Running late

[MickeyWaffles]

I think you are cutting it too close.

While not a rule, listed Guest Policies on booked reservations ask you to check in 5 minutes before the scheduled ADR time.

Will they seat you if you are late? Probably. Definitely? No way to be 100% sure. There is absolutely no way to guarantee what the CM at the podium will do.

I would not intentionally be late. I would adjust your FP plans or keep looking for a slightly later ADR. The free TP reservation finder can help. Or, you can just take the risk of being a little late knowing that the CM at the podium makes the call.

 

[Lisa F]

I hope you don't mind if I answer. My one time being late to an ADR was due to an accident on the road (my family was going by taxi to the Poly). At the Kona Cafe there was a line up of people trying to check in. The CM was making no bones about people who were late, and even told us we were lucky that the monorail was having issues, so they were told to accommodate people who were late. And that otherwise we wouldn't have been seated.

Disney will try to err on making the guest happy whenever they can. But I take huge exception to someone claiming anything is fine all of the time. If push comes to shove Disney can tell you you missed your ADR slot. They won't do it if they can avoid it, but to claim they never do it is flat out wrong. It is never ok to tell someone something that can cause such headaches with their vacation. It is fine and dandy to say Disney sent you an e-mail, but who will be there to pick up the pieces if something else happens during your trip? Saying "so and so on the Dis got an e-mail and they say you always seat people who are 15 minutes late!" won't help much.

Actually I'm sure if you asked to speak to a manager and showed them the email that they would probably relent... I can't imagine the not at that point.

That said, who wants that hassle, headache and confrontation on their vacation? It's a good policy to try to be there 10-15 minutes early for your ADR and sometimes stuff happens and in general they will accommodate you when it does. It's in general a bad policy to PLAN to be late, but I also would not live in fear that if you are late because of something that is out of your control that Disney is going to take a hard line on it... I think chances are very very low of that actually happening and I would not add that level of stress to my vacation worrying about it.

Though honestly a good friend of mine had a completely HORRIBLE experience with the manager at Brown Derby so I know anything is possible, but it is just NOT typical Disney at all.

She showed up early for lunch with an imagineer after being thrilled to score a last minute ADR on her solo trip... her one weekend of the year break from her two children, both autistic. It was to be the highlight of her trip and she got there nice and early and kept being told "not yet" until a half hour after it was supposed to start and several trips to the podium and kept being told "not yet." Well it DID start and she missed the first half hour. She was understandably upset and was told she could join it late or forfeit the price in full. Over THEIR mistake. She asked for a partial refund to join it in progress for the course and time she missed and the manager said no. She burst into tears and the manager said or did nothing, she left crying and was charged for a no-show. I was horrified when I heard but apparently stuff like this does happen.

She did complain after the fact and got a refund but it ruined her entire day until the CM at her resort gave her some vouchers for a free meal elsewhere when she burst into tears again at the counter. I honestly could not believe a manager would treat someone like that. So I guess your story doesn't surprise me... but it also doesn't make that kind of treatment right at all.

Honestly I think that cm was downright nasty. You told her there was an accident and you were stuck in traffic and she still gave you a lecture about how she wished she could have denied you but was told not to because of a monorail incident? That is not someone who needs to be a hostess IMO. If they were told to accommodate people who were late she should have done so without the lecture about it and making people feel bad, or that they were lucky just to get a seat. There is nothing remotely magical about that and I'd be saying something to a manager if someone started wagging their finger at me like that! I'm sorry but that is terrible customer service and not the least bit appropriate to deal with a customer in that way. Either seat them, or don't, but don't chastise them. It's not your place.

But planning to show up late is nothing short of rude. don't do it. And if you miss your ADR then you deserve it. I think most miss it due to stuff out of their direct control so Disney will mostly err on the side of making magic. And of course you can always get someone with a bug up their butt about it. But if I had a legit excuse I'd talk to a manager upon being turned away. I've never had it happen or even threatened even when quite late. No one even asked me why. I checked in and was seated.

 

[maxiesmom]

Actually I'm sure if you asked to speak to a manager and showed them the email that they would probably relent... I can't imagine the not at that point.

