How do they assign cat. 1 seating?
HDDR/LUAU TICKET AND SEATING "411":
1) Tables are prioritized and assigned in each category by WHEN the ressie was made
. . . whether via phone or on-line or in-person at WDW.
. . . example: a Cat-1 ressie made in January gets a better table than ressie made in February
. . . example: a Cat-1 ressie made within 7-days of the show gets Cat-1 leftovers
2) Tables are manually assigned on 8th day before the show date (we sit in the ticket booth in the afternoon and manually prepare the seating chart for eight-days out and last-minute tickets).
3) Last minute ressies are assigned to the next open table in order.
4) There are no requests allowed for specific tables.
5) The earlier ressies are made, the better table location.
6) Exception: tables #044 & #045, are kept for last minute handicapped guests.
7) Table numbers do have meaning,
. . . EXAMPLE: table #052
. . . 0 = floor-level
. . . 5 = fifth-row-from-front
. . . 2 = second-table-from-left (when facing the stage)
8) Tables may be moved around to accommodate number of guests.
9) Only one family/group is
usually seated per table. *
10) Distribution of tables and categories, prior to any combining of tables.
. . . Cat-1 tables are main floor back to row8, they are the best seats
. . . Cat-2 tables are the seven tables in row9 on main floor
. . . Cat-2 tables are the last four on left/right wings
. . . Cat-2 tables are the eight rear balcony tables facing stage
. . . Cat-3 tables are the eight tables on both balcony sides
. . . Cat-2 and Cat-3 tables may have posts in the viewing way **
. . . Cat-3 tables frequently require one-half of the table to turn around to see
11)
DDP Credit Use
. . . 4:00pm show = 2TS for Cat-2 and/or Cat-3, no Cat-1 using DDP credits
. . . 6:15pm show = 2TS for Cat-2 and/or Cat-3, no Cat-1 using DDP credits
. . . 8:30pm show = 2TS for Cat-1, Cat-2 and/or Cat-3
12) Ticket Pick-Up:
. . . up to 7-days prior to show date at any Resort Concierge Desk or any Park Guest Services
. . . within 2-hrs prior to show-time only at HDDR Box Office at Fort Wilderness
. . . box office windows are to the left of Pioneer Hall at FW
.
* There are four large tables for big families. If there are no big families (which seldom happens), they will mix small families of 2-4 to fill the tables. This allows HDDR to maximize the seating, and revenue. If there are more than one group at the table, each group has its own "family style" menu items.
.
** I have assigned seats for HDDR, and feel badly when I had to put folks behind pillars or have the pillars in their line-of-sight. 
