Questions about how ADR's work

[SpanishForker]

We will be a party of 7 (my family and my parents) and that is how I have booked my ADR's including CRT for breakfast. What if for some reason my parents cannot be with us for the meal at CRT? Do we lose our reservation because now we are not a party of 7? If we keep the reservation do we have to pay for their 2 meals due to cancellation? How does this work for other restaurants like say Coral Reef. Do they put us at a smaller table or just give us the table for 7 anyways. My father is diabetic (meaning some ADR times might not be ideal for his eating schedule) and getting a little older and we have an early (for him) CRT reservation so he might not be up for it, but then again he might be ok. Any thoughts and information would be helpful.

We have CRT for 9:00am and the park opens that day at 9:00am. How early do we need to be at the gates to be let in before the opening and how early would they let us in with a 9:00am ADR.

 

[Hopefully]

The answer to your question varies by the location of the ADR. I believe that at CRT you would pay for any members of your party who do not show up. I also believe that if you were to call and try to remove them from your reservation, you would need to cancel your current reservation and try to get a new reservation for the new number of people, which is most likely not available.
At other restaurants, there is no penalty. You may be seated at the original table or you may have to wait for an appropriate size table to be ready, I am not sure on that one.
The morning of your CRT ADR there is a special gate on the far right of the entry area which is staffed and open for early ADR's and early Tours. They have a list and will check to be sure that you have an ADR. You can enter as early as you like after 8, which is the time of the first ADR's. It is wonderful to be on Main Street with virtually no one there. Bring your camera, you can take wonderful pictures.

 

[ilandrazdsw]

Call Dining and ask about CRT. Being that it is a medical reason they may be able to note it and you wouldn't be charged. Personally I think charging for not showing up is rediculous IF they fill your table with a walk up. 2 people...big whoop, how scroogy can Disney be?