Strategy/Advice Needed ... Adding People to ADRs

[disneymath]

Ok, so our ADRs for our August trip are all set ... have been for a while ... and they are pretty much what we want ... all are for a party of 6 (5 adults + 1 infant in a high chair).

Found out today that there is a chance my two cousins (aged 16 and 13) may be coming on the trip too ... this is a great thing, love taking them to Disney ... but that means we need to add two more people to our ADRs.

Here'e the question for the experts ... how easy/difficult is it to turn an ADR for 6 into an ADR for 8? Should I just call and try to make totally new ADRs for a party of 8, or should I try to modify my existing ADRs?

Here's what we have booked if that helps at all ...

Cape May Clam Bake (dinner)
"Ohanna (dinner)
Hollywood & Vine (fantasmic dinner package)
Crystal Palace (dinner)
Coral Reef (dinner)
Hoop Dee Doo Revue (Category 2, 5:00 show)
Boma (breakfast)
Garden Grill (dinner)
Yak & Yeti (dinner)

 

[ms*mountaineer]

Call and ask about switching to ADR's of 8 people. A good CM won't cancel your existing ADR's until they've already checked that they can get you one for 8 people. So make sure you ask them to CHECK first, before cancelling your existing.

If there are any restaurants that you are told "I'm sorry I don't have anything for 8 people" - ask if you can get a 2nd ADR for 2 people at the same time as your ADR for 6 people. If they can do that - take that. Then when you get to the restaurant (get there a little early) and explain to the host/hostess that you would like to all be seated together - or next to each other. Most places are able to accomodate.
(or - ask for 2 tables of 4 - same concept...)

 

[disnut8]

Call and ask about switching to ADR's of 8 people. A good CM won't cancel your existing ADR's until they've already checked that they can get you one for 8 people. So make sure you ask them to CHECK first, before cancelling your existing.

If there are any restaurants that you are told "I'm sorry I don't have anything for 8 people" - ask if you can get a 2nd ADR for 2 people at the same time as your ADR for 6 people. If they can do that - take that. Then when you get to the restaurant (get there a little early) and explain to the host/hostess that you would like to all be seated together - or next to each other. Most places are able to accomodate.
(or - ask for 2 tables of 4 - same concept...)

Totally agree. But, if you have to make a reservation at the same (or similar time), have the two reservations linked in the system right away. That way, the restaurant will know before you get there that they need to have that arraignment. Otherwise, you might have to wait for a long time until the correct combination of tables is available. For example, we had a split reservation for 10 people - one table for six and one for four. When we got to the restaurant, they said that the table for six was being cleared and the table for four was done with their meal so we just had to wait for that. If we had just shown up, our tables could have been on the other side of the restaurant from each other and we would have had to wait for a while to be together.

 

[love_mickey]

something you might also want to check into is a grand gathering those can come in handy you dont have to do it all the time but like for a dinner you can have a illuminations dinner hope this was helpful

 

[embgrl]

I found myself in the same predicament as you. I had all my ADR's booked, but then my DBIL and his wife decided to join us so I called to add them to our ADR's and was told that they can only add one person to and existing ADR. If there is more than one person being added then they have to make a new ressie. Hope that helps.

 

[mcr5298]

We had the same thing happen a couple of years ago. But we didn't change any ADR's. We were able to add a family of four to our table when we checked in. There were 8 people under the original ADR. This happened at Whispering Canyon Cafe, 'Ohana and a couple of more places. We went at the end of May, and it wasn't too crowded. You might feel more comfortable making new ADR's with the larger party size. But I would hate to see you give things up that you might not get back. Good luck, no matter what you do.

 

[disneymath]

Call and ask about switching to ADR's of 8 people. A good CM won't cancel your existing ADR's until they've already checked that they can get you one for 8 people. So make sure you ask them to CHECK first, before cancelling your existing.

If there are any restaurants that you are told "I'm sorry I don't have anything for 8 people" - ask if you can get a 2nd ADR for 2 people at the same time as your ADR for 6 people. If they can do that - take that.

Thanks ... this was the strategy I was thinking I would need to use. Hopefully I will get a good CM when I call - and that there are still ressies for parties of 8 available.

Totally agree. But, if you have to make a reservation at the same (or similar time), have the two reservations linked in the system right away. That way, the restaurant will know before you get there that they need to have that arraignment. Otherwise, you might have to wait for a long time until the correct combination of tables is available.

Good point ... I'll remember to do that.

something you might also want to check into is a grand gathering those can come in handy you dont have to do it all the time but like for a dinner you can have a illuminations dinner hope this was helpful

Unfortunately, the will-be 14-month old (the 8th member of of group) doesn't count towards the Grand Gathering total - we're one person short or I would definitely go the GG route. (We did this in 2006 - the IllumiNations experience was WOW!)

... I called to add them to our ADR's and was told that they can only add one person to and existing ADR. If there is more than one person being added then they have to make a new ressie. Hope that helps.

Here's hoping they'll let me add two ... since a current member of our party is just a baby!

We had the same thing happen a couple of years ago. But we didn't change any ADR's. We were able to add a family of four to our table when we checked in. There were 8 people under the original ADR. This happened at Whispering Canyon Cafe, 'Ohana and a couple of more places. We went at the end of May, and it wasn't too crowded. You might feel more comfortable making new ADR's with the larger party size. But I would hate to see you give things up that you might not get back. Good luck, no matter what you do.

I don't think I would want to chance "last-minute" add-ons nowadays. Hopefully DAunt and DUncle will decide very soon if the cousins will be joining us ... and then the ADR tweeking willl commence!

 

[disnut8]

I found myself in the same predicament as you. I had all my ADR's booked, but then my DBIL and his wife decided to join us so I called to add them to our ADR's and was told that they can only add one person to and existing ADR. If there is more than one person being added then they have to make a new ressie. Hope that helps.

Were you a party of three (seeing your signature) and then wanted to be a party of five? That would be the problem. You can add as many people as you want IF they have another table. For your situation, the three of you would have been seated at a four top table. It would have been very easy to add one additional person. My adding two, they would need to have a two top table available. And those aren't all that common.

There is not a limit on how many people you can add to an existing reservation. The limit comes from how many extra tables are available during that time.

 

[disneymath]

There is not a limit on how many people you can add to an existing reservation. The limit comes from how many extra tables are available during that time.

Thanks for the clarification ... hopefully, there will be two-tops availalbe for us!

 

[ericamcl]

FWIW, I was able to make our party of 6 a party of 8 last week when my sister and her boyfriend decided to join us for our trip.

The CM O spoke to was very helpful....if I wanted to add anymore than the 2 she said I would have had a problem on my hands for us to all sit together.

 

[disneymath]

FWIW, I was able to make our party of 6 a party of 8 last week when my sister and her boyfriend decided to join us for our trip.

The CM O spoke to was very helpful....if I wanted to add anymore than the 2 she said I would have had a problem on my hands for us to all sit together.

I hope some of your good luck rubs off on us!