Getting Seated before your ADR time.

[Lizzie]

Are they pretty strick with the time for your ADRs. Or can I show up earlier for them and get seated before the time? Not sure if this happens often enough to try to do it. And is it true you are supposed to arrive 20 minutes before your adr?

This is my first trip with so many sit down meals and I am a little nervous.

[DestinationWDW]

On our trip this month we pretty much got seated at almost exactly at the time of our ADR. Exceptions: Hollywood & Vine: We were 15 min late because of transportation snafus, therefore seated late. Whispering Canyon Cafe: Arrived 15-20 min early, seated about 40 min later.....;)

[LoriMistress]

It also depends what time of year when you're going. If you're going during busy/peak/summer season, they'll more likely turn you away. Normally, they will seat you early.

[Speedy1998]

20 Mins early??? I have never heard that before. I have always heard 5 Min early.

[chefmickey3]

Traveling with 3 young children, we try to make our ADRs at the correct time, but it hasn't always worked out that way. Youngest didn't nap and we are leaving the park earlier than we had expected, second had an accident and we are delayed getting to the restaurant... you get the idea. We have never been turned away and we almost always travel in the busy summer months. We were actually told by a CM that if we had a ADR for that day that it would be honored whenever we checked in. I know for the system to work people need to stick to their times, but I really don't think they would turn someone away even hours off their time. We have usually checked in early (e.g. 5:40 ressies and we checked in at 4:30 San Angel Inn) when this happend.

[kakn7294]

We normally arrive 5 - 10 min before our designated time and get seated shortly thereafter. The larger the group, the longer it sometimes takes to be seated. This most recent trip, we arrived at Whispering Canyon about an hour early and asked if we could be seated any earlier. They went ahead and checked us in and we were seated within about 10 min. We also arrived 12 hrs early for an ADR at 'Ohana (they had us in the computer for 8p for the character breakfast) and they seated us within minutes there too.

[wendy*darling]

We tried to arrive about 20 minutes early most times during our trip last week. We were usually seated right about the actual ADR time at each restaurant.

In June, I had mistakenly thought our ADR at Brown Derby was for 6pm. It was actually for 7pm and we were turned away and told to come back later. We ended up getting a CS dinner and going back to Brown Derby for dessert and coffee at our ADR time. (We were not on the DDP)

[Jared]

Definitely arrive at least 10 minutes for all your Advance Dining Reservations. Even with arrangements, we always end up waiting at least that long.

During uncrowded times, it's usually easy to be seated early. In the busy season, the Cast Member will turn anxious diners away until their scheduled time.

[angedeaile]

Crowds are the biggest factor! Busy place, longer wait.

I would stick with showing up 20 minutes before hand just to be safe. I have had it where I was seated immediately and I have had it where I waited 40 minutes.