E=Anybody have experience eating at a restaurant just before they close?

[SeeJackRunn]

I've been debating what to do with ADRs on our arrival day, which we plan to spend at DHS and see Fantasmic. The best option for us seems to be walking over to Kouzzina after the show which begins at 8:00 PM. I can make an ADR for 9:50 PM but I'm afraid it will be much too late and the staff will try to rush us out. We are all adults so we don't mind the time, I'm just wondering if anybody can weigh in with pros and cons on this situation?

This will be on September 30th and I am hoping they add a second show that day!

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I've been debating what to do with ADRs on our arrival day, which we plan to spend at DHS and see Fantasmic. The best option for us seems to be walking over to Kouzzina after the show which begins at 8:00 PM. I can make an ADR for 9:50 PM but I'm afraid it will be much too late and the staff will try to rush us out. We are all adults so we don't mind the time, I'm just wondering if anybody can weigh in with pros and cons on this situation?

This will be on September 30th and I am hoping they add a second show that day!

I have and never had a problem before, the last time was at the Wave and they still were pretty full at closing time, I also have eaten at Chef Mickeys and been there after closing and did not feel rushed.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

We have had late ADRs at many WDW restaurants and have never been rushed out. I can't speak to Kouzzina's specifically, but we had no problems at 1900, Spoodles, Mama Melrose, Hollywood & Vine, Cape May, and probably more.

We do not get up early at WDW. We start late (11 AM usually) and stay until park close time, so we are always at the latest serving of a TS breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Never had a problem.

 

[pennyplanner]

I had the same concerns. I have an ADR for Le Cellier at 8:30 p.m. By the time we get seated, it could be close to 9 p.m. We usually eat earlier, but that was the only time I could book it. Since my sister has never been there, I didn't want to turn it down!

If Chef Mickey's, a buffet, is okay at closing time, then I think it bodes well for most everywhere!

--pennyplanner

 

[Quacktatty]

I had a late dinner at Jiko and made a meal of appetizers. I was asked by my server if I'd be ordering an entree. The kitchen wanted to make sure they didn't start shutting down before I had a chance to order. But I wasn't rushed at all.

 

[jdisnut]

I have seen this question asked on the boards a lot throughout the years, and it seems from reading dozens of responses that the restaurants are quite accommodating toward late diners. The popular restaurants are still full at closing time! I wouldn't worry about your reservation time at all. Go and enjoy your meal. Kouzzina is wonderful.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Never been to that resteraunt so I can't comment to that but we took the last seating of the evening at Crytal Palace and because of that there was a lot more character interaction. They never rushed us at all. They waited till everyone had left to start breaking down the buffet, and everyone that was still in the resteraunt was still lingering so they could get a group picture of the characters.

 

[Feigned]

Never been to that resteraunt so I can't comment to that but we took the last seating of the evening at Crytal Palace and because of that there was a lot more character interaction. They never rushed us at all. They waited till everyone had left to start breaking down the buffet, and everyone that was still in the resteraunt was still lingering so they could get a group picture of the characters.

I had the opposite experience at Crystal Palace. I was with my friend in October of 2008 and we had one of the last reservation times. There were probably 5 or so other families that were sat with us during this time, plus the diners already in the restaurant. We had barely gotten our first plate of food when they started to close the one side of the food buffet. Same thing with dessert. They closed one half of the buffet before my friend even had a chance to go up there, so she missed out on half of the offerings. It was not like we took an extremely long time to eat and there were a decent number of diners still in the restaurant. It was just a bad experience in general.

 

[staceyf197]

No worries about a late ADR time. Our last two visits to Le Cellier we had reservation times of 8:30 PM and 8:55 PM. We were not rushed in any way and there were still several people in the restaurant, though we were the next to last table to leave. The waiters were fantastic. One even came over to joke with our son because he had a Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup champions shirt on. Then when you leave the restaurant it is so peaceful on the walk back to the buses. It is like you are all alone and can appreciate the little details that you miss when the park is crowded during the day.

 

[tinka-belle]

FWIW, both sides of Crystal Palace are the same, with the carving station in the middle at dinner. It's just to spread the crowd out.

Desserts get plunked down anywhere on the dessert island that they fit, so even though there are two sides with different items not all of those spots get refilled with the same item. They just bring out what's available, so a certain pie, cookie, or cake can run out hours before closing time and just be replaced with something else. Dessert here is always a changing assortment.

In other words, you didn't miss much by only getting half the buffet.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

We were the very last diners in Brown Derby one night. We weren't rushed at all. Security did come in a few times though. But they were just keeping a count of who was left in the park and who would need bus transportation home. We exited into an empty park and expected to be rushed along to the gate but the CMs encouraged us to take tons of photos and take advantage of having the park to ourselves. It was awesome!

 

[perla75]

I never like to do this, simply because I feel bad for the waiters. I'm sure most restaurants there stay full well after closing, so it's no big deal & expected at WDW. But ugh I remember when my DF was a waiter at a restaurant in downtown Boston and people used to come in 10 minutes before closing and he would end up coming home at 3am instead of midnight after working a 12 hour shift Again, I'm sure waiters are used to it at WDW, it's just become habit for me never to do that....

 

[figment_jii]

I asked the same question last weekend, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who was wondering what it's like close to closing at various resturants in WDW.

I had originally asked because on my last trip we had a late Biergarten ADR (I think it was for about 8:30 pm with a 9:00 pm closing time) and the buffet was not being restocked with everything at that point. Our first trip still had most all of the offerings, but by the second trip (it was still before 9:00 pm) many of the main dish items were empty on both sides of the buffet.

After reading through the board and this thread it seems that the table service resturants still have all menu items and don't rush people out, but there is the possibility that some of the buffets may have less offerings. Good to know when planning ADRs.

 

[mmtska]

I don't have any experience with this either at WDW, but I think it's a little different because they know that people are going to be there late. If they have reservations at 10 minutes until closing, they are expecting people to be there. At a place where they have a buffet, you might notice a buffet not being restocked because of food waste. In a non-buffet, you make only what is ordered and don't have as much waste. So I can understand a buffet not being fully stocked. As a PP said-CP has the same food offerings on both sides, so shutting down half of the buffet makes sense.

 

[MommyTaraLee]

Thanks for all of the great info... I was worried about the same thing since we have a late (9:40) reservation for dinner at Jiko in October. Looks like we should be ok!

 

[disneypolybride2008]

We like to book those late ADRs. They've always worked fine for us. We didnt feel rushed. I've been 1 of 2 parties there, like at Kona, and I personally didnt dilly dally, but i felt bad for the larger party who certainly was. They just kept talking and drinking coffee. I am sure the staff anticipates being there much after closing time. We did arrive late to our ADR at Artist's Point due to no boats from MK to WL during fireworks, yet they told us one was coming in 7 minutes. Turned out to be WAY longer. They had to check w/ the chef before seating us b/c it was near closing but thankfully they decided to seat us. Again tehre was one party there who wasnt concerned with hurrying up. I ordered asap, and we had a great time. The waitress was so friendly we gave her a giant tip. Great service!! Empty restaurant.