MouseDining alerts can be a helpful way to secure Disney Dining reservations. Find out how it works!
Learn how to use MouseDining to snag a last-minute dining reservation at Disney World, so you can enjoy more of the magic!
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There are many sought-after restaurants in Disney World, and for good reason!
With themes from your favorite movies brought to life in stunning detail, and with enchanting character dining experiences available, some restaurants just seem to stay busy.
While you can currently book your dining reservations 60 days out from your trip, you may still find some restaurants are difficult to get a reservation for.
Or, perhaps you’re booking a last-minute trip with fewer than 60 days to plan.
We have a whole list of suggestions for getting last-minute Disney dining reservations, and we’re going to share more detail about one of those options today.
MouseDining alerts are a great way to find out when reservations become available, and we’ll show you how to use them!
What is MouseDining?
MouseDining is a website that sends alerts when Advanced Dining Reservations, or ADRs, come available.
You set up your preferences so they know what you’re interested in, then they serve as sort of a middle-man between you and Disney World, notifying you when slots open up.
Signing up for an account is free, and the service itself is free for up to six alerts, which is enough for most families. However, they do offer paid options for travel agents or annual passholders who may need to utilize more than 6 alerts.
Also on MouseDining, you can view restaurant details, including cuisine, meals, and price. This gives you more information about the restaurant before you book it.
How to Use MouseDining Alerts
To set up your alerts, you’ll first search for the restaurant you’re interested in.
You’ll then sign up for the specific restaurant, as well as your preferred date and time.
If they have openings available, they’ll show those to you. If one fits your needs, or if your schedule is flexible and you can accommodate a different time on your preferred date, go ahead and snag one!
If one of those openings doesn’t work for you, you can click the “Set an Alert!” button.
Then, if a reservation opens later that fits your criteria, they’ll alert you via email (on the free plan) and/or text (on the paid plans).
It’s important to know that Mouse Dining alerts are pretty competitive—once the alerts go out, these reservations go fast.
You have to remember that people with a paid option are receiving text alerts, whereas the free alerts are via email.
Using the MouseDining Calendar Feature
Another nice feature offered on MouseDining is their calendar feature.
If your dates and times are flexible, or if you’re looking for something more last-minute, you can also use their calendar to see what reservations are available at any given time.
So maybe you know you want to eat at a certain restaurant during your week-long stay, but it doesn’t really matter which day you eat there.
In that case, use the calendar to see what’s available!
You’ll enter the number of people in your party, and the calendar will show if there are any openings for specific mealtimes.
You can then click, “View Openings!” to see the specifics of available reservations..
Booking Dining Reservations with MouseDining
Now that you know the basics of how MouseDining works, you can get your alerts set for your preferred restaurants!
Whether you simply have your heart set on a certain restaurant, or if you’re trying to eat healthy at Disney World and need a restaurant with some lighter fare, give MouseDining a try!
If you receive an alert, be quick to check them out and snag the reservation if it works for you.
More Disney Dining Resources:
- The Best Quick Service Restaurants at Epcot
- Iconic Disney Snacks You Won’t Want to Miss
- Disney Springs Restaurants You Have to Try
- The Best Magic Kingdom Quick Service Restaurants
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