Thanks for that info, Stalin.

I should explain that the "11 AM mini lottery" is a drawing of numbers out of a bucket. Since the no-shows are released at 11 AM, there is usually a larger number of people at the Visitor Center at that time. So they hold the drawing, and process everyone in the order of the numbers drawn.

I was told this drawing and processing sequence includes EVERYONE there, even people picking up reserved permits (for next day entry, for example)

Edit: "even people picking up reserved permits" means those people wait in the same queue to pick up their reserved permits. Their reserved permits are NOT given to someone drawing a lower number.