Adding someone to ADR last-minute

[famy27]

I just found out that my friend's boyfriend may be joining us for six days of our upcoming nine-day trip. I have my ADRs made for four and am wondering what my best option is. We currently have three adults and my two-year-old daughter. I could call ahead and try to change the number for our ADRs from 4 to 5, just go to the restaurants and ask for a highchair for my daughter and stay at a table for four, arrive early and ask if there is a way to get a table for six, or have my friend and her boyfriend do their own thing at meals (making me, DH, and DD a group of three instead).

For CRT, it is a no-brainer, as a single 37-year-old guy will probably recover emotionally from missing lunch with Cinderella. The other ADRs we have are:

Le Cellier for dinner on Saturday night (which I am pretty sure will be impossible to change).
Ohana for breakfast on Wednesday
Mama Melrose for dinner on Thursday
Coral Reef for dinner on Friday

Should I use one of my above-listed options for all of my ADRs, or do you recommend different strategies based on the restaurant? Also, I don't want to call to make changes until I am sure he is going. It will only be two weeks before our trip when I'll know for sure. I don't know if that will make changing ADRs impossible or not. TIA!!!

 

[ms*mountaineer]

Call Disney dining and try a couple of different things - first see if they can add 1 to your existing reservation. They usually have to cancel your 4 person and add a 5 person - just have them check before they cancel your 4 person.

2nd option - and this worked better for us - call and try to get an ADR for the same restaurant for 2 people for the same time as your original ADR (or as close as they can get it). Then you'll have 2 ADR's for the same place. When you get to the restaurant, explain that you all would like to sit together or near each other - most of the time, they can make this work. (Arrive a little early and give the hostess time to work it out).

 

[Hopefully]

It will be difficult for them to do this for you. You will be changing table type, needing to go from a 4 top to at least a 6 top. If you were going from 3 to 4 that would be easier to do, as it would be the same table type.
I suggest you call and see what is available. But as the PP said, don't let them cancel your current reservation first. You could try the suggestion of a new reservation for 2.
If neither of these work, I would let the 2 of them go off on their own and you can keep your ADR and meet up with them later.
Have a Great Trip.

 

[dburg30]

Call and see if they have availability, start by just checking, dont get into the whole 4 to 5 thing. If they say yes, make the reservation, THEN cancel the old one. If they say no available, THEN maybe say, well we already have a ressie, can we add one to it. If they still say no, you can always show up with the extra person in tow and see if they can fit them in, but have the person be well aware that they may NOT be able to. Play the last minute additon up and use 'puppy dog eyes' as much as you can

Seriously, you'll just have to see what happens..

 

[nhpgator]

please tell the CM the whole story first - it will save everyone time and effort. They can check and see what kind of table you are booked at if it will fit your new number - if not then they can check for a new table....

The CM's are "graded" on time spend on a call and so forth - so not giving them all the information to start with can cause a call to take longer than it migh have needed to!

 

[famy27]

Thanks for all of the responses. He still hasn't heard whether he has the time off of work, so we are in a holding pattern.