Will We Make Our Lunch Reservations?

[Wish_I'd_known_Walt]

We will arrive at MCO at 12:10pm on a Sunday next month. We will take DME to All Star Sports Resort, then get on the bus to HS. We have lunch reservations at Prime Time Cafe at 2:50pm. Does anyone think we can make it in time?

 

[mesaboy2]

Certainly possible. Rule-of-thumb is to allow 3 hours from touchdown to park via DME. You're under that, but not by a ton. You can arrive a little late to the reservation with no repercussions.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I don't think it is worth the risk.

If 12:10 is your landing time, it will take you at least half hour to 45 minutes just to get off the plane and get down to DME. Then you may have to wait for the bus, let's give that 20 minutes. That's over an hour now. By usual convention you should probably give yourself about 90 minutes to get to your resort. Could be shorter, but you have to add in the time just in case. Now you're at 2:40. And you haven't yet taken the bus to Studios.

And if you have any issues with flight delays at all, you miss that ADR and pay the $10 per person penalty.

 

[TeamSy]

I think you're cutting it real close, but there is a chance if you hustle. If your flight lands at 12:10, you have to first debark and get to ME. I usually leave an hour and a half to get to the resort from when the plane touches down via ME... so figure you get to the resort +/- 1:30. Then, once you get to your hotel and check in, you have to then get to HS (by either stopping in your room first or having bell services hold your luggage). So even if it takes you 30 minutes at your hotel and you leave by 2:00, you can probably make it to HS by 3:00. We always leave an hour when taking a bus anywhere (from when we leave our room to get to a restaurant). So yeah, it's possible! I would keep it and worse comes to worse, you'll just be a little late!

 

[maxiesmom]

I think you're cutting it real close, but there is a chance if you hustle. If your flight lands at 12:10, you have to first debark and get to ME. I usually leave an hour and a half to get to the resort from when the plane touches down via ME... so figure you get to the resort +/- 1:30. Then, once you get to your hotel and check in, you have to then get to HS (by either stopping in your room first or having bell services hold your luggage). So even if it takes you 30 minutes at your hotel and you leave by 2:00, you can probably make it to HS by 3:00. We always leave an hour when taking a bus anywhere (from when we leave our room to get to a restaurant). So yeah, it's possible! I would keep it and worse comes to worse, you'll just be a little late!

Worse could be being late and not being seated. And still having to pay for the no show fee. Anytime a guest is late to an ADR there is the possibility of not being seated at all.

 

[TeamSy]

Worse could be being late and not being seated. And still having to pay for the no show fee. Anytime a guest is late to an ADR there is the possibility of not being seated at all.

I don't know any place in Disney that would deny you your reservation and charge you as a no show if you're 10 minutes late. I'm sure it could happen, and I suppose you can call it a risk, but it's very rare.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't know any place in Disney that would deny you your reservation and charge you as a no show if you're 10 minutes late. I'm sure it could happen, and I suppose you can call it a risk, but it's very rare.

Who is saying the OP would only be 10 minutes late? If they are late at all? That is the problem, none of us can say for sure what will happen. They may be on time. They may be 5 or 10 minutes late. They could be late enough they are treated as a walk up and have to wait a bit before being seated. They could be so late that they are not seated at all and charged the no show fee. No way to know ahead of time.

 

[sharonabe]

I want you to do something for me. Close your eyes (well not yet, because you have to finish reading, but after), picture yourself and your family on the plane waiting for take-off. Captain comes on and says "we're having a technical difficulty, but should be under way in about 10 min." Your blood pressure begins to go up, but it's just 10 min. You tell yourself, "we're still okay." Those 10 min become 15 or 20, but you finally take off. For the whole trip, you keep looking at your watch and wishing you could get outside and push the plane along.

Do you really want to start your vacation with that possibility and that much stress? Cancel the ADR. Check the app when you land and see what is available. You may be pleasantly surprised to find an opening for the same day.

 

[TeamSy]

Who is saying the OP would only be 10 minutes late? If they are late at all? That is the problem, none of us can say for sure what will happen. They may be on time. They may be 5 or 10 minutes late. They could be late enough they are treated as a walk up and have to wait a bit before being seated. They could be so late that they are not seated at all and charged the no show fee. No way to know ahead of time.

I was saying 10 minutes in my example timeline... I was using the estimate of being a little late (10 minutes) based on the times I was giving (them arriving at 3:00 vs. the 2:50 reservation), therefore saying it's no big deal.

Honestly, unless the plane is delayed or something, I really don't see why they can't make it under normal circumstances. It's close, but they can probably do it.

