Best Topolinos strategy

[jolynne28]

Hi all! We're doing a one night stay end of June with my sister's family, who are flying in to visit us for a week. I would like to do Topolinos with them late the morning after our stay, but need advice on booking, as we are a party of 9. Since it's a one night stay we don't have the advantage of booking out and adding it to the end of a trip when less people are making reservations.

I can book starting Sunday morning, so I checked out the options this morning at day 60, and even now at 11 am EST I can easily book a party of 4 or less for the breakfast times around noon, which is when we want. I'm fine to split our party up, but my family is 5, so there's nothing for us. Should I book 2 separate parties of 4, then try to modify one the day before to 5 (In the past I've gotten Topolinos the night before, we rarely plan dining and always get good options on site) or should I book parties of 4, then 3 and 2, just so everyone is guaranteed to have a seat? I know we probably will be spread out in the restaurant, no big deal, I just want to make sure they get to experience it, and I don't want to be stalking my phone when we're doing extended evening hours in the MK the night before.

Just trying to see what everyone thinks the best strategy is! Thanks for any advice you may have!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I would plan to try and make 2 separate reservations, one for 4 and one for 6. If you have a reservation for 6 and show up with 5, it's a non-issue. I wouldn't worry about a modify. But a couple things with this plan. First, you'll need to reserve them around the same time, then get to the restaurant a few minutes early and ask at the desk to be seated together or near each other. Sometimes they can accommodate, sometimes then cannot. Second, you'll either need 2 different people in your party to use their MDE account to book (you cannot book 2 reservations at the same time under the same name/account. OR you can wait until 7AM (I believe it's 7) on the morning you're eligible and call the DINE line and have them do it for you. They can make more than one reservation for you in a situation like yours - if they are available. But that's an hour later than you might be able to grab something online. Good luck!

 

[jolynne28]

The problem is that there most likely isn't going to be availability for anything over a party of 4, based on what I've been seeing. I would book 6 if I could b/c as a group of 5 we are usually at a table for 6, but it doesn't look like there will be any reservations larger than party of 4 available.

I did not know that I couldn't book two reservations for the same time with two completely different parties. I am managing this small stay with my MDE and our DVC points, so I was planning on making one reservation with her family's names, and one with mine. You're saying I can't do that?