8:25 for Crystal Palace?

[Figment Mom]

I just made a last-minute decision to try for a pre- park opening breakfast at CP. I was able to grab an 8:25 for next week!

I figure by the time we are done the park will have opened but I hope not to lose too much park time and am hoping the benefit of walking down an empty Main Street will make up for it.

Two (or three) questions:
How early are we likely to be let into MK?

What time do you think we'd finish breakfast (along with the likelihood of being seated on time)? There will just be 2 of us and we aren't huge eaters.

 

[queenOhearts]

If you check in early enough and are seated on time you can probably be in the park by 9:30. Maybe sooner depending on how much time you care to spend with the characters, if you're going back for second helpings, etc. I would suggest asking for the check right away so you can leave as soon as you're ready.

Last September I had an 8:05 reservation and we were out in about an hour only a few minutes after rope drop.

 

[shell8558]

I always get a 8:05 reservation for my family of 4 or 8- if my sister tags along too. And we are usually out by 9:05-9:10. I think with just two of you by 9:15 you should be out. Like pp said - ask for your check early .

 

[Figment Mom]

Thanks!

Any insight on how early they may let us through the gate? And will they let us linger on Main Street or will they send us straight to CP?

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

A) Outstanding late minute snag!

B) I'd keep checking too, never know if the 8:05 opens up.

 

[JanetPlewa]

Thanks!

Any insight on how early they may let us through the gate? And will they let us linger on Main Street or will they send us straight to CP?

I'm also curious about this. I got an 8:15a adr this year for this exact purpose. I'm hopting to get into the park early and take some nice family pics before the masses hit.

I would also like to know how early i can enter the park and if they will have any issues with us posing for pics before we go into CP.

 

[Coconuts]

We have had early ADR's for CP many times but I can't honestly remember the earliest we have gotten in. I know we have gotten there as early as 7:45 with no problem. Honestly, I don't think they have ever asked us for our ADR. We just say at the gate that we are eating at CP and they have let us walk right through. That being said, as long as you have an early ADR, between 8:00 and 8:30, I don't think it matters how early you get there. You could probably get there by 7:30 and have no problem if you really want to get done early.

Breakfast should take @ 1 hour or a little less and that's if you don't dawdle.

No one cares if you stop for pictures, as long as you are not late for your ADR and miss your meal.

Hope this helps

 

[Figment Mom]

We have had early ADR's for CP many times but I can't honestly remember the earliest we have gotten in. I know we have gotten there as early as 7:45 with no problem. Honestly, I don't think they have ever asked us for our ADR. We just say at the gate that we are eating at CP and they have let us walk right through. That being said, as long as you have an early ADR, between 8:00 and 8:30, I don't think it matters how early you get there. You could probably get there by 7:30 and have no problem if you really want to get done early.

Breakfast should take @ 1 hour or a little less and that's if you don't dawdle.

No one cares if you stop for pictures, as long as you are not late for your ADR and miss your meal.

Hope this helps

That helps a lot! Thanks!

So are you saying that if I have an 8:25 but arrive before 8 they are likely to seat us early? I always thought ADRs often ran late but never considered they may run early.

 

[Coconuts]

That helps a lot! Thanks!

So are you saying that if I have an 8:25 but arrive before 8 they are likely to seat us early? I always thought ADRs often ran late but never considered they may run early.

There's always possibility that you may be seated before your 8:25 time. Every time we have been there for an early ADR, things move pretty quickly and we've never waited more than 15 minutes. But I have never been there in summer so it may be quite a bit busier. Good luck!

 

[ibela]

So are you saying that if I have an 8:25 but arrive before 8 they are likely to seat us early? I always thought ADRs often ran late but never considered they may run early.

I don't think ADRs typically run early but when a restaurant first opens, I'm pretty sure they stagger the times just so they don't have the entire restaurant show up at once waiting to check-in and be seated. Our ADR is for 8:35am so I'm hoping we can get there a little early too for some pre-RD pics and possibly be seated a little earlier, I figure they can't possibly expect someone with a 8am ADR to be done by 8:30 to turn their table over to me.

 

[Figment Mom]

I don't think ADRs typically run early but when a restaurant first opens, I'm pretty sure they stagger the times just so they don't have the entire restaurant show up at once waiting to check-in and be seated. Our ADR is for 8:35am so I'm hoping we can get there a little early too for some pre-RD pics and possibly be seated a little earlier, I figure they can't possibly expect someone with a 8am ADR to be done by 8:30 to turn their table over to me.

