Party of 2 waits longer for a table??

[Harambe]

I just read an article about Disney dining, and was a bit concerned when the article stated that because there are far fewer 2-person tables at sitdown restaurants and they won't "waste" a 4-person table on them, parties of 2 will wait a lot longer for their ADR time.

I typically ask for a 4 person table for DH and myself because we like to "spread out" when we dine, but we have always been a party of 4 with the kids along for all of our Disney trips, so never experienced 2-person dining at WDW.

Need advise on this. I plan only a few ADRs for our trip, but will reconsider if we will have to wait longer for a smaller table if there is a 4-top available for us. Will they refuse a request for a 4-top?

 

[OhThePain]

I don't know about requests, but DW and I (no kids) have never felt like we waited longer for a table than someone else. If anything, it always seems we are sat right on time or even a little before our ADR time more often than not. I also don't think we have ever been sat at a 4-top table. Disney doesn't accept more ADRs than they can handle. Sometimes seating for a party of 2 is much more limited than seating for a party of 3 or 4 (which also makes me think they will generally try to sit you at a table for your party size and may not honor your request for a larger table).

 

[JZCubed]

Harambe, you're a Disney pro.

This is making the proverbial mountain out of a molehill.

Do you find that you wait too long as a party-of-4, that a party-of-2 would become something unreasonable?

Also, you should know how Disney table management works - only a certain number of each group size is scheduled into any time period. There will not be 10-parties-of-2 fighting for 6-tables, it doesn't really work that way.

But if you are really concerned and have yet to make your ADR's, schedule them for 1st-seating to avoid waiting for the previous party-of-2 to finish their meal.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

There are also far fewer parties of 2 as the majority are there as a family.
When I go with just my sister or just my friend we never have to wait long for a 2 person table top.

 

[Cinderella94]

I agree with everyone else- I don’t think this will be an issue. But I also wouldn’t count on being able to get a 4 top. Surely ask, though. The worst that happens is they say no.

 

[danikoski]

I've only ever been sat at a larger table then our party of two at Hoop Dee Do Revue, because they used the extra two chairs at another table, and Whispering Canyon Cafe, probably because we went at a slower time for dinner.
You'll also probably be sat at a larger table at the Beirgarten, but others may be sat with you.

 

[danikoski]

I've also never experienced a longer wait, and as PP stated, often shorter or right at the time of the ADR.

 

[gillep]

DH and I have dined together a lot at WDW, and the vast majority of the time our waits are very short. We are usually placed at 2 top tables, but we have certainly been placed at 4 top tables as well. This is not something I would worry about in the slightest.

 

[bluejasmine]

See I have a different experience but I will say that in 20+ trips It only happened once.
2008 honeymoon, had an ADR for San Angel in Sept of that year, we waited for over an hour past our time when DH went up to hostess and pointed out several 4 top tables open, her reply was that we had to wait for a 2 top bc she wasn't seating 2 ppl at a 4 top! Of course my Dh told her it was unacceptable and she got nasty with him. When we went back to our resort a little while later we complained to the manager so we could get the appropriate number to call and he said he would take care of our complaint and apologized. The next morning there was a knock at our door and he sent someone with 2 day passes! Not at all what we were expecting, we just wanted to complain is all..
So anyway other than that its been fine but I do see that it happens at times.. Disney is more worried about the bigger parties at times...

 

[nkereina]

It's always just DH and I and I've never noticed this. I'd say maybe 30% of the time we wait 15-20 minutes past our ADR time, and that's during busy meal times. Only once or twice has it ever been longer than that. Otherwise, we're seated almost immediately or within 10 minutes. And while I'm sure they try to seat us at a 2 top, we've been seated at 4 tops as well. Like PPs, I agree that I don't know if you could request a 4 top. If you do, you might find your wait longer.

 

[Harambe]

Thanks, all. So looks like not a problem at all. DH and I will just have to practice eating in a smaller space - LOL!

Harambe, you're a Disney pro.

This is making the proverbial mountain out of a molehill.

Blabbity-bla.

 

[Moliphino]

I don't think we've waited any longer as a party of 2. We've also been seated at 4 tops (Be Our Guest, La Hacienda, Spice Road Table off the top of my head).

 

[MakiraMarlena]

if you book a 4 top (meaning booking a party of 4) for a party of 2 and expect to be seated at a 4 top every time you will likely be disappointed. But I don't know that you'd have to wait longer just because you book as a party of 2. Maybe if you specifically ask for a 4 top.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Up until our last trip, we were a family of 2. I don’t think we’ve ever waited more than 15 minutes past our ADR time, and most often, were seated right at our time. I can’t remember what kinds of tables we had though, sorry.

 

[JZCubed]

Thanks, all. So looks like not a problem at all. DH and I will just have to practice eating in a smaller space - LOL!




Blabbity-bla.

That's sweet.

Enjoy your meal.

 

[disneyvoice]

I've never felt like my DH and I wait longer for a table when it's just the two of us.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We go as a party of 2 often and only once did we have a long wait time and this was at Mama Melrose (which is notorious for seating late for any number of guests) a few years back. We also have been seated at tables for 2, 3 (at O'hana) and 4, but have never specifically requested a table for 4, so I'm not sure what the reaction would be. I would imagine at very popular restaurants during peak times, it will be difficult to get a table for more than 2 people.

 

[Farro]

We were a party of two for a few of our ADRs and we had no wait at all, not even an 8:45pm at Ohana!

 

[GillianP1301]

We do on average 20 - 22 TS meals each trip and we are a part of 2. I would say in well over half the cases we wait around 5 minutes. Some closer to 10 minutes. There are the odd exceptions for a super buy restaurant at a peak time waiting 20 - 25, but it's rare. Based on the wait times I've seen other people post, I think the 5 - 10 minutes is actually quite good.

I think there is actually more flexibility in seating a party of 2 because if you're next up and you're a party of two and the table available is a 4 top, they can seat you there. But if you're next up and you're a party of 4 or more and it's a 2 top, then they'll seat the next group of 2, even if they are technically behind you in order and you're waiting on a bigger table.

As for the question on whether they would grant a request for 2 people to have a 4 top, I suspect that will depend a lot on how buy the restaurant is as to how willing they would be to grant the request.

 

[gharter]

When the 2 of us go to a TS restaurant, we rarely wait over 5-10 minutes. I would also say that at least 50% of the time we are seated at a table for 4 rather than a table for 2 (we didn't request a table for 4). maybe this will change in the future?
Last trip: California Grill, Citricos, Artist Point, LTT, JIKO, Tiffins, Brown Derby, Mama Melrose, Flying Fish were all tables for 4.
Monsieur Paul and Il Mulino were the only 2 person tables we had.