Questions on how a PS works

[ErinInCT]

I am a bit confused about priority seating. I have read that having a ps is not the same as a reservation in that you are not guaranteed your table at the exact time of your ps. You will get the next available table for your party size. But then I read if you leave a credit card deposit then a ps IS a reservation for the exact time. I gave a c/c for CRT & PSB. Does this mean I will get seated at my ps time or do I still have to wait for the next available table? I also read that if you have a ps (regardless of the time) you can show up early & get seated as soon as a table for your party size opens up. I don't understand this, what is the point of having a time? Here is my dilema: I have a 9:35am ps for CRT. This is not the greatest time so I wondered if we could just show up earlier (like 8am) & get seated or will we just have to wait until 9:35am? I am still calling daily to try to get a new time, but when I read that as long as you have a ps you can actually go b4 your time, I figured I would try it. Just wondering if anyone can tell me how this really works! I don't want to do something that is against the rules!
Thanks!

 

[Kaycee]

Hi Erin! You are right about what a PS is - it's not a reservation, it just means that when you arrive with a PS you will be seated at the next available table for your party size, ahead of those who arrive without a PS. Securing a PS with a credit card doesn't change the way this works, you still won't have a reservation for that time, just a regular PS. WDW started requiring credit card confirmations for extremely popular restaurants to ensure that people will keep the PS they make. It doesn't affect how the PS work.

As far as showing up earlier than your PS time and getting seated, this can work if you show up 15 or 20 minutes early and if there is a table available and others with PS's closer to the seating time don't show up. But it won't work if you show up 1 1/2 hours early; the CM will just tell you to come back. Unless of course the restaurant is slow right then, and you could be seated with or without a PS. Of course, that's not very likely to happen with CRT though!

I hope this helps clarify things for you. Let us know if you still have questions about how PS's work.

 

[disneychrista]

While at other restaurants the show up early thing might work, they are generally not book to capacity with PS's.

CRT is book solid, so you will not be seated if you show up 90 mins early. They have other people with seatings that would/will get prority.

 

[yecats]

I have shown up 10/15 minutes early before my PS time and sometimes I'm lead right in and sometimes I am seated right at or another 5/10 minutes beyond the PS time. LeCellier is one of those that will give you a beeper and when busy you may still have a wait of 20 minutes (as I did last Nov.) beyond the PS. As for CRT, your lucky you made it through the hundreds of phone calls to reserve that breakfast ps and unfortunately an earlier time probably won't come up at all so best bet is to just accept the later breakfast time and have fun with the princesses.