How (and when!) you can book a Dessert Party at Disney World

When will I be able to book a Disney dessert party for my trip?!
 
I wish I could tell you how many times a week we get asked this question. And that makes total sense because the process for booking dessert parties has gotten pretty confusing in recent years.
 
Disney publicizes that the dessert parties open up for booking at 180 days (like dining reservations) and while that may be true sometimes, it definitely isn't true all of the time.
 
In fact, more often than not you'll find that those pesky dessert parties don't open up at 180 days. Or even at 90 days. Sometimes they don't even open up at 60 days.
 
And, there really isn't any rhyme or reason to it. Well, at least not to "us" non-Disney employed folks there isn't.

Disney World dessert party booking: a lesson in patience

So, what do you do if you're waiting for a party to open up?
 
Keep checking.
 
We wish there was something more scientific we could offer but unfortunately that is about all we can say.

And when we're looking for ourselves or the agents over at Perfect Story Travel are looking for their clients, that's the exact same thing we all do, too.
 
You'll know things are getting close to opening up if you see lots of dates that weren't showing up on the calendar suddenly appearing. But don't be alarmed if even if the dates look open, there isn't anything showing up as available. 
 
There is generally a delay between the dates showing up on the calendar and tables officially opening up; sometimes you wont be able to actually book anything for awhile - but typically by the following morning, you should be able to.
 
Keep in mind that you'll need to prepay for your reservation so you'll want to be prepared with your payment information when the time comes to book!

Dessert party reviews

Disney has lots of fantastic dessert party options and they can be a great way to add a little splurge to your trip.

If you'd like more information as to what is available (including a comparison between them all) you'll definitely want to read our guides and reviews:

Magic Kingdom

Is the Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace Worth the Price?

Epcot

All about the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party at Epcot

Hollywood Studios

Why the Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party is a WDW Prep Fave

Animal Kingdom

Rivers of Light Dessert Party (cost, tips, review)