Virtually every table-service restaurant within Disneyland Resort (parks, hotels, and Downtown Disney) allows advance dining reservations, formerly known as “priority seating." It’s important to note that advance reservations give you the first available table upon arrival at your specified time. This system works better than traditional reservations, which require that guests wait even when there is a table free because of latecomers and no-shows. Note that the Plaza Inn does not accept reservations for anything but character breakfasts and birthday parties—see page 221 ).

Reservations can be made in advance of your arrival online at Disneyland.com or by calling 714-781-DINE (714-781-3463) between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm Pacific time. Call up to 60 days in advance for priority seating at most restaurants. Arrangements can also be made the same day at the parks, and by touching *86 on any Disney pay phone or “55” on your Disney resort phone.

When you call, you may be asked to supply the name of the Disney hotel at which you are staying and your date of arrival—you can record this information at the top of your Advance Reservation Worksheet on page 246 or at DisneyPlanner.com. If you aren’t staying at a Disney hotel, no problem—you’ll simply need to provide a daytime phone number. You will receive a confirmation number for each successfully arranged reservation. Record this in your worksheet, and later transfer it to your daily PassPockets.

If you later decide not to eat at a particular restaurant, just visit or call Disney again and cancel your reservation. If you are unable to get a reservation, call back about one week before the desired date or keep checking their web site.

Due to the nature of advance reservations, you should plan to 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 on how busy it is. Some restaurants issue a pager, and most have a comfortable waiting area or bar.