If you’re hoping to land one of the hardest dining reservations at Disney World, you’ve come to the right place. While there are a handful of Disney restaurants that always seem to be booked solid, it is possible to dine at these desirable restaurants yourself.

Now, there’s a whole slew of reasons a Disney restaurant might be extra hard to book. Some restaurants are popular for their character meet and greets…some spots fill up fast because they’re smaller venues…some new restaurants might currently be the talk of the town…and, then for certain Disney restaurants, well they’re really just known to be that good.

If you’re looking to dine at any of the most popular Disney restaurants during your trip, keep reading this guide for our top tips on how to get the hardest dining reservations at Disney World.

What are the hardest reservations to get at Disney World?

Here’s a list of the table service restaurants with the hardest dining reservations to get at Disney World. If any of these eateries sound like they strike your fancy, you’ll need to book early or battle it out for a dining reservation. And, be sure to check out our insider tips to snagging a reservation below!

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Located in the Norway pavilion at EPCOT, this is currently one of only three Princess meet and greet dining experience at Disney World. The Norwegian-inspired food might feel a little foreign for the little ones, but they will never forget meeting Belle, Aurora, Snow White, and more.

Be Our Guest Restaurant

This strikingly designed restaurant transports you to The Beast’s Castle from Beauty & The Beast. From the domed ceiling and exquisite chandeliers of the Grand Ballroom to the Beast’s West Wing study with the signature glass-encased enchanted rose, you’ll feel like you stepped right into the movie. To this day it remains one of the most desirable dining experiences at Magic Kingdom. And, while it was once a quick service restaurant for part of the day, it is now a table service-only restaurant with a prix-fixe menu for both lunch and dinner.

Chef Mickey’s

This character dining spot is the most classic in all of Disney World. And, that’s what makes it one of the hardest reservations to land. If your family is looking to meet the Fab Five (a.k.a. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto) while gorging on a buffet, you’ll want to secure your reservation here. It’s a magical meet-and-greet filled with ‘90s nostalgia for both kids and kids at heart.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

There’s nothing more iconic than dining inside of Cinderella Castle! At least that’s what so many Disney goers think. This is perhaps the MOST in-demand restaurant in all of Walt Disney World with reservations being very hard to come by…even 60 days out! Unlike the expansive Be Our Guest, this restaurant is also much smaller than you’d expect, so tables fill up quickly.

California Grill

Anytime amazing fireworks views are involved, it’s going to be a tough reservation to get. This restaurant is located on the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, has floor-to-ceiling windows, and its very own terrace for viewing the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks. We suggest making a reservation for a time that is close to when fireworks begin so that you can experience the show while you dine. They even pipe in the music!

Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’

We’re going to categorize this one as “just that good.” At Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin, you won’t find any characters, fireworks views, or gimmicks, but you will find really good food. Word has gotten out about Homecomin’s farm-fresh, finger-lickin’ Southern food, so it’s almost onstantly packed.

Weekend brunch is especially popular here so you might have better luck finding reservations for dinner or weekday lunch.

Le Cellier

Le Cellier is located in the Canada Pavilion at EPCOT and is one of Disney’s signature dining resteraurants. And, being one of the best steakhouse menus on property, combined with the romantic setting of a cozy Canadian wine celler, makes for a tough reservation to get! So, be sure to plan ahead if you want a taste of Le Cellier’s famed filet mignon with truffle butter sauce and wild mushroom risotto.

Narcoosee’s

Narcoosee’s menu of creative coastal cuisine is worth the reservation alone. But, of course, what makes this restaurant so coveted is its waterfront locationon the water at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This is another restaurant where you’ll want to make your reservation for a time that is close to the Magic Kingdom fireworks show so that you can watch it while you dine from the porch facing the park.

Oga’s Cantina

While relatively secluded, Oga’s Cantina is no secret to Star Wars fans. While, this is technically a bar with only a couple of snacks to accompany their liquid concoctions, it’s so popular that guests must have reservations. Be sure to book your time slot in advance and guarantee yourself a visit to the galaxy’s coolest cantina. And, keep in mind that you’ll have only 45 minutes to enjoy your drinks and snacks once inside.

‘Ohana

If you’re looking for a character breakfast, this popular Polynesian-inspired restaurant at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is beloved by fans. It features family-style dining with fun times featuring Lilo and Stitch for breakfast and family-style dishes for dinner. While the characters don’t appear at dinner, their legendary Ohana Noodles still keep this restaurant packed.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ

One of the newest restaurants at Disney World is Roundup Rodeo BBQ. This family-style barbecue spot in the Toy Story Land section at Disney’s Hollywood Studios makes you feel like you’ve been shrunken down to the size of one of Andy’s toys.

