BOG PPO not letting you in before ADR time?!?!

[twoolle]

I have seen a couple of reports where people with ADR times let's say 8:30 arrived right at opening and were told to come back 5 minutes before ADR time. Is this happening all the time?

 

[TwinkleKS]

Not totally specific to your situation, but we have been told numerous times recently that they will not check us in for an ADR more than 15 minutes in advance. I could see them dropping that time to 5 minutes even.

Editing to explain that as they are getting stricter on the check in at the restaurant I could see them also holding people to closer to their time for PPO.

 

[vinotinto]

We had an 11:30 am ADR at BOG on March 31st (2 weeks ago) and the person in front of me tried to check in and was told to come back 15 minutes before their reservation. Don't know if this is only when they are busy or only at lunch or all the time or how early that person tried to check-in. It was *very* busy that day.

 

[sharonabe]

I have seen a couple of reports where people with ADR times let's say 8:30 arrived right at opening and were told to come back 5 minutes before ADR time. Is this happening all the time?

That is almost always true for any BoG ADR after park opening, but I've never seen it for a PPO.

They let everyone with a PPO back behind the castle whenever they check in with the CMs in the hub even if your ADR is 8:30 or after. In the past, BoG let's all PPOs into the restaurant in the order they arrive and not in the order of their ADR. Where have you seen people saying they couldn't get in for a later PPO?

 

[twoolle]

That is almost always true for any BoG ADR after park opening, but I've never seen it for a PPO.

They let everyone with a PPO back behind the castle whenever they check in with the CMs in the hub even if your ADR is 8:30 or after. In the past, BoG let's all PPOs into the restaurant in the order they arrive and not in the order of their ADR. Where have you seen people saying they couldn't get in for a later PPO?

Yes this has always been my personal experience as well. Saw reports in the TP lines chat.

 

[Countrywife45]

January of 2018 they made us come back to sign in...said we were too early

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If those reports were from today then 8:30am was not a PPO.
I can understand them enforcing times more since now that everyone knows they will let them in super early Disney no longer wants it to happen.
Never supposed to check in more than a few minutes prior to your ADR.
They need to make sure enough people are moving out to allow more to move in so there are enough tables to go around and there are not too many people in the building for fire codes.

 

[sharonabe]

January of 2018 they made us come back to sign in...said we were too early

Was that for a PPO ADR or for something AFTER the parks were already open?

 

[chinarider]

If you are supposed to check in for ADR 10-15 minutes early, I cannot see them holding you at the front gate until 5 minutes before ADR- that would cause you to be late to get back to check in at restaurant... Not sure if I was reading this thread correctly but, I sure hope they let us back early for our 835 ADR at BOG

 

[Countrywife45]

Was that for a PPO ADR or for something AFTER the parks were already open?

If I remember correct it was a PPO ADR but right around opening, my daughters and I went in and my SIL who was not on the reservation came later.

 

[sharonabe]

If I remember correct it was a PPO ADR but right around opening, my daughters and I went in and my SIL who was not on the reservation came later.

So who made you wait? The CM in the hub letting people through or the people at BoG check-in?

 

[twoolle]

The reports I saw were in late March during busy spring break. They were 9am openings.

 

[DWillowBay]

Yep. None of this is new or unusual. From the beginning, BOG has held to a strict policy of checkin times. I, for one, appreciate that.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If you are supposed to check in for ADR 10-15 minutes early, I cannot see them holding you at the front gate until 5 minutes before ADR- that would cause you to be late to get back to check in at restaurant... Not sure if I was reading this thread correctly but, I sure hope they let us back early for our 835 ADR at BOG

Disney has moved away from the you SHOULD check in 15 minutes early to more of a PLEASE DON'T ARRIVE THAT EARLY AND EXPECT US TO SEAT YOU.
This is because they started realizing that people were having to wait a solid 15+ minutes after their scheduled ADR time for a table making their total wait time a good 30 minutes which starts effecting park plans.
And SOME people started arriving even earlier expecting they'd get a seat before their scheduled ADR time.
At this point you really shouldn't arrive much more than 5 minutes prior.

