Be ready for potentially long waits when you show up for your ADR

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Maybe this is normal, but we found, especially on our later ADRs that we were being told "we're sorry, but we are running 45 minutes to an hour late."

We showed up at Momma Melrose's and were told that they were an hour behind. Some poor woman without an ADR was practically begging to get in and all the hostess could say was "sorry, even if we have a no show, we are still an hour behind existing reservations".

The next day we had a 6:35 at Ohana and again it was almost an hour later before we got seated.

Our 6:55 Chef Mickey's was supposed to be a 45 minute wait, but fortunately only ended being about 10 minutes delayed.

All of our early reservations (Tusker House, Coral Reef, Chef LeFrance, Crystal Palace, 50's Prime Time) we all got in pretty much right on time.

With all the people down there on free dining it appears that if you hold a later ADR that you should pretty much be prepared for a lengthy wait, at least that was our experience. I was kind of prepared for it, but we heard a lot of irrate people taking it out on the unfortunate hostess.

[Gator]

I had been wondering about this problem. I figure a lot of people at WDW aren't on the DDP. So when those folks make a ressie, they may back out and just take the cheap route at a counter service.

But if the meal is paid for, that won't be happening, which means less no-shows and less cancelations. That would equal longer waits. I'd like to hear from some other folks who are there right now.

[DizneyRox]

I suspect the ADR system is much like the airline reservation system and an amount of overbooking is done due to "known" cancellations.

However, since the system has been tweaked to alert people of possible conflicting reservations, i wonder if they are seeing less no-shows in turn causing delays.

Unfortunately, dining at Disney has become a chore. I found myself cooking more and more in the room than I thought I would. While I don't enjoy cooking on vacation and then doing the dishes, it does beat the high prices at many of the restaurants.

[Basket Mommy]

ADRs, as it was once explained to me, are not the same as typical reservations where you expect to be seated at the time you show up. According to the CMs I've spoken to, they don't have to seat you at the time you're supposed to be there. They just hold a spot for you. Makes no sense, but that's the way it has been explained to me on more than one occasion.

[pirateyankee80]

Originally Posted by The Hitchhiking Ghost

Maybe this is normal, but we found, especially on our later ADRs that we were being told "we're sorry, but we are running 45 minutes to an hour late

Absolutely true..We were told this at California Grill and Le Cellier..but only waited 10 mins at Le Cellier. The CM manning the reservation booth outside told us some people were sitting at their table for over 2 and a half hours!!! We would have raised a stink but like I said…we waited only 10 mins. As for CG..we waited at least 45 mins but we wanted to see WISHES so it worked out OK..

[KylesMom]

Maybe this is normal, but we found, especially on our later ADRs that we were being told "we're sorry, but we are running 45 minutes to an hour late."

While I can't comment on this time of year, we find this quite normal during the busy summertime hours. With the craziness of the holiday crowds upon us, I would guess this is much the same now. Ohana, Whispering Canyon, LeCellier, Chef Mickey's, and yes - occasionally Mama Melrose - tend to fall behind and by 7:00 pm you could be waiting over an hour for your ADRs, especially if the weather isn't pleasant outside.

We too have also noticed that if your ADRs are earlier, there's a lot less chance of having your seating time pushed back.

[SBETigg]

I think it also depends on where you are eating. Even at slow times of year, 'Ohana is always backed up after the initial seating. California Grill sometimes backs up-- though in all the times I've been there, we've always been seated almost immediately even when we've shown up early for our ADR. But some of the restaurants handle it well and get you seated pretty quickly.

I find that showing up the twenty minutes early for the ADR does help. Your wait time depends on when you check in, not your actual ADR time-- so if you show up exactly at your ADR time, you probably will have the same wait, but your waiting starts at the check in time. Meaning if your ADR is for 8 and you show up at 7:40, you could be seated by 8:20. But if you show up at 8, you might wait until 8:40. It's a forty minute wait either way, but if you're on schedule to be somewhere for fireworks or show times, showing up the recommended 20 minutes early could make all the difference.

[RedSoxFan]

Good to know. I will make it a point next week to show up at least 20 minutes early for my ADR's.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Originally Posted by SBETigg

I find that showing up the twenty minutes early for the ADR does help. Your wait time depends on when you check in, not your actual ADR time.

I'm not sure if that's quite true or not. A woman came in before us to move up her existing ADR at Coral Reef, they said no problem, I checked in after her as did another party and we were both seated before them.

It might increase your odds of getting in earlier or closer to on time, but if you have a 7:30 ADR and check in at 7:10 and I show up on time at 7:20 for my ADR, I don't know that your checking in would necessarily bump you up in priority seating times, especially if they were at full capacity. If that were true everyone would just make reservations without regard for the times and then just show up early at the time they really wanted. I think the 20 minute idea works if the restaraunt has seating flexibility. Or at least that's my guess.

