Early park entry through ADRs

[Guest]

OK, so I've read around a few topics on this, and I am still not quite sure I understand the process, in terms of ADRs giving early park entry.

To me, I understand that if you book a Breakfast ADR for a time before the park opens, you will get in to the park early (up to 20 minutes before your ADR).

However, I can't quite work out how that early entry is regulated. I see from some earlier posts that there is a separate entrance, and you are directed to the appropriate restaurant, while the rest of the park is roped off. So, if your ADR is 08:00, you head into the park at 07:40, get your breakfast by 08:30, then exit into the park, and can make your way to rides and be "first" in the queue.

But if you have, say, an 08:45 ADR, can you access the park at 08:25, go straight to a ride to be near the front of the queue, then head for your ADR at 08:45?

As we are not staying at a Disney hotel, I am finding that early ADRs are gone (which I suppose is to be expected), but I have been able to book breakfasts before 09:00, just not long enough beforehand to be able to actually eat breakfast before the park opens to everyone else

[vhm672]

OK lets work through this.

if a park opens at 9 and you have an ADR before this then you will be let into the park before opening. 20 minutes before is a fair idea although people have got in earlier.

There will be a separate gate for ADR entry - they have a list of reservations.

Once in the park you will not be able to go to the rides and in any event it would not do you any good as they won't open until 9am i.e after you will already be having your breakfast.

Theoretically the earliest ADR's would get you the opportunity to eat and still beat the queues for the rides especially in MK.

[Guest]

Not quite true. If you are booked at Be Our Guest for 8:00 (Main park opening at 9) you can go over to 7Dwarfs Mine train and get a ride in around 8:45 /8:50. Bear in mind that they will be letting people up Main Street towards the castle stage for the new Good Morning show and they will pour into the various lands as soon as the show is over and rope drop occurs.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by geoffa

Not quite true. If you are booked at Be Our Guest for 8:00 (Main park opening at 9) you can go over to 7Dwarfs Mine train and get a ride in around 8:45 /8:50. Bear in mind that they will be letting people up Main Street towards the castle stage for the new Good Morning show and they will pour into the various lands as soon as the show is over and rope drop occurs.

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This is what I'm basing my logic on. Even if I have a 9am ADR, I guess I can get into the park at 08:40... and in theory get the 08:45/08:50 ride on say 7 Dwarfs, before heading to our ADR... ? I don't know if this is at all possible or what we want, but I'm wondering if anyone's ever tried! Also how much leeway is there on your ADR bookings - if we're booked in at 09:00 and turn up at 09:15 are you turned away?

[Geordieprincess]

Just be aware for MK you would probably have to be there super early to beat the queue to take advantage of this. We had a BBB appointment for 9am which recommended you were there 15 mins early so effectively an 8.45 appointment. We arrived off the boat 8.25ish (slightly underestimated how long it took to get there!) and it was already mobbed with people waiting for the welcome show. Told security we had an early appointment and asked about the separate ADR queue but they said you need to queue with everyone else for bag check. By the time we cleared security there was no way to get near any separate entrance so we had to wait it out with everyone else. No empty park, no pictures of the castle, just sprinted up to BBB and arrived at 9.05am - oops! We are never usually late for anything. Mind BBB was empty so I guess we weren't the only ones who were late!

At the other end though we had an 8.10am at Tusker House, were the first in the park and first to be seated in the restaurant - no one told us we were too early even though I hadn't managed to bag an 8am slot.

[Guest]

Interesting, thanks. I'd not thought about that at all, so we'll make sure we're there super early. Also hadn't even thought about turning up early for an ADR.

In the end, we're struggling to get any early reservations in our first week, so far, as I guess the early options go as soon as the 180+10 days opens, and we're not staying in a Disney Hotel, so can only book at 180 days. So I can't see us getting in any parks early, but maybe the second week (when US holidays are over, I think).

[Geordieprincess]

We flew out on 19th Aug last year and stayed off site. I booked 20th Aug Tusker House at 8.10am, got CRT on 21st but wanted as late a possible breakfast as had BBB first. I also booked Hollywood and Vine 8.20am for a few days later but we cancelled this one in the end. Are you trying at exactly booking opening time? I always had my phone handy just before booking opened and refreshed it until it appeared then booked. A few hours later when I got home from work and looked they were gone. Good luck.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Geordieprincess

We flew out on 19th Aug last year and stayed off site. I booked 20th Aug Tusker House at 8.10am, got CRT on 21st but wanted as late a possible breakfast as had BBB first. I also booked Hollywood and Vine 8.20am for a few days later but we cancelled this one in the end. Are you trying at exactly booking opening time? I always had my phone handy just before booking opened and refreshed it until it appeared then booked. A few hours later when I got home from work and looked they were gone. Good luck.

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Yes, I've been trying at exactly 11:00 on-line.

Managed to get BOG at 09:00 on day 2 (14th August), and then managed to move it to 08:55(!) a few hours later. And then got 1900 Park Place at 09:20 on Day 3 (but this is a water park day, so not too bad). The only early availability so far seems to be resort restaurants rather than park restaurants, but I'll keep checking

[wheety1621]

May see you there at BOG! We managed to get a ADR for 8.05am on the 14th Aug!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by wheety1621

May see you there at BOG! We managed to get a ADR for 8.05am on the 14th Aug!

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Haha! Excellent! We'll be the ones anxiously looking at how busy it's getting!

Out of interest, how on earth did you get 08:05?! Are you staying at a Disney hotel, which I know means you can book ADRs for your full stay as soon as you are Day 1 - 180 days? We were on the booking tool at 11:00 on the dot, and initially only 09:00 was possible, then later that day, we got 08:55!

(Same today for Garden Grill for Epcot, only 08:55 available at 11:00:00! )