Reservations for Two But Now One

[Constance]

I have made lots of dining reservations for two in October, since a co-worker of mine was going to join me at Disney. However, she has been laid off from work and will not be going. Should I try and change them or can I just show up at the restaurant and explain that it's only one and not two?

I have no problem dining alone...but don't know if I should be informing them that it will only be a table for one rather than the two expected.

I've also booked several Food and Wine Fest events that she will not be attending (and is not going to pay me for ) so I guess I'm stuck paying double for only one person, since these are non-refundable.

The one-bedroom villas were on me and I was going to take the pull-out sofa. So, I guess the good news (for me) is that I get the "real" bed!

Just trying to make lemonade from lemons!

[Dolce27]

I'd leave your ADR's alone. For 1 or 2 people, you're set at the same size of table so it won't effect the restaurant when you show up solo. Sorry about losing out on the F&WF money. Maybe she'll find new employment soon and will offer to pay you back for her share. Have fun! I'm planning a solo trip for Oct 2010 and can't wait for the F&WF. I've never been.

[Constance]

Thanks for your reply! I was hoping I didn't have to cancel and try to make my dining reservations again.

And she still has a job - has only had verbal notification at this point - and has three months from written notification before she is done here. Just decided to hang on to the vacation days and her money.

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic. But I had stressed that with layoffs looming, that if she decided not to go, she would lose this money as it's not refundable. She didn't care. Well, it ended up being me losing the money, as the check she promised to give me didn't - and won't - be coming to me.

I need some cheese with my whine please! Sorry!

[Dolce27]

Totally understand. I went to Disneyland a couple of years ago with a co-worker that I considered a friend as well. I learned the hard way to make others pay for their own stuff. She owed me serious $$ b/c everything was booked on my cc. Honestly? She was good for the money but the problem came when over a month after we returned she hadn't paid up simply b/c she was too laid-back of a person to get around to take care of things. I work for a CPA firm and she's an Auditor. Auditor's are always out of the office working at client's so she wasn't around much. I finally had to push for her to make an extra trip by the office (which turned out to not be an extra trip) simply b/c my cc company wanted money and didn't care about her schedule. She didn't like me pushing for the money (trust me, it wasn't even close to being a small amount - like 20 bucks- that she owed me!). I'd been laid-back about it for a month before I confronted her about it b/c my cc bill was due and I needed her part of the money to pay it.

I'm sorry that your co-worker is being like that. I understand that she's concerned about money but if the possibility of her being laid-off was discussed before you spent the money - then she chose to gamble and lost. She should pay-up and it speaks volumes about the type of person she is that she won't.

Those of us who wouldn't dream of not paying money back to those owed have to learn the hard way that not everyone shares our ethics.

[Quacktatty]

The ADRs I wouldn't worry about - I actually had to book a table for 2 at a couple places because they wouldn't let me book a table of one! I just plan to tell them there is only going to be one person when I arrive.

As for the F&W - try posting your dates on the Adult/Solo board, someone might be willing to join you (and pay for their half!)

[Constance]

Dolce - Your experience was worse! People just don't think!

What bothered me the most was that when she told me that with the impending lay-off and the possibility that she may not find another job right away, she commented that "You don't know what it's like."

Well, I do know what it's like. I won't even go into details, but I have had tough times in my life. Just because I choose not to reveal my life's history to someone doesn't mean I haven't experienced hardships.

On top of that, our institution has decided that the two weeks "rolling advance" they gave us when we first started working here is going to be taken back. How? By taking one week's pay in October, and the second week by forfeiting vacation days or through payroll deductions. So, I'm facing a vacation I'd planned months ago for October and find out two weeks ago that I'll be short a week's pay next month!

It's all just such bad timing!

How exciting that you'll be attending the Food and Wine Fest for the first time in 2010! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Quacktatty - I had actually thought about posting on the solos board, but didn't see a topic where I could fit it in. Plus, I don't post often (and now I wish I had!) so I've been reticent to start my own thread there. I've been on the boards for years, even before I registered. I've used the info gleaned here for codes for rooms at times, the designs for making "Mousekeeping Envelopes" for my stays at mods (and had my very first towel animals in my room once I started using these envelopes!)

I have lots of ADR's too. Maybe I'll try the Food and Wine Fest events first, and then perhaps a few of the ADR's. I have no problem dining alone, do it all the time, but it would be fun if someone else wanted to go too. I've actually had people ask me to join them a couple of times. My best time was with this huge group of people from Baton Rouge, Louisiana! They were so friendly and great fun to share a meal with.

Thanks to you both for responding, your kindness, understanding and suggestions! Much appreciated!

[DDJen]

I'm pretty sure that loss of job is one of the few reasons you can cancel a F&W res and get a refund. It's at least worth calling and asking about. Just explain that's why the one person is dropping out of your party.

Good luck! I'm so sorry that other person stuck you with all this trouble.

[Dolce27]

I hope that DDJen is right and you can cancel. If you can't, I agree with Quacktatty that you should post a thread on the singles board. I'm sorry that you're going through financial hardships right now yourself because of the economy; it's really scary right now.

[quirty30]

I also have a solo trip in October for F & W. I made all my dinner ressies for 2 just in case. I posted over on the solo trip board but didn't have any luck. There's more dating threads over there than anything.

[Constance]

Thanks to all of you for your advice and feedback!

I may try calling Disney next weekend about this. I figured with the Labor Day weekend, staff there may be harried and phone waits will be long.

Things are very scary right now with the economy! So, when I put it in perspective, at least I still have a job. The vacation - well, I may not have purchased points from my sister for villas for the whole trip had I known - but I didn't back when I booked. I would have opted for the majority of my stay at POR and free dining (always seem to miss out on that!) and registered for only a couple of the F&W events instead of so many!

Ah well. Maybe being a planner isn't such a virtue after all!

Still considering posting on the solos board too. Added to a couple of threads, but that's it so far.

Quirty - I'll try to find your post too to see if we're going at the same time.

I do realize that the bottom line is that I'm lucky. I'm the only one in my department that they are keeping, or who doesn't have to reapply for my job! Disney is...well, a splurge at this point!

[honeydiane1953]

I left you a private message hope u get it as I have been through something VERY SIMILAR and I feel your pain

[MyMuse]

I would not worry about your ADRs. Just tell them it's for 1 when you arrive. I did that last March and they didn't blink.

I'm also going solo(ish) for my December trip and all my ADRs were made for 2. A friend of mine who lives in the area may/may not come (don't quite "get" the 90 day ADR thing), so I amde it for 2, but it may be 1.

I'm also thinking of planning a F&W trip for next year. It's like I should go in October *and* and December?

However, I would explain your feelings to your friend. Can you downgrade your hotel? I'm sure you can re-adjust your F&W events, if you had to pre-pay them (ie: 24 hour cancellation notice?).

[TDC Nala]

The ADRs are not anything to worry about unless you have any reservations that were either paid in full or you had to give a credit card number to hold the reservation and charge a no-show fee. Reports are that they will treat the missing person as a no-show and will bill the no-show fee to the credit card used to hold.

Anywhere else, they'd put you at a table for 2 anyway.

If you have any sold-out F&W events, even if they're not sold out, try posting to see if anyone is interested in the events. Some of these events are in great demand. Don't know what the odds are on your being able to unload a single space, but you could try. If you don't want to post your own thread, use the Food & Wine Festival sticky thread on this forum.