[MOJoe]

Originally Posted by The Hitchhiking Ghost

With all the people down there on free dining it appears that if you hold a later ADR that you should pretty much be prepared for a lengthy wait, at least that was our experience. I was kind of prepared for it, but we heard a lot of irrate people taking it out on the unfortunate hostess.

That's really sad. I understand that people get tired after a long day at the parks, and all they want to do is be seated for a meal. But to take it out on the hostess if there is a delay is just ignorant. Forget the 20 minute thing, my best tip to get results is to be as friendly as possible. Be gracious to the hostess and she will return the favor.

[SBETigg]

Originally Posted by The Hitchhiking Ghost

I'm not sure if that's quite true or not. A woman came in before us to move up her existing ADR at Coral Reef, they said no problem, I checked in after her as did another party and we were both seated before them.

It might increase your odds of getting in earlier or closer to on time, but if you have a 7:30 ADR and check in at 7:10 and I show up on time at 7:20 for my ADR, I don't know that your checking in would necessarily bump you up in priority seating times, especially if they were at full capacity. If that were true everyone would just make reservations without regard for the times and then just show up early at the time they really wanted. I think the 20 minute idea works if the restaraunt has seating flexibility. Or at least that's my guess.

In your case, she changed an existing ADR-- that's not the same thing. An ADR is not an actual reservation in the traditional sense. It's a time they expect you to show up to be placed in the seating line, not an actual seating time. This is what a lot of people misunderstand about ADRs, from what I understand from CMs I have spoken to about it.

As I understand it (and that could well be mistaken):
They tell you to show up 15-20 minutes prior to ADR time because that's the estimated average wait you will go through when you check in to be seated at your actual ADR time. In a sense, the ADR is just a guideline for them to know how many guests to expect/tables to be sat in a certain window of time. Your actual wait and placement on the seating list does not begin until you check in at the desk. When you physically show up, your name is taken out of the list of expected guests and put on the list of waiting guests.

So the later you show up for your ADR, the later it is that you are actually placed on the To Be Seated list, and the further down the list you could be. If you have an 8 pm ADR for a party of 4 and show up at 8, and someone else has an 8:10 ADR and they show up at 7:50 with a party of 4, they are going to be seated before you. Of course, you could try to show up a half hour before your seating time, but in that case you might be asked to wait to closer to your ADR time before checking in (which has happened to me). So yes, it's more like an appointment to be put on the list to be seated. Unlike reservations, the ADR is not a reflection of your actual seating time-- it's your recommended podium check in time and their expectation that your party will come in to be placed on the seating list within 15-20 minutes of that time. When it works well, you're not waiting long at all.

[darthmacho]

I didn't run into this problem at all on my trip in August. A few places even offered to take us early because we happened to show up before our time. I wonder what changed since then.

During my trip, I found it was the counter-service places that were overly crowded, and even that was mostly because it always seemed to downpour around lunchtime, and everyone was trying to get out of the rain. Several times we walked into near empty places, only to be beseiged by crowds moments later.

[forever a child]

Do you think party size will affect the wait time too? Our ADR's are for a party of two. I hope we don't have hour waits all of the time....I am just thinking it would seem easier to squeeze in a party of two or four as apposed to a larger parties like 6 or more. Maybe that doesn't matter either...

[RememberTheMagic]

Hey everybody!

I'm currently on the Disney College Program, and as a hostess at one of the Signature Dining restaurants, I appreciate it so much hearing your comments about not being rude to Cast Members about things we have no control over!

This week, we have been experiencing a bit of back up- honestly, people are arriving at 5:30 and sitting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, probably because it's so cold outside! I lovingly refer to them as "campers" We always do our best to turn tables as quickly as possible- trust me, we want you in just as badly as you do!

As far as tips for checking in, yes- it is always a good idea to arrive early for your ADR! The earlier you check in, the earlier you will be seated. However, depending on how many people we are expecting, it may be that you will not be seated until your ADR time or even a bit after if it's that crazy.

Another factor is party size- if you are a party of 15 and refuse to sit at 2 separate tables close to each other, then it makes things a little bit more difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Same goes for a party of 2 but we only have tables that can seat 6+ available. Circumstances are so different every night! Some nights we have over 200 people not show up, but others we have people with ADR's waiting for 30 minutes!

One thing I can say for sure is to try your absolute hardest to NOT BE LATE! We understand monorails break down, busses are late, etc..but ADR's are cleared after 15 minutes. If you arrive after that 15 minutes, we will try to seat you as soon as possible, but we also have an obligation to the people who arrived on time. This is where I've run into sticky situations with guests. They were 45 minutes late, but can't understand why there are parties being seated before them...and they don't seem to understand that yelling will not get them seated any faster

If you do run into a situation where there is going to be a wait for your table, take advantage of it. I always tell people to grab a cocktail/beverage, take a pager, walk around the resort and enjoy the sights, and most importantly relax! Checking with the podium every 3 minutes gets you nowhere. It truly bothers me when people approach me and make me feel like I am the one keeping them from their table. I always say that if I could make people get up, I totally would!

