No times for 2 but for 3?

[Eeyore's-tail-tack]

What is everyone's opinion on making a reservation for 3 knowing only 2 are going to dine?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I dont care what people think, if I want to make a reservation and eat at a particular restaurant I will. For example I'm a solo traveller and next week I am going to Disneyland California. I wanted a reservation at Blue Bayou for the Main Street Electric Parade Dining package for a certain time. Reservations for 1 were not showing, so I made a reservation for 2 people.

You have just as much right as the next person to any dining reservation. Its first come first served and you got there first. Make the reservation and have a fun time in the restaurant

 

[Eeyore's-tail-tack]

Thank you. That is how I feel. For 2 at Ohana was only able to get 8:30PM. Change to 3 persons and was able to snag 5:10PM. Now we can head to MK and enjoy EMH.

 

[BadPinkTink]

@Eeyore's-tail-tack
agreed The same with going to quick service restaurants. I as a solo diner have just the same right as anyone else to sit a 4 top table if I want to. I have paid for my food just the same as everyone else. I dont think its right that someone like me should be make to feel guilty or ashamed that they are taking up a space that a family could sit at. Big deal I got there first, so what?

 

[mom2rtk]

At Disneyland I wanted a reservation for 2 at Cafe Orleans for the first time of the day. I checked 60 days out when they opened reservations and nothing. Parties of 2 all seemed to be later. Nothing books up 60 days out like that at DLR. So I asked here and was told they just don't load ADRs for 2 at that particular time. Made no sense at all. But I put in a party of 3 and tons of stuff opened up, so I booked it.

The only places this will be an issue for you are places that are prepaid.

I wouldn't book a party of 5 for the 2 of us, but a party of 3 or 4? No problem.

 

[Janet McDonald]

I have a family of 5 and my ADR date opens up next week. Would I be more likely to get a reservation for a party of 5 or 6? I got up at 5am central time this morning and did a practice run of my ADR's. Got nothing on the main ones i wanted such as BOG, CRT, Tusker House breakfast, and Ohana. Im a nervous wreck. Hoping the fact that I'm staying on property and have all of those toward the end of our stay will help to get them with the +10 advantage but if plugging in a party of 6 instead of 5 will help I will do that too.

 

[mom2rtk]

I have a family of 5 and my ADR date opens up next week. Would I be more likely to get a reservation for a party of 5 or 6? I got up at 5am central time this morning and did a practice run of my ADR's. Got nothing on the main ones i wanted such as BOG, CRT, Tusker House breakfast, and Ohana. Im a nervous wreck. Hoping the fact that I'm staying on property and have all of those toward the end of our stay will help to get them with the +10 advantage but if plugging in a party of 6 instead of 5 will help I will do that too.

Try both. Although CRT will be more complicated since it requires prepayment (unless you are on the dining plan). Even so, if you see a party of 6 (but not 5) try calling to see if they can book it for you as a party of 5. It might also be possible to book and pay for 6, then call and adjust down to 5. But there's no guarantee of that.

 

[4leobeans]

If it was me, I would book it, but I would also call after, and modify my reservation for the correct number of diners.

i did this for CRT last time we went (we're a family of 5), and I wouldn't want to have been turned away due to overbooking by the restaurant at that time. Nor would I have wanted to been someone who took up a seat that someone else could have used.

I have noticed that this time, when booking my ADRs, at two places, I couldn't find dinner reservations for 5, but I could for 6......so I booked them for my family and a mystery guest

 

[Eeyore's-tail-tack]

I have a family of 5 and my ADR date opens up next week. Would I be more likely to get a reservation for a party of 5 or 6? I got up at 5am central time this morning and did a practice run of my ADR's. Got nothing on the main ones i wanted such as BOG, CRT, Tusker House breakfast, and Ohana. Im a nervous wreck. Hoping the fact that I'm staying on property and have all of those toward the end of our stay will help to get them with the +10 advantage but if plugging in a party of 6 instead of 5 will help I will do that too.

I would try 5 first. Then if you aren't able to get desired go up to 6.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

It's so funny how the reservation calendar works!

I understand it not having a lot of single chairs, so having to book a party of two if you are solo, but I had never thought of searching for parties slightly larger than our party of three! I guess it makes sense, the calendar isn't making TOO much of a difference of chairs at a table, but most of them seat more than a party of three so going "outside the box" as it were, kind of limits one's options. Hmmmmm... good food for thought!

 

[Disney72090]

This happened to me today! Searched for 2, no availability, however there was an opening for a party of 3 at Liberty Tree Tavern. I made the reservation for 3 and then as soon as it was confirmed, I went back into the reservation and was able to update the party number back to 2 and kept the exact same reservation time. Very strange, but will take it!

 

[MyrddinEmrys]

@Eeyore's-tail-tack
agreed The same with going to quick service restaurants. I as a solo diner have just the same right as anyone else to sit a 4 top table if I want to. I have paid for my food just the same as everyone else. I dont think its right that someone like me should be make to feel guilty or ashamed that they are taking up a space that a family could sit at. Big deal I got there first, so what?

I agree! I'm rarely completely alone (anxiety issues), but most places I go for vacation it's just me and one other person and even as a party of 2 people give you nasty looks for taking up a table when there are families of 3-4+ standing around waiting. Whatever though. I pay my money to go and enjoy myself just like the next person and so I shall.

Although, I will add that if I have said table that would fit 4+ and other people ask politely if they can share it, I wouldn't say no. I would say I could make a new friend or enjoy some casual conversation, but aforementioned anxiety probably wouldn't allow for that. Who knows! If the food is good, we could just co-exist and make quiet yummy noises or exchange knowing glances of how awesome it is. Maybe this is just something I would do...

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I think it's easier to make an ADR for a party of two. This is because I can go in and select any size party (if there isn't one available for 2, I can take one for 5). Then it's easy to go into the reservation, select modify, and adjust the size down to 2. So pretty much any size party (except 1, obviously) will work for getting an ADR. If there's nothing available for 2, especially for our preferred time, I automatically increase the size of the party and keep looking.

I feel like this is an advantage over times when I need an ADR for my entire family (7), and there's zero availability for larger parties, but when I've looked out of curiosity, I've found ADRs for smaller parties (sometimes I can break us up into smaller groups, and sometimes I can't).