Reservations and Wait Times: What's the truth?

[Carlymouse]

What has been your experience with having a reservation and being seated close to that time? I am going to WDW at the end of the year and have plenty of ADRs. Every once in awhile I read a "horror" story of people waiting an hour to be seated even with a reservation. How common is that? If you have young children, how have you handled that?

Thanks!

 

[LilyWDW]

Depends on the restaurant, time of year, and how busy they are. I have personally experienced immediate seating or less then 10 minutes the majority of ADRs, but I have also dealt with up to 30 minutes ('Ohana and Crystal Palace).

 

[nursejackie]

We always try to book an ADR at restaurant opening times. It may be too early for some people to eat, but we are early risers, and don't want to waste time at already busy restaurants waiting around to be seated. We have character breakfasts at opening times (some PPO so even better), and we did dinner at BOG at 4pm, ate and met the beast without any queues. I know it wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for us.

 

[chescat]

We only had one ADR for our recent trip (BOG dinner). Like a PP, we had an early reservation time. We normally eat on the early side at home, and figured by the time we sat down, reviewed the menu, and got our food it'd be closer to actual dinner time anyway. Our reservation was for 4:30, and we were seated less than 10 minutes after checking in. We finished up around six, and met the Beast with no line right before leaving the restaurant. No idea how common longer waits are since we have limited experience, but thought I'd throw our anecdote in there as well in case it helps!

 

[HopperFan]

These are not like old school reservations, they are not holding a table for you at that time. It only means you will get the next available table for your group size. Many restaurants are hard to gauge since folks can eat as long as they want aka buffets so they will be ones you wait later ...

Our worse ones for waiting 20, 30 and more minutes ADR past time:
- Ohana
- Garden Grill
- Liberty Tree Tavern
- Coral Reef
- Crystal Palace
- CRT

 

[Shanti]

What has been your experience with having a reservation and being seated close to that time? I am going to WDW at the end of the year and have plenty of ADRs. Every once in awhile I read a "horror" story of people waiting an hour to be seated even with a reservation. How common is that? If you have young children, how have you handled that?

Thanks!

We've done tons of ADRs (including at the uber popular locations) and have usually been seated within 10 minutes. Occasionally have had to wait 15-20 minutes, but never an hour.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

These are not like old school reservations, they are not holding a table for you at that time. It only means you will get the next available table for your group size. Many restaurants are hard to gauge since folks can eat as long as they want aka buffets so they will be ones you wait later ...

Our worse ones for waiting 20, 30 and more minutes ADR past time:
- Ohana
- Garden Grill
- Liberty Tree Tavern
- Coral Reef
- Crystal Palace
- CRT

You actually waited 20-30 minutes for Coral Reef and didn’t leave?

 

[HopperFan]

You actually waited 20-30 minutes for Coral Reef and didn’t leave?

Are you sitting down, I have actually waited longer than that (and sat on the floor in the lobby waiting)......... and didn't leave. Three strikes you are out, last meal was virtually inedible with service to match. Never again, especially since I have way better aquarium viewing options now.

 

[Carlymouse]

Thanks everyone- this makes me feel better- I don't have a problem waiting a little bit sometimes, but it sounds like these occasional posts about waiting an hour are extremely rare. An hour I would have a problem with!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I have never waited more than 15 minutes for any restaurant. Le cellier, coral reef and Tonys town square took the longest. Others have always been 10 min or less.

 

[melanielll]

The longest we have been kept waiting is Chef Mickey (almost 30 minutes). Most have seated us 5 - 15 minutes after we walk up (and we generally arrive a few minutes early). Tusker House feels like forever because you are waiting outside near the misery of the street musicians.

 

[Lorelei18]

I've waited a significant amount of time in the past at dinner time at Prime Time 50's for an ADR at 5:30pm 2 or 3 years in a row during Spring Break (and back then we only had a group of 4 so shouldn't have been that difficult to seat us). I want to say the last time we went we waited at least 30 minutes when my hubby got fed up and asked if we cancelled the reservation if we'd get charged the no-show fee and they said they'd wave it so we left and ate QS. I will never eat dinner there again and will only eat lunch there with an 11am reservation. Most TS we now try to get a reservation at the beginning of the meal time, usually lunch so 11 or 11:30am.