Advanced Dining Reservations  (ADR)

Disney has its own dining system in place, which is called "Advanced Dining Reservations." They are available at just about every sit down restaurant in Disney World. Advanced Dining Reservations means that you are given the next available table that will accommodate your party once you arrive for your meal. Depending on the restaurant and the time of year you are visiting, the wait can be long. It is best to check in for your ADR about 15 minutes early. Often, during "off times", you can be accommodated up to an hour early.

To help you in this process we've created the INTERCOT Advance Dining Reservation Planner.

Calling

Advanced Dining Reservations can be made before your visit by calling 407-WDW-DINE Or you can make them once you are in the world by pressing the Dining button on your in room phone, or via the My Disney Experience app or mobile site.

Some dining experiences are more popular than others, which is why Advanced Dining Reservations are a necessity in certain instances. Restaurants such as 'Ohana,Le Cellier and Cinderella’s Royal Table book months in advance.

If you are staying on the Club Level at a Disney World resort, the staff can help make your priority seating arrangements for you. The Itinerary Planning Office will contact you prior to your arrival for your list of ADR requests. Once at the resort, the concierge may assist you in securing a new reservation or changing existing ones.

When to Call

The majority of the restaurants within Disney World take Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days in advance. Check here for a time guide. If there is an experience you cannot miss, be sure to start dialing at 7 :00 a.m. EST (when the office opens) and EXACTLY 180 days before the day you would like to have your meal. Dining slots have been known to "sell out" by 7:05 (and no, we're not kidding). You can also make reservations online beginning 180 days before the day you would have your meal.

If you will be a guest at a Disney World resort, you will be given a "head start" on making ADRs. The 180+10 benefit means you may  make your reservations for the length of your stay beginning 190 days before your arrival date.

Confirmation Numbers

Once you have made your arrangements with the Advanced Dining Reservations cast member, you will be given a confirmation number for each ADR you have made. It's a good idea to write the number down and take it with you (in case anything goes wrong, you will be able to show the restaurant host or hostess your confirmation number). If you make your reservations online, the confirmation numbers will be e-mailed to you. In addition, if you make the reservations while logged into www.mydisneyexperience.com, your ADRs will automatically populate into the "my plans" section of your profile.

Arriving

The day of your Advanced Dining Reservation, it is a good idea to show up at the restaurant 10-15 minutes before your seating time. The host or hostess at the podium will check you in and let you know where to wait. Some restaurants issue pagers, others just call out your name when your table is ready. Your wait time really does depend on the popularity of the restaurant and the time of year. Obviously, at the busier times of the year, your wait may be longer, even up to an hour past your ADR time.

Try Again

What if you can't get a Advanced Dining Reservation for the restaurant or time that you want when you call? Try again approximately a week before the day you would like to dine. Cancellations do happen. You could be one of the lucky ones. It is also possible to benefit from a last minute cancellation. Try walking up to the podium at the restaurant and ask. In addition, the mobile dining site is a very handy way to check for last minute availability. Simply enter your party size and meal time preference, and the app will return all available restaurants to choose from.

Cancellations

This brings us to the topic of cancellations. If you have made an Advanced Dining Reservation and later decide that you don't want it, just call 407-WDW-DINE again and cancel. This way someone else may get that ADR that they wanted and couldn't get. It will also allow you to avoid any cancellation penalties. Be aware that you must cancel your ADR more than 24 hours ahead of time, or a penalty will be charged. See below.

Credit Cards

At this time, a credit card is required to make an Advanced Dining Reservation. You must either be logged into your My Disney Experience account with a credit card on file, or you must provide a credit card number over the phone. Disney will assess a $10 penalty per person for "no shows" or cancellations within 24 hours of the ADR time.