Help! ADR for 4, show up with 5 people...experiences??

[MissMagnolia]

Well, it is official - we are bringing along a nanny to help alternate going on rides - my DD3 is too short . However...I had ALL our ADRs planned and when I called dining EVERYTHING is booked with the exception of Cape May Cafe which I switched to 5 and Teppanyaki was no problem. We have CRT (breakfast), Crystal Palace (dinner), 50s PTC (dinner), Le Cellier (dinner), Boma (dinner), Chef Mickey's (dinner), and Spoodles (dinner). You can see why there is NO WAY I will cancel these.

How many of you have successfully made an ADR for 4 and then had 5 people? I will even have my DD3 sit on my lap if necessary. The CM I spoke to said that the restaurants have said no, that I would still need to count my DD3 in the reservation (they said that even a 2 month old in a carseat on the floor would have to count...). The CM I spoke to on the resort reservation line said that if I couldn't sucessfully change my ADRs to 5, that "off the record" the restaurants would probably try and make it work for us. Ughhh! I thought I had everything set!!

So, after all my rambling, what do you think?

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

It will probably depend on how busy it will be. If it's not busy they may be able to make it work - if it is busy you may get turned away. I would keep calling daily to try to change your ADR's to 5. Good luck - also you may want to post in the cancelling ADR thread and if anyone is cancelling on a day you need maybe you can arrange to call at the same time so that you can pick up the ADR that they cancel.

 

[MissMagnolia]

Considering that I couldn't get any other reservations for those times, I assume that the restaurants are going to be busy - unless there are people double booking and not cancelling (which the CM I talked to said happens often). Do you think they can really turn me away when I would offer for my DD to sit in my lap? She's not taking up another chair...I just can't see why it should make a difference.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Well I've never tried it but I have read reports that some have and were ok and others have been turned away. I guess you can try the worse that can happen is they will tell you no. People cancel all the time though so I would continue to call to try to change as many as I could just to be on the safe side. Good Luck

 

[CarolA]

Ok. Let's get real... Are you REALLY going to want to eat with a THREE year old in your lap. (Somehow I don't think so.....)

So just throw yourself on the mercy of the hostess, be nice and see what happens. Be prepared to get a few nos and hopefully you will be happily surprised. The two I see being a problem are CRT and Le Cellier. CRT is fully booked and there is a charge if people don't show so I would expect it to be full. Le Cellier also tends to be very fully booked.

Also figure you will wait longer for your table. They are going to have to juggle you in, Check in early

 

[vellamint]

It may be difficult as the way I understand it is....4 people/table of 4....5/6 people table of 6. Tables of 6 are limited. And as a family of 6 I KNOW it is EXTREMELY difficult (nearly impossible) to get tables of 6 at a late date.

 

[maxiesmom]

My dad decided at the last minute to join me for a few days. The nice person I spoke with at Disney Dining explaind that tables are set for an even number of people. Table of 4, or 6, or 8. If you go from 4 to 5 people, they have to have you at a bigger table. If you go from 5 to 6, you are at the same size table. Make sense? So if you are going from a party of 4 to a party of 5, you will need a larger table, and there may not be one available.
I ended up switching some of my ressies around so that dad could go too.

I have never been to a restaurant that did not make you have a seat for every person in your group. I doubt Disney is any different. You should keep calling and see if you get lucky and a spot opens up. Have you tried moving your ADRs around? Not cancelling them, but switching nights?

I would be too embarassed to show up with an extra person in tow. IMHO, it is not right.

 

[LadyOmega]

Your previous posts said you were going during free dining. This leads me to believe that just showing up will NOT work. If the person at reservations told you that you must have a seat for your DD, then that is more than likely the stand the restaurants themselves will take on it too. Yes, there are people that double-book, but those are few and far between during free dining, so I would not count on that if I were you. It is not fair to everyone else to expect the restaurant to accomodate you, and I expect that is what the great majority, if not all, places will tell you if you try to just show up with 5. There are many threads started recently that talk about this, and there have been many people in the same position as you, myself included. We all were told the same thing: If you are going from an even number of people to an odd, you CANNOT just change the number on your ressie, you must make a new one. If you try to show up with more people than are on the reservation during free dining, you WILL be turned away.
I know this isn't what you want to hear, and I agree that with a child that young it might be easier just to hold her, but if Disney has told you not to, I think their position on it should be honored. Yes, there may be a few places that will let it slide, but I can just about guarantee it won't be the really important ones. It would take an absolute miracle at CRT for them to let you do that, and I'm assuming with your DD's age, that would be an important one for her.
So here's a suggestion, one I had to use to get our group into LTT when we changed from 4 to 5: Why not try to book 2 separate ressies for the same time, a new one for 2 people, and then changing your original one to a table for three. Then when you get to the restaurant, ask very nicely to be seated together. At least this way, everyone has their own ressie, and no one can be turned away. You may have to wait a little longer to be seated, but at least your party would be together. If they can't do this either, then at least everyone gets to eat and no one is left out. The only scenario that I could see this not working at would be at CRT, which is probably booked solid.

 

[MissMagnolia]

Well, after 3 separate phone calls to the dining line and some creative reshuffling, we got all our ADRs rebooked to a 5 person (with the exception of Le Cellier - my DH and I are going to dine alone - for the first time EVER without children - the little ones are going with the nanny to eat ).

It really took me asking the right questions - here's the new plan which hopefully may help others.

8/27: Crystal Palace @ 8:10 a.m. (breakfast was open, dinner was not)
CRT @ 2:05 p.m. (no more breakfast tables for 5, could do lunch)

8/28: Cape May Cafe @ 8:20 a.m. (switched that one right away, no problem)
50s PTC @ 3:10 p.m. (no dinner openings, asked about a late lunch and that worked!)


8/29: Teppanyaki @ noon (no problem adding another person to the ADR)
Le Cellier @ 6:20 p.m. (keeping the same)

8/30: Boma @ 5:20 p.m. (getting 2 tables and requesting them to be together)

8/31: Chef Mickey's @ 8:00 a.m. (switched from dinner to breakfast - no more dinners available and breakfast works better anyway!!)
WCC @ 5:10 p.m. (didn't have this one originally, but wanted it so we are cancelling Spoodles for 9/1!)

Yeah!!! It just took me asking about different days and lunches/breakfasts versus dinners. Some dinners I rebooked to lunches are only a couple hours off from the original time, so that works for me!

Oh, BTW, concerning my DD3 sitting in my lap at dinner...that usually happens whether she has her own seat or not!

 

[LadyOmega]

Awesome, good for you!!
It's a great feeling when everything works out, and I know you all will have a lot of fun!!

 

[fivefordisney]

Glad it worked out for you!

 

[graciespeaks]

Oh, BTW, concerning my DD3 sitting in my lap at dinner...that usually happens whether she has her own seat or not!

Mine used to ALWAYS do that also, its something how you can get so used to it that its NORMAL! LOL

So glad your ADR's worked out for you!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

I'm so happy that you got it all worked out and your schedule looks great!!! Now you can go have fun and not stress about your dining plans Enjoy!! You and your DH will love LeCellier for an Adults only meal

 

[MissMagnolia]

Thanks All! I am really happy with the changes. Now my breakfast ADRs are early enough and the lunches late enough that we should be hungry for lunch when the time comes. Perfect to use some of the endless new choices of snacks in-between!

I am excited DH and I are going to get to eat dinner alone (mind you we haven't had a "date" in over 6 years - DS is 6). I know, not the healthiest thing for a relationship, but oh well, maybe this will open up some possibilities (like DH realizing our little ones will probably ENJOY the time with someone else!)