ADR Seating Order

[Duck In Blue]

Does anybody in what order they seat people with ADRs? Is it in strict time order or does the time you check in at the podium make a difference? We have 7.15 a.m. ADRs at Chef Mickey's and I just wondered if getting there earlier would mean we could get seated before our time? Along the same lines, we have a 7.30 a.m. at Ohana which I think is the first of the day. Will it pay to try and be the first to get to the podium or do they seat in another order? I know with later ressies it is more dependent on when the table comes available but I was wondering how it worked with the early ones when all the tables are empty? We will aim to get there early as advised anyway but I am hoping this would actually pay off to our advantage!

 

[maxiesmom]

You can always try, but there are no guarantees. I have heard about people showing up really early, and being told they couldn't yet check in. However, a couple years ago I went to WDW with my dad, and we were early for every ADR. The only one we were not sat at was the Crystal Palace, which isn't that suprising.

 

[ccgirl]

Does anybody in what order they seat people with ADRs? Is it in strict time order or does the time you check in at the podium make a difference? We have 7.15 a.m. ADRs at Chef Mickey's and I just wondered if getting there earlier would mean we could get seated before our time? Along the same lines, we have a 7.30 a.m. at Ohana which I think is the first of the day. Will it pay to try and be the first to get to the podium or do they seat in another order? I know with later ressies it is more dependent on when the table comes available but I was wondering how it worked with the early ones when all the tables are empty? We will aim to get there early as advised anyway but I am hoping this would actually pay off to our advantage!

Both. They tell you to check into your reservation 15 minutes early. But, the popular places will not let you check in any more than 15 minutes early. Then, you are seated by check in time. Hope this makes sense.

Just think what would happen if they let everyone check in 1 hour in advance (or whenever they wanted) then all the reservations would just go out the window.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

I think you are asking: If someone has a 7:10 and checks in at 7:10, and I have a 7:15, but check in at 7:00 or 7:05, will I be seated before the person who checks in at 7:10 even though my reservation is technically 5 minutes AFTER theirs.

My answer is: Yes, I believe you will be seated before the 7:10 if you check in before the 7:10. But as others said, this is within a small window. They wont let you check in too early at some places -- but all will let you check in 15 minutes early.

HTH!

 

[squirrel]

I think you can get a table by arriving and checking in a bit before your ADR.

I know when we had an ADR at 1900 Park Fare, we checked in around our 5pm check in time. It may have been 5:05 by the time we got to actually talk to a CM. At 5:35pm I finally asked when they opened as I thought we had first seating, found out the restaurant opened at 4:30pm. We finally were taken to our table at 5:55pm. This was the longest I have ever waited for a table!

 

[Duck In Blue]

Thanks for all your answers, most helpful although I didn't realise the check in window was so short at 15 minutes (haven't been for a couple of years now) so I can see how this could be restrictive. SnoWhiteRabbit that is what I was hoping, if we check in at 7 a.m. and that is before somebody with a reservation before ours then we may get seated. Fingers crossed!

 

[ccgirl]

Thanks for all your answers, most helpful although I didn't realise the check in window was so short at 15 minutes (haven't been for a couple of years now) so I can see how this could be restrictive. SnoWhiteRabbit that is what I was hoping, if we check in at 7 a.m. and that is before somebody with a reservation before ours then we may get seated. Fingers crossed!

What time is your actual reservation? Yes, they request you only check in no earlier than 15 minutes as they only have so many reservations for each time slot. Once you check in, you are then seated in the order you checked in (not necessarily in ADR time order). For example, you are a party of 4 and have a 7:30am reservation. You check in at 7:15am. I am a party of 4 and have a 7:15am reservation but check in at 7:20am. Your party woud be seated prior to mine.

Hope that helps.

 

[Duck In Blue]

What time is your actual reservation? Yes, they request you only check in no earlier than 15 minutes as they only have so many reservations for each time slot. Once you check in, you are then seated in the order you checked in (not necessarily in ADR time order). For example, you are a party of 4 and have a 7:30am reservation. You check in at 7:15am. I am a party of 4 and have a 7:15am reservation but check in at 7:20am. Your party woud be seated prior to mine.

Hope that helps.

Yes thanks, it does! The reservation at Chef Mickey's is at 7.15 a.m and this is the one I am quite keen to get seat as early as possible so we can get to EPCOT after! So we will be there at 7 a.m. prompt to get as far up the queue as possible! For 'Ohana we have a 7.30 a.m. ressie which is the first one, does the check in for the first ressies open 15 minutes before like the later ones?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I always thought they seat you when a table for your party size becomes available. Now we also need to remember that ADR's aren't actual reservations like other restaurants outside of WDW use, because the ADR means you will be seated around the time you were given. For example a few years ago when we went to Boma for dinner they were really running behind on all their ADR's and we were told they were seating people based on what time their ADR was for and how many guests were listed on the ADR's.

