CP Wait Times? Getting a bit worried.

[kidsgobears]

It seems that just about every trip report or dining report I've read lately complains about the wait time at Crystal Palace. Over an hour past the ADR time seems typical. Recent experiences anyone? Anyone getting seated in a reasonable time?

We have an ADR at 4:40 pm before MNSSHP. I really don't want to waste 70 minutes just waiting to be seated. TIA for your recent experiences!!

 

[RMulieri]

Sadly I have heard the same too.My friends just returned and waited 40 mins past their adr time. I think the fact that this place is popular, coupled with the loss of character dining at LTT and the Free Dining promotion have caused serious back ups at CP.I scheduled a late lunch for our December trip and am prepared to wait for it

 

[Pakey]

When we ate there on our January trip, a relatively slow time period at WDW, we waited about 40 minutes to be seated. It then took about 90 minutes to dine and see all of the characters.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

We ate there a few weeks ago at lunch on Monday Sept 14 and were seated within 20 min. There were a ton of people on the porch, and the wait to check in was 10 min (we arrived 10 min before our reservation), but once we checked in it was about 20 min. So it wasn't too bad, it looked like it was going to be worse, than it really was.

 

[koolaidmoms]

When we were there in May we only waited about 15 minutes past our reservation time. I am worried about December because everything is booked for the week we are going and I am afraid we will be waiting an hour with two kids who will not take that so well.

 

[Lucky'sMom]

I think the key is (and I realize this won't really help you now) to make your ADR for the first available seating for each meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner). We have always done the first lunch seating we could get (11:30ish) and never waited more than 15 minutes. We have our first breakfast there next month at 8:05, so I am expecting a short wait as well, since the restaurant will be empty beforehand. This is true at any restaurant, of course, but esp. helpful at the character meals, where people can really linger...

 

[scard192]

We ate at CP on 9/21. Had an ADR for 11:50. Checked in right at 11:50 and were seated within 10 minutes. They were also accepting walk ins at lunch that day.

 

[kidsgobears]

Yeah, one good experience lately. There's hope.

We'll just check-in a little bit earlier than normal and hope for the best. DS11 loves this place (all about the buffet not the characters, but DS9 and I love the characters). I think we waited about 5 minutes for our 8:05 am ADR in '06 and about 10 minutes for our 5 pm ADR before MNSSHP in '07. So these waits I'm hearing are just very surprising. It's not like this place hasn't been running for years and years.

Thanks to all that responded! Anyone else with recent experience?

 

[Waseller77]

We had an ADR there for Sept. 27 at 5:35pm. I got in line to check in at about 5:15 and checked in right around 6pm. It was a long wait and people were pretty angry, especially those with young kids (which is a good portion of Crystal Palace customers given the Pooh characters) who were HUNGRY. But once we checked in, we only waited another 15 minutes or so. There HAS to be a better way for Cyrstal Palace. Once 2 people started checking people in, the line moved much faster. But really, it was pretty ridiculous. And I hear it happens daily!

 

[ktlm]

We ate there last December and again this May. Both times we were seated pretty close to our ADR time, I would say within 10 minutes. In May, it was actually our fastest character meal. We were seated not too far from the first character in the round. We had seen all the characters, eaten and were walking out within 45 minutes. That was purely the luck of where we were seated. Now- don't get me started on 1900 Park Fare- Got there and checked in at 5:45 p.m. and wound up leaving just after 9:00 p.m. Messed up our DTD plans for the evening.

 

[djp0630]

We were there a week ago, Sept. 28 for an 8:10 AM breakfast. Only waited maybe 5-10 minutes to be seated, got there a little early, maybe 8:05 or so. Was out by 9AM (almost).

 

[bluesky225]

We were there on 9/27. The line to check in was about a 20 minute wait (very long line). After that, we waited 40 more minutes. About an hour in all....
Our reservation was for 3:40.

 

[kidsgobears]

Yikes!! If they're running that far behind, do they give you a buzzer so that you can go do a couple rides or something? I'm reasonably patient, but this sounds ridiculous.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

Yikes!! If they're running that far behind, do they give you a buzzer so that you can go do a couple rides or something? I'm reasonably patient, but this sounds ridiculous.

They give you a buzzer, but you can't take it too far. You won't be able to take it on rides. Scratch that, I don't think they give out buzzers, I think they just screech out your name, so you have to be within earshot.

 

[Caillean]

We were there two weeks ago with a 1:45 reservation and waited 15 min to be seated.

 

[Canyon girl]

My ressie is for 6:45 pm during that crazy week after Thanksgiving week. If I show up at say 6:20 and see that line that has been described, I will probably go get a CS meal and save that TS for a later time. That is a really bad disregard for the consumer's time. Can you tell I have been dealing with other problems today??? Don't buy Sony Bluray!!! Anyway, back to the subject at hand...Is this problem at CP maybe due to the new ressie system? We've seen the overbooking of Tappan Edo by hundreds. Could it be that they need to tweak the programming? From what I've been reading, it seems that this is something that has started over the summer. Just a thought...

 

[kidsgobears]

We've seen the overbooking of Tappan Edo by hundreds.

When was this? Please don't tell me they're having the same problems at Teppan Edo.

 

[Canyon girl]

When was this? Please don't tell me they're having the same problems at Teppan Edo.

I think it was a month or so ago posted on this board. People were getting called and having to change ressies because of a glitch. My point is that maybe the system needs some tweaking because they seem to have some consistent problems.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't think they give out buzzers, I think they just screech out your name, so you have to be within earshot.

Yep, we ate there over the 4th of July, and they were definately screeching out the names. Still you could hardly hear them, with everyone waiting all jammed together on the porch. Buzzers would be a vast improvement, I wonder why they don't use them?

And I think we only waited 15 minutes past our ADR time. But I am already thinking about what we will do if they are running far behind for our ADR there in a couple of weeks. I can't see making the kids wait an hour before we get to sit down.

 

[avalanche1977]

We were there on 9/27. The line to check in was about a 20 minute wait (very long line). After that, we waited 40 more minutes. About an hour in all....
Our reservation was for 3:40.

I was there the same day, had a reservation for 6pm. Took me 30 minutes to check in, then waited another 60 minutes. Not worth it, at all!

The rain in the afternoon did not help the line as people were not leaving the restaurant.

I wanted to try CP, and now that I did, I have no reason to go back.