charged even if you cancel, as it is within their chargeable period.
Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Aside from possibly being charged, the reservation line at Disney World had a two-hour wait the last time I called and often has a high call volume which could take up a lot of your time.
However, there is a way around having to call, and it ensures you will not be charged a fee! When looking at your dining reservation on your My Disney Experience app that you want to cancel, click “Modify.” Then, select any other date and time available in the future. Once you swap to a new date, you can go ahead and cancel, as you are no longer in the 24-hour period.
You can also make the reservation on the phone by calling (407) 939-6690 or (800) 800-9800 for Disney Vacation Club Members.
How to make dining reservations at Disney theme parks and resorts
How far in advance should you make dining reservations at Disney theme parks and resorts?
We recommend booking your dining reservation as soon as you can, especially if you are looking to dine at a popular location or a restaurant with character dining. Guests can book 60 days before their visit. Here is what Disney outlines when it comes to booking a dining reservation.
Guests may make advance reservations for dining, the Enchanting Extras Collection, recreation and other experiences up to 60 days in advance. In addition, Disney Resort hotel Guests can make reservations up to 60 days in advance plus the length of their stay (up to 10 days). Book dining reservations online.
Here are some additional details to help you plan:
In-Park Dining Guests will need valid park admission and a reservation for park entry through the Disney Park Pass system—as well as a dining reservation—to dine at in-park, table-service restaurants. Dining reservations do not guarantee admission to the park.
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Disney Resort Hotel Dining Planning to dine at a table-service restaurant in a Disney Resort hotel? A confirmed dining reservation is required for day Guests (those not staying overnight) and is highly recommended for Guests staying overnight at a Disney Resort hotel. Guests will undergo a temperature screening prior to entering the location.
Other Important Information In order to foster physical distancing during this time, upon reopening, our offerings, restaurants and other experiences such as behind-the-scenes tours will be limited in capacity, while other experiences may remain closed.
How can you make dining reservations online at Disney theme parks and resorts?
Guests can make their reservations online by using their My Disney Experience app or by clicking here. If you need a computer and do not have one with you, some Resorts will have a business center that you can use. You can also ask the front desk Cast Members to help you make the reservation.
Cheese Curds // Credit: City Works
How long should you expect to wait for a table at Disney dining locations?
Typically, if you have a reservation and you show up to it on time, you will either be escorted in to your table right away, or you may need to wait a few minutes to have the table cleaned for you. The wait will never belong or be time-consuming, which is one of the major benefits of making a reservation. Without one, you may be put on a multi-hour waitlist.
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Which Disney dining experiences cater to walk-ins?
Guests can attempt to walk into any dining location; however, if there is no room, they will be turned away or asked to return at a later time if there is one available. Only quick service dining and bars and lounges will cater to walk-ins, and the latter two are subject to availability as well.
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Best times to make Disney dining reservations
When should you make reservations if you hope to avoid crowds?
If you are looking to eat at a Disney World restaurant and you want to see less crowding around you when you eat, it is important to book your reservation during off times. This means to have either a later lunch in the mid-afternoon or late dinner at 9:00 p.m. or later. By doing this, you avoid busy meal periods.
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What are typically the busiest times at Disney dining locations?
Going to a restaurant in Disney World during typically breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours will always pose a larger crowd. This means that between 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. for breakfast, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. for lunch, and 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. for dinner. Times outside these hours may still be busy.
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So, there will always be a lot of options for you to pick from, but now you can decide where you want to eat, and you are equipped to make any reservations your heart (and stomach) desires!
Do you like to make Disney dining reservations when you visit Walt Disney World? What are your tips?
Want to erase the hassle of snagging those ADR’s? We have the people who can do it all for you, free of charge! Click here.
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