Combining ressies - how does it work or does it?

[momlee4]

Hello, here is my dilemma. I want to make reservations for 16 people for lunch at MK but I dropped the ball and missed the 180 window by a mile (going Jan 30th). I didn't think it would be so busy, but maybe I just didn't think
Anyways, there's nothing available at the time I want, but I can book for 12 at the Plaza or Liberty Tree Tavern. If I do that, and get a 4 person ressie later - can I combine so all 16 can eat together?
Any other suggestions if we want a sit down? I tried for dinner times and there were even less options.

 

[purple figment]

Hello, here is my dilemma. I want to make reservations for 16 people for lunch at MK but I dropped the ball and missed the 180 window by a mile (going Jan 30th). I didn't think it would be so busy, but maybe I just didn't think
Anyways, there's nothing available at the time I want, but I can book for 12 at the Plaza or Liberty Tree Tavern. If I do that, and get a 4 person ressie later - can I combine so all 16 can eat together?
Any other suggestions if we want a sit down? I tried for dinner times and there were even less options.

You can keep checking online to see if an additional reservation for 4 comes up at as close to the time of your current res for 12. Once at the restaurant you can request to be seated together, but there's no guarantee that it will be possible. CMs will do their best, but it is only a request. In fact, even the group of 12 may be seated at more than one table because it depends on what tables are open when you are there and how many other large groups are booked at about the same time.

Be Our Guest is QS at lunch, but you pick your own table(s) and the food is brought to you so kind of a hybrid QS/TS. I don't know if BOG is doing FP, stand by and/or return time passes for your day.

Besides the Plaza and LTT, Tony's and Crystal Palace (buffet) are the only other restaurants that take reservations in the MK while you're there. You could also look into one of the TS restaurants at a MK resort.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Have you tried two eight-person reservations five minutes apart? NOT saying that this will be successful, but it's another option.

eta: if you're dining on the 30th, I found LTT at 11:40, and Crystal Palace at 12:55 and 1:10. For all 16 people.

eta2: dinner at either location at 7:50 that evening.

 

[I M Fearless]

I would advise you to phone 407-WDW-DINE and speak to a reservations assistant in this situation.

Although they cannot create availability that isn't there, they do have more experience using the system and if you get a good agent on the phone they should be able to help you out.

They are likely to know which restaurants can move tables, which cannot, where is likely to be able to accommodate you, as they can see how full a restaurant actually is.

They may also come up with other ideas that might be able to work for you: e.g. Hop on the monorail and have a short break in your touring and head over to Kona Cafe at the Polynesian for your lunch. Take the boat ride over to Fort Wilderness and try out the Trails End Buffet there. I would personally recommend both, Trail's End more for dinner than lunch, but they are open from 4pm for dinner.

Both of the above options should have much better availability at shorter notice, but maybe by phoning they could really look at your options more easily.

I would hope they would suggest looking at slightly earlier or later times when a restaurant is less busy, for example heading into Crystal Palace right at the end of Breakfast when they change over to Lunch Menu. You get to eat from both menus.

Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

 

[purple figment]

I would advise you to phone 407-WDW-DINE and speak to a reservations assistant in this situation.

Although they cannot create availability that isn't there, they do have more experience using the system and if you get a good agent on the phone they should be able to help you out.

They are likely to know which restaurants can move tables, which cannot, where is likely to be able to accommodate you, as they can see how full a restaurant actually is.

They may also come up with other ideas that might be able to work for you: e.g. Hop on the monorail and have a short break in your touring and head over to Kona Cafe at the Polynesian for your lunch. Take the boat ride over to Fort Wilderness and try out the Trails End Buffet there. I would personally recommend both, Trail's End more for dinner than lunch, but they are open from 4pm for dinner.

Unfortunately, dining reservation CMs are not able to tell anyone if a restaurant can move tables or how crowded a restaurant will be when someone shows up for their reservation. Even if a phone CM assures someone they will be accommodated, ultimately it will depend upon the CMs at the restaurant when the guests arrive.

Likewise, because many phone CMs work at sites far from DW and many have never even visited many are not familiar enough with DW to give advice about alternate options.

Your suggestions for Kona or Trail's End are very good and probably more than a phone CM would be able to make.

 

[momlee4]

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies! I ended up booking a lunch for 16 at LTT for 11:45. Earlier than I wanted to eat lunch but we're all together and I don't have to worry about combining ressies.
I do like the suggestion of hopping on the MonoRail and eating elsewhere. Haven't done the Trails End Buffet before. I will bring that suggestion to the group and see what they think.
BOG - I thought Fastpass was only for resort guests and we're staying offsite so wouldn't apply to me. How do I find out if they're doing return time passes for my day?

 

[Trekkie]

I'm in a similar boat.

Brother is bring his family to WDW, to meet me and Mom. He really wants his family's first meal at Disney to be California Grill. He's a party of 6, I'm a party of 2.

Unfortunately, he made reservations for a party of 5.

(Chef Mickey's is available, for 8, that night. But he doesn't want that.)

Well, the phone people say they can't upgrade his res to 8. Website can only make new reservations. (And there's nothing for 8 at that time.)

But there is availability for 3, at roughly that time. (Like 10 minutes away.) So we've made that one.

Stuck my nose in here, to see if anybody knew some technique for combining two reservations. Looks like the answer is "no".