How do we eat dinner?

[dominiondad]

Just hit the dining reservation window. Our first stop is Animal Kingdom. Despite WDW encouraging folks to make dining reservations, there is zero availability. I noticed that only two restaurants are even open for dinner, Tusker and Tiffins, and both of those close at 5:00. Yak and Yeti no longer serves dinner. Are we the only family that likes to eat dinner after 5:00? This seems odd.

 

[AnnaS]

Wow - everyone still having trouble....I did not make any for our last trip last month. We should have.

We ended up getting lucky one evening (booked same day - but it was for 8:30 pm and by the time we were seated and ate dinner, it was way way too late. Friends decided to join us last minute or I would have tried while at home.

I will make one or two for our next trip (or try to anyway). I start working from the end of my trip going to the beginning of it.

Good luck. Keep checking too.

 

[Figmentv]

I’m seeing the same thing this morning. Nothing available for dinner all the through to June 18 and nothing for lunch except Tiffins. Limited availability in HS and MK, but EP seems to have a lot.

 

[AnnaS]

Just hit the dining reservation window. Our first stop is Animal Kingdom. Despite WDW encouraging folks to make dining reservations, there is zero availability. I noticed that only two restaurants are even open for dinner, Tusker and Tiffins, and both of those close at 5:00. Yak and Yeti no longer serves dinner. Are we the only family that likes to eat dinner after 5:00? This seems odd.

I forgot to mention, try Open Table too - some DS restaurants.......unless you are looking for just this day?

 

[ajgardner]

For some reason Yak & Yeti sometimes loads dinner times later. At my window I was only able to book the latest of 4:30. A day or two later they opened some later times and I was able to get 6:30. If they extend park hours even more then they often will add even later times.
Also, in the past, I was able to call Yak & Yeti directly and make reservation. It’s been over a year since I’ve done that so I’m not sure if that policy has changed, but you could try.

 

[sponica]

Just hit the dining reservation window. Our first stop is Animal Kingdom. Despite WDW encouraging folks to make dining reservations, there is zero availability. I noticed that only two restaurants are even open for dinner, Tusker and Tiffins, and both of those close at 5:00. Yak and Yeti no longer serves dinner. Are we the only family that likes to eat dinner after 5:00? This seems odd.

They probably haven't loaded the full schedule in yet or they are saving tables for walk ups.

 

[leiaorgana]

Someone said on another thread that Disney seemed to have messed up and copied last June’s opening hours over to this June and that’s why there’s lack of dinner availability atm which is highly frustrating until they sort it out

 

[EmilyGahr]

Try the restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge! Boma, Jiko, and Sanaa - only a short bus ride away from the park.

 

[focusondisney]

Also, try putting in a specific time, not just “dinner”. More options often show up that way.

 

[dominiondad]

Thanks all for the various tips. So far, none have produced any different results. I'm now having the same issues with HS reservations on the 19th. It really feels like the more Disney changes their system, the less accommodating it becomes. In the past we've headed into the parks with Fastpasses in-hand and dining reservations. This year it appears we'll have neither. Starting to regret the decision to come back.

 

[leiaorgana]

As I said, there’s a glitch with the opening hours atm and once they’re extended the dinner times will come. I’m in the same position as you.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

Things will open up, but from how I am reading your post, it sounds like you might be staying off property and therefore can only make reservations 60 days out. In that case, you are gonna be at a slight disadvantage. Add on to that, animal kingdom only has 4 restaurants if I remember correctly, and Hollywood studios is only 5. Even when the glitch is fixed, with how hard reservations at restaurants are to get these days, I do expect those 2 parks would be some of the most difficult.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

For what it's worth, eating dinner at an earlier off time is not a bad thing necessarily. You might be able to save money by foregoing a big lunch and just grab heavy snacks.. Grab a early dinner or late lunch, however you wanna look at it, then have fun grabbing additional heavy snacks later in the evening where you might have been hungry again. With how things are right now, flexibility is key.

 

[dominiondad]

Things will open up, but from how I am reading your post, it sounds like you might be staying off property and therefore can only make reservations 60 days out. In that case, you are gonna be at a slight disadvantage. Add on to that, animal kingdom only has 4 restaurants if I remember correctly, and Hollywood studios is only 5. Even when the glitch is fixed, with how hard reservations at restaurants are to get these days, I do expect those 2 parks would be some of the most difficult.

Yep, staying offsite for the first time in several trips. It was just a function of having a big group this trip and older kids so I would have needed five rooms. The cost of a VRBO vs. 5 on-site rooms is hard to ignore. I was assuming I likely wouldn't get our favorite restaurant or the ideal time, was just surprised that my options were zero. Hopefully things open as they adjust park hours. Fingers crossed.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

Yep, staying offsite for the first time in several trips. It was just a function of having a big group this trip and older kids so I would have needed five rooms. The cost of a VRBO vs. 5 on-site rooms is hard to ignore. I was assuming I likely wouldn't get our favorite restaurant or the ideal time, was just surprised that my options were zero. Hopefully things open as they adjust park hours. Fingers crossed.

From what I can see I agree with others that there really is a glitch right now. Also, I think touring plans at least has a reservation finder that you can set up 2 free notifications for. You might find that helpful to have it keep checking for you without you having to do-it-yourself religiously.