Disney Dining Online Reservations

Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast
Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast

I am happy to announce that Walt Disney World now allows guests to make dining reservations online! While this is very exciting since it is a pain to call 407-WDW-DINE to secure a reservation or cancel one, there are still MANY kinks that need to be worked out.

First and foremost, I am disappointed that Disney didn’t communicate this information to pass holders. I only found out because I complained about the reservation process on my facebook status. A cast member friend clued me in on the online reservation system and I immediately began planning my husband’s birthday dinner.

I signed up for an account so all my reservations would be compiled (or so I thought). Once I finished securing a few reservations and logged out of my session, I assumed Disney stored my history. WRONG! I logged back in yesterday to cancel a dining option and the system did not have any of my reservations stored. I did not write down my confirmation numbers since I believed the system would have the details. I had to call 407-WDW-DINE and ask the operator to help me. Thankfully, they could search by my last name and phone number and retrieve all my reservations.

Here are the frustrating aspects I have experienced with the online reservation system:

  • The system times out frequently and I had to start my search over on numerous occasions.
  • I held a few reservations in my shopping cart; however, lost them when the system timed out. My advice is to check out when you have a reservation then go back in to search for more.
  • Write down your confirmation numbers! The online system will not retrieve your information without the confirmation number and your telephone number.
  • Disney sends a confirmation email to your inbox; however, the email does not include the date, time or confirmation number for your reservation (what is the point?).
  • The search feature is inconsistent. For example, when I type in “Le Cellier Steakhouse” I receive a message indicating the reservation system is down. However; when I perform a search by Epcot restaurants, Le Cellier Steakhouse shows up and I am able to start looking for a reservation.
  • You can tag a restaurant as a “favorite” while logged into the system; however, they are not stored in your profile.
  • Disney did not properly test the system, so users will be experiencing a lot of errors.

Positive aspects:

  • If your restaurant of choice is not available for the date and time you indicated, the Disney system will suggest other restaurants with availability for your party size.
  • You can search a date range of up to 5 days.
  • Reservations can be booked 90 days in advance (my recommendation is to book early)!
  • It is so nice to cancel a reservation online instead of waiting on the telephone to speak to an agent. Wait times can be long during peak seasons!
  • Be persistent! Check the online system often if there is a particular restaurant you want to go to. Remember, people are constantly canceling plans and their loss can be your gain!
  • Once the bugs are worked out, the online reservation system is going to save a ton of time!

If you are planning a Disney vacation, make sure to bookmark the Disney World Dining and Reservations system.

Thanks for stopping by The Unemployed Mom. My persistence paid off because tonight my family has a reservation at Ohana to celebrate my husband’s birthday.

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