Walking away from an ADR

[Ellie Webbs]

Just read another post here about someone waiting an hour for an ADR.
Is we get there and sign in, but then decide life it too short to stand with a beeper for an hour or however long will we be charged for then saying 'hey, we don't want to wait anymore'?

 

[Hopefully]

Just read another post here about someone waiting an hour for an ADR.
Is we get there and sign in, but then decide life it too short to stand with a beeper for an hour or however long will we be charged for then saying 'hey, we don't want to wait anymore'?

I have never done this, but I have read here that they don't charge
Do you realize that an ADR is not a "reservation" in the traditional sense? When you check in at your ADR time, you are placed in a line for the next available table for your parties size. You may wait.
But an hour wait is not usual

 

[Ellie Webbs]

I have never done this, but I have read here that they don't charge
Do you realize that an ADR is not a "reservation" in the traditional sense? When you check in at your ADR time, you are placed in a line for the next available table for your parties size. You may wait.
But an hour wait is not usual

Yes I know it's just a next table available situation which is fine. We have never waited longer than about 20 minutes or so which is reasonable but I dont want to feel like I have to wait longer than say 35 40 mins or I'll be penalized

 

[Meglen]

As long as you check in they wont charge you. Atleast thats what I have been told

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

If I was told an hour I'd leave, then I'd complain vociferously if they tried to charge me. I get that a reservation isn't really a reservation at Disney but I'm not waiting an hour for a table anywhere.

 

[marikujawa]

Yes, you can check in and explain the situation. A Disney ADR is just as much a reservation as one at any other restaurant. When they give you a time, they are telling you that you will be seated at or near that time, and most often that's exactly what happens. That's why, if you decide to skip the ADR, you can't just say, "well, I didn't actually have a reservation, I was just supposed to show up and wait for the next available table." Most restaurants outside of Disney (at least the ones we go to) handle reservations the same way as Disney - very few will set aside an actual table for a specific party. The difference is that when someone makes a reservation in their hometown, going to the restaurant is their main focus and they usually know how long it will take to get there. At Disney, people may have FastPasses that encroach on their time, the distances and time it takes to get to the restaurant are often underestimated, modes of transportation can be overcrowded, people may linger at their meals for any number of reasons, etc.

If it's any help, we've made more than 50 trips to Disney over the course of 35 years and have never waited as long as an hour for an ADR - last time our party of six was seated slightly ahead of time at 'Ohana. I can remember only 3 times ('Ohana, Le Cellier and Coral Reef) when we waited more than 15-20 minutes, which I consider to be a reasonable wait time at Disney.

 

[TCRAIG]

They don’t tell you how long the wait is - but after 30 minutes - if I’m not seated - I’ve gone up to the podium and explained (nicely) that I can’t wait and need to make other plans - it’s never been a problem nor have I ever been charged.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It is such a rarity that anyone waits that long. In over 50 trips to WDW, that has happened to us twice. Once we waited it out (Mama Melrose - never again - but even then it wasn't an hour, maybe 3 - 40 minutes) and once we walked away (Flying Fish) after they were completely forthright and apologetic that they were running behind. Flying Fish did not charge us a no-show fee.

 

[Hopefully]

Yes, you can check in and explain the situation. A Disney ADR is just as much a reservation as one at any other restaurant. When they give you a time, they are telling you that you will be seated at or near that time, and most often that's exactly what happens. That's why, if you decide to skip the ADR, you can't just say, "well, I didn't actually have a reservation, I was just supposed to show up and wait for the next available table." Most restaurants outside of Disney (at least the ones we go to) handle reservations the same way as Disney - very few will set aside an actual table for a specific party. The difference is that when someone makes a reservation in their hometown, going to the restaurant is their main focus and they usually know how long it will take to get there. At Disney, people may have FastPasses that encroach on their time, the distances and time it takes to get to the restaurant are often underestimated, modes of transportation can be overcrowded, people may linger at their meals for any number of reasons, etc.

