Is This Normal?

[Pooh Fan]

I showed up at 5:50 for my 6pm ADR at Mamma Melrose tonight and was told it would be a 30-40 minute wait. I reminded the hostess that it was for 6pm and she said the ADR just got me in the door and once people check in they are seated in order of check-in and that was the current wait time. I was seated at 6:30 and was out about 7:10 which definitely put a kink in my plans to see the American Idol Finale at 7pm. Did I misunderstand something? Wouldn't you expect to be seated at or at least close to the time your reservation is for? :confused:

[stitchaholic]

i have never had to wait longer than 10 minutes after checking in for and ADR at any disney restaurant

[VWL Mom]

Normally we don't have an issue but did waited 35 minutes at CP in August. I thought maybe they were just backed up (which happens). IMHO, based on what you were told, they need to start paying attention to their booking windows or people will take a 745P ADR and just show up at 5P leaving those that actually have ADRs with long waits.

[SBETigg]

While most waits are not as long, yes it is the normal operation of ADRs that you show up, check in, and wait to be seated behind those who have checked in before you. Advanced Dining Reservations don't necessarily mean you're going to show up at your given time and automatically be seated. They do mean you won't be turned away and you will be seated, usually within a few minutes but sometimes with a bit of a wait. With the wait you suffered, you can see how people expecting walk-up seating often don't stand a chance.

Also, keep in mind that when you make ADRs, Disney asks that you show up 15 minutes before your ADR time. Some people show up much earlier or much later and this can add to the check-in list becoming unexpectedly crowded at any given time.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) The seating process is correct.
2) Wait times can vary wildly from no-wait to 60-min wait.
. . . people seated may eat faster or slower
. . . there could be server absenteeism
. . . there could be cooks absenteeism
. . . there could be too many ADR's *
3) Wait time usually gets longer as you more into a meal period.
4) And, no, you can't jump in front because you want to get to a ride.

* Certain CM's have an override code for dining ressies. In this manner, they can squeeze people in even a sold-out restaurant. When extra people are added, it slows things down because now there are tables reserved beyond the capacity for the eatery. So, everything starts to back-up. As an example, there are usually 35-50 extra ressies for CRT on a daily basis, due to ressies made for friends, Vice-Pres and above friends, marketing & sales contacts, other Disney/ABC divisions.

[DisneyWFan]

Normally we don't have an issue but did waited 35 minutes at CP in August. I thought maybe they were just backed up (which happens). IMHO, based on what you were told, they need to start paying attention to their booking windows or people will take a 745P ADR and just show up at 5P leaving those that actually have ADRs with long waits.

When we were there we saw many people being turned away because they were too early and were told they could only check in 30 minutes prior to their reservation and one of those people were only about 35 minutes early and they wouldn't let them check in over 5 minutes because the rules were the rules and it wouldn't be fair for those that followed them so IMHO Disney is doing something to control what they can.

ADR's are more like call ahead seating at other popular restaurants around the country not guaranteed seating at certain times

[mudpuppysmom]

We had this happen to us at Artist Point once. We checked in 15 mintues prior to our ADR, they gave us a pager and we really didn't leave the area (what there is of the waiting area) and there were SEVERAL people who checked in after us and I specifically hear them say their ADR was after ours that were seated before we were and they were the same size party or a party of 4 (we were three). I let it happen three times before I went over and said something to the CM at the podium who just shrugged and said "you'll have to wait your turn ma'am"......that made me livid and I asked for the manager......which got us a table right then and there and I think the guy who bussed tables for a waiter -- we did not have a good experience there I felt b/c we had a child with us......who by the way was polite and well behaved! He asked the CM server at one point....."excuse me, may I have some water"....the guy totally ignored his presence at the table!

Sorry for the tangent, but sometimes waits happen and it's not your fault, it just happens.

[Joannelet]

We have had over an hour and change wait for breakfast when they had breakfast and restarauntasouras in Animal Kingdom. People were just walking up and getting in. Other people were waiting around as long as us. We were the first ones there and the last to be seated. We had my 18 month old niece there and my 3 year old nephew who were crying and starving by this time. My family was sooo upset and conveyed this to the hostess stand numerous times and nothing was done. When we walked in most of the tables were EMPTY! we were sooo upset and asked to speak to a manager. The manager came over and apologized as we were trying to get the babies food. Then she came over to our table and gave us fastpasses for one ride for the day.
The only good that came out of that was the first ride we fastpassed didn't take it from us so we were able to use it again for another ride.
Still having to start our day like that was horrible and it was the kids first park and my parties first day at the World! :(

[MNNHFLTX]

When we were there we saw many people being turned away because they were too early and were told they could only check in 30 minutes prior to their reservation and one of those people were only about 35 minutes early and they wouldn't let them check in over 5 minutes because the rules were the rules and it wouldn't be fair for those that followed them so IMHO Disney is doing something to control what they can. I don't think they enforce this all the time. In August my son and I were seated at Yak and Yeti 45 minutes early for lunch. I wouldn't have even attempted it, but was coming down with something that day and the heat was getting to me so I just needed to sit down and have a cool drink. Maybe they just took compassion on me, I'm not sure.

