We had an 11:30am reservation as well to minimize the wait time for a waterside table. We got there about 15 min early and were able to put the request in at that time. I was not told I had to wait until 10 min before my reservation time to make the request, so show up early and see what happens. Different CMs may do things differently. But from what I've read, they are able to get people seated at waterside tables relatively close to your reservation time if you show up early and put your request in. Even if you end up having to wait a little bit, it's worth the wait! I was there with my three kids (14, 19, 20). We had an appetizer and two of us had dessert and we were out of there in 75 min without feeling like we rushed at all. I've had excellent service there every time, without fail.