just to add on the timing issue, we were there yesterday and the park was very crowded! The line was forming by about 9:45 and by about 10:15 it was at the end of the bridge.(which I'm assuming everyone means is the bridge at the entrance where the BOG sign is???) We decided to use our mermaid fastpasses and hopped in line about 10:25. By that point the line was around the corner and about halfway down the path (the other bridge???) to gaston's tavern. My dh was giving me the evil eye because the cm was telling people it was going to be an hour. I was pretty sure it would be a lot less than that because the place wasn't open yet and its huge!!! Sure enough the line started to move and we were ordering by about 10:45 or so completely doen with our meal by 11:30. When we left the line was as long as when we got in it but by that time the restaurant was full and it probably really was going to be an hour.
oh, and to answer your original question, just about everyone in line was a place keeper while the rest of their party was doing other things