ADR Etiquette

[PoohBelle]

Let me start out by apologizing if I should have posted this in the Dining Forum.

I will be making my my ADRs soon, but I have a slight issue since I am not sure how long my brother will be joining us for our vacation. This could change our reservation of 4 to a reservation of 3. He won't know until shortly before we arrive what amount of time he can take off, so I don't want to wait to make our reservations.

My thought was that there probably isn't much of a difference between a table for 4 and a table for 3, so my plan is to make the reservations for 4 and then change the reservations later if he cannot stay the whole time.

Is there an agreed upon etiquette when it comes to making ADRs? What would your approach be in similar circumstances?

Thanks for your help and input.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

It's much easier for them to remove a seat from your table than materialize an extra spot for you. My approach would be to book for 4 just for your own convenience/ sanity, and then when you find out he won't be there, change them to 3.

 

[leebee]

I would just book for 4 people and leave it at that. In all honesty, you need reservations for 4; your brother could end up being able to take all the time off and therefore might be joining you at all meals. People will argue that you are "unfairly" booking a 4-top when you might only need a 3-top, but usually parties of 3 are seated at tables that can hold 4 anyhow. I wouldn't bother to try and change it to a reservation for 3 at the last minute; just explain when you arrive at the restaurant that the 4th guest was unable to join you at the last minute. IME Disney restaurants are far less rigid about a guest not being present than people on the DISboards are!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Book for the maximum you will need. If I know the party size is definitely smaller at some point then I call, they can usually change it on the phone. A couple times they've told me just to leave it as is till we check in. No worries.

 

[PoohBelle]

Great. Thanks for the polite help everyone!

 

[Bullseye]

Fully agree with booking for four, but in any case most tables for three are tables for four so you're not taking a seat away from someone else anyway.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I don't recall seeing any triangular tables at WDW restaurants, so it seems to me that a table for four or a table for three would probably be the same table anyway.

 

[Dug720]

Fully agree with booking for four, but in any case most tables for three are tables for four so you're not taking a seat away from someone else anyway.

Agree! I'm going solo and in at least one case (looking at you 'Ohana...) I had no choice but to make it for 2 because their system has issues with odd numbered parties. I have been assured by multiple CMs that as long as I show up there will not be a charge for the "missing" person.

And just like there really aren't tables for 3 - they are 4-tops - there really aren't tables for 1 - they are 2-tops (the one exception I can think of is Beaches & Cream where they can do solo seating at the counter).

 

[Jennasis]

Book for 4. If he can't make some of the reservations just tell them at the podium that one of your party couldn't make it and only 3 are dining. No problem.

 

[JimmyV]

This happens to me all the time. We are a family of 3 and I have a brother who worked at WDW for over a decade. Every time we visited, we would invite him to as many dinners as he could make, (it didn't hurt that he had TiW!), but he never knew his work schedule in advance. So I have done it every which way many many times, (booked for 3, showed up with 4; booked for 4, showed up with 3) and not once was there a problem. In fact, we are going in April and all of my ADRs are for 3. Even though my brother now lives in Los Angeles, since he has a Premium Annual Pass that works for both DL and WDW, he told me last week that he was going to try to fly out and join us on our trip for old times sake. I don't plan to try to change any of my ADRs. If you try to do that, it seems as if they just look for a new ADR, and given the restaurants that we booked like California Grill and BoG, we will never find a new ADR during prime dining hours. So I am confident leaving things the way they are.

 

[JWigs]

Just so you know now you can edit ADR party and remove the extra seat easily if needed. We had a party of 5 turn into party of 4 and I edited most of our ADR to release that 5th seat since it'd put us into a 6 seat table likely.

 

[Miss Frankie J]

A table for three always in my experience had space for 4. I had the same thing happen, I wasn't sure if a 4th person was going to be coming so I booked it for 4 and called to edit the reservations with a CM when it dropped down to 3 people.

 

[JimmyV]

Just so you know now you can edit ADR party and remove the extra seat easily if needed. We had a party of 5 turn into party of 4 and I edited most of our ADR to release that 5th seat since it'd put us into a 6 seat table likely.

Now that the website (but not the app) allows you to "Change Reservation", it is possible to fiddle around with this, but it isn't foolproof. I gave it a try and was just able to move 75% of my ADRs from a 3 to a 4 and keep the exact time.

 

[Eastern]

Don't worry about it. When you arrive, tell them the adjusted number.

 

[disnut8]

I don't recall seeing any triangular tables at WDW restaurants, so it seems to me that a table for four or a table for three would probably be the same table anyway.

However, there are tables for three. Not the best setup but places do have a table for two along a wall with an extra seat for the third person. Not a lot of places but there are some where the aisles allow this.

 

[maxiesmom]

A table for three always in my experience had space for 4. I had the same thing happen, I wasn't sure if a 4th person was going to be coming so I booked it for 4 and called to edit the reservations with a CM when it dropped down to 3 people.

Not always. Some restaurants do have tables for 3. Ohana is the first that comes to mind.

 

[Dug720]

Not always. Some restaurants do have tables for 3. Ohana is the first that comes to mind.

And yet the ADR system at 'Ohana is geared towards even-numbered parties. I know it will never show availability for 1 from personal experience AND speaking to more than on CM, and I'm pretty sure there have been reports on here that it has issues with other odd-numbered parties. Go figure.

 

[Miss Frankie J]

Not always. Some restaurants do have tables for 3. Ohana is the first that comes to mind.

That's why I said "In my experience" I've never eaten at Ohana, so I did not know about that. Still its better to make a reservation for 4 and drop one later.