How late can you be for a reservation before you are charged a fee ?

[maryj11]

I just wanted to know how late will they allow you to show up before they charge a fee ?

 

[figment_jii]

I just wanted to know how late will they allow you to show up before they charge a fee ?

There is no official grace period before you are considered a no show. So technically, as soon as the clock rolls past your ADR time, you could be considered a no show and charged the no show fee. Now in practice, it seems like most of the restaurants have a grace period that ranges from 5 to 15 minutes, but it varies by venue and by CM, so you can't count on there being one. It is also possible that as long as you show up within a reasonable period of time they might not charge you the no show fee, but they'd consider you a walk-up because you missed your ADR time.

 

[aacvacation]

If you call ahead they are extremely forgiving. I arrived at Crystal Palace nearly two hours after my reservation and they seated me immediately.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

If you call ahead they are extremely forgiving. I arrived at Crystal Palace nearly two hours after my reservation and they seated me immediately.

Obviously I don't want to be late to an ADR, but I've got one that might be hard to get to due to parade traffic issues. Should I be delayed, where do you find the number to call (I can't find restaurant phone numbers) or do you just call 407wdwdine?

 

[aacvacation]

I found the number right to the CP. What place are you talking about? I might know the number.

If not, yes you should be ab to call their DINE line, but maybe if you called the lobby of your hotel they might know the number too. (Sometimes DINE takes a while to get through.)

 

[figment_jii]

Obviously I don't want to be late to an ADR, but I've got one that might be hard to get to due to parade traffic issues. Should I be delayed, where do you find the number to call (I can't find restaurant phone numbers) or do you just call 407wdwdine?

Could you position yourself to watch the parade from a location that is easy to get to the restaurant?

I do also think how flexible they are depends on the restaurant in question. If the venue is very busy/popular, I think they are less likely to allow you to be significantly late for your ADR. For example, I think if you tried this at BOG they are very unlikely to allow you to be markedly late to your ADR. I was actually at BOG when a CM told a guest that they're ADR time was 16 minutes in the past and they were now considered a walk-up.

Another poster has often said that Tusker House will honor an ADR no matter how late you are, so it's possible that Crystal Palace is also like that. It's also possible that the PP got some pixie dust. My point is that I wouldn't count on being able to be late to an ADR and still have it be honored even if you manage to call the restaurant itself.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

50s prime time cafe 10 minutes after a parade. If I can call to say we are in the park and desperately trying to get from here to there maybe they will cut me a few minutes slack if necessary so I won't feel like I have only two bad choices: mow people down to get there on time or be charged as a no show.
I didn't see a phone number on disney's site. If you know where I can get reliable restaurant phone information, that would be great. If not, then I can just stop by the restaurant earlier in the week and ask.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Could you position yourself to watch the parade from a location that is easy to get to the restaurant?....

What I'm hearing is that on the weekend in question, people will line the shaded side (the one with my ADR) at park opening. Since I will do other things in the morning and only be an hour "early" for the parade, there may be significant crowds between me and ADR at parade end. I still think 10 minutes to get across a street will work - it just hadn't occurred to me that they might charge us and bump us to a walk-up if we were only slightly delayed. So now I am in even more of a panic about the expected SWW crowds. (We don't usually travel during crowded times - lines and people I expected, charged for truly no-show I expected, draconian enforcement of arrival times was not expected!)

 

[figment_jii]

(We don't usually travel during crowded times - lines and people I expected, charged for truly no-show I expected, draconian enforcement of arrival times was not expected!)

I suppose it also comes down to that I don't really think of this as being "draconian", with the implication that this is somehow unreasonable, to expect guests to honor their ADR times. My guess is that as long as you show up within a reasonable time, you will not be charged the no show fee.

 

[maxiesmom]

50s prime time cafe 10 minutes after a parade. If I can call to say we are in the park and desperately trying to get from here to there maybe they will cut me a few minutes slack if necessary so I won't feel like I have only two bad choices: mow people down to get there on time or be charged as a no show.
I didn't see a phone number on disney's site. If you know where I can get reliable restaurant phone information, that would be great. If not, then I can just stop by the restaurant earlier in the week and ask.

Asking earlier in the week will give you their general policy. But day of, if they are busy, things might be different.

Most restaurants will not hold your spot indefinitely. 15-20 minutes seems to be the average time allowed before they consider you a walk up, and make you wait a long time, or consider you a no show and tell you to try again a different day. And charge you the fee.

I honestly don't think if you are close to the where the Prime Time Cafe is, even on the other side of the road, that you will miss your ADR. It is not that far off of the main strip. Unless it is wall to wall people you will be ok.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

I know that we've been 10-15 minutes late before to an ADR and not had a problem getting seated (we've also been 10-20 mins early and not been seated any earlier than our ADR time!).

However we also saw a group one time that showed up an hour late to Ohana and they were told that they were now considered walk ups and that they'd be waiting for quite some time. (This was pre-reservation fee). As that group walked away to eat somewhere else the mother was giving her husband quite an earfull for oversleeping their reservation.