4 diners instead of 3

Tinker Pam

Stalker of the Whisperer
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
522
Ok so my mother in law has decided she's coming with us to Disney in Dec. I added her to the room and all the ADRs but 1 with no problem. I've got Ohana booked on Dec 4 and they say they can't add her. How big of a deal would it b if I show up with 4 instead of 3. Last year it was the 3 of us and we always had 4 chairs (or more) at tje table. Thanks
 
Have you tried to book it yourself with 4 on the online dining ressie site? I would keep trying and maybe you'll have some luck. A few years ago my DM joined DD and myself and we did not have a problem when we got to O'hana with 3 of us instead of 2 but we may have just been lucky.
 
Chances of her getting seated are very slim, especially at Ohana.

Yes you will be sat at a 4 top because there are 3 of you, so adding a chair is simple, at least this is what people think, but it is wrong. All restaurants have fire codes they have to go by and if a place is booked they can't add people because it would break the law.

Also Ohana is very popular so it will most likely be booked, then add free dining in there and it makes the chances even slimmer.

Sorry I would go ahead and keep trying for an adr, meantime I would make arrangements for her to dine elsewhere (maybe Kona, it is right next door) and meet up after dinner. Or maybe she can eat early and take a relaxing stroll on the beach and have a cocktail while you guys eat.

Either way, I would just be prepared for her to be turned away, sorry.

Have a good trip and enjoy yourself!
 
I did try myself and it showed no availability. DMIL is severly hearing impaired so sending her elsewhere is not an option. We have an 850am ressie. I did book a different day there but really wanted to have a character bfast our first morning there and DS loves stitch and begged for us to go there our first morning.
 

hmmm, when we ate dinner here many moons ago- we were seated at a table for three- It was a table that was at the window where one side was not accessible to put a chair. No way could 4 people sit there.

--
 
If the restaurant is full to capacity at the time you arrive and it's anticipated that it will continue to be filled to capacity, they won't let you in with an extra person because of fire codes. However, if it's not full, you will probably be seated with four, although you may have to wait longer than you anticipated.

If you can't break up your party, it's possible you may have to have a plan for the entire party to eat elsewhere if it so happens they can't accommodate the extra person.
 
We were also seated at a 3-top at 'Ohana last time we were there. It was a window seat with a great view.

There have been many posts here from people who were NOT accommodated when they showed up with an extra person. There are also posts from folks who claim they "do this all the time" without problems. If you are going during free dining, it will definitely be harder to add one person to your reservations than if you are going at other times of the year.

Keep trying for a new ADR and have a backup plan, in case you are turned away. They will seat a party of two with an ADR for 3, so this could be your backup. Two go see Stitch and two have Tonga Toast at Kona.
 
I've been to Ohana twice in the past year with 3 people. Both times at a 3 person table that could not be made into 4. Once was the that great window seat.
 
My MIL is joining us on our dec trip too.

I went online and booked for 6 at all the same restaurants at the same time and cancelled the old ones when prompted without a problem except for one too - Le Cellier.

So what worked for me was that I opened up two disney dining reservation windows, in the first one I put the same time and date but 6 guests instead of 5.

Second window I pulled up my adrs and cancelled my Le Cellier adr :scared1:

immediately I clicked on the search button in the other window and got my adr for 6 guests:cool1:

yes, it could have backfired, but it didn't and I had done something similar before when coordinating picking up a cancelled adr from another Diser

Apparently tho at 'ohana there are 3 tops so it's your call - if it doesnt work id bet if you were very quick and changed the number of guests back to 3 you'd be able to recover the adr.

Phew, sorry about the essay
 
Same experience here with Ohana. My two friends and I have made Ohana a tradition. We've visited as a threesome 3 times and each time have been sat at a 3 top with no way to slide another chair in. It was the only restaurant we've done that ever had us at a table just for 3...most other places we were sat at a 4 top. Ohana is the only one I'd worry about when increasing from 3 to 4.

This last trip to Ohana in the spring there were 4 of us...and we were sat at a 6 top...go figure.

I will never understand the ADR booking system!
 
Thanks everyone. That's why I LOVE these boards- I never would have know they actually have tables that sit 3. Well I have 96 days before Ohana so I'll keep trying . If I don't find a ressie I'll give it a shot to ask and if all else fails I've booked it for the 9th. :thumbsup2
 
just a FYI. This was our first time doing Ohana (breakfast) as a party of 3. Had been previously with 4. They do indeed have many "tables for 3" which are actually small 2 person tables they place along the windows or the aisles and jam a third chair into that space. We hardly had enough room for our food. Honestly......I hated it. We had a window table and while the view of the castle was nice.........having every square inch of table covered with plates and glasses was really annoying. Glad nobody spilled anything.

ETA- this was the only place I saw this occurrence. Everywhere else we were seated at a normal 4 person table as a party of 3.

regards
 














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