Advance Dining Reservations

Advance Dining Reservations and How to Get Them

Advance Dining Reservations. It sounds simple doesn't it? And in most cases it is--as long as you call well in advance; you're not trying for hard-to-get reservations; you have a group of 8 people or less; and you aren't booking a dinner show or meal that requires a credit card guarantee or pre-payment. We'll look at each of these cases, and give a few tips for making your ADRs go smoothly.

What Are Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs)?
Advance Dining Reservations are not reservations in the "true" sense of the word with specific seating times, but they do guarantee that you will be seated at the first available table after checking in at the podium 15 minutes prior to your reservation time. Dining ADRs can be made from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m weekdays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m on holidays and weekends by calling 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

Guests staying on or off Disney property can call 180 days prior to dining dates to make Advance Dining Reservations (with few exceptions) at Walt Disney World resorts, theme parks, Downtown Disney and Swan and Dolphin table service restaurants. Those booking a Magic Your Way package or a room at a Disney owned-resort can book their advanced dining reservations 180 days out plus up to 10 days (the maximum allowed for one reservation) during their stay, giving them a slight advantage over other potential diners. When calculating ADR dates, WDW guests should use their check-in dates rather than their preferred dining date and be prepared to give their reservation numbers.

Reservations made directly through the Swan and Dolphin’s reservation number/website, Shades of Green, Downtown Disney Hotels and any other reservation that does not have a Disney reservation number, will not qualify for the 180 day plus 10 perk. There are special packages w/tickets available for guests of the Swan and Dolphin hotels, Downtown Disney hotels and Good Neighbor hotels that can be booked directly through Walt Disney Travel Company. Those purchasing these special Magic Your Way packages for non-Disney-owned hotels would qualify for the 10-day perk.

Allergy concerns and special dietary needs such as gluten-, lactose-, peanut- or shellfish-free meals, low-carb, sugar-free and kosher meals should be mentioned when calling. Most table service restaurants can accommodate special dietary needs with advance notice.

Reserve Meals as Soon as Possible
To have the best chance of getting the restaurant of your choice, one should always make reservations as soon as the 180 reservation window first becomes available. This is particularly important during peak vacation times and holidays. For more information on crowds at Disney and dates and events that impact them, click here. The ADR calculator can help to figure out the first available booking date. The more flexible you are in your dining plans the better chance you have of getting a reservation when calling late or last minute. Ask about "off" dining hours or splitting larger groups into several tables if nothing is available when calling. If for some reason, however, nothing is available for a restaurant you've just been dying to try, there is still hope of getting an ADR at that coveted dining spot.

• Keep calling. Walt Disney World reservations must be paid in full 45 days in advance. Many people will cancel vacation reservations before making final payment or prior to cancellation penalty dates. The polite ones will also cancel dining reservations. It never hurts to keep trying.
  
  
• Once arriving at Walt Disney World, try calling for ADRs again. At Disney resorts, guests can press DINING or *55 on in-room telephones for assistance, dial *88 on any Disney public payphone or ask the resort's Lobby Concierge to check whether any last minute openings have become available. At the parks and resorts, same-day walk-ups are sometimes accommodated when requested in person at the restaurant's podium. Walk-up seating may sometimes be available even when dining reservations can't be obtained through Disney's Advance Dining Reservation System. Wait-times for walk-ups, if accepted, can range from a few minutes to an hour or more.

Hard to Get Reservations
Of course we are primarily talking about Cinderella's Royal Table Character Breakfast. Unless you are on the phone first thing in the morning the day your 180-day reservation date or check-in date becomes available, you probably won't get these, and even then it can be difficult. Disney veterans have developed a series of steps to ensure the best chance of getting a Cinderella's Royal Table Character Breakfast reservation when calling.

1. The night before your 180 booking window becomes available (or the first day of check-in if you have a Disney reservation number) enter the Disney Dining number (407-939-3463) into the speed dial feature if your phone has it, and test it to be sure it works. Gather your credit card number and have it ready for the morning, and double check that the next day will be exactly 180 days from the date you wish to dine or will check-in. It's best to try for a date very early in your stay; that way, if there is no availability, you can try calling again the following day or, if you have a Disney reservation number, try for a different day during your stay. You can also try calling back 15 minutes later or so for reservations that may have cancelled due to double booking with the same name.

2. Several minutes before Disney Dining opens at 7:00 am EST, begin dialing incase your clock is off by a few minutes. If you hear the words "our office is closed," hang up and repeat the process until you are either put on hold (you may hear music playing) or speaking with a real person. If you are placed on hold, wait. Hanging up could cost you a place in the queue and your reservation.

3. As soon as the Disney agent beings speaking, interrupt and say that you would like "reservations for Cinderella's Royal Table character breakfast for "x" number of people on month/day/year (date) for any available time. Asking the reservationist to check for specific times can mean the difference between getting these reservations or not. The less picky you are about when your dine, the better your chances of getting a reservation. Breakfast hours for Cinderella's Royal Table are 8:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. EST.

4. Be prepared to give your credit card number and make payment in full if you get a reservation. Also jot down the reservation number and cancellation policy and keep them in a safe place. The reservation number is your proof of a reservation. If you need to cancel this reservation you must call 407-WDW-DINE at least 48 hours prior to you reservation date for a full refund or forfeit a deposit of $10 per person.

5. Walt Disney World guests staying in concierge level rooms can see if the concierge staff can work a little magic and help get reservations. There is no guarantee, but it's worth a try.

