PS wait time???

[Kingtwin]

I was just reading some of the posts in the restaurant forum and saw something about having to wait when you make a PS for dinner. I'm making PSs for all my lunches and dinner when I visit WDW in Nov. Should I arrive a half hour or so earlier than the time of the PS? I guess, I was just assuming that PSs were like make restaurant reservations and you were guaranteed the time you chose with no wait. Not true???? And advice appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[ahutton]

A PS is more like having a saved place in line than a reservation. In order to be seated at our actual time we've had the best luck by arriving about 15 minutes ahead of our time to check in. We can enjoy some of the scenery in that restaurant, and are usually seated at or before our scheduled meal time. Also, with meal sizes, you might find that sit down meals for lunch and dinner (unless scheduled well apart) may leave you too full to enjoy another meal. If we did 2 sit downs in one day we scheduled one for around 11:30 a.m. and the other for about 8:00 p.m., or we picked a time in between and then grabbed snacks along the way. Depending on your timing in November, if the Food and Wine Festival is going on, don't forget to leave an evening (or afternoon) to stroll the booths and sample the specialites at the various places. They are really special and wonderful.

 

[catheren]

PS is like "call ahead seating". Basically, you check-in and you are given the next available table. Your wait depends on the size of your party and how busy the restaurant is.

Only places we have waited w/ PS are ...... CG because we requested a particular table to view the MK fireworks and told them we would wait. Rose & Crowne again because we told them at the podium we wanted a patio seat to view Illuminations.

Personally, I wouldn't arrive early unless you are starving!!

 

[kguenther]

We just returned from many PS at Disney and the only place we had to wait at all was the Cali Grill and that's only because we asked to wait to have some drinks first.

We ate lunch and dinner at normal times, and had no problems getting right in.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I usually wait about 5-10 minutes after checking in ... on rare occasions when I've made a request for a specific table (Rose and Crown and 'Ohana) I've waited nearly 30 minutes.

 

[TammyC]

During the (supposedly) slow week of December 4th, we waited almost 20 minutes at Garden Grill and over 20 minutes at Cape May breakfast with our PS. Maybe character meals tend to have longer waits??

 

[ahutton]

I would guess you are right TammyC about character meals. Figure a family at a buffet can usually turn around and be out in 30-40 minutes, maybe less, except for any games or distractions. Many people will wait the full hour or more to see a character that is close but not there yet or to see them all during their meal.

 

[aimee11621]

Just got back from wdw!! Wonderful three day weekend trip


I made two PS for Chef Mickey's the only time available was very late 8:50p 7/19/04. And 7/20/04 10:45 A.

Well to start, we are early dinner eaters soo I took the chance and got there at 5:15p 7/19, no problem registered and took pictures and beeped me right away.

Same with breakfast the next day before we could get comfortable in the waiting area I was called right away. Enjoyed the food and atmospere and off we went to MK on my favorite the monorail..

So if your hungry earlier than expected don't be afraid to see if they will take you.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Kingtwin:
In many a dinner meal at WDW, I've only waited beyond my scheduled PS three, maybe 4 times. And that was at California Grill , the Flying Fish, and Brown Derby. Most other times we're seated very promptly and if we wander up to the podium a bit early, we often can get seated early.
BUT---we eat early (usually at 6:00 for dinner) so most of the time the restaurant has just opened and/or hasn't really been full for a long time. THose times we did have to wait, our PS was for 7:00-8:00 on Saturday nights.
Hope I haven't confused things-guess I'm saying that waits are possible at the busier restaurants, at the busier hours, on the busiest nights

 

[Ilovestitch]

On my last trip, I got to Kona Cafe about 1/2 hr early for our PS and they took us right away. We got to Boma about 15 mins. before the restaurant opened for dinner and they gave us a beeper. We were the first ones in the restaurant.

I would suggest getting there a little bit before your PS time, getting a beeper and then exploring the resort a little bit while you wait. A CM will tell you how far you can go with the beeper. For example, at the Polynesian, you can go anywhere on the second floor of the GCH. -Stephanie

 

[Eeyore1954]

I've rarely had much, if any, wait for most PS, because it's just my DW and me. The longest waits have been for character meals, especially Cape May Breakfast (even with a 7:30 a.m. PS and an empty restaurant!!).

We've shown up early on occasion and gotten in easily; we have almost never shown up late (just neurotic about being on time).

A lot depends on the PS time, how crowded the restaurant is and how many are in your group.

 

[madalex]

I may be remembering this wrong, but I thought Disney gives guidance that you should arrive at a restaurant 15 minutes before your PS time (to ensure that you are seated by the PS time?).

I have waited well past the PS time several times at CG (including once when we had a PS a 5:30, the time the restaurant opened; there was no one in the place and we still waited 10 minutes to be seated). This is one of the reasons that, while I love the food, CG is not at the top of my Disney favorites list.

 

[momxx5]

Well, I just got off the phone with WDW-Dine making a PS for the PSB breakfast in Epcot for Saturday Aug 1st.

The CM stated "This is not a reservations but a priority seating assignment. Please allow ample travel time to get to the park and walking time to the restaurant. Please check in at the podium at least 5 minutes before your PS time"

I am so happy to get this PS for the perfect day