I went to Oktoberfest in Munich in 2016.
We (5 adults) arrived on a weekday (Monday, IIRC), around 11 -11:30am and had no problems (=no wait) in getting an inside table at the first tent we entered. (Tent = semi-permanent building with a band on a large stage, seating 6,000 people at large picnic-style tables that can seat ~10-12 people, with adjacent permanent flush-toilet facilities.)
We spent an hour or so there, drinking beer (1 liter = 10 euro) and eating lunch, and then wandered around. A while later we stopped at another beer "tent" and had no problem with getting an inside table (which we shared with some Germans who were already seated there) to drink another liter of beer apiece while watching the crowd start chanting whenever some brave soul decided to stand and chug their stein-ful of beer.
A few hours later we stopped at another tent/building that specialized in desserts/coffee/wine/cocktails. Again, we were seated right away.
They seem to have crowd-handling down to a science. And the wait staff are professional servers from all over the country. They typically take 3 weeks (vacation?) off to work Oktoberfest where they make as much in tips there as they do the rest of the year 'back home'.
(I did see some tents had some reserved seating around the sides and upstairs in sort of a balcony/mezzanine area...but have no further info.)
Due to the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Europe, they were limiting the size of any bags that could be brought in -- they had to be quite small. (Check their site for size details.) My medium-size handbag was too large, so my hostess had loaned me a tiny bag for the day. There were several 'pop up' locker facilities right outside the Oktoberfest grounds (for 5 euro per locker) for items too large to be allowed in.
It was fun to see so many young people dressed in dirndls and lederhosen. I guess it has become quite popular.
Everything was neat, tidy and orderly. And everyone seemed very well behaved. Tons of beer was being consumed but I didn't see anyone acting drunk/disorderly.
Have fun!
omni
