Hi John! Welcome to planDisney! I'm so glad you found us to ask this question about visiting Disney California Adventure Park.
I'm all about the details when planning a Disneyland Resort vacation! It sounds like you have done your homework and have some great plans in place. You are correct that
Carthay Circle Restaurant lists that dinner will be available until 6:00 p.m. on the date of your
Advanced Dining Reservation. With your start time being 5:00 p.m., I can't imagine you would be enjoying dinner and asked to leave at 6:00 if you aren't quite finished. I have a couple of suggestions that could hopefully give you peace of mind about your plans.
When you arrive at
Disney California Adventure Park, you could stop by the restaurant to confirm that you will be able to stay past 6:00 p.m. if you aren't done with dinner. You could also check in slightly ahead of your Advanced Dining Reservation for dinner. In my experience, I have been able to check in approximately 15 minutes before my reservation. If the restaurant has a table readily available, this option would give you a little longer and help ensure you don't feel as rushed.
As you're in countdown mode for your vacation to begin at The Happiest Place on Earth, you might
enjoy this article from Disney Parks Blog about Carthay Circle Restaurant. It will give you a closer look inside, as well as some fun facts before your visit.
If you have more planning questions, please stop by
planDisney again. We can't wait for you to be our guest, and we would love to help!
Happy Planning!
Smiles,
Lisa