Split group for dining at same restaurant

[Melora]

We are traveling with a group of 8 in January.
As would be expected I'm having trouble getting certain restaurants when I search for reservations for 8.
However, I can get reservations for 2 parties of 4 either at the same time or within 10 minutes of each other.
Has anyone had luck doing this and being sat together when the time has come?
Not sure it's worth the risk of having to split the group because half the fun of these experiences is sharing it with everyone else.

 

[FCDub]

The answer unfortunately is maybe, maybe not. The vast majority of tables are not that big, so you’re at the mercy of the circumstance at that exact moment.

 

[Coffee and Disney]

We are traveling with a group of 8 in January.
As would be expected I'm having trouble getting certain restaurants when I search for reservations for 8.
However, I can get reservations for 2 parties of 4 either at the same time or within 10 minutes of each other.
Has anyone had luck doing this and being sat together when the time has come?
Not sure it's worth the risk of having to split the group because half the fun of these experiences is sharing it with everyone else.

Ive had to do the same thing for my party of 9. Following...

 

[CarolynFH]

My experience is relatively old (last December) with a party of 9. Our ADRs were split into parties of 5+4, 6+3, 7+2, and 8+1 - some I booked online and some booked via phone. I had everyone arrive by 10-15 minutes prior to the earlier ADR time, checked in with the CM (not via MDE), told them we were together and asked to be seated as close together as possible. Sometimes we had a brief wait, no more than 20 minutes, but we were all seated at the same table at Mama Melrose, Beaches & Cream, Biergarten, Liberty Tree Tavern and Homecomin' and split up only at Sci-Fi, which was expected since they don't have any cars that seat 9. I've read other reports here of similar experiences. If we ever have a large group and split ADRs again, I'll do it the same way - I know that the restaurant CMs will do their best, we just need to be patient.

 

[JCornell]

I've never tried to combine two reservations at one table but I've had plenty of reservations for large parties and those always warn that you may be split up but, in my experience, as long as you say you're willing to wait a little they'll seat you together, if they're able to. I'd assume you'd have a similar experience with separate reservations but can't say for sure.

 

[mickey916]

I'm going to be in a similar situation in May with a party of 8 and we're looking for Sci-Fi...I'm probably going to be making the reservations for the group. How would I be able to make an ADR for 6 and 2 or (4 and 4) without the system telling me I already have a reservation near that time after I make the first one? Do I have to do it under two separate MDE accounts? Such as mine and my husbands? I'm stressing a little 'cuz I had everything planned for four of us and just found out my brother's family is joining us (which I'm very happy about but also a little worried about our ADRs).

 

[RangerPooh]

Our last few trips have been as a party of 10; one family of 6, another of 4. Reservations are often for the same time or within 10 minutes of each other. I do speak with the host/ess to see if there's the possibility of sitting in the same general area if not together. Sometimes we're accommodated, other times close by. There are 6 youth ranging from 10-16, and it's not unheard of us to have a kids table or teen girl +1 younger brother table, with us adults taking the other two boys. We've also done two tables of 5 with a girl and boy table.

 

[CarolynFH]

I'm going to be in a similar situation in May with a party of 8 and we're looking for Sci-Fi...I'm probably going to be making the reservations for the group. How would I be able to make an ADR for 6 and 2 or (4 and 4) without the system telling me I already have a reservation near that time after I make the first one? Do I have to do it under two separate MDE accounts? Such as mine and my husbands? I'm stressing a little 'cuz I had everything planned for four of us and just found out my brother's family is joining us (which I'm very happy about but also a little worried about our ADRs).

Using two separate MDE accounts is one way people do this; the other is at the point that the system asks who will manage or be responsible for the reservation, they enter the name of another member of the party (who has an MDE account and can be responsible for canceling or modifying if necessary) when they book the first party's ADR for that restaurant and time and then keep the default, which is to themselves, when they book the 2nd part of the party.

