The Disney Dining Reservation Secret You Need to Know

Are you hoping to score some great Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR) for your Walt Disney World Vacation? We have a secret for you.

Advanced Dining Reservations

If you want to eat at a table-service restaurant during your Walt Disney World vacation, Advanced Dining Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. Of course, it is possible to join a walk-up waitlist the day of your visit for select table-service restaurants. This service available in My Disney Experience allows Guests to check for table-service restaurant availability and to join a waitlist for dining on the day of their visit. It is great for spontaneous people who want to go where the wind takes them.

However, as Edna Mode says (and as you well know), “Luck favors the prepared.” So, for peace of mind, many Guests prefer to have their reservations set and ready to go prior to their visit. This will be especially important with the return of the Disney Dining Plan.

Typically, Advanced Dining Reservations open 60 days prior to your visit. Guests staying off-property can begin booking one day at a time 60 days prior to their first park day. They can book the entire length of their stay (for up to 10 days) as long as the full visit is within 60 days.

One of the on-property advantages is that Guests of the Walt Disney World Resort Collection can book the entire length of their stay beginning 60 days prior to their check-in date. This means you have a jump on the competition for the later dates in your trip as they will not have opened to other Guests yet.

If you are unable to score everything you want, it is also possible to keep checking for reservations as your dates approach. You may even score something the same day now that Disney World has moved to a two-hour cancelation window.

If you know your Disney dining options, then you probably already know about the Landry’s Select Club card benefits you can enjoy at restaurants such as Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex Cafe, and Yak & Yeti. You can get into these restaurants with NO reservation and minimal wait time if you are a Landry’s Select Club Member.

But, we know another helpful Disney dining reservation secret to get you more of what you are looking for. Here are all the details.

Disney Dining Reservation Secret

Did you know that you do not have to use the My Disney Experience App for all of your Advanced Dining Reservations? Select Disney World restaurant reservations also appear on OpenTable! You can typically choose from more than 25 Disney restaurants!

Here, we will look at who this little Disney dining secret works well for and what restaurants typically have availability. If you want to book a large party, if you want to book PRIOR to your 60-day Advanced Dining Reservation window, or if you are having trouble finding select restaurants during your 60-day window, then these tricks could work for you.

Over 25 Disney Restaurants are available on OpenTable.

Bookings for Large Parties

You may notice that it is almost impossible to find bookings for large parties at select restaurants without calling. If you prefer to book online, check OpenTable for larger parties for select Disney restaurants. I (KatieP) have actually been able to book parties ranging in size from 12-20+ people. It is great to have options for large parties.

I recommend booking these large parties as far out as you are able. You can always cancel them if you change your mind or find something as your trip dates draw near.

Booking BEFORE Your 60-Day Window

You can also use OpenTable to book select Walt Disney World restaurants prior to your 60-day Advanced Dining Reservation window. I have found reservations as early as 6 months out for select restaurants-and some are open up to a full YEAR in advance.

Just remember that new reservations are being added all the time. So, you can always check back if you do not see what you want popping up at the 6-month mark.

Booking During Your Window

Every now and then, when you go to make Advanced Dining Reservations, some restaurants have not started to pop up yet. For example, I have been able to use OpenTable to check for Todd English’s bluzoo at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort during my ADR window, when it wasn’t available in MDE until days later.

Sometimes, if you cannot find a party size or time in MDE, you CAN find it on OpenTable. So, don’t be afraid to check just in case.

Disney Restaurants On OpenTable

These tips should be useful for quite a few Walt Disney World locations. You will find most restaurants located in Disney Springs that accept Advanced Dining Reservations are also on OpenTable. You can also use OpenTable to book restaurants at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort as well as the Swan Reserve. And, there are even some Walt Disney World resort hotel restaurants that pop up from time to time.

Here is a list of what we have seen. There are over 25 options that might pop up.

• Big River Grille at Disney’s Boardwalk
• Flying Fish at Diseny’s BoardWalk
• Toledo-Tapas, Steak & Seafood-Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• City Works at Disney Springs
• House of Blues Restaurant & Bar – Orlando
• STK Orlando
• Morimoto Asia
• Planet Hollywood, Orlando
• The Edison
• Terralina Crafted Italian
• Paddlefish
• Paradiso 37
• The Boathouse
• Raglan Road Irish Pub
• Maria & Enzo’s
• Enzo’s Hideaway
• Wine Bar George
• Frontera Cocina
• Jaleo at Disney Springs
• Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs
• Splitsville Restaurant Orlando – Dining Only
• Shula’s Steak House at Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
• Rosa Mexicano at Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
• Il Mulino New York Trattoria – Orlando at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort
• Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
• Amare at Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

So, next time you get a hankering for dinner at a popular dining location like the Boathouse or Wine Bar George, remember that you can use OpenTable to look for restaurants before your ADR window opens OR to find something you are having trouble finding in MDE or on the Walt Disney World Website.

Of course, these are all subject to change. However, with any luck, you will have a JUMP on some amazing options, including some of Disney’s best restaurants.

You will have to wait to book just about everything else the old-fashioned way: either on the Disney World website, by phone, or in the MDE app. However, if you go ahead and grab anything you want on this list, you will have one less thing to worry about when the window opens.

Do you know someone with a Walt Disney World trip coming up who would LOVE to know this secret? Feel free to pass this article along. Have you used OpenTable for Walt Disney World restaurant bookings? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments.