It’s Dining Day for Anniversary Guests!
Walt Disney World’s October 1st 50th Anniversary date is quickly approaching. It’s 60 days out, to be exact, and Disney travelers know what that means – it’s dining day!
For those who aren’t familiar, Disney dining reservations for table service restaurants can be made 60 days in advance, online and via the My Disney Experience app at 6:00am EST or by calling 407-WDW-DINE at 7:00am EST.
Overall Dining
While we here at MickeyBlog consider all four Disney parks must-dos, let’s face it, Magic Kingdom is the star of the big Anniversary day, with Epcot as a special guest star since the highly anticipated Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens the same day! Park reservations for these two most classic Disney parks have been booked for months, refilling every time new availability is announced. It’s no surprise that table service restaurants at and around Magic Kingdom booked up quickly this morning. We did a little digging around to see what we could see!
Guests at Disney’s Riviera Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., can see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck during breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera, the resort’s rooftop restaurant. During the resort’s phased reopening, characters maintain proper physical distancing while parading through the restaurant during mealtimes. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
While reservations are constantly changing, here’s what we saw after the first morning of anniversary date reservations…
Character Meals
Character dining is, as always, the most popular reservation. We saw one brunch time reservation available at Tusker House and that was it! This isn’t surprising as character meals tend to book quickly even on non-anniversary days!
Breakfast
Your best breakfast bet is around the 9am timeslot. Earlier doesn’t offer much reservation selection from the most popular fan-favorites. (We did spot a surprising breakfast timeslot still open at Whispering Canyon Cafe over at the Wilderness Lodge!)
Lunch
Lunch time shows more open reservations, mostly at Hollywood studios. (Brown Derby fans, you’re in luck!) Otherwise, reservations at parks are pretty scarce at peak lunch hour, when everyone is looking for a break for tired feet. Pro tip: Consider eating at off peak times. When we searched there was much more availability at popular restaurants in the 3pm range. (Hello, coveted Rose and Crown table for 4 at 2:45pm!)
Dinner
Photo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvQ1e2hu4w4
The most popular table service time! Many people save their big sit down meal of the day for the dinner hour, making these reservations the most difficult to come by. For October 1, we spotted the most dinner availability at Hollywood Studios with a few favorite Epcot spots thrown in. Again, off peak hours are helpful, as an early 3:30 dinner could snag you a coveted Yak & Yeti meal, while late snackers probably grabbed the couple open Oga’s Cantina slots we spotted!
Disney Springs Dining
While table service dining inside Disney parks is pretty full at standard times, Disney Springs offers many more restaurants! We saw that most availability was still at off peak times, but there were still plenty of favorites like Raglan Road, Jaleo, and Rainforest Cafe available at 6:30pm!
50th Anniversary
Photo: Disney
While there’s no better food than at Disney, eating isn’t the only thing to do during this 50th Anniversary celebration! There will be new fireworks shows, new merchandise, and new character appearances. If dining and park reservations are any indication, it’s going to be a busy, but really exciting day!
Plenty of Time
But have no fear, Disney fans, this celebration goes on for 18 months! That’s right, there’s no need to be discouraged by full dining reservations because you can still experience Disney’s special event all the way through April 2023!
Photo Credit: TripAdvisor.ie
Interested in experiencing the Anniversary Magic?
As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner with MickeyTravels I would love to help you on the road to a magical Disney vacation! Whether at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line or Aulani, I’m happy to help you with everything from date selection to dining reservations. Let’s create an itinerary that gives you and your loved ones magical memories for years to come. All of my planning services are 100% FREE with no hidden catch! Follow my Facebook page, or email me at andra@MickeyTravels.com. I’d love to help you get back to the magic!