Those on the Disney's Dining Plan should mention at the time of reserving Cinderella's Royal Table intentions to use table credits to pay for the meal. Your credit card shouldn't be charged when reserving, but you'll still have to give Disney the credit card number and cancellation dates and policies will apply. Cinderella's Royal Table requires 2 table credits per person. It's worth noting, however, that this meal may not be the best use of your dining credits. For table service meals, it's a good rule of thumb to reserve meals with a cost of $30 per meal per table credit to recoup or surpass the $39.99 per adult per night cost of basic 2009 dining plan. The California Grill during evening fireworks might be a better investment of two table service credits.

There are a few other Disney restaurant reservations that can be hard to get. The Chef's table at Victoria and Albert's usually sells out the first day it becomes available for booking. When reserving The Chef's Table, be sure to have the names of all party members on hand when making reservations as V&A uses them to personalized menus. You may book this reservation 180 days out by calling Victoria and Albert's directly at 407-939-7707. There is a $25 per person penalty for no-shows and cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance.

Other popular meals at Walt Disney World include most character meals, especially Chef Mickey's Fun Time Buffet, Fantasmic! Dinner Packages, California Grill during firework hours, and the Rose and Crown during Illumination hours. For these last two, plan on on scheduling meals approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours before scheduled fireworks and arriving at the podium early to let them know you are hoping for a window seat (California Grill) or patio seat (Rose & Crown). You will be told they can't guarantee a specific table, but it never hurts to let them know you are looking for one. If you will be celebrating a special occasion, ask the Disney Dining reservationist to note it when making reservations and mention it again at the restaurant. Again, this guarantees nothing, but sometimes Disney does make a little magic happen.

TheMouseForLess Tip: If you can't get reservations for California Grill during the firework viewing, don't worry. As long as you have dined that evening, you will be allowed to return and watch the Fireworks from the restaurant's private viewing balcony on the fifteenth-floor of the Contemporary Resort. Simply show your receipt at the 2nd floor podium to be allowed access. This is a fantastic view and shouldn't be missed.

ADRs For Larger Groups
Groups of 8 people or more can make ADRs by calling 407-WDW-Dine and requesting transfer to "Group Dining". A group coordinator will help to make reservations so that your entire group can sit together. Special rules apply to Advance Group Dining Reservations and include guaranteeing reservations with a credit card. A 24-hour advance cancellation policy will also apply that charges your card a penalty of $10 per person for no-shows. All group dining reservations will have an automatic 18% gratuity applied to the restaurant bill.

Even if you don't make your ADRs through Disney's Group Dining, when using the Dining Plan, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to checks for six people or more. This amount will be based on the entire cost of the meal and that gratuity will be charged directly to your room. This amount can add up on the Dining Plan and may be a cost to settle up at check-out that wasn't planned on. Automatic gratuity for larger groups applies to the Free Dining promotion as well. If you are dining with less than six in your group, you have the option of leaving a lesser percentage if the service was not up to par.

ADRs That Require a Credit Card
Certain Walt Disney World restaurants or experiences require a credit card to guarantee reservations or full payment at the time of reserving. These reservations will have specific cancellation policies that will need to be adhered to prevent your card from being charged or to be credited a full refund. Generally, these policies specify canceling reservations 48 hours in advance or risk being charged a $10 per person penalty. The few exceptions are any Victoria and Albert's reservation which must be canceled 24-hours in advance and incurs a $25 per personal penalty AND Citrico's Chef's Domain which requires a 48-hour advance cancellation and incurs a $100 per reservation penalty AND California Grill which requires a 24-hour advance cancellation and incurs a $20 per person penalty. Restaurants requiring a credit card guarantee will not charge the card until after guests have dined or if there is a no-show/no-cancellation penalty.

Restaurants Requiring a Credit Card Guarantee

• Victoria & Albert's (including Chef's Table) - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
• Citrico's Chef's Domain (6-course meal in a private dining room ) - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa (407-939-7707 for reservations)
• California Grill - Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Fantasmic! Dinner Package - Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Princess Storybook Breakfast - Restaurant Akershus - Norway at Epcot
• Wonderland Tea Party - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Restaurants Requiring Pre-Payment in Full

• Cinderella's Royal Table (breakfast, lunch and dinner) - Magic Kingdom
• Hoop-Dee-Do Musical Revue Dinner Show - Disney's Fort Wildness Resort and Campground
• Mickey's Backyard BBQ - Disney's Fort Wildness Resort and Campground
• Polynesian Spirt of Aloha Dinner Show - Disney's Polynesian Resort

Other Helpful ADR Information and Reminders

• When making ADRs be sure to mention any special dietary needs and special occasions you will be celebrating. Mention special occasions again when checking in at the restaurant.
• Write down ADR reservation numbers when reserving restaurant meals and take them with you to the restaurant.
• If you are staying on Walt Disney World property, you can request a list of all of your ADRs at anytime from the Lobby Concierge (formerly Guest Services) of your resort.
• Plan ahead and know ADR booking windows. You can review Walt Disney World menus by clicking here and calculate first possible booking dates using this handy ADR calculator.
• Be aware of Seasonal Pricing changes during holidays and other peak-times. TheMouseForLess keeps a list of dates and restaurants that charge them here.

As a special service, The Magic for Less Travel will make ADRs directly though Disney for clients. You may contact them via email or fill out a quote form to receive a no-obligation quote or to learn more about the special incentives and services they offer.