The Walt Disney World Resort is one of the best (and busiest!) places for families to visit. And while sometimes, all of the plans you make are perfect: great flights, room reservations and requests made, park days planned out- you might not get all of your favorite Disney restaurants you were planning for.
But don’t give up hope! Here are a few Disney World Dining Alert services to notify you when that popular restaurant reservation opens up.
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The 5 Best Disney World Dining Alerts
You would think that the Walt Disney Company would offer availability alerts, but alas, they do not. However, there are several ‘reservation finder’ websites and apps that you can utilize. Here my top 5 Disney World dining alerts to help create a magical dining experience:
MouseDining
“Planning a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World can be overwhelming, and at times, frustrating. MouseDining removes the frustration of booking Disney dining reservations, alerting you when we spot availability for your desired restaurant, date, meal, and time.” – MouseDining.com
- Free Plan – You can set up a free account and make up to 6 alerts. They will send email notifications once your desired restaurants and times become available. From there, you need to log on to the Disney website (quickly!) and book those specific restaurants.
- $9 Monthly Plan – This paid plan gives you up to 50 alerts and will send a text message notifying you when the restaurant has an opening.
- $90 Yearly Plan – This paid plan gives you a discount ($7.50/month) and is perfect for those who travel to Disney World often. It gives you 100 alerts and will send text alerts.
I have used this one for my past 6 vacations, and every time, I have been able to get what I wanted!
MouseWatcher
“MouseWatcher automatically notifies you by SMS text or email when available dining reservations are found at Disney World and Disneyland restaurants and activities.” – MouseWatcher.com
- $5.00 per Alert – This is perfect for guests who are only looking for one or two restaurants. They will send you a text or email with the direct link to the reservation opening, and all you have to do is click it and book it!
- $19.00 per Month – This plan gives you 5 alerts and will send a push notification of open reservations.
Stakeout
“Popular restaurants at Disney parks are booked fast. But when plans change, reservations open up. With Stakeout, set alerts for specific restaurants, dates, and times and we will notify you when we find availability.” – Stakeout.com
Download the StakeOut app and select the restaurant along with a date and three time slots. When available reservations open up, Stakeout will send a push notification that will take you directly to your Disney account and you’ll finish adding the details to your reservation.
- Free Plan – You’re allowed 1 free Stakeout of a restaurant with up to 3 preferred time slots.
- Limited Plan – For $14.99 (one-time payment), you get a 4-week access of up to 5 active Stakeouts.
- Premium Plan – For $9.99 per month, you’re given unlimited access and up to 10 active Stakeouts. This plan gives you the Best Value.
- Pro Plan – For $19.99 per month, you get unlimited access and up to 25 active Stakeouts.
Note: The paid plans will give you faster notifications of dining availability than those who use the free version.
SpotSnatch
“Dine at fully-booked restaurants. SpotSnatch will alert you instantly via email or text if a reservation gets canceled and becomes available.” – SpotSnatch.com
- Free Version – This gives you 10 email alerts per month.
- $9.00 per Month – This allows 50 email and text alerts per month.
- $19.00 per Month – This gives you 100 email and text alerts.
- $29.00 per Month – This plan allows 200 email and text alerts.
OpenTable
“Notify Me alerts diners if an already-booked table you want opens up, letting people find the inside track into their favorite restaurants. This OpenTable feature sends a notification straight to your phone so you can grab that coveted reservation and hit all the spots on your list.” – OpenTable.com
While this doesn’t include every single Disney restaurant on property, there is quite an extensive list of Disney Springs restaurants along with resorts like Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. Plus, this is a free alert! In the OpenTable App, you will make a “Notify Me” alert for a restaurant that is booked. If a spot opens up, they will send a push notification for that available restaurant, and you’ll follow the prompts to book that reservation.
While there is no guarantee to securing a spot using these Disney World dining alerts, I do think you should give it a try. Especially during busy times like spring break season, during Christmas and New Years, along with the summer months.
How Soon Can I Make Disney Dining Reservations?
All guests that plan on visiting Walt Disney World are able to book 60 days in advance. But there are a few things to keep into consideration.
If you are a Walt Disney World guest staying on property, you can book your dining reservations the day reservations open at the 60-day mark, plus 10 additional days! For example: If your vacation begins on January 1st, 2025 you can start making dining reservations on November 2, 2024 (60 days). But, you get the added benefit as a Disney World resort guest, to book up to 10 days of dining. Essentially, you can book dining for January 1-10, 2025.
Whereas, if you’re staying off-property but plan on visiting Disney World for 10 days starting on January 1, you have to log on every single morning (November 2, 2024 and every morning following!) to make dining reservations. That is a major perk for guests choosing to stay on Disney property.
