What if ADR and Party Size don't match?

[CarolinaChick]

I don't mean to start anything if this is considered a "hot" topic. We are planning on taking my dad with us for Free Dining this August. He wants to come with us but is not 100% sure if he can get off from both of his jobs for the week. I had to make ADRs this week and made them for a party of 4 (3 adults and 1 child) in case my dad is able to make it. I asked the cast member on the phone if it will be a problem if he isn't with us when we show up at the restaurants and she said no because they usually seat a party of 3 at a table for 4. Is this true? I don't want to be turned away if our entire party isn't at the restaurant when we get there.

Off topic resort reservation question. I have not added him to our package yet because I didn't want to have to pay a reservation fee change to take him off in case he can't come. Do you know what the latest I can add him to our reservation is and will there be a fee to add him (other than the price of ticket and extra adult fee)?

Thanks for your help!

 

[DVCTiff]

In the past, if you've come in within one or two of the reservation they will seat you.

 

[serene56]

for free dining i thought you needed to be booked by June sometimes.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

DS and I had to do the same thing during free dining in 07 when DH was too tired from golf to join us for dinner. This was not a problem at all, and we were going from a party of 3 to a party of 2.

As for resort changes, if you go on the Disney website and click on "My Disney Vacation" you can log in with your email address and password, then access your reservation with your confirmation # and phone #. Once logged in, you can click for details and all the "fine print" will come up.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the last day you can make changes without a fee is the same day that your balance is due (for the first day of free dining, ours is 7/2). After that, the fee for changes varies, beginning at $50.

Good luck! I hope he's able to make it!

 

[hmansure]

A tad off topic.... we are a party of 5 (which brings it's own set of unique hassles whenever we eat out)... all of our ADRs were made (last trip in Nov.) at the same time.... same cast of characters and everything.... At check-in the CM handed me our print out of ADRs. Everything was fine and then I noticed that our Le Cellier ressie only noted a party of 4?!?! How could that be?!? Chalk it up to human error, but...... The CM called over to Le Cellier and we were advised there was "no way" they would be able to squeeze us in. You all know the place - kind of small and not too many large tables, etc.

Long story short - after a lot of ranting on the phone with both the Le Cellier manager and a supervisor on the ADR line... we were assured the table of 5 would be ready for us (and not a small table with an chair at the end!!). Worked out well in the end, but I'm glad we just didn't wander up to podium with a different number than was on the ADR (though our was a higher #).

 

[shellybaxter]

When we go to Disney our Florida friends usually join us for about 1/2 of our meals (usually 10 to 12 meals). On one of our trips our friend's mom died and they left Florida after our first day. We showed up at each restaurant with 3 members of a party of 5 and had no trouble getting seated (and we never had to explain either). We did dine at LeCellier with no problems

 

[medicgirl911]

I don't think it is a problem when going from a larger number of diners to smaller number. For example we went with friends 2 years ago..12 people in all...well the first night our friends were too tired to go to dinner so we went from 12 people to 4...I think Ohanas was secretly happy, and someone was probably able to grab a walkup. Anyway the CM also had said it was definetly not a problem to go to a smaller group.
I think the huge problem would be to ADD more people

 

[shellybaxter]

I don't think it is a problem when going from a larger number of diners to smaller number. For example we went with friends 2 years ago..12 people in all...well the first night our friends were too tired to go to dinner so we went from 12 people to 4...I think Ohanas was secretly happy, and someone was probably able to grab a walkup. Anyway the CM also had said it was definetly not a problem to go to a smaller group.
I think the huge problem would be to ADD more people

I agree that adding is harder for the restaurant - but I've done that sucessfully as well - just one person - from two to three. I was going to cancel but when I explained I couldn't get an ADR for 3 so I needed to cancel (I stopped by the restaurant in person the day before) the manager told me to show up with three and it wouldn't be a problem. It wasn't. I have a aquatince (the lady who does my nails) who showed up at CRT 25 mins late with three extra people and she was seated with no problem. So it is possible to increase

 

[aubriee]

It shouldn't be a problem unless any of the meals are for a restaurant that requires a credit card guarantee (Akershus, CRT, Calif Grill, Fantasmic pkgs, dinner shows, etc). If you show up with a fewer number there than is on your reservation, your cc will be charged for that missing person. We found this out the hard way last Sept, when I didn't feel well one morning and sent my mom and husband on to Akershus without me. The restaurant said it was no problem and sat my mom and DH, but when we got back home my credit card had been charged a fee. I called to see what the fee was and was told that it was because we showed up to Akershus with one of our party missing.

 

[MICKEEP]

Don't tell anybody I told you this but

We walked up and tried to get a table for 4 at Plaza Restaurant recently and the CM there said that they had no table for 4 but had a table for 6 available later in the day. He said we should just tell them when we arrive that the rest of our party was not available.

Now this came from a CM who prefaced this by saying "I'm not supposed to be doing this but..."

 

[ancestry]

I agree with the others that going from a larger number to a smaller number shouldn't be a problem. However doing the opposite, going from a smaller number to a larger number might be a problem.