Disney World Booking Windows: What to Book, and When
Dining opens 60 days out and Lightning Lane passes open 7 days before check-in for resort guests (3 days before your park day for everyone else), so here is a simple countdown.
Most of the stress in planning a Walt Disney World trip comes from not knowing when things open. Disney sets a few booking windows, and once you know the dates, the planning gets calmer. Here is how they work. Rules like these can change, so we double-check them for every family we plan for.
Dining: 60 days out
Disney takes dining reservations up to 60 days before you arrive. If you are staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can book dining for your entire stay (up to a 10-night stay) on that first day. That means one planning session instead of checking day after day.
Disney says new booking windows also open at about 6:00 AM each day for select restaurants. That is helpful if you missed a table you wanted.
Two things to know:
- Table-service restaurants in the parks, at resort hotels and at Disney Springs take reservations. Lounges and quick-service spots do not.
- Disney will not let you book a reservation within 2 hours of another one.
Lightning Lane: 7 days or 3 days
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass replaced Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane in July 2024. You buy them only in the My Disney Experience app. Booking opens at 7:00 AM Eastern:
- Disney Resort hotel guests (and a few select hotels): 7 days before check-in. On that first morning you can book for your whole stay, up to 14 days. The select hotels are the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green.
- Everyone else: 3 days before your park visit. With a date-based ticket, that means 3 days before the first day of your ticket, and it covers the total number of days on the ticket.
You must already have valid park admission before you can buy a pass, so tickets come first. Each park day is its own purchase, so plan a little time for it.
On the morning:
- Open the app a few minutes early and make sure everyone is on your Family & Friends list with their tickets linked.
- Bring your short list of must-do rides, and one backup for each.
- Choose your arrival windows before you pay. You can see them first.
- A Multi Pass holds up to 3 selections. A Single Pass is for one of the most in-demand rides, and you can buy up to 2 a day. Disney also sells a Lightning Lane Premier Pass in limited quantities.
- Prices vary by park and date, and you can see them in the app up to 21 days ahead. We will not guess at them here.
Your countdown checklist
- Months out: Pick your dates, your resort and your tickets. Link your tickets and your hotel reservation to your Disney account in My Disney Experience.
- 60 days before arrival: Book dining, and set your alarm for about 6:00 AM.
- About 3 weeks out: Check Lightning Lane pricing in the app.
- 7 days before check-in: Resort guests, mark this date. Be in the app at 7:00 AM Eastern.
- 3 days before your park day: Off-site guests, this is your date.
- Trip week: Check the app for new Lightning Lane times and any restaurant openings.
Put the 60-day and 7-day dates in your calendar today, with an alarm.
Why we plan it this way
We are a Coast Guard family, and we know what it is like to plan around a schedule you don’t control. We keep the dates and tell you which morning to be ready. If your family needs extra care, whether that means mobility, sensory or a Disability Access Service plan, we build that into the trip from the beginning.
Let us plan it with you
Our planning is free to you. Tell us your dates and who is traveling, and we will give you your personal 60-day and 7-day dates.
Request a free quote, call us at 567-318-2583, or email hello@jinnivacations.com.