Dining at some of the top restaurants at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California can be as memorable an experience as the rides. And as any visitor to Disney parks knows, planning is key to maximizing the fun. This applies to dining as well, but the process to secure a spot at Disney’s unique restaurants has, for a while, been a bit of a hassle. Finally, the reservation system for Disney restaurants has been updated to make it easier for guests to plan the perfect dining experience.
Reservations at Disney’s most popular restaurants, like Disney World’s Cinderella’s Royal Table and Disneyland’s Blue Bayou Restaurant, become available 60 days in advance and tend to go quickly. The system update makes it easier to pick a time slot for a meal and makes more information available before booking. The new system shows every time slot available on a specific date instead of just broad meal times. You can also search for a time period and see available slots at all restaurants across the property if you don’t have a specific restaurant in mind.
Newly-incorporated information will help you budget your meals, showing pricing variations from meal to meal. You’ll also be able to see the exact time when the parks’ beloved characters will be present during meals for photo ops and interactions.
Canceling a reservation will be easier too. Previously, a strict policy charged a $10 penalty fee per guest for canceling less than 24 hours in advance. The new cancellation policy allows diners to cancel two hours in advance. A last-minute booking function allows reservations for tables that become available on the date of your visit.
Some restaurants have implemented the new two-hour cancellation policy, and the new updates to the reservation system will go into effect at all restaurants in the coming weeks.