Are these considered PPO?

[sailored]

Hello! I have two reservations that I was able to book, but I'm not sure if they would still be considered PPO or if they won't let us in until our actual reservation time. I'm really hoping to get in right when the restaurant opens so that we can eat and then head to Kilimanjaro and Soarin'. Do you think they will allow us to enter right when the restaurant opens with these reservation times? We are all adults and doing the meals for an advantage to be near the rides prior to park opening. Thank you!

Garden Grill: 8:20 AM
Tusker House: 8:30 AM

 

[RN jld]

That would all depend on what time the park opens

 

[WaterLinds]

Epcot pretty much always opens at 9, I think, so that’s a PPO and you’d be let in early.

AK sometimes opens early so check park hours close to your date to see. But also, I don’t think TH offers much advantage? What ride are you trying to get to from there?

 

[yulilin3]

Hello! I have two reservations that I was able to book, but I'm not sure if they would still be considered PPO or if they won't let us in until our actual reservation time. I'm really hoping to get in right when the restaurant opens so that we can eat and then head to Kilimanjaro and Soarin'. Do you think they will allow us to enter right when the restaurant opens with these reservation times? We are all adults and doing the meals for an advantage to be near the rides prior to park opening. Thank you!

Garden Grill: 8:20 AM
Tusker House: 8:30 AM

each of these meals takes about an hour to complete so they will not benefit you at all. Not even if you decide to skip the characters. If you reserved these for the main purpose to be in front of the lines I think you are wasting your money and should just line up early.
If you reserved these to enjoy your meal then you will not be in the front of the pack

 

[Ds4angels]

From what I understand KS doesn't open till the 9:00 mark, so if they let you in for your res early you should be ok.
I have heard reports of GG setting you when you get there, so if you get there at 8 they will *probably* seat you but no guarantee.
Make sure to ask for your bill in advance so you're not waiting for it when you're ready to go

 

[SaintsManiac]

Hello! I have two reservations that I was able to book, but I'm not sure if they would still be considered PPO or if they won't let us in until our actual reservation time. I'm really hoping to get in right when the restaurant opens so that we can eat and then head to Kilimanjaro and Soarin'. Do you think they will allow us to enter right when the restaurant opens with these reservation times? We are all adults and doing the meals for an advantage to be near the rides prior to park opening. Thank you!

Garden Grill: 8:20 AM
Tusker House: 8:30 AM

We were seated at 8am with an 8:20am at GG. Just make sure to get to Epcot at 7:45.

 

[Jennasis]

each of these meals takes about an hour to complete so they will not benefit you at all. Not even if you decide to skip the characters. If you reserved these for the main purpose to be in front of the lines I think you are wasting your money and should just line up early.
If you reserved these to enjoy your meal then you will not be in the front of the pack

Um no. We had an 8:40 Garden Grill in December. We were let in at 8 and were the first family in yhe park and first to check in a restaurant. We were done and on Soar in ahead of the park opening crowd and had several lovely character interactions (not including that we were made family of the day and had a 5 minute play time with all the characters at once as we were seated).

 

[yulilin3]

Um no. We had an 8:40 Garden Grill in December. We were let in at 8 and were the first family in yhe park and first to check in a restaurant. We were done and on Soar in ahead of the park opening crowd and had several lovely character interactions (not including that we were made family of the day and had a 5 minute play time with all the characters at once as we were seated).

I was saying if they were seated at their reserved times

 

[StarSeven7]

When we had a PPO breakfast at The Plaza 2 weeks ago, they told another family who tried to check in right when they were let into the park at 7:45am that they could not check in until 15 minutes before their reservation time and made them wait until then. I realize the OP wasn't talking about The Plaza, but I really think what happens just depends on the CM at that time and you can't guarantee that you will be seated early. If you're doing the character meals ONLY for a touring advantage, it's probably not really worth it. Kilimanjaro Safaris is really easy to get as a FP and I would think if you went there right at rope drop you would likely have a very short wait. Most of the crowds at AK are in Pandora at rope drop and you really have the rest of the park to yourself at that point! We rode EE 5 times in a row with almost no wait! We've done Soarin' twice during EMH after we went on TT first - so by the time we got to Soarin' it was around 8:30am, and we had very little wait each time (maybe 10 minutes). So I'm not sure either of these rides requires a PPO breakfast only to get a ride advantage.

 

[SaintsManiac]

When we had a PPO breakfast at The Plaza 2 weeks ago, they told another family who tried to check in right when they were let into the park at 7:45am that they could not check in until 15 minutes before their reservation time and made them wait until then. I realize the OP wasn't talking about The Plaza, but I really think what happens just depends on the CM at that time and you can't guarantee that you will be seated early. If you're doing the character meals ONLY for a touring advantage, it's probably not really worth it. Kilimanjaro Safaris is really easy to get as a FP and I would think if you went there right at rope drop you would likely have a very short wait. Most of the crowds at AK are in Pandora at rope drop and you really have the rest of the park to yourself at that point! We rode EE 5 times in a row with almost no wait! We've done Soarin' twice during EMH after we went on TT first - so by the time we got to Soarin' it was around 8:30am, and we had very little wait each time (maybe 10 minutes). So I'm not sure either of these rides requires a PPO breakfast only to get a ride advantage.

Garden Grill is most definitely an advantage. I've had ADRs at 8:10 and 8:20 and rode Soarin before park open. They sat us at 8 both times.

 

[StarSeven7]

Garden Grill is most definitely an advantage. I've had ADRs at 8:10 and 8:20 and rode Soarin before park open. They sat us at 8 both times.

I definitely don't disagree with what you're saying, I think it definitely gives an advantage if you're seated early, I'm just saying I don't think the lines for Soarin' build so quickly that a PPO opening breakfast is required in order to get on the ride with a relatively short wait. The OP stated that they were all adults and doing the breakfast only to get an advantage on the rides.

 

[yulilin3]

I definitely don't disagree with what you're saying, I think it definitely gives an advantage if you're seated early, I'm just saying I don't think the lines for Soarin' build so quickly that a PPO opening breakfast is required in order to get on the ride with a relatively short wait. The OP stated that they were all adults and doing the breakfast only to get an advantage on the rides.

My point as well. If the reservations are made for the sole reason to have an advantage you can basically get yourself at the parks at the same time and go straight to Soarin and KS without long waits and save yourself a lot of money
I don't see the point of stressing over the fact that they may or may not take you early, potentially rush through a very expensive meal just to save a couple of minutes of wait times

 

[SaintsManiac]

Whatever floats your boat. We love the food and characters (yes even as adults) and being in an empty Land is just awesome. You can ride Soarin x 2 and then LWTL by 9:30.

If OP is not interested in the entire experience then I can see saying it's not worth it.

 

[sailored]

Thank you so much, everyone! I think we are going to keep Garden Grill because we like the experience we had last time and drop Tusker House.

Side note, anyone have experience with what the wait times are like if you rope drop FoP? Just in case I’m not able to get a FP for it.

 

[StarSeven7]

Thank you so much, everyone! I think we are going to keep Garden Grill because we like the experience we had last time and drop Tusker House.

Side note, anyone have experience with what the wait times are like if you rope drop FoP? Just in case I’m not able to get a FP for it.

They open Pandora up about 30 minutes early - even during EMH. I would get there probably 45-60 minutes before that in order to ride FOP with a short wait. We haven't rope dropped FOP but we usually rope drop Navi so we see the huge lines for FOP at opening.