How strict are ADRs?

[geminigirl620]

Are the times a "window" or are they strict about being punctual? This is our first trip with the dining plan/180 day window and I am having a hard time imagining that hordes of Disney guests actually get to their ADRs promptly.

If you show up late/early, do you get turned away?

 

[jagafen]

I don't know how "strict" they are, but you're advised to show 15 minutes prior to your ADR time. Understanding that things happen, I don't think we were ever more than 5 minutes late for our reserved time. I set the alarm on my cell for 30 minutes prior to our ADR time to make sure we make it there.

 

[madalex]

Are the times a "window" or are they strict about being punctual? This is our first trip with the dining plan/180 day window and I am having a hard time imagining that hordes of Disney guests actually get to their ADRs promptly.

If you show up late/early, do you get turned away?

An ADR isn't a real reservation; it only means that you get the next table for a party your size that becomes available after you check in. So, if you show up a little late, you fall behind in the queue and run the risk that people with ADR times after you will get seated before you.

Hordes of Disney guests do get to their ADRs promptly, so if you show up 15 minutes late, you will get put in line behind people who have ADR times later than yours.

 

[Nadjalu]

What was said above is true. However........if you are more than 15 mins late you can be turned away. It doesn't usually happen, but it can, just be aware.

That is why they say to be early.

We are always early to our ADRs and are seated right away. The most we have had to wait was 15 mins (and we were 1/2 hour early to our ressie that night).

 

[TDC Nala]

If you show up more than 15 minutes after your ADR time you may be either put in the standby queue, resulting in a longer wait, or turned away from the restaurant.

 

[aubriee]

We are nearly always quite a bit early for our ADRs. Usually it's not a problem, but for some reason Crystal Palace nearly always tells us to come back no sooner than 15 minutes prior to our ADR time. We have seen people turned away at Mama Melrose, Chef Mickey's, and Le Cellier for showing up late. When making ADRs over the phone you are told to arrive at least 15 minutes early, allowing time for Disney transportation.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

The PP are correct. You can be turned away if you are more than 15 minutes late. A friend and I were down last March when they had the Princess 1/2 Marathon (at least I think that was the race going on that weekend) and there was a family on a bus to the MK that were running late to their Ohana breakfast ADR because of transportation issues related to the marathon. They had gotten ahold of someone at the Poly and were told they would try to work them in for breakfast but it wasn't guaranteed they'd get in.

I had a good experience (if you can call it that because of the circumstances) at 1900 Park Fare. In September 2008, I had a dinner ADR scheduled for 6:30 to celebrate my DD's 5th birthday. I had one of the castle cakes ordered. Well, DD is a special needs kid and had a monumental meltdown right at the time we had to leave for the ADR. I had allowed an hour for us to get from the WL to the GF, which should have been way more time than we needed. But it took me almost an hour to calm DD to the point where I felt I could attempt to take her to a restaurant. Then nothing went right with transportation. In hindsight I should have just taken a cab, but didn't think about it at the time. We were 45 minutes late for the ADR. When we got there, I told the guy at the podium I understood if we couldn't be seated for dinner, but could I at least pick up the castle cake I'd ordered. He told me he could seat us for dinner, but it would be a 45 minute wait. I told him thank you but I didn't think my daughter could wait that long and I'd just take the cake. He said he'd check on the cake, but when he came back he told us he could seat us immediately. I was shocked, and very pleased. I certainly didn't expect it and it was really nice they were able to do that for us.

 

[KarenAylwood]

We're almost right on time or 15 min early for our ADR's. There have been a few times we've been right on time and had to wait 15-20 min for a table.

Once we were late- last year at Le Cellier. I had been sick and it took us a while to get to Epcot and we got there 10 minutes late. The CM host was very rude to us over being late and made a big deal out of it to the other CM's that were seating people and helping host. She kept telling us that she'd have to check, she *might* be able to fit us in, yadda yadda yadda. Ok, we were late. We apologized and asked if they could fit us in (she could have spared us the dramatics) and we were seated 30 minutes later.

Also last year we had left plenty of time to get to our ADR at the Wave but there was a bomb scare on the buses and the system was shut down for an hour (while we were waiting for the next bus!). So they had to get everyone cabs and the whole thing was a nightmare. I called the restaurant and the woman told us that she'd fit us in when we got there as soon as she could and that we wouldn't be turned away. We were 20 minutes late and only had to wait 5 min for a table. They were very nice about it.

Most people do show up on time or early for their reservations! We learned our lesson for sure after Le Cellier

 

[aubriee]

We're almost right on time or 15 min early for our ADR's. There have been a few times we've been right on time and had to wait 15-20 min for a table.

Once we were late- last year at Le Cellier. I had been sick and it took us a while to get to Epcot and we got there 10 minutes late. The CM host was very rude to us over being late and made a big deal out of it to the other CM's that were seating people and helping host. She kept telling us that she'd have to check, she *might* be able to fit us in, yadda yadda yadda. Ok, we were late. We apologized and asked if they could fit us in (she could have spared us the dramatics) and we were seated 30 minutes later.



Most people do show up on time or early for their reservations! We learned our lesson for sure after Le Cellier

As I said in my previous post, I go to WDW several times a year and usually dine at Le Cellier just about every trip. I have seen people turned away there more than once for being a few minutes late. Mama Melrose also seems bad about turning people away if they are late. Oh, yes, I also saw the family ahead of us being turned away at Garden Grill a couple of years ago. According to him, they were "only about 30 minutes late" because they were stuck in line waiting at a ride.

 

[james31]

Get there early, especially for the more popular places and doubly if you are going during one of the prime times.