 

[tzeitel]

You can check in early - if it is a slow night and tables are available you will get the next available table for your party size. If it very busy you can check in but they do not have to sit you until the time (or thereabouts) your ADR is for.

I was a hostess at WDW - dancing banana for the now defunct Spoodles - and that was how we did it. On slow to mid busy days we would take walk-ins until the restaurant was full (except for large parties of course).

And hosts will be there before the restaurant opens so you can check in early even for first ressie of the day

 

[ccgirl]

Yes thanks, it does! The reservation at Chef Mickey's is at 7.15 a.m and this is the one I am quite keen to get seat as early as possible so we can get to EPCOT after! So we will be there at 7 a.m. prompt to get as far up the queue as possible! For 'Ohana we have a 7.30 a.m. ressie which is the first one, does the check in for the first ressies open 15 minutes before like the later ones?

I always thought they seat you when a table for your party size becomes available. Now we also need to remember that ADR's aren't actual reservations like other restaurants outside of WDW use, because the ADR means you will be seated around the time you were given. For example a few years ago when we went to Boma for dinner they were really running behind on all their ADR's and we were told they were seating people based on what time their ADR was for and how many guests were listed on the ADR's.

In order to adhere to the ADR's they like everyone to check in within 15 minutes (no earlier). You will be seated when a table for your party size becomes available by check in time (which,ideally, should be within 15 minutes of the check in time). It is more like priority seating than a reservation. Hope that helps.

 

[gigi1313]

Yes, they request you only check in no earlier than 15 minutes as they only have so many reservations for each time slot.

i have been to wdw a zillion times, eaten at nearly every restaurant, have been early for ADRs, late for ADRs and on time for ADRs and have *never* been advised that there is a specific check in window... the dining line advises that you arrive 15 mins early but to my knowledge (and i'm pretty knowledgeable about most things wdw! LOL!) there is no hard and fast rule about how far in advance you can check in for an ADR...

heck, we had a 7pm at CM one time and it was torrential pouring rain, so we went over early and they sat us about 5:20... no questions asked, no request to come back later... the only time we ever had a situation almost like the "request you check in no more than 15 mins early" was at Garden Grill... they were packed to overflowing and they said we'd have an hour wait or come back closer to our time and we'd likely only have a 15 min wait... so we left and came back later... but that restauarnt works on more of a "time schedule" due to the length of time it takes to rotate 360 degrees...

 

[ccgirl]

i have been to wdw a zillion times, eaten at nearly every restaurant, have been early for ADRs, late for ADRs and on time for ADRs and have *never* been advised that there is a specific check in window... the dining line advises that you arrive 15 mins early but to my knowledge (and i'm pretty knowledgeable about most things wdw! LOL!) there is no hard and fast rule about how far in advance you can check in for an ADR...

heck, we had a 7pm at CM one time and it was torrential pouring rain, so we went over early and they sat us about 5:20... no questions asked, no request to come back later... the only time we ever had a situation almost like the "request you check in no more than 15 mins early" was at Garden Grill... they were packed to overflowing and they said we'd have an hour wait or come back closer to our time and we'd likely only have a 15 min wait... so we left and came back later... but that restauarnt works on more of a "time schedule" due to the length of time it takes to rotate 360 degrees...

Maybe you are just a really lucky person? I have been turned away many times when trying to check in too early (LeCellier, Ohana, Garden Grill, Cali Grill, Akershus, and Chef Mickey's). We were told at each of those we could not check in more than 15 minutes prior to our reservation. Otherwise, that would just defeat the purpose of the whole reservation system. We even lost a reservation at Coral Reef because I messed up and we checked in 1 hr late. Maybe I just go when it is more crowded? Or, maybe I am just unlucky.

 

[JimmyV]

Maybe you are just a really lucky person? I have been turned away many times when trying to check in too early

My experiences have been the same as gigi1313. Rain, change of plans or whatever else might come up have caused us several times to check in way earlier than our ADR, and we have never been turned away. We checked in at 11:30 with a 12:15 ADR at the Crystal Palace and were told (this was 10 years ago, so maybe things have changed) by the hostess that the ADR is really just a placeholder to keep things organized, but that if we were in the computer system, we could check in any time and they would do their best to seat us. In any event, I will defer to tzeitel who has lived the life. Her post seems to support the notion that early birds can be accomodated as space permits.