Space 220

Only the select few with reservations can take the elevator up to outer space at this EPCOT restaurant! With panoramic views of “Earth” and a space-themed menu, it’s certainly one of the more unique themed eateries in Disney World.

Keep in mind that the menu here is served prix-fixe. However, you can also opt for a dining reservation at the Space 220 Lounge. Here you can find many of the same drinks and dishes are served a la carte.

Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera

The character breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace features Mickey and his artist friends (Minnie as a literary figure, Donald as a sculptor, and Daisy as a dancer), making it a pretty memorable spin on character dining. Meanwhile at dinner, the Mediterranean-inspired menu is so elevated adults will love it, too.

Victoria & Albert’s

Walt Disney World’s most Michelin-worthy restaurant, Victoria & Albert’s is an ultra-exclusive fine dining experience. Victoria & Albert’s is known for its innovative tasting menu and impeccable service. In fact, reservations for their most intimate dining area, the Chef’s Table, are so limited that they have to be made by phone.

Tips for Scoring the Hardest Dining Reservations at Disney World

Start Searching Early

We’ll start with the #1 rule to securing the hardest dining reservations at Disney World — start looking for a reservation 60 days in advance! To do this you can call (407) 939-3463 when reservations open if you prefer. Or, book online through Disney’s website or the My Disney Experience app.

For your best chance at getting a reservation at any of Disney’s most popular restaurants, you should be planning ahead and booking your dining reservations as soon as they open up (usually around 6AM 60 days in advance). This means starting your research on the best Walt Disney World Restaurants even earlier so you already know exactly where you want to eat each day.

If you’re booking your Disney trip less than two months out, you’ll probably have limited selections. Or, be flexible enough to dine at off-peak times. And, keep in mind that if you’re booking a restaurant inside of a theme park you’ll also need a park ticket and a park reservation (if required).

Stay at a Disney World Resort Hotel

That’s right, you can stay on Disney property to take advantage of an even earlier dining reservation booking window! Reservations usually open up to everyone 60 days in advance starting at around 6AM. However, Disney resort hotel guests can book reservations 60 days in advance PLUS the full length of their vacation all at once (for stays of up to 10 nights).

This essentially gives hotel guests up to a 10-day head start. And, that can make all the difference when it comes to booking Disney’s most in-demand restaurants. It also explains why you sadly might not see any availability for your desired restaurant at the general 60-day window.

Keep Refreshing

You might get lucky refreshing the My Disney Experience app and catch a dining reservation that opens up right as someone else changes their own! Tens of thousands of guests visit Disney World a day (and change their mind when it comes to dining plans!), so the odds aren’t as slim as you think.

Guests can now cancel dining reservations without a penalty fee up to 2 hours before their reservation time for most restaurants. So, it’s very possible to see a reservation for the same day pop up last-minute and score a coveted table. Just keep refreshing!

Set Disney Dining Reservation Alerts

This method is a little more “off-the-books,” but there are a handful of websites out there that have created programs to notify you when a table opens up during your desired time frame at any Disney restaurant. This includes sites like MouseWatcher, UnlockedMagic and TouringPlans. Some come with a cost, while others let you sign up for for Disney Dining Reservation alerts for free.

It’s arguably more efficient than endlessly refreshing the app. But, you’ll have to be quick and snatch the reservation as soon as a spot opens up.

Check OpenTable or Other Reservations Platforms

While most of the in-demand Disney restaurants are exclusively available to book on the My Disney Experience app, there are a handful of top-notch restaurants that you can also find listed on OpenTable or other reservations platforms. If you’re looking for a good last-minute meal at restaurants in Disney Springs or certain resorts like Four Seasons Orlando and the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin but don’t see any availability on the Disney app, check OpenTable. This reservaiton service often shows table availability when Disney doesn’t.

Try the Walk-Up Waitlist

While this is technically not an advance dining reservation, there’s one more way you can get a table at some of Disney’s most popular restaurants — the Walk-Up Waitlist.

Gone are the days when you have to walk all around the park to get to the restaurant to see if there’s any availablility! These days, you can actually add yourself to a virtual wait list through the My Disney Experience app.

This saves you time that you could be spending on rides, since you don’t actually have to walk over to the restaurant (or check multiple restaurants), only to get rejected. Just check availability at participating table service restaurants through the app. If you see that the option is available,just follow the steps to add your party to the mobile walk-up list.

The app will give you an estimated wait time based on your party size. Then, you’ll be notified to head over to the restaurant once a table opens up!

Comments

What has been the hardest dining reservations at Disney World to get in your experience? Let us know in the comments your secrets to securing these hard-to-get reservation!