Disney no hotel fast pass q

[Deleted]

My sister lives 20min from Disney so we wouldn't need to stay in a hotel. Last time we went, we lined up for our fast pass choices when we got there. Took 10min.
But I heard they changed things and the dining experiences sound fun.
But I know there is this 180days out deal etx.
I would like my parents to take her to disney for one day this year or next. So how does it work if you don't have a reservation and just buy your tickets at the gate?

[Redpoppy]

You can sometimes make reservations day of, but I wouldn't count on it especially character meals. If you aren't at a Disney hotel you can reserve 90 days out I think. We just did that. There are fast pass plus kiosks in the park but many had lines. We just booked ours online ahead of time but you have to have your ticket already to do that.  We got our tickets at AAA, used the website to book, and then bought magic bands in the park to use since we were there for the week.

The only reservation I couldn't get was Be Our Guest. DS and I just went up at 10:30 and walked in for lunch (we had a light breakfast). I did not try to get any princess meals though.