Advance Dining Reservations

[A_NY_Outlaw]

Hey everyone. My wife and I are in the beginning stages of planning our return trip to WDW next October. We had the disney dining plan this past April and it worked well for us.

My question (to those of you who know), how far in advance can I start making reservations for restaurants I know that we want to get into? I don't have any tickets purchased yet, so I don't have a dining plan number to give them or anything. My concern is that this past year we waited until 2 months prior to our trip to make reservations and unfortunately we couldn't get into may good restaurants or the ones we wanted.

This time we would be traveling with another couple, so it is imperative that I start as early as possible.

Also one other question- I THOUGHT tips were included in our DDP this year. But I also saw something that said tips are not included? Did they change this at some point?

Thanks in advance for any responses and assistance.

 

[bicker]

You can start making reservations 180 days in advance. Tickets are unnecessary, as is a hotel reservation (though with a hotel reservation, you can book a full 10 days worth of reservations on that 180 day prior date... a minor advantage if you're aiming for a reservation that is very competitive).

Tips will no long be included in the Dining Plan starting for check-ins on 1/1/2008.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Neither tips nor appetizer are included in the NEW 2008 dining plan. you can make your reservations 180 days out and you don't need to give then anything but your phone number. If you know you will be staying onsite and which resort you can tell them that but they don't need any confirmation of that or number etc. Many people book their ADRs before they have booked a package at all.

 

[A_NY_Outlaw]

You can start making reservations 180 days in advance. Tickets are unnecessary, as is a hotel reservation (though with a hotel reservation, you can book a full 10 days worth of reservations on that 180 day prior date... a minor advantage if you're aiming for a reservation that is very competitive).

Tips will no long be included in the Dining Plan starting for check-ins on 1/1/2008.

Thanks for clarifying that about the tips....I almost had a coronary for a minute thinking that we weren't tipping when we were supposed to on our trip in april.....whew