Enter park early for ADR and not going to restaurant

[acellison]

Has anyone ever noticed or seen a family enter a park early for an ADR and then clearly not head in that direction

 

[cmwade77]

They pretty mich have all other routes blocked off in my experience. Out here at DL they walk groups down to the restaurant until a certain time.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I don't know why anyone would bother doing this since you can't get any farther then the actual restaurants. The only other place you could probably go would be the bathroom, but who would spend an hour in the bathroom waiting for the park to open?

 

[KathleensKid]

Everything is blocked off by ropes, and there are CMs directing you where to go.

We did H&V, CRT, and Tusker House before the park opened during our trip in May (had the first seating at each) and each one allowed guests to only walk to the restaurants.

At MK and AK, we were out and into the attractions before any other guests (other than our fellow breakfast eaters) which was great! Only a few minutes ahead - but each minute counts.
At DHS, we were able to join the front of the line of people entering the park heading to TSM and or Star Tours. - but we were not able to go ahead of the line of CMs leading the way.

I have no idea why anyone would want to fork over money to get in w/o eating??

 

[bumbershoot]

I have no idea why anyone would want to fork over money to get in w/o eating??

I imagine that people who do that have ADRs at restaurants that don't penalize for no-shows. I doubt people are doing it for CRT where you pay in advance!

 

[sewingmolly]

I'm considering doing this on our next trip in March. We would like get an early ADR at Crystal Palace so we can enjoy the walk down an empty Main Street. This March, the original opening hours of Mk were 9:00am. Then about a month before our trip, they change the opening to 8:00am. So what would you do or rather which would you not do - walk down empty Main Street, Fantasyland at rope drop or breakfast with Pooh? I'm just hoping that rope drop is at 9:00 for March 2012, so I don't have to make this choice.

 

[Allison]

I'm considering doing this on our next trip in March. We would like get an early ADR at Crystal Palace so we can enjoy the walk down an empty Main Street. This March, the original opening hours of Mk were 9:00am. Then about a month before our trip, they change the opening to 8:00am. So what would you do or rather which would you not do - walk down empty Main Street, Fantasyland at rope drop or breakfast with Pooh? I'm just hoping that rope drop is at 9:00 for March 2012, so I don't have to make this choice.

I guess I wouldn't make an ADR I didn't intend to use at a popular place at a popular time and keep someone else from getting into the restaurant at the time they wanted.

 

[Disneykidsdad]

I guess I wouldn't make an ADR I didn't intend to use at a popular place at a popular time and keep someone else from getting into the restaurant at the time they wanted.

You stole my thunder. How selfish can some people get?

 

[DaniB]

Really folks? That's how you read Molly's post? It comes across totally different to me...

If she makes an 8am ADR at CP when MK opens at 9am - what would you do if Disney changes MK's opening to 8am? Breakfast with Pooh at 8am anyways, or Fantasyland at RD instead. I'm sure if that happened and she decided to do Fantasyland at RD instead, she would cancel.

Maybe I'm the one reading her post wrong, but I don't think so. Then again, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt knowing that I'm quick to jump to conclusions if I don't slow down and think/read again.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Really folks? That's how you read Molly's post? It comes across totally different to me...

If she makes an 8am ADR at CP when MK opens at 9am - what would you do if Disney changes MK's opening to 8am? Breakfast with Pooh at 8am anyways, or Fantasyland at RD instead. I'm sure if that happened and she decided to do Fantasyland at RD instead, she would cancel.

Maybe I'm the one reading her post wrong, but I don't think so. Then again, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt knowing that I'm quick to jump to conclusions if I don't slow down and think/read again.

That's how I read it too. I would make an ADR, but cancel it if the park hours change, and try to book a late breakfast or lunch instead if I really wanted to eat at CP. Lunch is just as good as breakfast, if that helps at all.

 

[Agri]

You can get in at 8:00a.m. even if your ADR is for like 8:15 or 8:30 and with the park empty, that does give you time to get some photos just off of MS areas without a lot of people in the way.

I'm willing to give people the benefit of doubt on this one.

 

[Snurk71]

I bet people thought that of us one time. We had a like an 8:10 PS (yes, it was that long ago that it was a PS) and we slowly wandered up MS taking pictures, took our picture in front of the partners statue, etc. I think we ended up checking in about 8:40.

 

[cigar95]

I bet people thought that of us one time. We had a like an 8:10 PS (yes, it was that long ago that it was a PS) and we slowly wandered up MS taking pictures, took our picture in front of the partners statue, etc. I think we ended up checking in about 8:40.

Reality is that for those early morning reservations at MK, it doesn't matter if your reservation is 8:05, 8:10, 8:15, or 8:20 - things are pretty hectic right at opening, and they just check folks in and pass 'em through. So those who arrive a little late will get seated with no questions asked, and some folks end up getting seated early.

Either way, the tables don't sit idle - even someone who doesn't show for a reservation doesn't result in any fewer guests eating at the restaurant that day.

 

[sewingmolly]

Really folks? That's how you read Molly's post? It comes across totally different to me...

If she makes an 8am ADR at CP when MK opens at 9am - what would you do if Disney changes MK's opening to 8am? Breakfast with Pooh at 8am anyways, or Fantasyland at RD instead. I'm sure if that happened and she decided to do Fantasyland at RD instead, she would cancel.

Maybe I'm the one reading her post wrong, but I don't think so. Then again, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt knowing that I'm quick to jump to conclusions if I don't slow down and think/read again.

Yes, this is what I meant. I would cancel if I decided to do rope drop instead of breakfast, although it would be a difficult decision and one I hope I don't have to make. The OP's questions was about a family entering early for an ADR and then not going there. I was suggesting that perhaps they found themselves in that situation and didn't cancel.