What Time Does Disney Dining Get Released?
Advance Dining Reservations can be made through the Walt Disney World website, starting at 6 am EST. You can also call 1(407) WDW-DINE or 1(407)939-3463 or go through the My Disney Experience app from your phone. Here are the corresponding times for 7 am EST.
- Eastern Standard Time (EST): 6:00 AM
- Central Standard Time (CST): 5:00 AM
- Mountain Standard Time (MST): 4:00 AM
- Pacific Standard Time (PST): 3:00 AM
- Alaska Standard Time (AKST): 2:00 AM
- Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST): 1:00 AM
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 10:00 AM (when not observing Daylight Saving Time)
- Central European Time (CET): 12:00 PM (noon)
- Indian Standard Time (IST): 10:30 PM (the previous day)
- Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): 8:00 PM (the previous day)
- New Zealand Standard Time (NZST): 10:00 PM (the previous day)
How do I make Dining Reservations with Split Stays?
Being able to experience two (or 3 or 4!) different Disney resorts in one trip is so much fun! Split stays can add variety and excitement to a Walt Disney World vacation, allowing guests to enjoy the unique atmosphere and amenities of multiple resorts during their trip.
To make dining reservations with split stays, you need to keep in mind the dates of your trip. Staying with the January 1, 2025 example:
You’re booked at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort for January 1- 4 and want to end your trip at Disney’s Copper Creek Resort on January 4-7..  On November 2, 2024, you will log in at 6 am EST and book your dining reservations for January 1 – 4.  At 6 am EST on November 5, 2024, you’ll log onto the Disney reservation system and book the remaining dining reservations for the last leg of your trip.
What are the most popular Disney World Restaurants and Experiences?
- Be Our Guest – Located at Magic Kingdom Park, Be Our Guest is themed around the iconic ballroom scene from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – While not a restaurant, this extremely popular experience books up fast! Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, located at the Magic Kingdom, this salon-like setting is where young guests can undergo a magical transformation into princesses or knights.
- Chef Mickey’s – A very popular character meal, Chef Mickey’s located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, is a buffet-style dining experience that features the main mouse himself! Be sure to grab a Mickey waffle at breakfast!
- Cinderella’s Royal Table – Quite possibly the most popular restaurant at Magic Kingdom (and possibly all of Walt Disney World!), Cinderella’s Royal Table gives you the opportunity to dine like royalty inside Cinderella’s Castle! Interact with Disney Princesses as you feast on delectable dishes.
- Oga’s Cantina – Oga’s Cantina is a popular drinking establishment located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While there is a possibility of getting a walk-up reservation, it’s best to make advanced dining reservations.
- Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater – This uber popular spot located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is designed to resemble a 1950s drive-in movie theater set in the Hollywood Hills.
- Space 220 Restaurant- Located at EPCOT, Space 220 is designed to simulate dining onboard a space station sitting 220 miles above Earth. If you can’t get into the restaurant, place your name on the walk-up list for the Space 220 Lounge, which gives you the same experience.
- Topolino’s Terrace – This signature rooftop dining experience, located at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Topolino’s Terrace has delicious Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. One of the highlights to dining here in the evening, is being able to walk out onto the open-air terrace to view the fireworks from EPCOT.
Helpful Disney Dining Tips
- Before making reservations, confirm that your credit card is already connected to your account, so that when a reservation does pop-up, you’ll already have all of that information in your account.
- Be sure to automatically log-in to your My Disney Experience account through a web browser on your phone. If you use a third party app, they won’t be able to send a push notification through your My Disney Experience. It will be sent through a browser like Safari or Chrome.
- Always check the My Disney Experience App! Plans change for lots of guests and if they want to avoid a $10 per person charge, they’ll need to modify or cancel their reservation 2 hours before. Checking for a same-day reservation is a great way to snag last-minute cancellations!
- Map out the most popular restaurants that you would like to eat at on your upcoming visit and be sure to book those first!
Pin it for Later!
I hope this helps you with your future Disney dining alerts! Have you tried any of these services? Is there any that I missed? Leave me a comment down below, I’d love to chat with you!
Looking for other Disney World Tips? Check these out next!
- The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Disney World Solo!
- 33 Movies to Watch Before Your Disney World Trip
- Disney’s Beach Club Studio Room Tour
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Value View Room
- Ultimate Guide to the Disney World Monorail Bar Crawl
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Deluxe Studio Tour
- Disney’s Bay Lake Tower Full Room Tour
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Standard Room Tour
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