If it's any help, we've made more than 50 trips to Disney over the course of 35 years and have never waited as long as an hour for an ADR - last time our party of six was seated slightly ahead of time at 'Ohana. I can remember only 3 times ('Ohana, Le Cellier and Coral Reef) when we waited more than 15-20 minutes, which I consider to be a reasonable wait time at Disney.

Not true

 

[kaytieeldr]

If I was told an hour I'd leave, then I'd complain vociferously if they tried to charge me.

As opposed to talking to the Host/ess, explaining why you're not staying, and ensuring up front that you will not be charged? Why? Do you enjoy complaining vociferously?

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

As opposed to talking to the Host/ess, explaining why you're not staying, and ensuring up front that you will not be charged? Why? Do you enjoy complaining vociferously?

Oh, you misunderstood. If I decided to leave I'd explain why and confirm they weren't charging me. Then if they insisted they were going to charge me anyway for leaving, then I'd complain vociferously.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Not true

Sure it it's true, at least the vast, vast majority of people who attend Disney operate under the assumption that a reservation means a short or no wait for a table. Disney's website even states as much -- "You can relax—confident that your table is waiting for you—whenever you have a dining reservation at a Walt Disney World theme park or Resort hotel restaurant." https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/help/dining-reservations/

 

[marikujawa]

Disney intends to seat you at or near your reservation time. As I stated earlier, there are many factors unique to operating a restaurant in a theme-park setting that may cause it to get behind in seating; this usually happens in restaurants that have something in addition to the food as their main attraction - such as fireworks viewing or entertainment that may cause people to linger. Restaurants in parks have the additional challenge of rides going down, transportation delays, etc. and they tend to overbook accordingly. If a particular restaurant is always behind in seating, it's because of poor management, not because you "don't really have a reservation."

 

[goofyintoronto]

I have never done this, but I have read here that they don't charge
Do you realize that an ADR is not a "reservation" in the traditional sense? When you check in at your ADR time, you are placed in a line for the next available table for your parties size. You may wait.
But an hour wait is not usual

im sure people know how the ADR system works in Disney World. The point is, waiting an hour for a table anywhere is completely ridiculous. I would never wait that long, no way no how. Life is too short to be standing there with a beeper waiting impatiently to be seated.

 

[disneygirlsng]

Last June when I went with my parents we had an ADR at the Plaza. When we checked in they told us they were running behind and it would be about an hour. They let us cancel with no penalty and then gave us each a voucher for a free QS meal anywhere, which they were doing for everybody who wanted to cancel.

 

[sullyfam]

I think it's more than reasonable to walk away from an ADR if you have to wait an unreasonable amount of time to be sat (for me it would be more than 20-30 minutes, never mind an hour, that's nuts). Just go back up to the hostess and tell them you don't want to wait any longer and to take your name off the list. No reason why you can't move on. You checked in and they couldn't accommodate you in the window of time you had allotted, simple as that. You would think most places that are running that far behind would give you the courtesy of telling you when you check in. I would raise heck if they told me I'd be charged but I don't think it would ever come to that.

 

[jo-jo]

We had a party of 12 . Waited an hour at CP. We were split between two tables that were close to each other, not connected, but close. I'm not complaining about the two tables, but I don't understand why it took an hour for two tables.

This was about 2:30 in the afternoon, not a "high" time for dining.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We had a party of 12 . Waited an hour at CP. We were split between two tables that were close to each other, not connected, but close. I'm not complaining about the two tables, but I don't understand why it took an hour for two tables.

This was about 2:30 in the afternoon, not a "high" time for dining.

Did they at least tell you it would be an hour or was it more a “here’s a buzzer we’ll buzz you when ready”?

 

[jo-jo]

It was here's a buzzer and a few "it will just be a few more mins" while we watch lots and lots of people go by....

I can understand seating groups of 2- 4 quicker, but there were bigger groups , maybe not 12 but 6 -8.

 

[Pooh2]

On our last trip, we waited about 45-50 minutes at Yak and Yeti and 50s Primetime. My son wanted to walk away but I was sure it couldn't be much longer!