how to handle adding extra person to dining reservation?

[nightwing12]

Its possible I'll be adding another person to my trip, but my ADRs are mostly set, how should I handle adding an extra person? Wait and hope an ADR with the right amount of spots opens up? Call Disney and see if they can do it? Show up at the restaurant with the extra person?

We were originally a party of 8, but it looks like we may be a party of 9 for some of the days of our trip. I was able to modify some of our reservations in the app no problem, but other hard to get restaurants (like Be Our Guest), ive not been so lucky.

Advice?

 

[POTCfan]

It is not easy to add people to a reservation. You can show up with one extra person, but there is no guarantee that that person will be allowed to go in with you. Specifically for Be Our Guest, if it is a breakfast or lunch reservation, try getting one more reservation for 1 at the same time - I have had a lot of luck getting a reservation for 1 there. Once inside, you can sit wherever. If it is for dinner, adding 1 to a table of 8 is a lot less likely.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

You can only change the reservations if there is availability for a party of 9. No guarantees on getting them in, although for the most part if you just show up with them it will work. Had a few experiences where they would allow it only if we split the party and sat at two separate tables, not necessarily near each other.

 

[gharter]

When that has happened to us, I have called the restaurant to try and change the reservation. Sometimes it's easy, other times not so.
Last October, we needed to change one at Flying Fish. Two days before the date, called the restaurant, no luck. Talked to our Hotel front desk, they couldn't change it. Stopped by the restaurant the day of, and no problem changing the reservation. Don't give up, it does happen.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Change your ADR now if possible. You can readily come with less people but more is harder to add at the last minute.
Back in August, I booked reservations for M. Paul's for New Year's Eve. I needed to add one person to the reservation when we first arrived @ WD, 12/22 and was unable to. WD customer service was gracious enough to cancel the reservation on New year's Eve without a hellacious fee (it was supposed to be the full pre-paid cost of the dinner. Gulp) but to make a long story short, "right" was on my side. Sorry on one side that we missed this but happy on another end: the man's family ONLY ate hamburgers everywhere. T'would of been a waste of a good meal for them.

Yiu can also check to see if the restaurant you want to eat at is listed at opentable.com make an updated reservation there and then cancel the reservation from DW's site.

 

[Sleepy425]

When this has happened to us in the past and we weren't able to modify the reservation due to lack of availability, we have just showed up at the restaurant with the extra person. The person who decided to join us last minute was always aware that if they couldn't be accommodated, they were on their own for that meal. Thankfully each time the restaurant was able to get the extra person in (Tusker House and Be our Guest are the ones I remember, but I feel like there were others).

 

[jdisnut]

Show up to your reservation and inform the host you would like to add an extra person to the reservation. Sure, it's possible it won't be doable, and you'll have to decide how to proceed. But more likely than not, you will be happily accommodated.

I have been in this situation countless times at some of the most popular Disney restaurants. Not once have I been denied. I doubt you will be.

 

[nightwing12]

ok thanks for all the help guys! ive modified all the reservations I can for now (most were easy to change), For Be Our Guest I'll add a watch on touringplans and hope for the best, and then maybe take a chance of just showing up with the extra person day of reservation.

 

[JARNJ3]

This happens to me so often that I now always overbook - they don't penalize you if one or two don't show. If is such a pain in the neck to add to a reservation.

if its for two or more - we make a reservation just for them, and miraculously -- they are always able to seat us together.

 

[bryanb]

I guess it's probably harder to go from 8 to 9, than it would be to go from an odd number to an even number. Good luck OP!

 

[pangyal]

I don’t want to give poor advice, but can the people in this situation try to find a reservation for one person for the same time and request they be seated together once they arrive? I know that the table sizes would likely preclude doing this, but it might make it possible to move tables a bit without interfering in service paths. Again, I’ve never tried this and don’t know if it’s feasible, but it might be an alternative to just showing up with an extra since the overall head count wouldn’t change for the restaurant?

 

[My3SweetSuns]

I’ve added one to my reservation by reserving a table for one at CRT before. We had a party of 9 originally & needed 10.
I had already called dibs - if they made us sit the one person by themselves, it was going to be ME. lol. They let us all sit together.