Priority Seating Question?

[jimmybog]

IF we have pre booked priority seating, what happens if we turn up at the restuarant and find a long queue waiting. Do we have to join the queue or do we have to bypass it and go straight to the front. I'm just a bit worried because we have to arrive I think about 10 minutes before the PS time and I'm worried that by queing up we may be late. This will be our first time at a Disney Restaurant so I don't really know the procedure. Thanks

 

[crisi]

I've never seen a long queue. What happens is that you wait your turn to speak to the hostess. Many people in the queue will also be checking in for their PSs. Some will be looking for walk ins. If they don't seat you immediately, you are given a beeper when they check in which will go off when your table is ready - the people with PSs should have their beepers go off pretty quickly, while walkins will wait until everyone with PSs is seated. If they seat you immediately, the hostess will probably call someone over to seat you and take the next person in line. Checking in takes maybe 45 seconds for each person in line, unless there is a problem.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by jimmybog
IF we have pre booked priority seating, what happens if we turn up at the restuarant and find a long queue waiting. Do we have to join the queue or do we have to bypass it and go straight to the front. I'm just a bit worried because we have to arrive I think about 10 minutes before the PS time and I'm worried that by queing up we may be late. This will be our first time at a Disney Restaurant so I don't really know the procedure. Thanks

when I made my PS they told me "arrive 5 mins. early and check in at the podium" so I would say, skip the line and approach the podium which everyone else probably would have already done. Then they will tell you what to do ...however from what I remember there were 2 groups; those with PS and those with out, so it could be if you wait in a line first you may end up in the wrong place anyway. I do not remember there ever being a long line waiting to get to the podium. of course if that is the case you'd have to stand there but the line was usually off to the side of the podium and the podium in the open, with out a bunch of people lined up in front of it.

 

[jimmybog]

Thanks all for that information.

 

[BCV23]

For all the restaurants I can think of there is just one line. At the podium you either checkin if you have a PS or try to make one if you don't. Most lines aren't long although Boma was crazy for dinner checkin in March and San Angel and Rose and Crown often seem to have slightly longer lines. With the exception of Boma I don't think we've ever waited more than 5 minutes to checkin.

I think the extra time before the PS is to allow for checkin times.