We ran into some difficulties when trying to make a reservation for Chef Mickey’s.

Since Chef Mickey’s first reopened back in July, several experiences at the restaurant have been operating differently than prior to the closure — including a switch from buffet-style dining to family-style meals, and the lack of characters at the restaurant. However, Disney has announced that characters will be returning to Chef Mickey’s on December 16th, and reservations for character dining were set to open for character dining today.

We were up bright-and-early this morning to make our reservations to check out the return of characters to Chef Mickey’s but we ran into some technical difficulties.

Reservations for restaurants usually open at 6AM on the My Disney Experience app or 7AM on the Disney World website beginning 60-days in advance. But when we tried to make our reservations for the return of character dining at Chef Mickey’s on December 16th today, there was no availability listed. We checked different times and different party sizes, but we still came up short.

While reservations to high-demand restaurants can fill up fast, we’re usually able to get a dining reservation for the date we want when we set alarms and are ready right when those reservations are released. So, you know we had to see what’s going on.

We reached out to Disney to see what was up. The Cast Member we spoke with confirmed that the reservations for the return of character dining on December 16th were already completely booked by Disney World Resort hotel guests. So if you had similar issues this morning, you’re not alone! These ressies are completely FULL!!

Since Disney World Resort hotel guests are able to book dining reservations for their stay up to 10 days after their check-in day, they are able to secure reservations earlier than non-hotel guests.

The Cast Member we spoke with suggested that we continue checking the My Disney Experience app in case any other parties change or cancel their reservations. We will be back on bright and early tomorrow morning to give the 17th a shot. Fingers crossed!! And if you weren’t able to get a reservation, don’t get too discouraged. Reservations can sometimes show up when you least expect them, so keep checking!!!

Click here to check out our experience dining at Chef Mickey’s without the characters!

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Have you snagged a reservation for the return of character dining at Chef Mickey’s? Let us know in the comments!

The post Having Trouble Booking Character Dining at Chef Mickey’s in Disney World? You’re Not Alone. Here’s What We Found! first appeared on the disney food blog.