Thanks.

I'm here now and our CP ADR is tomorrow. After our experience the past couple of days I'm pretty sure showing up early will be fine. For our past 2 lunches we've been there significantly early and got seated immediately. Granted it may be different at a character meal.

We went to LTT 1 hour and 15 minutes early for lunch today. It was raining and we were hungry so we went over and they said it wasn't a problem at all. Worked out great. We moved our next FP up and it was perfect.

 

[DopeyDame]

Thanks.

I'm here now and our CP ADR is tomorrow. After our experience the past couple of days I'm pretty sure showing up early will be fine. For our past 2 lunches we've been there significantly early and got seated immediately. Granted it may be different at a character meal.

We went to LTT 1 hour and 15 minutes early for lunch today. It was raining and we were hungry so we went over and they said it wasn't a problem at all. Worked out great. We moved our next FP up and it was perfect.

Awesome to hear about that kind of flexibility in this era of pre-planned everything!

 

[nkereina]

Last year we had an 8:05 ADR. We got to MK around 7:30, were let in through the turnstiles around 7:40, and then were held at the entrance under the train tracks until about 7:55. There was surprisingly more people waiting to get in than I anticipated, due to the popularity of CRT breakfast in addition to CP. I would suggest getting there around the same time, even though your ADR isn't until 8:25. No one checked our ADR times before letting us in. You can also check into CP early and maybe be seated early. We're two adults, were seated about 8:10, and were done by 8:50ish. We ate twice and didn't wait for any characters we missed.

 

[Figment Mom]

Awesome to hear about that kind of flexibility in this era of pre-planned everything!

Yes, it's very good because I misjudged what time we'd be ready to eat lunch.

Today's Plaza reservation was for 2:30. Tried to check in at 1:20. Was told they could seat me around 1:50. They were really busy. We decided to go to the Tomorrowland arcade and returned about 1/2 hour later to check in. We were seated in less than 2 minutes.

This morning was our 8:25 CP ADR. Arrived at MK at 7:40 and was allowed to enter immediately. Frolicked on Main Street for a while and checked in at CP at 8:05. Seated at 8:16 and out at 9:10. Saw all of the characters and went up for food 3 times.

 

[CSchex]

So, I am up in the middle of the night just reading the disboards. You definitely can get in at least 15 minutes early for your reservation. Just bring the number with you, because last time we went in for a pre-park breakfast, they asked at the front gates for our ADR number. We had ours, so no problem. I don't know if they verified it or not. You will have no problem taking your time and lots of pictures going up Main St. Also, I decided to search for that elusive 8:05 time for the only day we could be up that early - and got it! I can't believe it!

 

[Figment Mom]

So, I am up in the middle of the night just reading the disboards. You definitely can get in at least 15 minutes early for your reservation. Just bring the number with you, because last time we went in for a pre-park breakfast, they asked at the front gates for our ADR number. We had ours, so no problem. I don't know if they verified it or not. You will have no problem taking your time and lots of pictures going up Main St. Also, I decided to search for that elusive 8:05 time for the only day we could be up that early - and got it! I can't believe it!

I do have our confirmation numbers with me but I've never been asked for one. We've had two pre-park-opening breakfasts this trip (one in MK and one in AK) and both times I just gave my name outside the gate. They had the reservations on a clipboard.

At AK they started letting people in at 7:50. We had an 8:10 and went on in. We were seated right away and finished and out the door at 8:50. The characters came around in quick succession.

 

[Figment Mom]

So, I am up in the middle of the night just reading the disboards. You definitely can get in at least 15 minutes early for your reservation. Just bring the number with you, because last time we went in for a pre-park breakfast, they asked at the front gates for our ADR number. We had ours, so no problem. I don't know if they verified it or not. You will have no problem taking your time and lots of pictures going up Main St. Also, I decided to search for that elusive 8:05 time for the only day we could be up that early - and got it! I can't believe it!

I do have our confirmation numbers with me but I've never been asked for one. We've had two pre-park-opening breakfasts this trip (one in MK and one in AK) and both times I just gave my name outside the gate. They had the reservations on a clipboard.

At AK they started letting people in at 7:50. We had an 8:10 and went on in. We were seated right away and finished and out the door at 8:50. The characters came around in quick succession.