Help! Having a heck of a time finding TS for party of 16.

[wendow]

I'm helping plan a trip for 16 (I'm not going) and they are fairly open to where they eat but don't want too many character meals as their kids are not all that into characters. Their dates are March 11-16 and all I can pretty much find are either character meals (always same ones: Crystal Palace, 1900 PF, O'hanas, Tusker House, Askerhaus) and then a handful of other TS (Teppan Edo, Biergarten, Boma). Is this really all Disney has to offer to larger parties? I called Disney dining and the 'not so magical' CM basically said she wasn't showing anything additional and if we split the party up, they may or may not be able to seat them together. I've split a party one time for one dinner and they did not seat us together even though we asked and said we'd be willing to wait longer. So, I'm hesitant to book them split up. I can pull up lunch at Whispering Canyon for all 16 but never a dinner there on any of their nights. Traveling back to WL doesn't work with park plans so lunch there is out.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

ETA: I currently have them at Crystal Palace (dinner), Biergarten (dinner) and Chef Mickeys (breakfast). I need a couple more dinners but no more character meals. I found a lunch at 50's PT but it's at 2:30 and I am afraid that will be too late.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

We had 16 one year when we went for NYE.

The only restaurant that seated us together was the Brown Derby. We sat at tables along a wall.

At Cape May Buffet they put us at a 12 and a 4 top that were next to each other.

Boma was the the same set up.

Years ago, when we ate at the California Grill, they put us in a private room (don’t know if they still have that room).

We went to Liberty tree for lunch and they could only put you next to each other with that size party. The largest tables they have, I believe, are 8 tops.

You will have more luck sitting together if you have the first reservation of the day for dinner/lunch/breakfast.

Years ago it was so much easier getting dining reservations. Only resort guests were able to book 30 days in advance and you couldn’t book more than one reservation at a time for any meal.

Good luck.

 

[daisy2013]

I have booked a lot of restaurants with groups that size. You usually have better luck with early reservations 4:30ish. You will likely have to split up but usually next to each other.

 

[wendow]

We had 16 one year when we went for NYE.

The only restaurant that seated us together was the Brown Derby. We sat at tables along a wall.

At Cape May Buffet they put us at a 12 and a 4 top that were next to each other.

Boma was the the same set up.

Years ago, when we ate at the California Grill, they put us in a private room (don’t know if they still have that room).

We went to Liberty tree for lunch and they could only put you next to each other with that size party. The largest tables they have, I believe, are 8 tops.

You will have more luck sitting together if you have the first reservation of the day for dinner/lunch/breakfast.

Years ago it was so much easier getting dining reservations. Only resort guests were able to book 30 days in advance and you couldn’t book more than one reservation at a time for any meal.

Good luck.

Thank you. I appreciate your response. Brown Derby isn't coming up or I'd book them there. The only one that regularly comes up for DHS is Hollywood and Vine. Don't need another character meal and not a good one for them anyways.

I think this group (it is grandparents, kids and grandkids) would be fine at two tables if Disney would put them by each other but CM said no guarantees and only time we tried that, they would not do it for us (that was at Tony's in 9/17).

How easy it it to get to Boma from AK? I think that might could be a good option and I think I can get a time there.

 

[wendow]

I have booked a lot of restaurants with groups that size. You usually have better luck with early reservations 4:30ish. You will likely have to split up but usually next to each other.

Right, I agree. Thanks!

 

[Nancyg56]

Also, break your party up into two groups for ADR's if you cannot find what you want with a group of 16

 

[wendow]

Also, break your party up into two groups for ADR's if you cannot find what you want with a group of 16

I have done this and had more success with restaurants and times coming up but when I called Disney dining and asked about it, the CM said they will not guarantee they would seat them even close by. The only time we have had to split a party was last Sept, party of 8, and we were seated no where close to each other. We asked at the podium and even offered to wait longer. Pretty disappointing.

 

[Minniemoo15]

This was really helpful when booking for my large extended family. If you scroll down there’s a chart that shows max party size for each restaurant. A lot of places we had to split up and make 2 reservations, but almost always upon arriving we were seated together or very close together.

https://wdwprepschool.com/booking-large-groups-for-dining-at-disney-world/

 

[Nancyg56]

I have done this and had more success with restaurants and times coming up but when I called Disney dining and asked about it, the CM said they will not guarantee they would seat them even close by. The only time we have had to split a party was last Sept, party of 8, and we were seated no where close to each other. We asked at the podium and even offered to wait longer. Pretty disappointing.