Unfortunately having things in writing doesn't always help either. Not at a restaurant but at a resort I checked in, and they tried to downgrade me without telling me. I knew what room type I had booked, and had the confirmation, so I knew what they were trying to do. But they ended up downgrading me anyways as they were overbooked. I was shocked because on the Disboards posters had insisted Disney never downgrades guests, they only upgrade. Nope!!! And now it has actually happened to me twice. Just like some posters insisted connecting rooms are always guaranteed. Learned that was a big no too.

Disney is magical, until it isn't. You can't count on anything, except everything is subject to availability, and that the cards are always stacked in their favor.

 

[rdaky]

Yep, Disney screws up sometimes. And they aren't always sitting around not noticing if you're late.

We actually got a call about 10 minutes into our dinner at Boma asking us if we were planning to show up for our ADR at Boma. (which was about 10 minutes after our ADR time and 20 minutes after we had already checked in) My husband responded with "uhh.. we are sitting at our table at Boma right now." I didn't even realize they made calls, but apparently someone did. It was so strange.

 

[maryj11]

You absolutely do not need a fastpass for the Frozen show so feel free to change that.

This is exactly what I was going to say. You do not need a FP for the Frozen show. Maybe change the FP to something else after your ADR.

 

[Corwin]

So according to the spreadsheet I recently put together to track our restaurants at WDW, we've had 94 ADRs for TS restaurants since our first family visit in 2007.

All this time, I've been under the impression that it was permissible to check-in up to 15 minutes early or 15 minutes late for an ADR, and that when you check in, you are put into the electronic queue for a table. I've been following this practice all that time, and have never had an issue. While we are right on time more often than not, I always thought it was perfectly acceptable to check in a few minutes early or late, up to the allowable +/- 15 minute grace period.

For what it's worth, "The Unofficial Guide to WDW" explains that an ADR doesn't actually guarantee you a table at a specific time, like it would at a a typical hometown restaurant, but that Disney restaurants operate instead on a template system in which ADRs fill time slots.

What that said, I am surprised to hear that the response from Disney posted upthread states that there is no official grace period. It seems to me that if they are going to take that stance, then they should do a better job seating people in a timely fashion. For example, we waited nearly an hour after our ADR time to be seated at 'Ohana for dinner on our last visit, and have waited 45-60 minutes to be seated at Le Cellier on at least two occasions. On the other hand, popular Disney restaurants like these operate at 100% capacity, so I'm sure they are doing the best that they can.

The official response does go on to state that "our dining locations will hold your reservation for 15 minutes or later" so it seems like a 15 minute grace period is still the de facto policy...but I think that going forward I will try to not depend on a grace period.

P.S. In my experience, we are almost always asked if our entire party is present at the time we check in.

 

[Nancyg56]

I like you and think you're a great poster so don't take this the wrong way, but how did you know how late they actually showed up?

I am never paying attention to anyone else checking in and at a place like 'Ohana where it's a zoo I'm not sure I'd be able to hear what was going on until it escalated to yelling... and I'm guessing knowing Disney it would be yelling on the part of the customer, not the CM. Is it possible the guest's perception of how late they were is different than the reality? I can't even imagine how I'd know what time anyone else's ADR is unless sitting right on top of the podium and they mention it when they check in. I tend to just give my name and not the time.

I actually did to know how late they checked in, but I know they were late. And I know they were turned away.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Have done so at 2 of those 3 places with zero problems. Y'all can jump up and down all day insisting you are right and being nervous about arriving 30 sec late for your reservation.

So you've gone from 'late', to 15 minutes late, to one minute late, to 30 seconds late. Interesting...

We are talking about the period between 0 and 15 minutes late, rig

Hold your breath for 30 seconds. Breathe. Now hold your breath for 15 minutes.

BIG difference.

Also, there is no "rule" involved. Arriving between 0 and 15 minutes late for a dining reservation does not break any rule

You seem not to be paying attention to an important part of the response: "...there is no official grace period."

