General question about early dinner ADRs

[LuzzBightyear]

I understand the concept of the ADR: they do not save a table, but you get seated ahead of walk-ins...so if you have an ADR for like 5:30, and the restaurant opens at 5:00pm, I assume Disney tries to space out their ADRs so there will tables open for 5:30? Or do they try to fill it up at 5:00pm and the 5:30 folks have to wait until the first 5:00pm folks are done?

If it is the former, and you have an ADR for like 5:30, and can you arrive pretty much anytime before that and expect to be seated before your ADR time?

 

[jennib5426]

I think it depends on the resaurant and how booked they are. I have come an hour before and ADR and have been seated right away and have also been told I wouldn't be seated until close to or after my ADR time because the place was booked up.
Since most popular places at WDW are booked up full months in advance these days trying to get in a lot harder these days, but not impossible.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Don't expect to get seated before your ADR, Don't expect to get seated at your ADR. The adr gives them an idea of when you would like to seated, you should be arriving 15 minutes or so before, they will take your name. Then if a table opens or is available right then, they'll seat you. As soon as one comes available, you'll get seated. Each sit down meal is about 1-1/2 hours total...its does add up on time, which is why we do DDP and not deluxe...too much missed park time
Have a great time and if you cannot make an ADR, pls consider call to cancel so someone else can try and get in. In the reverse, if you could not get in by calling or online, walk up, you just never know. I have found that earlier dinners (5-53ish) have much better luck at some/most of the choice places. Its our typical time, so it works for us. We have been at places with an ADR and still waited for an Hour, or even left because they were so backed up, now thats really frustrating but does not happen often, thankfully!
Have a great trip and Happy Eating!!

 

[vicki_c]

We almost always show up at the recommended 15 minutes before our ADR time, and I would say 95% of the time we get seated right about our exact ADR time. That's over at least 10 trips since we've been making ADRs. We almost always schedule early as well - dinners are around 5:30, lunches 11:30.

 

[LuzzBightyear]

I guess my question is if the restaurant opens at 5pm, and you have an ADR for 5:15 or 5:30, why wouldn't they seat you before your ADR if you happen to show up?

Does Disney try to fill up the restaurant at opening, then the folks with ADRs like within 30 minutes of opening have to wait for table? Or does Disney just stagger the seating after opening to ensure there won't be a big turnover of several tables at one time?

 

[traceym]

My FIL and new wife went to WDW over spring break. This, as we all know is a busy time at the World. They arrived at their ADR's well ahead of time and they were seated before their ADR time. At most of the restaurants he said they were leaving at their ADR time. So, yes it can happen.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I guess my question is if the restaurant opens at 5pm, and you have an ADR for 5:15 or 5:30, why wouldn't they seat you before your ADR if you happen to show up?

Does Disney try to fill up the restaurant at opening, then the folks with ADRs like within 30 minutes of opening have to wait for table? Or does Disney just stagger the seating after opening to ensure there won't be a big turnover of several tables at one time?

I think they stagger them for 2 reasons:
1) There is not a big rush at opening trying to get the entire restaurant seated at the same time.
2) That the turnover of tables is not all at the same time.

ETA: if they CAN seat you before your ADR time they likely will.

 

[purple figment]

If a restaurant has 50 tables, there aren't going to be 50 groups scheduled right at opening. They are staggered so that hosts/hostesses aren't faced with a huge number of people expecting to be seated all at once and the kitchen isn't overwhelmed with an enormous number of orders coming in almost simultaneously.

When we were at Les Chefs, the "first seating" was very gradual. ADRs were spaced out at 5 minute intervals and hostesses seated people steadily. The restaurant opened at 4:30, we had a 4:45 ADR, but since Disney recommends that you arrive 15 minutes before the ADR time, we did. We were seated about 4:40. I would guess that the "first seating" is timed so that tables are turned gradually during the rest of the evening.