The Disney Reservation Backup Plan Playbook (When Sold Out)
Your top pick is sold out and the trip is still weeks away. This is the best time to make a backup plan, because you still have choices. This playbook covers how to pick a backup that still feels special, which venues were easier to get in our data, and how to hold a backup while you keep trying for your first choice.
If your trip has already started, see what to do when your Disney reservation falls through.
Facts last verified September 28, 2026
Why a backup matters
When my family wanted Cinderella’s Royal Table, it was fully booked for our dates for a month. We’d heard great things and thought it would be special for my niece, so we kept trying for a cancellation. We also booked Liberty Tree Tavern as a backup. We’d had a great experience there before and loved the family-style serving and the service. As it turned out, a Royal Table cancellation opened the day before and we took it. Having Liberty Tree booked meant the day would have been good either way.
That’s the idea behind this playbook: book a backup you’d be happy with, then keep trying for your first choice.
How to choose a good backup
1. Match the reason you wanted the original
Ask what made your first choice special, and look for that:
| If you wanted… | Look for a backup that has… |
|---|---|
| Princesses and a castle setting | Another character meal your child will love |
| A specific character | A different meal or location with that character |
| Great food in a particular park | Another table-service restaurant in that park |
| A kids’ experience, like a makeover | A shorter or walk-in option, or dressing up at home |
Our Liberty Tree Tavern backup wasn’t a character meal, but it was in the same park, and it was a meal we already knew our family enjoyed. Disney describes it as a family-style, all-you-care-to-enjoy meal at both lunch and dinner.
2. Keep the logistics the same
A backup in the same park, around the same time, means you don’t have to redo the rest of your day. A backup across property can cost you more time than the meal is worth.
3. Pick something that’s actually available
Don’t pick a backup that’s as hard to book as your first choice. In BookADream’s alert history (September 2025 – September 2026):
- ‘Ohana alerts usually found a matching opening the same day they were set.
- 1900 Park Fare showed a similar pattern: most of a small number of alerts found an opening, usually right away.
- Topolino’s Terrace, GEO-82 and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique usually took weeks to open up, if they opened at all. These make poor backups.
Caveats: this covers only the venues, dates and party sizes our users tracked. “Found an opening” doesn’t mean the user booked it, and small samples can mislead. See the 10 hardest reservations, ranked with our data for the full table.
How to hold a backup while you wait
- Book the backup now. Don’t wait to see if the first choice opens.
- Leave room between them. Disney’s system generally won’t let you hold two reservations at the same time under your name (see Disney’s multiple-reservations FAQ). Put the backup at a time or on a day that won’t block your first choice if it opens.
- Keep watching for your first choice. In our opening data (mostly Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique), about half of openings appeared within a week of the visit. Our Royal Table opening came the day before.
- Cancel the one you don’t use before the fee window. For most restaurants, Disney charges $10 per person for no-shows or cancellations within 2 hours. Some experiences have different terms: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique uses 24 hours, and Savi’s Workshop and Droid Depot take full payment at booking. Cancelling also puts the slot back for another family, since Disney makes cancelled times available to other guests immediately.
Special situations
Larger parties
Disney recommends a confirmed reservation for your total number of guests, regardless of age. If a large table isn’t available, search other times and days, and consider a backup restaurant with more flexible seating rather than booking fewer seats than you need.
Resort guests vs. off-site guests
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, you can book your whole stay (up to 10 nights) at the 60-day mark, which gives you first chance at later trip days. See how the 60-day window and 60+10 rule work.
Sources
- When can I book dining reservations? — Walt Disney World FAQ
- Dining reservations help — Walt Disney World
- Multiple restaurant reservations — Walt Disney World FAQ
- Liberty Tree Tavern — Walt Disney World
- 1900 Park Fare — Walt Disney World
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom — Walt Disney World
- Galaxy’s Edge reservations FAQ — Walt Disney World
- BookADream Walt Disney World alert history, September 2025 – September 28, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I book a backup Disney reservation? Yes, if your first choice is sold out. Book a backup you’d genuinely enjoy, keep watching for your first choice, and cancel whichever you don’t use before Disney’s fee window (2 hours for most restaurants).
Can you hold two Disney dining reservations at the same time? Disney’s system generally won’t let you hold two reservations at the same time under your name, so space your backup far enough from your first choice, or put it at a different meal or on another day, and cancel the one you don’t need.
Which Disney World character meals are easier to book as a backup? In BookADream’s alert data, ‘Ohana alerts usually found an opening the same day they were set, and a smaller number of 1900 Park Fare alerts showed the same pattern. Venues like Topolino’s Terrace, GEO-82 and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique usually took weeks, so they make poor backups.
What should I do if my reservation falls through during the trip? See our guide to what to do when your Disney reservation falls through. It covers same-day checks, walk-up lists and walk-in options.
Watching for your first choice?
While your backup is booked, BookADream can watch for your first choice and alert you when it opens.
