Early entrance to MK to make a dining reservation

[karenmolinasoto]

Hello! On December 23rd, we have an 8am reservation at Be Our Guest. It is a day with EMH from 8 to 9am. Will the park let us enter before 8 so we can walk and get to the restaurant on time?
If we enter with eveyone, we won't make it

Thanks for the advice,

 

[Bullseye1967]

I am sure they have some system in place for this, otherwise no one would make an 8 AM reservation. Either they let people in early, or everyone is 15 minutes late for their reservation. They always allow you to be late. I used to think it was 15 minutes but they have still honored my ADRs even after a half hour.

 

[chrismdonahue]

They usually have a separate line for early ADRs. We had one at Epcot (no issue). They scan your band.

 

[Master Yoda]

Yes. There is a separate line at all 4 parks for early entry with a dining reservation.

 

[Kamikaze]

I am sure they have some system in place for this, otherwise no one would make an 8 AM reservation. Either they let people in early, or everyone is 15 minutes late for their reservation. They always allow you to be late. I used to think it was 15 minutes but they have still honored my ADRs even after a half hour.

Its actually up to 3 hours. You will just have to wait for a table if its more than a few minutes. But they'll get you in.

 

[WDW_Jon]

Interested to see other opinions as a very similar thread in the dining section last week had people saying it’s 8am with the rest of the crowds regardless?
I’ve been wondering the same thing as the whole reason for wanting a CP 8am reservation is to enter slightly early and let out youngest son see Main Street for the first time in relative calm!

 

[NelleBelle]

We would always try and book the first breakfast at CP so we could enter before the rest of the hoard and take a picture and a fairly "empty" Main Street with no one in our Castle picture.

 

[nickys]

We would always try and book the first breakfast at CP so we could enter before the rest of the hoard and take a picture and a fairly "empty" Main Street with no one in our Castle picture.

Except that doesn't work anymore due to the new welcome show, sadly.

Usually if there's EMH, or an early 8am opening, they will let people in a few minutes early. If you have a reservation that means you need to get past the Hub, then find the CM on the left of the Hub who will let you past. Everyone else will be held until they drop the ropes.

 

[NelleBelle]

Except that doesn't work anymore due to the new welcome show, sadly.

Usually if there's EMH, or an early 8am opening, they will let people in a few minutes early. If you have a reservation that means you need to get past the Hub, then find the CM on the left of the Hub who will let you past. Everyone else will be held until they drop the ropes.

Dang it! I totally forgot they have that new show on the castle stage! I'll miss the opening with the train

 

[DisAl]

We would always try and book the first breakfast at CP so we could enter before the rest of the hoard and take a picture and a fairly "empty" Main Street with no one in our Castle picture.

I have one with NOBODY in the picture (well, one CM at a trash can) that I made during a Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour back before they had early ADRs. I won't ever be able to get that again.....
To answer the question though, there will be a way to get to your ADR on time. Just look for the signs.

 

[Pixieish]

I am sure they have some system in place for this, otherwise no one would make an 8 AM reservation. Either they let people in early, or everyone is 15 minutes late for their reservation. They always allow you to be late. I used to think it was 15 minutes but they have still honored my ADRs even after a half hour.

I've found that if you call and say you're on your way but will be late, they are very accommodating.

 

[RememberWhen]

On our last trip (fall 2016) I made an 8 am reservation at tusker house at animal Kingdom. Then the park hours changed from opening at 9am to opening at 8 am. I assumed they would let us in a few min early since tusker house is in the back, but they did not. Maybe they will at MK. I haven’t been since they moved the welcome show.

 

[Pixieish]

On our last trip (fall 2016) I made an 8 am reservation at tusker house at animal Kingdom. Then the park hours changed from opening at 9am to opening at 8 am. I assumed they would let us in a few min early since tusker house is in the back, but they did not. Maybe they will at MK. I haven’t been since they moved the welcome show.

I've seen so many different results involving that same situation. Some say they'll let you in 15 minutes early, others say you're out of luck. It appears to depend on who is in charge of park opening that day...which is unfortunate. They really need some consistency in this area.

 

[RememberWhen]

I've seen so many different results involving that same situation. Some say they'll let you in 15 minutes early, others say you're out of luck. It appears to depend on who is in charge of park opening that day...which is unfortunate. They really need some consistency in this area.

It was frustrating, but we half-ran to the back and got our breakfast. We did attempt an early morning at MK, but they didn’t let anyone in early that day because they had repaved part of Main Street and it wasn’t dry and they needed to get ropes out to block it off. We were unhappy that our pre-park opening breakfast at Crystal Palace didn’t happen until the park opened. There were a lot of angry people that morning. I think we just have had bad luck with pre-opening reservations.