ADR- ? about new cancellation charge/ adding more people to ADR

[crazymomof4]

So I'm stressing a bit over taking my WDW "virgins"- Brother and sis in law. Monday is our 180 day out mark and I know I want to make all of our ADR's early in the day. I usually have everything planned and ready to call for ADR's well in advance.
Of course I want to make bro and sis in law happy, so waiting for them to give me their selections but seem to be really laid back and thinking the trip is sooo far off so what's the rush. Have not heard from them. I hate to nag them and come across as a "WDW commando".
Here's my question. If Monday comes and I still don't hear from them, I can one of 2 things:
*Make the ADR's for the whole party (8 of us, incl bro and SIL) where WE (my family of 6) want to eat for all of us and then if bro and SIL don't want to eat there, they can go on their own.
*OR Make the ADR's for just us (6) and then if bro and SIL want to eat with us, ADD another 2 to the party at the time they let me know.

Sooo if I cancel just the 2 of them from our party (choice #1 above) will there be a cancellation fee? OR would it be a huge problem to add them (choice #2 above) say a few weeks after the 180 mark?

 

[minnie mum]

Go ahead and make the ADRs for 8 on your 180 day. I think it's much more difficult to change an ADR from 6 to 8 than it is to do the reverse. Let your relatives know right away what your reservations are and tell them that you need to know ASAP if they have a problem with any of your choices.

If you need to change the number on the ADR down to 6, you shouldn't have too much trouble if you do it by phone. You wouldn't be cancelling, just changing the number of guests.

 

[TDC Nala]

Regarding partial parties with credit card holds, we had reports from posters who called WDW-DINE that went both ways; some said that there would be a per person charge for the absentees when a partial party turned up, some said there would not. We have one report that I know of from someone who reported that they actually turned up with a partial party, and they were not charged. I don't think that's enough to say absolutely for certain that there will be no charge for a partial party, but it's a good sign.

In general I would say include them in the reservation if, at some point before about 48 hours before the reservation, you will know for sure if they are coming or not coming.

 

[crazymomof4]

Thanks
So, to the best of ur knowledge, there won't be a $10 pp charge to delete bro and SIL form our ADR's if they decide to make ressies elsewhere?

 

[purple figment]

Thanks
So, to the best of ur knowledge, there won't be a $10 pp charge to delete bro and SIL form our ADR's if they decide to make ressies elsewhere?

This might be a matter of semantics, but the $10 pp charge is NOT because you want to delete them from your reservation. There is no fee for modifying a reservation.

Disney instituted a $10 pp fee at specific restaurants (character and sigs). This fee is charged only if you don't cancel the reservation within the specified time frame and then don't show up at the restaurant.

As Nala said, what we don't know is if part of a group doesn't come (eg your bro and SIL) will you be assessed the $10 pp no show fee for them even if the rest of you are there. If you find out they won't be coming it's best to modify the res to 6 people just in case.

As another poster said, it is better to start with a reservation for the max number of people dining because it's much harder to add people later on.

 

[crazymomof4]

Thanks everyone!
I will make all ressies on Mon for 8 persons.
Hopefully I will hear from them before so we can solidify our plans. I've never been this stressed planning our WDW vaca. .... but then I've always just gone w/ our immediate family. It's tough bc I think newbies (WDW virgins) really don't GET that, YES, you do have to make ADR's this much in advance for WDW when FD is offered. It's not like your local steakhouse down the street!

Thanks for all your help!

 

[cigar95]

Be aware that there are some reservation CMs - I would guess more than half - who only know how to do the modification by cancelling the 8 and making a new reservation for 6. If there are no seatings available for 6, they wouldn't be able to help you.

HOWEVER - what you can do in such a case, besides trying for a different CM, is to have them add a note to the ADR that there will only be 6 dining, even though the reservation is still formally for a party of 8. That should be enough to protect you from being charged as a "partial no show" - IF it were to come up. (So far, I don't think we've heard of any reports of such charges related to the new system.)

 

[chimilady]

Thanks everyone!
I will make all ressies on Mon for 8 persons.
Hopefully I will hear from them before so we can solidify our plans. I've never been this stressed planning our WDW vaca. .... but then I've always just gone w/ our immediate family. It's tough bc I think newbies (WDW virgins) really don't GET that, YES, you do have to make ADR's this much in advance for WDW when FD is offered. It's not like your local steakhouse down the street!

Thanks for all your help!

Some of use newbies get it and start planning months out. I also make my ADRs on Monday and while I find it to be a PIA to figure out where I'm going to be since I've never been to Disney at all, I will say that in general, doing a little research before you go is the way to maximize your fun while you're there.

OP, are they aware of the restaurants and the number to call? I would just book 8, and then tell them to book their own and let you know what they choose later. Then the week before your trip, you can figure it out. You only have to cancel the day before in order not to be charged.

 

[crazymomof4]

Some of use newbies get it and start planning months out. I also make my ADRs on Monday and while I find it to be a PIA to figure out where I'm going to be since I've never been to Disney at all, I will say that in general, doing a little research before you go is the way to maximize your fun while you're there. .

If you did planning and research, then you're not a "newbie". My "newbies" didn't even know how many parks were in WDW and asked if it's "bigger than Six Flags".....ya, that's a WDW "virgin"!