4 tips for dining at Walt Disney World

No, you do not have to plan all the meals for your Disney World vacation six months in advance.

I just wanted to get that out of the way up front.

A lot of people find it daunting to plan their Disney World dining six months in advance, when the reservation window opens. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can take a much more relaxed approached to your trip and still have some great meals.

I recommend making a few key reservations in advance and filling in around them later. While you can eat very well at quick service restaurants, I promise this will not be your only option.

Here are my four favorite tips for making your dining plans:

Make important reservations early

There are a handful of reservations you really must make far in advance, so I suggest deciding which of these hot tickets you want to do:

• California Grill (especially Sunday brunch)
• Princess meet-and-greets: Cinderella’s Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom; Akershus in Epcot’s Norway pavilion; and the latest addition to the list, Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White at the Wilderness Lodge
• Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort
• Be Our Guest restaurant (the only place to meet the Beast)
• Le Cellier at Epcot’s Canada pavilion
• Ohana at the Polynesian Village Resort
• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs
• Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian

If any of these are on your can’t-miss list, call six months in advance just to be safe. If none of them are, that’s fine too! You will never go hungry at Disney World.

Make reservations at the last minute

In most cases, if you cancel a dining reservation less than 24 hours before, you will be charged a fee of $10 per person for the cancellation. That policy means lots of people cancel one day in advance, so check the My Disney Experience app at about 7 the night before and see what you can find.

You will likely have lots of options, including some of the hot spots I listed above. For instance, it’s 7:10 on a Sunday night as I write this, and there are dinner reservations available tomorrow at Le Cellier, Be Our Guest and California Grill, and even Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. None of these were available an hour ago, and all of them are between 6:30 and 7:30.

When you’re looking for last-minute options, don’t forget to check OpenTable. Many Disney Springs restaurants hold back half their time slots for OpenTable, and many of the best resort restaurants are available there too. Bonus: If you change your mind, there’s no cancellation fee.

Eat off hours

If you can stand some mocking for eating during early-bird hours, it’s relatively easy to get a table right at the beginning of lunch or dinner service (say, 11 a.m. for lunch or 5 p.m. for dinner). It’s been getting more crowded at those hours, though, so be aware.

Another idea: Eat “linner,” a main meal somewhere between lunch and dinner. You will likely find it easier to get a walk-up table. Plus — everyone goes to Disney World for the snacks. So have your late-morning popcorn, sit down for a mid-afternoon respite (from the heat and from your hunger) and then go for dessert later in the evening.

Try restaurant lounges

We love a great meal in a casual atmosphere. Many restaurants have very nice lounges where you can order off the regular menu — no need for reservations or dressing up. And yes, the bars are kid-friendly.

California Grill is a hard-to-get reservation, but it also has a lovely lounge seating area with proper tables where you can comfortably eat a meal. The seating is first come, first served. While the lounge area is often taken up with people waiting for their reservations, the staff does a great job of seating people promptly. And if you can get a seat there, the view is spectacular. Another plus: You can order just appetizers and cocktails if you don’t want to splurge for a full dinner.

One of our favorite places to get a last-minute table is the Boathouse at Disney Springs. Believe me, it pains me to share this secret. The tables on the floating dock near the outdoor bar are all first-come, first-served, and they are rarely filled. It’s one of the most pleasant places to spend an evening. Two things to watch out for: When the sun is setting, it can be blinding; and if the weather is bad, the dock will be closed. (If you find you need a Plan B, do yourself a favor and head over to Jaleo.)

Another good bet is the Crew’s Cup Lounge at the Yacht Club. It’s adjacent to the Yachtsman Steakhouse and has a casual menu that includes a hamburger, “yacht dog,” and prime rib. But you also can order off the full restaurant menu. The atmosphere is warm and clubby — very New England.

One caution: Some restaurant lounges don’t have much seating — or what they have is better for sharing cocktails than a full meal. For instance, you can belly up to the bar at the ’50s Prime Time Café and order all the homey goodness (pot roast! meatloaf! fried chicken!) but there’s very little seating aside from the bar.