No tables for 2.....only for 3 or more

[englishrose47]

Yeah, I see your point. I don't understand the system...it's so strange.

Anyway, just to give you some perspective about your question/thoughts, here's a story from my trip last summer.

It was me, DH, DS, DD and my mom and dad. All our dining ressies were for a party of 6. Well, on our 2nd or 3rd night, my dad got really sick - either food poisoning or a 48 stomach bug. Anyway, we had two reservations in Epcot for all 6 of us. One was the Princess Storybook Lunch at Akershus, the other was dinner at Alfredo's. Well, needless to say, my dad was not able to be at either. My mom came with us to lunch at Akershus. It was not a problem at all that my dad wasn't there and we did NOT get charged for his not being there.

After lunch, my mom went back to the hotel to take my dad to the hospital since he wasn't feeling better.

So, the four of us went to Alfredo's for dinner and had to tell them our party size had changed. Again, there was no question, no issues.

So, I wouldn't think it is THAT big a deal to make a ressie for 3 and when you get there tell them that the other person in your party couldn't make it.

Or, what you could also try doing, is seeing if there are any solo travelers that care to dine with you....there's a whole board here on the DIS for solo travelers.

Now I'm afraid we'll both get flamed...

Not by me! As a possible solo traveller I love the idea. Can you imagine the trouble I will have with ressies?

 

[Buttercup Roberts]

Maybe it's just me, but if I was in this situation, I'd be calling the restaurant manager and raising holy heck about their penny pinching policy and wanting to know if they ever want my business again or not? How greedy can they get, honestly.

Then again, if ADRs are that hard to come by, I guarantee you it's a time and place I'd choose not to deal with sit down dining.

 

[DebbieB]

I agree they should have more tables for 2. On the other hand, it doesn't make business sense if they have every table full but for example only 60 of 100 seats are actually taken and they are turning people away. They need to manage the table sizes to serve as many people as possible. You wouldn't be happy if you could not get an ADR yet passed the restaurant and it was actually only half full.

 

[LaurenLC]

I have to say that I find some people's moral superiority on these boards pretty funny.
We are not talking about knocking over a bank, or stealing something from a store. We're talking about having dinner.... a dinner that you ARE paying for one way or another. Disney can call it "free dining", but you're paying for it in the long run. If Disney had problem with this, they would NOT allow their cast members to offer it to customers......
Enjoy your dinner!

 

[kileybeth]

okay, just my two cents but I have to tell you our situation.

we are a party of 6, not an easy thing to get ADR's for btw.

I called early to make my ressies but apparently not early enough for a few of them. We were given two adjoining tables at two sperate seatings. (fine since I have to teens) I was told most likely they will push two tables together for us, "no big deal" (CM's words not mine)

I was also told (and this was only a couple months ago!!!) that I could not get a seating for Chef Mickeys at time I wanted for a family of 6 but that was okay, they would just give us a table/ressie for 8, no problem???!!! Never any other discussion beyond my well, thank you!

As a family of 6 who eats out often, I do my fair share of waiting as streams of parties of 2 and 4 get seated in front of us with half the waiting time, so I just figure in this instance, the flip flop is true as well.

so I'll be the family of 6 at the table with 2 extra unused seats (hardly, they will be full of diaper bags for the little ones and backpacks I'm certain!) and the two tables pushed together (table for 4, table for 2) which is what Disney dining told me they would do!

It's vacation folks. We all deserve one. do your planning any way Disney allows you too and enjoy your meal!

 

[earthfaries]

I have to say that I find some people's moral superiority on these boards pretty funny.
We are not talking about knocking over a bank, or stealing something from a store. We're talking about having dinner.... a dinner that you ARE paying for one way or another. Disney can call it "free dining", but you're paying for it in the long run. If Disney had problem with this, they would NOT allow their cast members to offer it to customers......
Enjoy your dinner!

okay, just my two cents but I have to tell you our situation.

we are a party of 6, not an easy thing to get ADR's for btw.

