Credit: DisneyDining at Disney World just got even easier.
When most people think of a trip to Disney, they think of riding attractions like Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, or meeting characters such as Mickey Mouse or Snow White. However, there’s just as much magic in the Resort’s dining experiences as there is any other major attraction – at least when you can get a reservation.
Some restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort are notoriously competitive when it comes to reservations. The likes of Cinderella’s Royal Table, which gives you a royal character dining experience inside Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, and Space 220, the restaurant transporting Guests from EPCOT to outer space, are near-impossible to book without a solid strategy.
For those hoping to secure a slot at these restaurants for their next Disney World vacation, you can make an advanced dining reservation 60 days before your visit. Even then – and even if you book as soon as availability opens – it can still be challenging to find the time and date you need.
Fortunately, Disney has stepped in to make this process a little bit easier (emphasis on “a little”). As of today, it’s rolled out a major tech upgrade that streamlines the booking process, so whether you’re looking for fine dining at California Grill or a character dinner at Crystal Palace, you can secure your reservation quicker than ever.
Until now, Guests have had to choose a timeframe before finding an open slot for their meal. Now, however, you can see every available dining reservation time slot for each meal at Disney World restaurants, similar to the layout used by websites such as OpenTable.
Related: Disney World Makes Huge Change to Dining Reservations
This is especially useful if you’re looking to make a last-minute booking and aren’t particularly picky about the restaurant in question. As it now also separates time slots by meal period, it’s also easier to know which menu you will be served upon visiting the restaurant.
The major issue with the old system is that slots would often crop up and disappear in a matter of moments. The times also weren’t particularly accurate, which isn’t ideal when you’re in the middle of a mission as controlled by the clock as a Disney World vacation.
For now, the feature is only available on some people’s My Disney Experience app. However, every Guest can access it via the Walt Disney World Resort website.
How else could Disney World improve its dining experience? Let us know in the comments!