Larger parties are never guaranteed to be together. We have been separated as a party of nine. If you want to go as a large group it is a chance you take, so breaking the large group into two may be the best bet, and then you at least are in the same restaurant. Disney dining is not geared to accommodate "parties" in the want restaurants do outside of Disney.

Honestly, if there was a special occasion for a large grou, I would call outside of DIsney restaurants.

 

[holden]

When I’ve traveled with a large group we split up for dinner reservations (8 and 8, for example ). For each meal we mix up who sits with who. That way everyone gets to eat with everyone at some point.

 

[wendow]

Thanks everyone! Going to recommend splitting up and just being ok with that

 

[kaytieeldr]

At Cape May Buffet they put us at a 12 and a 4 top that were next to each other.

We had that same situation at CRT.

Boma was the the same set up.

Different trip from above, about 25 people. We were seated in a cove-like (not really, but i can't think how else to describe it) area at separate tables, which was fine - but not so much when they started seating other parties in that same area. For them, not for us

Years ago it was so much easier getting dining reservations. Only resort guests were able to book 30 days in advance and you couldn’t book more than one reservation at a time for any meal.

Yeah. Darn that internet

the CM said they will not guarantee they would seat them even close by

They say that as part of the ADR script - they even tell psrties of one or two th at they may be split up!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks everyone! Going to recommend splitting up and just being ok with that

granted it was August 2 years ago but we were a party of 14. we had to split ressies but we were seated together at all. ressies were ohana, Hoop Dee Doo, Chef Mickey and Rain Forest. Rain Forest had to call them directly as Disney had no Ressie for our party size but had no problem call direct

 

[kappyfamily]

We have 10 and I’ll have to split us at half our meals. The other way to look at it is with 16, the table is so long you really wouldn’t talk to a bunch of people at the other end anyway, so you might as well make it easier on yourself and do (2) tables of 8. Good luck!

 

[North of Mouse]

They say that as part of the ADR script - they even tell psrties of one or two th at they may be split up!

Are you serious? Never heard that! Good luck telling dh & I to split up!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

We had 16 one year when we went for NYE.

The only restaurant that seated us together was the Brown Derby. We sat at tables along a wall.

At Cape May Buffet they put us at a 12 and a 4 top that were next to each other.

Boma was the the same set up.

Years ago, when we ate at the California Grill, they put us in a private room (don’t know if they still have that room).

We went to Liberty tree for lunch and they could only put you next to each other with that size party. The largest tables they have, I believe, are 8 tops.

You will have more luck sitting together if you have the first reservation of the day for dinner/lunch/breakfast.

Years ago it was so much easier getting dining reservations. Only resort guests were able to book 30 days in advance and you couldn’t book more than one reservation at a time for any meal.

Good luck.

Hi. Can you explain... are you saying that one can get more than one dining reservation at same time/day?
So... lunch at 3pm Morocco and lunch at 3pm Biergarten For the same group of people ?
Or were you just saying op can break up her group to get same time/day.
Thx.. i tried overlapping and mde would not allow it.

 

[jventur3]

We just finished a trip with 14 in August. Some reservations I had to split 7 and 7. A few I even had to book 6-4-4. However, I will say that at every restaurant where I had the split reservation, they always were able to work it out for our parties to sit together. Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Dean Marino]

.

 

[wendow]

All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.....

LARGE parties, booking dining, is a CLASSIC reason to CALL. You can split reservations, but then? The Restaurant really does not KNOW that a large, single party is arriving . They tend to have "2 tops", "4 tops" - and everything else that can be assembled . MDE is pretty limited with regard to large parties. The RESTAURANTS are not .

I don't mind calling. Not at all. I've called once already and the CM was so less than helpful. She just offered nothing in the way of helping me find places we could get, even when I said we could split them 8 and 8.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Hi. Can you explain... are you saying that one can get more than one dining reservation at same time/day?
So... lunch at 3pm Morocco and lunch at 3pm Biergarten For the same group of people ?
Or were you just saying op can break up her group to get same time/day.
Thx.. i tried overlapping and mde would not allow it.

Someone else in your party can make reservations in their name at a different place.