Long wait even with ADR?

[nicolej92]

I found that when we ate around typical times, we had a longer wait time. When we ate at Tony's, we had the longest wait time (5:00 meal). Chef Mickey's we booked at 7:05 and walked right in for breakfast.

 

[newestkg06]

I have never been more assured that we made the right decision sticking with QSDP. Wow. My kids are not good at waiting. I cannot imagine having to make them wait to get seated (at over 30 minutes), greet the server, order, wait for food. We will be doing enough waiting in lines at quick service and at rides! Thank you all for the input here!

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We've never had to wait more than 10 minutes.
Now that I've said that our next trip will probably have huge waits

 

[merrick]

worst wait for us with a reservation was coral reef. there were people *everywhere* in lobby area, up the hall, outside the restaurant. food was average at best, wouldn't go back. other places it was 10-20 mins average.

 

[Ceryssa]

We waited 10-15 minutes at most places, a little longer at 'Ohana (breakfast) and Garden Grill. We were there during free dining, so that could have played into it.

 

[sleepymouse]

It's breakfast, too. Our last two times for breakfast have been 30 & 45 minute waits with ADR's.

Not surprised. Obviously continually overbooking because people take longer than the system accounts for. I booked a 10:00am because I don't mind if we don't get seated until later. We are staying at the Poly and relaxing that afternoon. It would be irritating if I traveled from another resort than had to wait forever and travel back.

 

[mickeynut1]

Do you find that you still have to wait a while even with dining reservations? Just wondering as this will help in deciding what reservation time slots I book. I don't expect to be seated immediately but just wondering f it's typical to wait a while. With a toddler, a half hour or so can make a big difference.

We always check in about 10-15 minutes prior to our ADR time and are usually seated right away or within 5 minutes of checking in. The only time we have had to wait a little bit is at Boma. We go to Boma every trip and a couple of times we were seated right away, but most of the time we are seated right at our ADR time. With that said, our breakfast ADRs are usually in the 8:15-9:00 time frame and our dinner ADRs are 5-5:45 time frame.

 

[tomatecerise]

25 minutes at Raglan Road, no seats to wait and i have a cane, its not a decoration or a trendy look, i need it! I was in pain when they call us.

 

[VS85]

So if I have a 705p reservation at Ohana and I'm hoping to make it to HS for the late (1030p) F! show without a FP, what time should I get to Ohana to check in? Do you think it's doable to get to HS from the Poly in time? We'll take a cab or Uber to save on time. If it's not doable, then I'd much rather relax at dinner and forget about making it to HS in time.

 

[sndral]

From Jan. 2015:
Worst = Garden Grill, @ least an hour - maybe longer, place was packed with masses of people waiting to be seated - sitting on the floor, leaning against walls, etc.. Once we were seated the table still had food debris (candy sprinkles) from the previous diners on the table. Yuck, not going back anytime soon.
As par usual = Ohana, about 30 minutes this time, better than previous visits (we'd given it a pass for several years due to hour long waits) and there's more seating, so at least you can maybe find a seat while you wait and wait and wait.
Le Cellier = lunch and relatively quick seating v. dinner and typical 30 min. waits in the past.
Boma = first night was around a 30 minute wait, later that week maybe 5 minute wait (both times dinner.)
Better than usual = Coral Reef, waiting for aquarium front seat and were seated around 20 minutes later v. previous waits of 30-45 min.s and no go for aquarium front table.
Prior visits: As outlined above. Mama Melrose runs late, too and there's no place to sit while you wait. We've been lucky w/ most of our signature restaurants and they seem to run at around a 15 minute wait.
Worst wait ever, so bad I'll not go back - Kona. When we went to check in the party of 12 ahead of us was pleading to be seated even though they had no ADRs, they were seated at a couple of tables and then we checked in 10 min.s early for our ADR - no more tables. About an hour and a half later we finally were seated. Miserable wait, no place to sit, frustrating to watch that huge party at 2 tables w/ no ADRs happily munch away while we waited for the ADR we'd gotten up at the crack of dawn to get 6 months before.