We're (unfortunately) notorious for being late, and 10 minutes is really nothing. They won't charge you for that. It's mainly a no show charge. I mean, even at - yikes - 30 minutes late for Akershus during our last trip, and we were SHOCKED there was no problem! We were ready to pay and be turned away, but the girl just smiled and said to follow her!

 

[Belle0101]

I wouldn't take the chance. The last time I flew our flight was delayed 3+ hours for mechanical issues.

 

[nooneshome]

I wouldn't risk it. Grab a quick snack and hit the rides until Fantasmic.

 

[jmkjr72]

I wouldnt count on making it.
Then think about the people after you if your late it can push back there seating time

When we went in may our flight landed at noon we were staying at blt and even with just walking to the mk it was just after 3 that we got into the park

 

[maxiesmom]

I was saying 10 minutes in my example timeline... I was using the estimate of being a little late (10 minutes) based on the times I was giving (them arriving at 3:00 vs. the 2:50 reservation), therefore saying it's no big deal.

Honestly, unless the plane is delayed or something, I really don't see why they can't make it under normal circumstances. It's close, but they can probably do it.

We're (unfortunately) notorious for being late, and 10 minutes is really nothing. They won't charge you for that. It's mainly a no show charge. I mean, even at - yikes - 30 minutes late for Akershus during our last trip, and we were SHOCKED there was no problem! We were ready to pay and be turned away, but the girl just smiled and said to follow her!

The problem is, no one can guarantee anything ahead of time. 90 minutes may be the average time DME takes to get to your resort, but I've had it take as long as 150 minutes. It is not uncommon for planes to be delayed. I've even run into accidents on the roads by Disney that caused huge traffic jams. There is no way to tell what kind of day the OP will have, and having an ADR that close to your scheduled landing time is a bit risky. And as far as not being turned away when you are late, that is totally up to the CMs at the restaurant at that time. There is no guarantee at all that if you are late you will be seated.

I guess it all boils down to how much risk the OP is comfortable with.

By the way, 10 minutes after your ADR time is in reality 20 minutes late, as Disney wants you there 10 minutes before your ADR time.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I wouldn't do it.

 

[GPC0321]

Seems like a hectic way to start a vacation...rushing to make an ADR. Especially given the uncontrollable elements: flights might be "on time" but there are the little delays once boarded, taxiing to the runway or gate. Then there is waiting for DME and figuring how long it'll take to reach your resort, then how long the check-in process might take. No guarantee how long your wait for a HS bus might be. Just too much uncertainty that you really can't control.
I just canceled an ADR at our resort TS for a dinner 2-3 hours after we should be arriving (driving) just because the idea of starting our vacation by having to be somewhere, even somewhere convenient and totally within a do-able time frame just doesn't appeal to me. We've got ADRs and FP+ and rope drops and fireworks and parades to be on time for for the next several days, I want that arrival day to be relaxed so we can get settled and enjoy being there without the pressure of a reservation of some sort.

Can you move it to dinner? I assume you're going to HS for the afternoon/evening anyway?

 

[LoverDisney]

Personally I would be a nervous wreck because anything can happen. I wouldn't want to start off my vacay in that frame of mind.

 

[Wish_I'd_known_Walt]

Originally we had a red-eye flight into MCO, giving us plenty of time to get to HS. Then the airline changed our flights to 2 hours later that morning, thus giving us a tighter schedule.
To make matters worse, we have a party of 9 folks (hard to change reservations) AND we are bringing grandma who is 80 yrs old. She will require a wheelchair from off the plane to DME. Then when we get to our resort, she will be getting a scooter to ride around in. Don't know if that will slow everything down even more.
If I do miss the ADR, I'll be out $90!!!!
Should I cancel the reservations???

 

[Wish_I'd_known_Walt]

BTW, what is the latest you can cancel a reservation without the penalty?

 

[sharonabe]

Originally we had a red-eye flight into MCO, giving us plenty of time to get to HS. Then the airline changed our flights to 2 hours later that morning, thus giving us a tighter schedule.
To make matters worse, we have a party of 9 folks (hard to change reservations) AND we are bringing grandma who is 80 yrs old. She will require a wheelchair from off the plane to DME. Then when we get to our resort, she will be getting a scooter to ride around in. Don't know if that will slow everything down even more.
If I do miss the ADR, I'll be out $90!!!!
Should I cancel the reservations???

For goodness sakes, YES! cancel the reservation. You will never make that with 80 yr old grandma and 8 other people in tow. You have to cancel before midnight the day before.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I would without doubt cancel that reservation.

You must cancel the day before the reservation to avoid the fee. Adding in the fact that you have a party of 9 (not to mention the amount of time even taking a bathroom break at the airport is going to add with a large party), grandma needs a wheelchair plus needs to pick up a rented scooter at the resort, and you're gambling on $90, I'd say yes, cancel it.