 

[freshmanjs]

Hold your breath for 30 seconds. Breathe. Now hold your breath for 15 minutes.

We are talking about a range between 0 and 15 minutes late. Many posters in this thread are saying that ANY amount of lateness it the same and you will (or might) be turned away, regardless of how late you are. NO GRACE PERIOD.

Where is the point between 0 and 15 minutes where being late matters? You seem to be saying it's more than 30 seconds, but less than 15 minutes. Where is it?

And, I never said there was an official grace period. There isn't. I'm paying plenty of attention.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's in general a bad policy to PLAN to be late

but I also would not live in fear that if you are late because of something that is out of your control that Disney is going to take a hard line on it.

True, and I realize this is addressing specific posters/situations. But going back to the OP, planning to be late is completely different from a monorail or attraction malfunction.

 

[Shanti]

I am one who is never late, however looking at plans I fear we maybe 5-15 mins late for an adr...will they still take us?

Yes. They absolutely will.

 

[freshmanjs]

I actually did to know how late they checked in, but I know they were late. And I know they were turned away.

Ah, the truth comes out. You actually are not sure you experienced someone being turned away within the 15 minute unofficial grace period. Color me shocked!

 

[Nancyg56]

Ah, the truth comes out. You actually are not sure you experienced someone being turned away within the 15 minute unofficial grace period. Color me shocked!

Again, I have said "THere is no grace period" "I have seen people turned away" I have said over and over that
no one suggested people will be turned away for being 1 minute late.

 

[freshmanjs]

Again, I have said "THere is no grace period" "I have seen people turned away" I have said over and over that
no one suggested people will be turned away for being 1 minute late.

So we agree. Between 0 and 15 minutes late, you will not be turned away. Great. Of course people who are very late get turned away sometimes. No one ever disputed that.

And, actually, people did suggest (repeatedly) in this thread that you can be turned away for being 0-15 minutes late and that it happens all the time (which is untrue).

 

[freshmanjs]

So you've gone from 'late', to 15 minutes late, to one minute late, to 30 seconds late. Interesting...

It's not "interesting" to anyone who understands the conversation. We have been talking about the period between 0-15 minutes late all along. No one ever said that you won't be turned away after 15 minutes. You all have been badgering me to accept your untrue statement that people do get turned away all the time when they arrive less than 15 minutes late. One minute late, 30 seconds late, 15 minutes late are all within that range that you all incorrectly say is "socially unacceptable" and where you will likely be turned away.

 

[piccolopat]

OK...I emailed Disney and asked them. This is the response I got (as I thought).

We understand that things can happen to make you late to your
reservation. Although there is no official grace period, our dining
locations will hold your reservation for 15 minutes or later. When
you arrive, go to the counter and give the Cast Member your dining
reservation number and your name. They will seat you as soon as
possible.

That may work for Disney restaurants but some are not run by Disney and you may be turned away. When making an ADR you are requested to be there in advance of your time, 10-15 minutes if I remember correctly. If people planned for that, few would be late except for truly unforseen circumstances. People should always allow for enough time.

 

[Lisa F]

I actually did to know how late they checked in, but I know they were late. And I know they were turned away.

Thanks, I was not trying to be combative and I totally agree planning on being late is both risky and rude! And whatever the grace period it is probably very circumstantial and subjective. I have been late and never had an issue, but I certainly try to be on the earlier side of on time like they suggest. The rest of the arguing is just typical DISboard stuff.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I am one who is never late, however looking at plans I fear we maybe 5-15 mins late for an adr...will they still take us? How late can we be? I accidentally schedule a FP for the 4:30 frozen show and our adr at H&V at 4:55.

Thanks

I would just gonto am early Frozen time. It doesn't require a FP, the theater holds a ton of people.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks, I was not trying to be combative and I totally agree planning on being late is both risky and rude! And whatever the grace period it is probably very circumstantial and subjective. I have been late and never had an issue, but I certainly try to be on the earlier side of on time like they suggest. The rest of the arguing is just typical DISboard stuff.

No worries!!! I never took your question as combative.

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes. They absolutely will.

You don't know that.