 

[xipetotec]

So I've had to do this quite a few times. Your BEST bet at success is to show up at the podium earlier in the day ( not just 15 minutes ) and alert the staff that you have two reservations that are actually together and if they could possibly place you together. Mostly, we've had very good luck with doing this. You may not be at the same TABLE, but they will do their best to put you together. If you just show up at your reservation time, they WILL try... but there is less chance they'll be able to.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We are traveling with a group of 8 in January.
As would be expected I'm having trouble getting certain restaurants when I search for reservations for 8.
However, I can get reservations for 2 parties of 4 either at the same time or within 10 minutes of each other.
Has anyone had luck doing this and being sat together when the time has come?
Not sure it's worth the risk of having to split the group because half the fun of these experiences is sharing it with everyone else.

We had a group of 6-parents, grandparents, and grandchildren. Couldn't get one reservation for 6, but we got 2 reservations-for 2 and 4-that were 5 minutes apart. When we showed up, we asked to be seated near each other, and fortunately with a couple of clicks on the computer, we were all seated at the same table.

 

[MomOTwins]

One thing I’ve noticed about Disney ADRs is they really treat it more like saving yoir spot on the waitlist than reserving a given table. For example. With Ogas, you can always elect to wait for a booth instead of the tall tables. Or at Be Our Guest you can wait for a particular room. Your ADR time is really just your place in line. I think that’s why split tabled are so often kept together—they have a lot of flexibility on table assignments

 

[Kmilos1024]

Just back from a trip last week had 4 instances of 2 4's and showed up a few minutes before the res and at all four places they got all 8 of us at the same table. Places were Tony's, steakhouse 71, coral reef, and rose and crown.

 

[CarolynFH]

One thing I’ve noticed about Disney ADRs is they really treat it more like saving yoir spot on the waitlist than reserving a given table. For example. With Ogas, you can always elect to wait for a booth instead of the tall tables. Or at Be Our Guest you can wait for a particular room. Your ADR time is really just your place in line. I think that’s why split tabled are so often kept together—they have a lot of flexibility on table assignments

I agree. Instead of Advanced Dining Reservations, it used to be something with Priority in the name - pretty much functioned the same!

 

[the8ball]

This is interesting. I'm also in a larger party for part of our stay, and finding large-number reservations was a challenge, but I might have some better luck with two reservations within 15 minutes of each other, so I'm going to look out for that. The suggestion of stopping by earlier in the day to ask about combining the reservations for seating was a good one. Thanks!

 

[glocon]

One thing I’ve noticed about Disney ADRs is they really treat it more like saving yoir spot on the waitlist than reserving a given table. For example. With Ogas, you can always elect to wait for a booth instead of the tall tables. Or at Be Our Guest you can wait for a particular room. Your ADR time is really just your place in line. I think that’s why split tabled are so often kept together—they have a lot of flexibility on table assignments

How big are the tables? Can you get one for 2 or are they for larger parties than that? Seems like it would be worth the wait. TIA!

 

[xipetotec]

This is interesting. I'm also in a larger party for part of our stay, and finding large-number reservations was a challenge, but I might have some better luck with two reservations within 15 minutes of each other, so I'm going to look out for that. The suggestion of stopping by earlier in the day to ask about combining the reservations for seating was a good one. Thanks!

Reporting back on this. MOSTLY we've gotten good results. In fact, we had two reservations for Space 220 that were 55 MINUTES APART. and I went right at restaurant opening, and talked to the hostess, and she was actually able to redo the reservation at a time we could eat together. She was fantastic and efficient. it was two tables of 6, BUT we were right next to each other.

Same for breakfast at Steakhouse 71, two reservations 5-10 minutes apart. Showed up 15 minutes early and let them know, not a problem, we were all together at ONE table.

However! YMMV, because we tried to do the same thing at 50's Prime Time (these were only 5 minutes apart ) . I went by the restaurant an hour before, she told me she couldn't guarantee, but to show up 20 minutes before the later reservation and they would "see what they could do". I show up 20 minutes on the dot as suggested, mentioned this again to the hostess... and we not only were NOT seated together, but were in completely different ROOMS... so that didn't work out so well... I guess we could have made a fuss about it, but it was getting late, we were hungry... let's just say they didn't try very hard. ( at least we got our tables quickly ).