Seated Early for ADR?

[Morgand]

Have you ever been seated early for a dinner ADR if you come before the actual time? We have an ADR for 7:50 but our plans have changed and we would like to go earlier but have been unable to change the time.

What do you all think about this?

Thanks Everyone.

 

[Magic3forme]

It all depends on what restaurant it is, time of the year also. (free dining?)

if it is Ohana, I sincererly doubt it along with a few others.

just keep checking every day, it is amazing how much opens up the week of the trip.

 

[mousegear]

Depends on a restaurant. We've been seated early at certain ones... but others we've waited past our ADR. I guess it depends on how busy they are at the time.

 

[OhThePain]

As others have said, it will depend a lot on the restaurant and time of year. Character meals and some of those other hyped up restaurants will be pretty tough to get into early, while the signatures and quieter restaurants are usually a bit more accomodating. Party size and flat out good timing might also have something to do with it.

On NYE 08-09 we decided to check-in for our Biergarten ADR over an hour early. We told the hostess that we were just letting them know we were here and she asked if we wanted to be seated early or at our ADR time. I told her that we'll eat whenever they feel like sitting us and we ended up getting seated right away.

 

[goofy4tink]

The past two years has seen a change when it comes to arriving early for an ADR. We have gotten to the podium about 30 mins prior to our ADR time. We have been told, every single time, to return in 15 mins, and get checked in. So, we have to go off and kill 15 mins rather than just stand there. I will say that we have seldom had to wait past our ADR seating time though.

 

[madalex]

The past two years has seen a change when it comes to arriving early for an ADR. We have gotten to the podium about 30 mins prior to our ADR time. We have been told, every single time, to return in 15 mins, and get checked in. So, we have to go off and kill 15 mins rather than just stand there. I will say that we have seldom had to wait past our ADR seating time though.

This same thing happened to me at Flying Fish in February 2011, but that was the only place that happened. At all my other reservations on that trip (and a subsequent trip in April 2011), I arrived anywhere between 15 - 30 minutes early for all reservations and was permitted to check in. We were then always seated before the actual ADR time. All these ADRs, however, were at signature restaurants.