Best Times of Day to Reserve Disney Dining With Children

When traveling to Disney World with children, you might be doing a bit more planning than someone traveling solo. While Disney World is an incredibly magical place for children with great accommodations for families, kids can still get overstimulated and exhausted. Dining reservations are a great tool to utilize in order to allow the entire family to take a break. Disney restaurants are air-conditioned, serve great food for all (even picky kiddos!), and are a great way to really slow down and soak in the experiences you’ve had that day. But what times of day are best when reserving dining with children? Continue reading for our opinions!

Morning

Breakfast is a great time to reserve dining when you are traveling with children. If you book an early-morning reservation before the park opens you will be able to enter the park early. While you won’t be able to experience any attractions prior to the park opening, you will be able to experience a nearly-empty park and maybe even snap a few quick photos. By the time you are finished dining, you will still have the rest of the day to experience without wasting any park time while dining. Many families also find that their children tolerate breakfast dining better than lunch or dinner because they haven’t been exhausted by the parks yet and are more likely to be in good moods and able to sit and wait for food.

Afternoon

Lunch reservations in the afternoon are perfect for guests who are looking for a midday break without returning back to their resort. By the time the heat of the day hits, most guests with children are looking for air-conditioning and a place to sit. Reserving dining around noon-3pm makes for the perfect break. However, guests should be aware that they might have trouble catching afternoon entertainment, like Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy Parade that runs at noon and 3pm daily.

Evening

Some families find that they are unable to stay at the parks all day into the evening, but some families prefer to get a later start to their day so that they are able to stay into the night. Whichever your preference, dinner reservations can make it more possible for children to stay at the parks late. When you make a dinner reservation, you are allowing your family a sit-down break right around the time they would begin to wear down. A dinner reservation can give your family adequate rest and work as a boost to get them to the end of the day. Another option would be to schedule your dining reservation for as late as you can before the park closes. Once you finish dining, you will exit the restaurant into a nearly-empty park making for a quicker and easier exit, and you might be able to take some photos without people in the background!

What Time Should You Choose?

The answer to this question is dependent on your family. There are benefits in booking reservations during any time frame throughout the day. My family prefers to schedule our reservations as close to 5pm as we can, that way we get a nice evening break from the parks but still have the option to make it back to the resort by bedtime!

What time do you typically dine when eating at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured Photo: Emily Murray.