 

[Fantabulously Cherry]

I go during low crowds so I've never really had to wait for long past my ADR times. But I do arrive 15 - 30 minutes prior to the ADR time and most times, they taken us back within 5 minutes. I know that's not the norm after reading other reviews, but it's been my experience.

 

[kamik86]

For most I would say it has been reasonable, maybe the most 15 most after check in. Many have been before or right on ADR time. There are some restaurants that consistently have very long waits and we always have to buffer in that time to our plans or skip those restaurants.

Some that have on occasion but not every time have waits 20-30 past ADR = Rose & Crown, CRT and Garden Grill.

Some with unacceptable waits (40-75 minutes) that we have had to wait every single time = Ohana, Coral Reef, Tony's and Le Cellier. We have only booked first seating at Chef Mickey and that was due to others complaints but that is no longer on our eat list. At Ohana we have actually had close to a 20 minute wait just to check in then add on the wait to be seated time. We have more or less stopped going to these restaurants since the food didn't justify the wait. Too many other options with good eats.

These are the ones I find ridiculous. If a restaurant occasionally runs behind that I can understand. Staffing issues, a problem in the kitchen, a group or two that choose to linger and talk could easily make the place behind.

However if a place is ALWAYS behind that is a failure of management. There is no excuse for this.

 

[HopperFan]

These are the ones I find ridiculous. If a restaurant occasionally runs behind that I can understand. Staffing issues, a problem in the kitchen, a group or two that choose to linger and talk could easily make the place behind.

However if a place is ALWAYS behind that is a failure of management. There is no excuse for this.

Agree and indication they are consistently overbooking or at minimum failing to make proper estimates of how long a meal takes per table.

 

[BagOLaughs]

I'm glad i've read this thread, We've got ADR's for Boma in September. its our 1st time eating there and our first ever ADR for a disney restaurant as we normally exclusively eat counter service.

So I will now have the correct expectations, if i go expecting a 30 min wait then if its less i'll be happy

 

[jon18uk]

We had a long wait at Hollywood Brown Derby and it felt even longer as the lobby was full of bratty noisy kids.

From others comments it sounds like family-style dinners are bad at running behind. I guess at O'Hana many diners will want just a little more chicken (for example) and then have to wait for more to come round. At least at a single entree restaurnt its easier to predict how long it will take someone to eat and therefore how quick the table will turn.

 

[Indio]

The only place we've waited more than 10-15 minutes was O'Hana. Have waited 45 minutes or more every time we've gone there - no more!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Ohana is notorious for running behind. So is Coral Reef. Unless you have booked the earliest time, I'd plan for 30-45 minutes at either place. There may be some others.

 

[samsteele]

My worst was a 50 min wait at Biergarten lunch in Feb. It was the Sat of the President's Day Weekend so high crowd. They also were having problems with the ADR system as the podium had to rifle through a huge printout of ADRs for at least 90% of the guests checking in. Then crossing off names with pencil and ruler. Beyond old school. The CMs appeared very resigned to this as if it is a recurring problem. No more Biergarten for me during high capacity days at Epcot. As a PP mentioned, the family style & buffet restaurants struggle with crowds and then are further hobbled by a buggy ADR system. Think I would have been much, much better off with a TS ressie at a less popular spot like Marrakesh or Tokyo Dining.

 

[VS85]

Is part of this dependent on how many people are in your party (ie - more people, longer wait), or does it seem to be across the board?

 

[PantherPete]

I think it depends on when your ADR is. The later it is, the longer you wait as it is impossible to catch up during the dinner hours. Once they get off schedule, they stay off schedule and it only takes a few kitchen/wait staff errors or a few leisurely eaters to monkey up the night. It gets really bad at places like the Crystal Palace and the World Showcase places at Epcot at about an hour before fireworks/Illuminations. Folks tend to try to time their departure to coincide with the show. In particular, Teppan Edo and the Biergarten are places where I've waited a long time. Over 30 minutes is the norm (I schedule dinner between 7 and 745 most nights). Chef Mickey's can really get backed up as well. Most other places have been pretty quick, either having something right away or within a few minutes.