I called early to make my ressies but apparently not early enough for a few of them. We were given two adjoining tables at two sperate seatings. (fine since I have to teens) I was told most likely they will push two tables together for us, "no big deal" (CM's words not mine)

I was also told (and this was only a couple months ago!!!) that I could not get a seating for Chef Mickeys at time I wanted for a family of 6 but that was okay, they would just give us a table/ressie for 8, no problem???!!! Never any other discussion beyond my well, thank you!

As a family of 6 who eats out often, I do my fair share of waiting as streams of parties of 2 and 4 get seated in front of us with half the waiting time, so I just figure in this instance, the flip flop is true as well.

so I'll be the family of 6 at the table with 2 extra unused seats (hardly, they will be full of diaper bags for the little ones and backpacks I'm certain!) and the two tables pushed together (table for 4, table for 2) which is what Disney dining told me they would do!

It's vacation folks. We all deserve one. do your planning any way Disney allows you too and enjoy your meal!

Right on!

 

[chicknoodle99]

I am going to respond to this also because we had this happen at our last WDW trip. DH and I were in WDW for our Anniversary and he tried and tried to get CRT breakfast ressies for me. Unable to do so we called once we got there to see if anyone cancelled for the week we were there. Everytime we called asking for a party of 2 we were told "Sorry, all I have is a table for 4". We called MANY times and were told the same thing.

We didn't understand why we couldn't have a table for 4 and have 2 seats empty. DH was very frustrated and asked to speak to a manager and expressed his frustration. Why is it fair that a party of 2 can't get seated in a table for 4? We are paying money to be there just like anyone else and are they that greedy that they might miss out on the money for those 2 extra seats instead of making his wife's dream come true by eating in the castle? DH explained the situation to the manager and why were were upset - DH did not get angry or yell at the Manager.

The Manager did get us a ressie and when we got the CRT that next day, it was a table for two. Now maybe there was a cancellation but the policy seems very unfair. Our situation worked out but at any other restaurant (not WDW) if you ask for a table for 2 how often do you get seated at a table for 4 of even a booth that seats 4 or more?


Just my two cents....

Stephanie

 

[Jessmela]

I'm not going to argue whether it's lying or not, I'll just answer your question. I do not think that they would turn you away, but you may have a longer wait for a table. When you call to make your ADR's, they always say something about being seated at the next available table for your party size (or something like that). My guess is that they will seat you, but at a table for two, so you could have a much longer wait than you would have had if you were really 3 people with an ADR for 3 people. Does that make sense? It does in my head, but I don't know if I'm saying it right - it's been a long day!

In theory this might be true, but in my experience of close to 30 WDW TS meals for a party of 2, about 80% of the time we were seated at a table for 4 anyhow. There just aren't very many 2 tops. I personally have an issue with the ADR policy-- if we're seated at 4 tops anyhow, why not allow anyone with a party size that a table can accommodate book the ADR? It's just a matter of trying to make a few more dollars, not especially good customer service. Until the ADRs are really first come, first serve, personally I'd have no problem saying a party of 3 instead of 2 if needed.

 

[Inkmahm]

The only time I remember being offered a table for more people than I was asking for was a breakfast reservation for CRT. I was trying to reserve for 10 but the CM told me she only had a table for 12. I took it. This is prepaid, too. We actually HAVE 12 people but 2 of them didn't really want to get up early to eat at CRT. We called them and said since we had to pay for them, would they like to change their minds about eating with their niece and nephew for breakfast? They did.

It was great that the CM offered me the table for 12 when she thought I only had 10. Of course, Disney would have been paid for 12 either way.

 

[carrie6466]

Just returned from WDW on 7/2. We had ADR's for 7 for breakfast at Kona. My niece got sick and my bro and sis in law decided to skip breakfast. When we got there, we told the CM that 3 of the 7 couldn't make it. They told us no problem and sat us immediately at the table set for 7. They neither turned us away, nor made us wait for a table set for 4.

I do not think that they would turn you away, but you may have a longer wait for a table. When you call to make your ADR's, they always say something about being seated at the next available table for your party size (or something like that). My guess is that they will seat you, but at a table for two, so you could have a much longer wait than you would have had if you were really 3 people with an ADR for 3 people.