Anyway, to the OP, I don't think I have ever waited longer than 15 minutes before. Forty minutes does seem like a rather large window.

[Seasonscraps]

Yep, that has happened to us a few times. We once waited over an hour for a table.

I think it's ridiculous you follow procedure and get the ADRs - we have all read about what people go through to get them - only to realize you go through all that just to get a place on another line.

[prttynpnk]

We usually try and get late lunch or early dinner services and it isn't too much of a problem then.....

[ChipDale2708]

We had that happen to us at Tony's in the MK several years ago. We checked in and waited for nearly an hour. Okay, they're backed up we think, but the waiting area emptied out a couple of times. Finally we got a manager and they had 'misplaced' our card after we checked in. We never got to eat because we wanted to see Spectromagic and had timed our ADR's to allow for both. We haven't been back to Tony's since. :(

[Belster]

We also had a 40 minute wait at CP and about 25 minutes at Chef dde France last year...I was also not happy with that and was told the same thing.

[TheDuckRocks]

The 2 places that we have always had to wait beyond our ADR time are Mama Melrose and Tony's Town Square and we are always there at or before the 15 minute for our ADRs. Maybe it's something Italian.:D

[Pally]

This has happened to us in the past. Most recently at the GF-afternoon tea. We had ADR's for 2:10 in the afternoon. We had arrived the usual 15 minutes prior. After a 45minute wait my husband went up to the podium. She said they were behind. When they eventually called us. I asked the waiter why the wait was so long. He said the Mad Hatter tea party does not get over until 3:00. We had seen no party whatsoever. As a matter of fact the place looked more than half empty. Note, this is a small dining area as it is. I then showed my printed off ADR that showed 2:10. He had no apologies just saying we don't start until 3:00. After being seated we waited another 20 minutes. There were many empty tables:confused: All I can think of is that they were short on staffed. I only saw one waitress for the longest time. Then after about 40 minutes another one came on the scene. So afternoon tea for 2:10 did not get over until 4:30. I would be hard pressed to give a good recommendation. Very disappointed.

We also waited over a half hour at Brown Derby for a fantasmic package. We were booked at 4:30 and did not get in until after 5:00.

In the past we have waited over 30 minutes at Cape May (christmas time), Crystal Palace, Coral Reef, Teppan Edo (previous restaurant).

It can be really annoying if you have other plans and they get messed up. Like our afternoon tea being so late. We had dinner that night at the Kona Cafe at 6:00 and it was way to close to the tea. But try and get a later ADR forget it. We were stuck.

[Pooh Fan]

Also, keep in mind that when you make ADRs, Disney asks that you show up 15 minutes before your ADR time. Some people show up much earlier or much later and this can add to the check-in list becoming unexpectedly crowded at any given time.

The funny thing about this is that even though Disney clearly recommends showing up 15 minutes ealry, they were turning away people who showed up any more than 10 minutes prior. :confused:
I think they somehow ended up severely overbooked and were just doing anything they could think of to play catch-up. The lobby was crazy. It was packed with families who were waiting and those trying to check in. It was very loud and the servers were having a very hard time finding families once there table was ready because they have no pagers there.
Anyway, thanks for your feedback. :thumbsup:
Whispering Canyon was a much shorter wait tonight (approx 20 min.) and having the pager and a comfy chair in the beautiful lobby made it an easy wait.

[brownie]

I've always understood it to be the first available seats for a party your size. If other people are waiting ahead of you, you're going to have to wait some. If the restaurant gets behind, there may be people ahead of you with earlier ADRs that are waiting too.

[offwego]

The wait time can vary with the "type" of place as well. Some buffets take longer some less time depending (say if your waiting for Pooh or Mickey to come by or just filling up at a non event one).

Also those with "views" for parades, fireworks etc can have issues with people not leaving to see those.

The waits can vary between none and about 45 minutes in my experience and Tony's has been our longest wait time. (plus a lack of pagers makes this tough as you have to hear the servers over the din of folks and that's not easy)

Is it a perfect system? Nope but during promo's such as free dining and or peak times where everyone has an adr your all in the same boat so to speak.