Need Help....ADR seating arrangements...please advise!

[Micka Mouse]

I just made dining reservations for our group of 11. Each ADR I made said "you may be seated at different tables". My parents are taking my family and my brother's family this summer. My dad's only request was that we all eat dinner together every night. I would hate to have all of us split up for dinner. I know my mom and dad.....it would kill them if they couldn't sit with all of their grandaughters together. Do I have a chance that we will eat together? Should I change restaurants?

This is what I have:
Cinderella's Castle
Chef Mickey
Mama Melrose
Crystal Palace
Coral Reef (which I may switch to Akershus if the kids would prefer that)
Yak & Yeti

To make reservations, I used my confirmation number, not our grand gathering number. Would that have made a difference?

Thank you in advance for your advice..........Shannon

 

[TDC Nala]

With a group that size, they are definitely going to warn you that not all the restaurants may be able to fit you at one table. You have a chance but you should expect the possibility that they won't be able to seat you at one table when you arrive. If they have the capability to seat a party of eleven together, you can try agreeing to wait until the space opens up that will allow them to do so.

Usually if parties are split it's at tables near each other, but they may not be facing each other. With a party that size, all the restaurants are going to warn you that a splitup is possible.

 

[Celestia]

To increase your chances of eating together try booking your ADRs in the first couple seatings of the meal time. I've traveled many times with groups from 8 to 18. Whenever we book in the first half hour of the meal time we have not been split up. When you eat at that time they can arrange the tables for you easily because they don't have to wait for anyone else to leave.

We have eaten at all the places you listed except Yak & Yeti. Out of those Coral Reef is the only one we were split up and that was only across the aisle from each other-this one we did not book in first half hour and we waited a LONG time to get the tables we did get. I don't think they have any tables or the ability to even put 11 at one table. We had 11 on that trip and we split with 4 and 7. The four adults sat right up next to the glass and the 7 children (mostly teens) were in the booth right next to us. The only other WDW restaurant we were seperated at was Le Cellier and that was also when we did not book in the first half hour...another time we ate there in the first half hour and our group of 10 was all together.

It may seem odd to eat dinner at 4:30 or 5:00, but it is definitely worth it if you want to sit together. We just plan all our other meals around the ADR time.

 

[ccgirl]

I just made dining reservations for our group of 11. Each ADR I made said "you may be seated at different tables". My parents are taking my family and my brother's family this summer. My dad's only request was that we all eat dinner together every night. I would hate to have all of us split up for dinner. I know my mom and dad.....it would kill them if they couldn't sit with all of their grandaughters together. Do I have a chance that we will eat together? Should I change restaurants?

This is what I have:
Cinderella's Castle
Chef Mickey
Mama Melrose
Crystal Palace
Coral Reef (which I may switch to Akershus if the kids would prefer that)
Yak & Yeti

To make reservations, I used my confirmation number, not our grand gathering number. Would that have made a difference?

Thank you in advance for your advice..........Shannon

Yes, you do have a chance. However, I would prepare them now for the possibility that you may split up. In groups of 8 or more, I have been split up about half the time. Usually it is just in one of the neighboring tables. No big deal. Provides better photo opportunities that way. Crystal Palace and Coral Reef were among them. With Coral Reef, I do not believe there are any tables that accommodate a party that size by the tank so you will be on one of the upper levels. It doesn't really matter the restaurant. However, as a PP mentioned eating earlier does seem to help.

 

[Hopefully]

I think at the restaurants you have listed there is a good chance you will be separated. As others said, Coral Reef for sure. We had lunch downstairs at Yak & Yeti last fall and I didn't see anywhere they could have put tables together there, maybe upstairs.
When I ate at CRT years ago, I don't remember any big tables either.
Crystal Palace maybe
I have never eaten at Mama Melrose or Chef Mickey's, so I don't know.
Good Luck, but with a party of 11, I think you need to be prepared to be separated.

 

[Celestia]

We were at CRT in Nov 2009 with a party of 15 and we all sat together. We sat on the top level to the right when you come up the stairs. They just put the tables together along one wall. This last Nov 2011 we were with a party of 7, not as big, but we were on the main level one table back from the windows. Again, they did put tables together for us.

Interesting is in 2009 when I checked in at the podium they said they were moving our tables together and would seat us as soon as they had the tables ready. In 2011 when I checked in with only a party of 7 the CM said we would probably be seated seperately! We ended up sitting together, but it had me worried! Both times we had the first available ADRs for the meal times. 2009 was dinner and 2011 was lunch.