Besides with BOG being QS for breakfast and lunch it doesn't work quite like a TS where they kinda plan out where people sit and how long people will be there.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Disney has moved away from the you SHOULD check in 15 minutes early to more of a PLEASE DON'T ARRIVE THAT EARLY AND EXPECT US TO SEAT YOU.
This is because they started realizing that people were having to wait a solid 15+ minutes after their scheduled ADR time for a table making their total wait time a good 30 minutes which starts effecting park plans.
And SOME people started arriving even earlier expecting they'd get a seat before their scheduled ADR time.
At this point you really shouldn't arrive much more than 5 minutes prior.

Besides with BOG being QS for breakfast and lunch it doesn't work quite like a TS where they kinda plan out where people sit and how long people will be there.

It does seem that this is the direction they're taking.

I just moved around some ADRs and noticed that BOG does not say anything about arriving early (In the "Guest Policies" link you get before you confirm that you have read them, where it says "Reminders"). I checked a few more places and 50PT, Akershus, Ohana, Cape May Cafe, Biergarten all only state "Plan to arrive 5 minutes prior to your reservation time to check-in . . . ."

I'm not sure how new this is, but we visited in August and I know our Ohana ADR said to arrive 15 minutes early (I noted it in our plans so we would not be late). I can't imagine many guests were pleased arriving 15 minutes prior, and having a 15 minute (or longer) wait. 5 minutes seems more appropriate.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Never supposed to check in more than a few minutes prior to your ADR.
They need to make sure enough people are moving out to allow more to move in so there are enough tables to go around and there are not too many people in the building for fire codes.

This doesn't apply to PPO ADRs.

While they spread the ADR times throughout the PPO period to try and prevent everyone showing up at the same time, they know that those that come at 8:00 will be staying in the restaurant until the park opens. Therefore, the total number of PPO guests for all PPO times combined will fit together in the restaurant. Those with PPO ADRs need to wait for PPO people to get up and leave before they can be seated (assuming PPO sells out), but this usually isn't a problem as PPO people want to leave at rd.

 

[Hopefully]

This doesn't apply to PPO ADRs.

While they spread the ADR times throughout the PPO period to try and prevent everyone showing up at the same time, they know that those that come at 8:00 will be staying in the restaurant until the park opens. Therefore, the total number of PPO guests for all PPO times combined will fit together in the restaurant. Those with PPO ADRs need to wait for PPO people to get up and leave before they can be seated (assuming PPO sells out), but this usually isn't a problem as PPO people want to leave at rd.

Says Who?
Where is this information published by Disney? Source please

 

[cmwade77]

Not totally specific to your situation, but we have been told numerous times recently that they will not check us in for an ADR more than 15 minutes in advance. I could see them dropping that time to 5 minutes even.

Editing to explain that as they are getting stricter on the check in at the restaurant I could see them also holding people to closer to their time for PPO.

My problem with this is it physically takes me longer than 5 minutes to get from the front of the park back to BOG, for us it would take closer to 15 minutes to do so.

But we have checked in more than 15 minutes before our reservation before, but we just mention we are early and ask if they can accommodate an early arrival, if not we come back. not a big deal, but I have yet to be told no and when arriving early, we have always been seated before our ADR time. In fact on this last trip the only time we were seated after our ADR time was at 1900 Park Faire, but that was because one member of our party cut the leg on the corner of the bed and had to have medical attention before heading over. This meant we checked in late, but I had gone first and explained the situation and they were very accommodating.

 

[StarSeven7]

Not at BoG, but when we ate at the Plaza in January for a PPO breakfast, another group was told they had to wait until 15 minutes before their ADR time in order to check in. They tried to check in right away when we were let into the park around 7:55am on a 9am opening day.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

My problem with this is it physically takes me longer than 5 minutes to get from the front of the park back to BOG, for us it would take closer to 15 minutes to do so.

But we have checked in more than 15 minutes before our reservation before, but we just mention we are early and ask if they can accommodate an early arrival, if not we come back. not a big deal, but I have yet to be told no and when arriving early, we have always been seated before our ADR time. In fact on this last trip the only time we were seated after our ADR time was at 1900 Park Faire, but that was because one member of our party cut the leg on the corner of the bed and had to have medical attention before heading over. This meant we checked in late, but I had gone first and explained the situation and they were very accommodating.

But you can walk up to the hub area so its not 5 minutes to make it from park entrance to BOG.