From a culinary trip to space to dinner in the Beast’s ballroom, Disney World is full of magical dining experiences. But if you don’t have snag a reservation for these restaurants months ahead of time, you probably won’t be able to experience them when you go to Orlando.
In this part of the Guide 2 Disney World Dining Reservations, I’m going to lay out which Disney World restaurants you should try to make sure you get a reservation for as early as possible. As of this writing, you can make dining reservations 60 days ahead of time. If you’re working with a Disney World travel agent, you should definitely let them know if one (or more) of these restaurants are on your must-do list as early as possible.
The difficulty in getting reservations might give you serious FOMO. However, just because these restaurants are popular doesn’t mean that you should automatically include them in your Disney World plans. For example, guests without kids will most likely be fine skipping character dining like Cinderella’s Royal Table, as you end up paying a big premium to be able to see Disney characters. Also, there are a ton of great alternatives that are much easier to dine at. I’ll highlight a few here, but you can dive deeper in “The easiest dining reservations worth getting at Disney World.”
The hardest dining reservations to get at Magic Kingdom
Be Our Guest
Be Our Guest has been an extremely hard to get reservation since it opened, and its shift to a prix fixe menu hasn’t changed anything. Be Our Guest has a bit of a reputation now for being somewhat overrated, partially due to its sky-high popularity and food quality that doesn’t quite meet the price tag. Still, I’ve had positive experiences every time I’ve dined here, and it’s stunning atmosphere can‘t be beat.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
This was a hard to get ADR when we started Guide2WDW — and that was over 20 years ago! Cinderella’s Royal Table is your chance to dine in Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom. While this character meal currently is modified and isn’t the princess promenade it was before 2020, the dining experience is still a huge crowd pleaser.
Easier Alternatives at Magic Kingdom
- Skipper Canteen
- Liberty Tree Tavern
The hardest dining reservations to get at EPCOT
Space 220 Restaurant and Lounge
Much like Be Our Guest, EPCOT’s newest restaurant relies heavily on its atmosphere… or lack of atmosphere depending on how you look at it. Guests get in a “space elevator” that takes them to a restaurant that is 220 miles above Orlando. With massive screens simulating a view out into space, there is really no other restaurant like the out of this world Space 220.
Both Space 220 and its lounge are an extremely difficult ADR to secure.
Le Cellier Steakhouse
Another long-standing favorite, this EPCOT hot-spot offers a decadent and delicious steakhouse meal. Between the cheese soup, the pretzel bread, and the filet with mushroom risotto, Le Cellier has a menu full of must-have classics for every course.
Easier Alternatives at EPCOT
The hardest dining reservations to get at Hollywood Studios
Oga’s Cantina
Found in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, this intergalactic bar the cosmic concoctions and snacks that you’re looking for. If you’ve ever watched A New Hope and wanted to visit the Mos Eisley Cantina, Oga’s is your next best bet. On one hand, you will have a much smaller chance of losing a hand. Also, Oga’s Cantina features one of my all time favorite characters in Disney World: DJ Rex (formerly Captain Rex from the original Star Tours).
The one knock against Oga’s Cantina is the lack of filling food offerings can be disappointing. This is definitely more of a place to get a drink or two and admire the atmosphere rather than other bars at WDW where you can also grab a meal.
Easier Alternatives at Hollywood Studios
- Baseline Taphouse (no reservation required!)
The hardest dining reservations to get at Disney World Resorts
Ohana – Polynesian Village Resort
From your first round of noodles to bread pudding, Ohana is guaranteed to leave you stuffed. This all-you-care-to-eat restaurant has been a mainstay of difficult to get reservation lists at Disney World for years. With a great view of the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks, an evening at Ohana is a fantastic way to cap off a day at Disney World. But I guarantee you that you will want it to be the last thing you do on the day you eat there, because food comas can be a likely side effect here.
Easier Alternatives at Polynesian Village Resort
- Kona Cafe
- Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto (No Reservations – First Come, First Served)
California Grill – Contemporary Resort
Excellent food and an even better view. This restaurant takes you to the top of Disney World, with one of the best menus in all of WDW. Tip: If you aren’t able to score a reservation, California Grill also has a lounge that offers the full menu and is first come, first served. Be sure to stick around or come back for the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks – which is available to anyone who dined in the restaurant or the lounge at any point during the night.
Topolino Terrace – Riviera Resort
As the signature restaurant at Disney World’s newest resort, Topolino Terrace – The Flavors of the Riviera is also a rooftop restaurant. With an extremely popular character breakfast featuring Mickey, Minnie, and friends, as well as excellent food and an amazing view, it’s understandable why this restaurant is a hard reservation to snag.
Victoria & Albert’s – Grand Floridian
Temporarily closed since 2020, Victoria & Albert’s has been long considered the pinnacle of Disney World fine dining. With a smaller dining room, Victoria & Albert’s is focused on matching high-end dining with high-end service. Before it “temporarily” closed two years ago, it was a hard reservation to secure. When the restaurant returns from its pandemic-induced hiatus, I would predict that pent-up demand will make this reservation even harder to get once Victoria & Albert’s returns.
Easier Alternatives at Grand Floridian
- Citricos
- Narcoossee’s
Captain’s Table – Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
Dining at the Crown of Corellia Dining Room will be a hard to get reservation for most Disney World guests, as it requires a reservation at Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. While reservations initially sold out but haven’t been extremely hard to come by lately, Disney World’s Star Wars hotel is still an extremely pricy proposition. Still, all guests of the hotel will have meals at the Crown of Corellia included.
However, there’s an even more exclusive dining experience at Crown of Corellia – that costs even more money. The Captain’s Table is limited availability. Per Disney: “Arrange to sit at the captain’s table for an especially memorable dinner experience. Enjoy extra courses—the captain’s favorite dishes—while seated in a prime location in the center of the Crown of Corellia Dining Room.”
Be sure to check out other entries in our Guide 2 Disney World Dining Reservations.
- How Early Can You Make Disney World Dining Reservations
- What to Do When You Don’t Have a Reservation at Disney World
- The Hardest Dining Reservations to Get at Disney World
- The Easiest Dining Reservations Worth Getting at Disney World
Are there any other restaurants that deserve to be on this list? Let me know in the comments below!
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