I truly do love my job! And I love meeting awesome people like y'all who understand the system and make my job so much easier! So thanks!

[forever a child]

Originally Posted by RememberTheMagic

Hey everybody!

I'm currently on the Disney College Program, and as a hostess at one of the Signature Dining restaurants, I appreciate it so much hearing your comments about not being rude to Cast Members about things we have no control over!

This week, we have been experiencing a bit of back up- honestly, people are arriving at 5:30 and sitting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, probably because it's so cold outside! I lovingly refer to them as "campers" We always do our best to turn tables as quickly as possible- trust me, we want you in just as badly as you do!

As far as tips for checking in, yes- it is always a good idea to arrive early for your ADR! The earlier you check in, the earlier you will be seated. However, depending on how many people we are expecting, it may be that you will not be seated until your ADR time or even a bit after if it's that crazy.

Another factor is party size- if you are a party of 15 and refuse to sit at 2 separate tables close to each other, then it makes things a little bit more difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Same goes for a party of 2 but we only have tables that can seat 6+ available. Circumstances are so different every night! Some nights we have over 200 people not show up, but others we have people with ADR's waiting for 30 minutes!

One thing I can say for sure is to try your absolute hardest to NOT BE LATE! We understand monorails break down, busses are late, etc..but ADR's are cleared after 15 minutes. If you arrive after that 15 minutes, we will try to seat you as soon as possible, but we also have an obligation to the people who arrived on time. This is where I've run into sticky situations with guests. They were 45 minutes late, but can't understand why there are parties being seated before them...and they don't seem to understand that yelling will not get them seated any faster

If you do run into a situation where there is going to be a wait for your table, take advantage of it. I always tell people to grab a cocktail/beverage, take a pager, walk around the resort and enjoy the sights, and most importantly relax! Checking with the podium every 3 minutes gets you nowhere. It truly bothers me when people approach me and make me feel like I am the one keeping them from their table. I always say that if I could make people get up, I totally would!

I truly do love my job! And I love meeting awesome people like y'all who understand the system and make my job so much easier! So thanks!

Hi RememberTheMagic! Welcome to Intercot!

Thanks for the tips! We appreciate your input! My daughter is interested in applying for the College program at Disney and it would break my heart to hear that someone was yelling at her just to get seated earlier when it is not her fault. Thank you for the difficult work you do to make Disney the happiest place on Earth!

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by RememberTheMagic

Hey everybody!

I'm currently on the Disney College Program, and as a hostess at one of the Signature Dining restaurants, I appreciate it so much hearing your comments about not being rude to Cast Members about things we have no control over!

Awesome! Thanks so much for your insight.

[MagicalGuest]

We found that it's the worse during rainstorms. In August, we had an ADR for Hollywood and Vine. We waited almost an hour because people who had finished their meals were just sitting at the tables because they didn't want to get wet! And the poor CM's can't do anything about it.

On a brighter note, the hostess that night was great. She really kept her cool. I'm probably wrong, but she may have bumped us ahead of some of the folks who were giving her a hard time...it just seems like we were seated faster than other parties of the same size who came in before us. Whether that's true or not, it's best for everyone to remember that every CM is someone's son or daughter. Would you want a guest giving your kid a hard time for something s/he can't control?

[luvDaMouse]

We are here now and last night we stopped in to kona cafe at about 5pm we had no adrs just taking a chance we only had to wait about 20-25min then we were seated. I told the hostess that I have an ADR for Thursday and since we were eating tonight could she cancel it for me or do I need to call? And she said since we were only a party of 2 not to worry about it when we don't show up they will just move on. We did arrive late though to our trails end ADR about 1/2 hr late but they were nice enough to seat us anyway, we waited about a 1/2 hr or so. I do think the smaller party you have the less you have to wait. Also the earlier you go the better chance you have of not waiting ( earlier adrs) when we left kona at about 6pm it was packed!

[WDWCrazyKaren]

Thanks to RememberTheMagic for the insights. Reminds us all to allow for extra travel time if using the Disney transportation system! We've been known to take taxis if we look like we are within an hour of our ADR, just to be on the safe side. Sometimes we lose track of time at Disney World (strange, I know).

Also, if you can eat during "off" times, chances are better of getting in at your regularly scheduled time.

[crltkcagle]

We always purchase the dining plan and have never had this problem. Maybe its because we book early dinner reservations and are usually some of the first to be seated for dinner.