Increasing # in reservation. How hard?

[hemmie]

I have a reservation for 4 people for 5:30 on a Tuesday at Sanaa. A friend will now be joining us. MDE says nothing is available for 5 (or 6 for that matter) until 8:30pm. How hard will it be just to add her to our table?

I know we'd probably have to be seated at a different table than our original and that's why it's harder than decreasing. Just seems that the "Disney way" might be to try to make it work for us somehow? Or am I dreaming?

 

[aaarcher86]

I have a reservation for 4 people for 5:30 on a Tuesday at Sanaa. A friend will now be joining us. MDE says nothing is available for 5 (or 6 for that matter) until 8:30pm. How hard will it be just to add her to our table? I know we'd probably have to be seated at a different table than our original and that's why it's harder than decreasing. Just seems that the "Disney way" might be to try to make it work for us somehow? Or am I dreaming?

It really has nothing to do with magic or the Disney way. If the tables are booked for that size, they're booked. They can't create availability or bump someone else.

I'd just keep checking and hope for the best. You'd have to decide the night before if you want to show up with the extra person and see if they could get you in or not. If they can't, you'd get charged a cancellation fee if no one stays to eat.

 

[krista113]

The same thing happened to me for a Lunch ADR at CRT. I had it for 2, and last minute needed 3. I kept checking and checking, and of course nothing came up, so I took a gamble, and kept it as is, and when I showed up to check in I explained what had happened, and the CM said don't worry princess we can take care of you, and got us right in

I probably got extremely lucky, but it can happen. Good Luck!!

 

[hemmie]

The same thing happened to me for a Lunch ADR at CRT. I had it for 2, and last minute needed 3. I kept checking and checking, and of course nothing came up, so I took a gamble, and kept it as is, and when I showed up to check in I explained what had happened, and the CM said don't worry princess we can take care of you, and got us right in

I probably got extremely lucky, but it can happen. Good Luck!!

Oh I am so glad to hear this. I'm hoping since we are guests at the hotel, that might help.

It really has nothing to do with magic or the Disney way. If the tables are booked for that size, they're booked. They can't create availability or bump someone else.

I'd just keep checking and hope for the best. You'd have to decide the night before if you want to show up with the extra person and see if they could get you in or not. If they can't, you'd get charged a cancellation fee if no one stays to eat.

I get this, I do... but regular restaurants also struggle with this problem and yet manage walk-ins, last minute adjustments, etc. So I am hoping that a Disney resort restaurant will be able to handle it too.

 

[queenOhearts]

IMO the safest bet would be to try to find a reservation for a party of 1 at a time close to yours. It will probably be easier to ask them to seat you together when you all have reservations than it would be to cross your fingers and hope they seat your friend who doesn't have a reservation at all.

 

[purple figment]

I get this, I do... but regular restaurants also struggle with this problem and yet manage walk-ins, last minute adjustments, etc. So I am hoping that a Disney resort restaurant will be able to handle it too.

As much as possible Disney will try to accommodate extra guests just like any restaurant, but there's no guarantee. If the restaurant is full, they cannot seat extra guests because of fire and safety code regulations. We were also at a different DW restaurant that was running behind schedule so in an effort to catch up it was turning away extra guests and latecomers.

It is best to keep checking online multiple times a day for a reservation for 5 (or 6) to ensure that everyone in your group will be seated.

 

[mom2cinderella]

Oh I am so glad to hear this. I'm hoping since we are guests at the hotel, that might help.

Being an on site guest will not make a difference.

I get this, I do... but regular restaurants also struggle with this problem and yet manage walk-ins, last minute adjustments, etc. So I am hoping that a Disney resort restaurant will be able to handle it too.

Unfortunately, WDW restaurants aren't quite like say your local Bob Evans. They don't just pull up an extra chair or shove tables together to accommodate guests.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I haven't been to Sanaa, so I can't comment on them specifically. I will tell you that as a family of 5, we've been seated at just as many 4 tops as 6 tops. So, increasing from 4 to 5 does not necessarily mean a change in table size.
5:30 is early enough in the evening, that I'm going to guess that there probably won't be an issue if you just show up with 5 and nicely request to fit the extra person in.

 

[hemmie]

Thank you all for your comments.

I haven't been to Sanaa, so I can't comment on them specifically. I will tell you that as a family of 5, we've been seated at just as many 4 tops as 6 tops. So, increasing from 4 to 5 does not necessarily mean a change in table size.
5:30 is early enough in the evening, that I'm going to guess that there probably won't be an issue if you just show up with 5 and nicely request to fit the extra person in.

I appreciate hearing about your experience - this is helpful! My concern with the early reservation is that at Sanaa, that's when the animals are fed, increasing chances of good viewing (that's why we originally booked it so early). I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Our friend is actually working at AK (she's a primatologist), so I'm hoping maybe she has some insight on the situation too.

Thanks again!