Booking a reservation for less than actual attending

[kateandkarysmom]

I am desperate for a reservation at mickey's bbq. We are a party of 4: Me, dh, dd(4), dd(1). The only reservation i can get is for a party of 1. Do you think they would seat all of us anyway? ...oh boy, i'm ready to get attacked, let's hear it...

 

[smidgy]

was that a typo? how can there be a reservation for a party of one? I would think the smallest table seats 2 (a deuce).

I was going to say, if you reserved a table for 2, and then showed up with 4,you could say the other 2 were a surprise... but not in your case. (well, maybe your kids WERE a surprise,. but that's not what I meant!) you can't say "oh we didn't know our kids would be joining us! ("we tried to leave the house without them, but they followed us!")
evenin that case, I don't think you would get a table for 4, so be prepared to be disappointed.

the problem is, you can't "squeeze" the kids in, like in high chairs between tables. it's against firecode, (I think) and would bother the people at the next table (which is usually RIGHT there)

it's your choice.. all you can do is try.. but dont' get disapointed if you are turned away. you never know, they may have had concellations or no-shows. many people rudely double book.

 

[kateandkarysmom]

So far, so good. Thanks for the nice response. I'm guessing not everyone that comes across this thread will be so supportive. But, party of 1 is odd.

 

[momto2inKC]

Probably not going to work unfortunately. I would just keep checking, maybe someone will cancel. If i'm not mistaken, the seating for the BBQ is at long picnic style tables. There may truly only be 1 spot left

 

[smidgy]

ah! that explains the "party of one"! like, at beirgarten.

once, we had ressies (sorry to all who despise that term..)at beirgarten for 2. our dis friends had ressies for 7. now, we know the tables seat 8, but we thought we'd ask. well, they got there ahead of us and asked. were told No, won't work.. then they sat them at a table , and then added 2 otheres with them!
when we came in, we asked if they were there. no one knew, but told us it wouldn't be possible, anyway.. tables seat 8.
we had never met the Winkers family before, so we kept an eye out. they were stting one level up and a few tables down from us. with another couple! 9 total, like we ahd all asked for! so go figure!

 

[Cafeen]

But, party of 1 is odd.

If you mean as in "Not Even". Then yes.

If you mean as in "Strange". Then nope , most of my trip is a party of 1 (though, some reservations made for 2 due to the "odd number bug" in the dining system (confirmed by multiple CMs including those in tech support)).

I'd keep calling, especially as the date gets nearer. Since it's a prepaid event and there's a cancellation policy in effect, there is certainly the potential for cancellations at some point.

Just keep trying and eventually you'll find one for the right size.

 

[sukhakuli]

I've been having the same trouble with CRT. They have availability for 2, but not for 5. I haven't risked it, but it is very tempting. I bet a lot of people do, though, so I wonder what happens if you do book a 2 and you're really a 5...

 

[OhThePain]

...so I wonder what happens if you do book a 2 and you're really a 5...

95% of the time 3 members of the party don't get in.

 

[sukhakuli]

Just 95%, huh?

 

[tinkerbellnsnowwhite]

I definetly wouldn't chance it, especially since it's one of the more popular places. I've seen people get turned away trying to add just 1 person on to their party. I'm pretty sure adding 3 would not be good.

 

[Pakey]

Sometimes they will be able to accommodate you but would you really want to depend on it and then be turned away once you go there?

My personal experience is no. We had two extra show last minute and we asked at the podium at Whispering Canyon Cafe. We were told they could seat our original booking party number but not the extras. It changed the table size, they were fully booked.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

And if you are turned away you are out the money since it's prepaid with a 2 day cancellation policy.

 

[maxiesmom]

Not a good idea at all. Just keep checking for an opening, people cancel all of the times. Otherwise, just come to terms with the fact that you will not be doing the bbq this trip.

 

[kateandkarysmom]

I don't know why I said party of 1 was odd. Of course its not. We have a very close friend that travels with us and books separate reservations for just her. I guess I'm just so used to punching 4 in the search bar, especially since I'm checking now 4 or 20 times a day!

 

[canopynut66]

I am desperate for a reservation at mickey's bbq. We are a party of 4: Me, dh, dd(4), dd(1). The only reservation i can get is for a party of 1. Do you think they would seat all of us anyway? ...oh boy, i'm ready to get attacked, let's hear it...

BBQ will only seat what ADR'S for or if one not there yet ,like my BIL was late they will not seat you until all in the party there. so would not try that. and you can just book one at any food places as a lot of singles do go to Disney. Just keep calling or try calling as well that helps most I think

 

[boydstcher]

I would go ahead a reserve an alternate place while you check for a cancellation. I would not want to deal with a hungry/cranky hubby and kids if I got there and got turned away. The risk isn't worth it in my opinion.

I am desperate for a reservation at mickey's bbq. We are a party of 4: Me, dh, dd(4), dd(1). The only reservation i can get is for a party of 1. Do you think they would seat all of us anyway? ...oh boy, i'm ready to get attacked, let's hear it...

 

[zales127]

You know, your chances of getting a table are pretty good if you just show up and wait about 30 min. If you walk up and ask if they have availability they usually will say NO. However, if you walk up and ask if a family doesnt show, can you put your name in..they will say yes.

I never even thought of this until last year when we seen a family of 4 do it at Hollywood & Vine. My husband got to talking to them and they said that they had about a 75% success rate. Sure enough, the server came out and called a "Smith party of 5" and nothing. The dad went up and said, "if they dont show can we put our name in" and they said YES!! They called the name 3 more times and they werent there so they got in!!!

I would never had thought it or risked it..but after that we started noticing every time they would call a family and they werent there. Happens at 90% of our ressies.

 

[Shagley]

You know, your chances of getting a table are pretty good if you just show up and wait about 30 min. If you walk up and ask if they have availability they usually will say NO. However, if you walk up and ask if a family doesnt show, can you put your name in..they will say yes.

The problem with trying this at Mickey's BBQ is that it is a pre-paid meal that requires a 48 hour cancellation. The odds of a family not showing is very slim since they will have to pay for it anyway if they don't show. The OP might have a better chance of checking about 48 hours before because there might be cancellations at that point.

 

[minniebride]

We once went to Disney with my parents and made all our ADR's for a party of 4. At last minute my brother and his wife decided to join us and we were unable to change them to parties of 6. So my brother & his wife made party of 2 reservations at the same restaurants, similar times. The hostess was happy to merge our reservations so we could all sit together at every place we went to.

 

[DisneyDancin7]

sorry, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I have a question about the same thing, only opposite. I have a reservation for 4 at Le Cellier but now it might only be me I can't believe my friends don't want to go anymore, but I am dying to go! How mad will they be? Will they let me be a party of 1? I tried finding a new reservation for 1 or even 2, but nothing is available...