If you don’t get the advance reservation time and/or restaurant you want, don’t give up—keep trying! Vacationers cancel their plans and spots open up all the time. We’ve gotten reservations for hot restaurants even on the day itself just by continuing to call and ask for any openings or by returning to My Disney Experience and checking on our preferred dates.

Want that popular Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s, or Chef Mickey’s reservation? These are hot tickets and can be very difficult to get. Your best bet is to call exactly 180 days before the date you want to eat there. Get online by 5:55 am (online bookings begin at 6:00 am), or pick up the phone and start dialing 407-WDW-DINE at 6:55 am Eastern Time (phone lines open at 7:00 am). If you get a recording, listen carefully—if the recording indicates the office is closed, hang up and redial right away. Otherwise wait on the line and do not hang up—you’re in a queue for the next available representative. When you get an actual representative on the line, tell them immediately (even if you have to interrupt them) that you need a reservation for the restaurant of your choosing—be sure to include the exact date and number of people. It is important to convey this information as quickly as possible, because hundreds of other people are doing the same thing right now and every second counts. We suggest you write down the line you will speak on your worksheet and simply rattle it off to avoid any delays. Do not specify a time—let the representative search for any available time.

You will need a credit or debit card when you make your reservation—payment in full is required at time of booking for character meals and dinner shows (even if you’re using Disney Dining Plan credits), and a credit/debit card guarantee is required for other meals. If you do not have a credit/debit card, the reservation cannot be made.

If you decide not to eat at a particular restaurant, just cancel your reservation online or via phone before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the day before your reservation to avoid cancellation fees. If you are unable to get a reservation, check the day before the desired date and again on the morning you want to dine.

Check in at the restaurant’s podium 15 minutes before your seating time. You may also need to wait anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes for a table to become available, depending upon how busy it is. Some restaurants issue a pager, and most have a comfortable waiting area or bar. If your restaurant opens before the park opens, simply tell the cast member at the park entrance turnstiles about your advance reservation—you may need to show your confirmation number. Daily bus transportation is available for these early advance reservations beginning at 6:30 am (Magic Kingdom area) and 7:00–7:15 am (all other parks). Be sure to tell the bus driver when you board where you need to go, and allow ample time to transfer if your reservation is at a resort.