This really frosts my cookies

[ChickieToo]

I called just a minute ago to try and get dining reservations for April. Asked about a ressie for dinner at O'hana, and was told there was nothing all week long for a party of 5 until 9:30 pm. I asked about a party of 6 and I had my choice of times and date. Getting into my flame suit now, but I took the date and time of my choosing for a party of 6. I think denying a party of 5 a table when they can easily fit into a table of 6 which is available is just ridiculous.

I know this has been discussed before so I'm sorry to open it up again. But is it me? Am I the only one who thinks this is just dumb?

Thanks for the vent.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I think a lot of things that Disney does, which other people find annoying, make good or at least reasonable business sense.

As a (usually) solo diner, I agree THIS is just plain dumb! I had a similar experience with California Grill a few years ago. Just me? 9:15 or 9:30. Three people (I had friends who weren't sure when they were arriving)? ANY time, all evening :

 

[Poohs#1fan]

I called just a minute ago to try and get dining reservations for April. Asked about a ressie for dinner at O'hana, and was told there was nothing all week long for a party of 5 until 9:30 pm. I asked about a party of 6 and I had my choice of times and date. Getting into my flame suit now, but I took the date and time of my choosing for a party of 6. I think denying a party of 5 a table when they can easily fit into a table of 6 which is available is just ridiculous.

I know this has been discussed before so I'm sorry to open it up again. But is it me? Am I the only one who thinks this is just dumb?

Thanks for the vent.

When this happens, do you book it for 6 people? Just curious because I make my ADRs on Saturday.

 

[emma'smom]

Nothing happens....they'll seat you. At Ohana they are mostly round tables.....

When this happens, do you book it for 6 people? Just curious because I make my ADRs on Saturday.

 

[DSLTX]

I went through the same thing...at one point I thought there would be 11 of us going and had no problem booking 11. When I realized it would just be 4, they couldn't seat 4. I questioned - "are there just really a bunch of big tables that can't be split out?" The CM said they had openings for larger groups. I called back and got a new CM and said how about a party of 5 - "can't do 5 but can do 6" - well then, let's call us 6. She had no problem booking it. I had no problem booking 4 back in July - so don't know what is different.

 

[dznygurl]

Just curious...there's no extra charge if you show up with just 5 people?
I'm having so much trouble getting reservations for my family of 5. I think I may call in the a.m. and ask for a table for 6 and see if anything shows up.

 

[jwhtewolfd]

ITA. Slightly off topic, but in the same vein...
When we book for two, boy do they mean two. I've never sat at such TINY tables. Most anywhere we go at home (New Orleans - and we go out ALOT), they sit the two of us at table that can accomodate four. The first meal or two, I thought it was odd, but then I realized, two means TWO. I realize it makes good business sense not to have two empty chairs at a table for four, but jeez those tables for two are TIIIIINY. Most of the time our plates wouldn't fit on the table, when you factor in salt and pepper shakers, silverware, drinks, bread plates and basket, etc. There are certain tight-squeeze places I'm considering booking the two of us as a party of three or four just to be able to breathe.

 

[aubriee]

Just curious...there's no extra charge if you show up with just 5 people?
I'm having so much trouble getting reservations for my family of 5. I think I may call in the a.m. and ask for a table for 6 and see if anything shows up.

Not unless it's one of the restaurants where you must give a credit card guarantee. Last Sept we had an ADR for three at Akershus. I woke up ill that morning and couldn't go, but my mom and husband did. After we got home I was paying my credit card on line and noticed the charge. I called and was told that even though two of us showed up, we were still charged for the one no show, even though my husband had told them I was ill.

 

[hannah_03]

Not unless it's one of the restaurants where you must give a credit card guarantee. Last Sept we had an ADR for three at Akershus. I woke up ill that morning and couldn't go, but my mom and husband did. After we got home I was paying my credit card on line and noticed the charge. I called and was told that even though two of us showed up, we were still charged for the one no show, even though my husband had told them I was ill.

Well that's dumb! It's not like it was for another table

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well that's dumb! It's not like it was for another table

But it's done (and agreed to in advance, or at least acknowledged, by the Guest when making the reservation) because it's the restaurant's policy to charge for no-shows, even if part of the party comes; and because, if you read this and similar threads, some of us DO make reservations for more people than are actually in our parties because Disney's reservation system is showing no availability for our party size.

But only one person out of three didn't come, you say? Well, two things: First, where would you make the distinction? Odd-numbered original reservations don't get charged if one person doesn't come but doesn't cancel, but even-numbered parties that become odd-numbered do get charged? And second, Disney's reservation system blocked a three-person (well, really four-person, at CRT) table for aubriee's party. Now they only need a two-person table - and some other three- or four-person party who'd tried to get a reservation there for months, now it turns out could have fit.

 

[ChickieToo]

As PPs have said, as long as it wasn't a pre-paid meal, or a $10 pp holding charge, nothing really happens when you show with fewer people. I know this from travelling with my mom. When she is too tired to go out for the evening she decides to stay in the room and we go out ourselves.

dznygurl, I would just call and ask for a ressie for 6. Let us kow how you made out.

FYI, I couldn't book at 90 days because we just decided to go this week, so I knew that I might have some troule getting ressies. That's just the way it goes on that front--you snooze you loose. But it's not as if the restaurant is booked solid. I had my choice of dates and times for every date for 6, just no room at the inn for 5. Come on!

 

[Annabelleasb]

I suppose I'm just one of the lucky ones.....we were a party of 5, and when we went last year we ate at:

O'hana's~sat at a table for 8+
Liberty Tree Tavern~sat at the table/booths for certainly more than 5
Rainforest Cafe~sat a a big round table
Tusker House--Safari Breakfast--table for 6


Crystal Palace was the only place where it was a table for 5 and Teppan Edo, well we sat with another family...which is another topic I could complain about......

Maybe it depends on what CM you get..

 

[Poohbear5]

ITA. Slightly off topic, but in the same vein...
When we book for two, boy do they mean two. I've never sat at such TINY tables. Most anywhere we go at home (New Orleans - and we go out ALOT), they sit the two of us at table that can accomodate four. The first meal or two, I thought it was odd, but then I realized, two means TWO. I realize it makes good business sense not to have two empty chairs at a table for four, but jeez those tables for two are TIIIIINY. Most of the time our plates wouldn't fit on the table, when you factor in salt and pepper shakers, silverware, drinks, bread plates and basket, etc. There are certain tight-squeeze places I'm considering booking the two of us as a party of three or four just to be able to breathe.

Thanks for that warning! That probably would have taken us by surprise this spring for our first trip for just the two of us.
I'm going to try making ADRs for the first half of our trip later this morning. It will be interesting to see if we are able to get what we want for party of two.

 

[HeatherC]

This JUST happened to me with Boma. (See my other posts). They had nothing for 5 but suggested I book it for 6. Not a problem. Got the exact time I wanted.

This is just ridiculous. But....I'm happy because now I know how the "system" works and will try that in the future and...I get to eat a Boma this trip.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Hey no flames here, I do it sometimes too, to get a table for a party of 2 is hard so sometimes I say we are 3....the CMs encouraged me to do it so if they are ok with it so be it!

 

[Poohbear5]

Just got off the phone to make our ADRs for the first half of our vacation. No problem getting tables for two on our requests and got our first choice of times for dinners (5pm) and breakfasts (8am). Whew...

 

[Jennyvelaz]

I feel everyone's "family of 5" pain. Cruise ships, hotel rooms, and now our Disney ADRs!!! Thankfully we all love our families enough to overcome these Disney roadblocks!!

 

[Gixer]

We are another family of 5, all I can say is that we will have a mystery illness come on for a mystery member of our group next trip when we show up to most of our ADR's for a party of 6 table....

 

[ROEDISNEY]

I agree it's stupid. It makes no sense. I do what I would have to do to get in to

 

[mommyof3rookies]

I've called for adr's twice this week (we're staying off site) and we have gotten everything I wanted. But this afternoon when I called for Chef Mickeys (party of 3) and Akerhaus (party of 3) the cm said at Chef Mickeys they would push 2 tables for 2 together, I was thinking "whatever, as long as I get my ressie I don't care what you have to do ). But he didn't say the same thing about Akerhaus. We got Akerhaus for 9:30 am (my dh is dropping us off) then he and our boys are going to Chef Mickeys for a 10:10 seating and then they are coming back so we can enjoy Epcot.