Why can't I get party of 5 ADR's????

[NJDisneymom]

So many I've checked I can't get a party of 5 ADR but then change it to party of 6 and there is availability. Except in a few cases of round tables I think almost EVERY disney restaurant we eat at as a family of 5 is really a table for 6 so why can't they take a party of 5 ressie????? It is really annoying that I can't get restaurants we really want to eat at because of this. Will it be an issue if we show up with only 5 when we booked it for 6???

 

[3pletprincesses]

book for a party of 6 and then call Disney to reduce to 5 or simply tell them at the podium when you go for your reservation that you're only 5 and not 6 to be seated.

 

[jformica]

We've never had a problem with making ADR's for the 5 of us, thinking back over the past 6 years I can't recall one problem. I just made 6 ADR's last week and didn't have an issue. So I honestly don't know why your having difficulty.

 

[NJDisneymom]

We've never had a problem with making ADR's for the 5 of us, thinking back over the past 6 years I can't recall one problem. I just made 6 ADR's last week and didn't have an issue. So I honestly don't know why your having difficulty.

don't get me wrong, I've made plenty of ADR's for 5 - in previous trips I never even checked for more than 5 - but we booked this trip only about 90 days out and am late making ADRs and can't get any of the more popular places so I'm playing around more and there are quite a few that I check for 5 and says "nothing avail" then check for 6 and get something. The Garden Grill was probably the most noticeable one - almost every day of our trip I couldn't get 5 but then tried for 6 and it was avail at least 3-4 of the days!

And I've seen it here many times, people advise you to try for 6 if you can't get 5 (or try for 4 when you can't get 3, etc.) so I must not be the only one who has ever seen this.

 

[kylieh]

Happened to us too! Went for 6 and was able to get a table when I couldn't for 5.

 

[pixarmom]

OP, after reading your post, I entered "party of 6" for the 7:30am Ohana breakfast ADR we've been trying to get for our family of five in August. Sure enough, when I plug in "party of 6" instead of "party of 5," a 7:40 ADR pops up! I have no idea why, but it happened to us, too!

 

[BillSears]

It's just as bad for parties of 1 compared to parties of 2. Often I key in 2 and I can get an ADR, 1 and I get nothing.

I think DIsney doesn't like odd people!!!!!

 

[aubriee]

It's just as bad for parties of 1 compared to parties of 2. Often I key in 2 and I can get an ADR, 1 and I get nothing.

I think DIsney doesn't like odd people!!!!!

I agree. I go to WDW solo several times a year and with family at least once a year. It's easier to get ADRs for the family trips (two or three people) than it is for one. It seems like the Signature restaurants are the worse. They just don't like solos. I nearly always have to book them for two people.

OP: the only time it will matter if you book for six instead of five, is if you book a restaurant that requires a credit card guarantee (any of the dinner shows, CRT, Akershus, Calif Grill, Fantasmic pkg, etc). You will be charged for the missing person. We found this out the hard way at Akershus a few years ago when I was sick one morning and we showed up one short.

 

[SmallWorld71]

FWIW - Take this with a grain of salt, but a reservation agent told me that 5 was the most difficult number to make ADR's for.

We've been split about 50/50 as to whether or not we are at a 4 top with a chair at the end or a 6 top, so I don't know why it's a big problem. I would just take the ADR and show up with the 5. And, I will remember to try this when making future ADR's for my family.

 

[SmallWorld71]

It's just as bad for parties of 1 compared to parties of 2. Often I key in 2 and I can get an ADR, 1 and I get nothing.

I think DIsney doesn't like odd people!!!!!

LOL You might be on to something.

 

[Southern Bell]

We are a party of 5, 4 adults and one 2 1/2 yr old. Of course you don't get to list the high chair. I have noticed in several cases I have gotten the reservations but they want to split us up at two tables. I may be wrong, but when you have to pay with a credit card in advance I think they ask about ages. They would have to. But if you have to just use a credit card to hold the reservation that may not be the case. Something to check on.

 

[TDC Nala]

We are a party of 5, 4 adults and one 2 1/2 yr old. Of course you don't get to list the high chair. I have noticed in several cases I have gotten the reservations but they want to split us up at two tables. I may be wrong, but when you have to pay with a credit card in advance I think they ask about ages. They would have to. But if you have to just use a credit card to hold the reservation that may not be the case. Something to check on.

You must count the child on the reservation regardless of their age. You don't enter ages on the online system. If you book a prepaid reservation it will ask, so you are not required to pay for anyone under 3. The chances of a party of five being split up are not high. If you need a highchair, you can request one at the restaurant.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

disney doesnt like odd #s haha no i mean table are hard for odds.

 

[Colleen27]

The dining reservation system appears to be programmed to maximize use of space. If I had to guess, there is probably a pre-determined limit to how many larger tables the system will "underbook" and when that limit is reached the system starts only matching tables for 6 with parties of 6, tables for 4 with parties of 4, etc.

 

[TheRatPack]

don't get me wrong, I've made plenty of ADR's for 5 - in previous trips I never even checked for more than 5 - but we booked this trip only about 90 days out and am late making ADRs and can't get any of the more popular places so I'm playing around more and there are quite a few that I check for 5 and says "nothing avail" then check for 6 and get something. The Garden Grill was probably the most noticeable one - almost every day of our trip I couldn't get 5 but then tried for 6 and it was avail at least 3-4 of the days!

And I've seen it here many times, people advise you to try for 6 if you can't get 5 (or try for 4 when you can't get 3, etc.) so I must not be the only one who has ever seen this.

I'm having the opposite problem with Garden Grill. There are 7 of us, but I've tried tables for 6 and 5 and NOTHING shows up. Finally I had to make a ressie for 4 and a ressie for 3 and we'll just sit at separate tables. I guess we're an 'odd' family too

Some restaurants sit you at a table for 4 and squeeze you in though....so really I don't mind sitting at two different tables for 4 at a few of the more crowded restaurants, at least we'll have a bit of elbow room then. Last year at LTT we were so cramped and it was so hot in there.....we were miserable.

 

[Southern Bell]

Thanks for information. I counted 5 in all my reservtions. Just looks like they would want to know for all of the reservations that one is a high chair. I guess it doesn't matter, its still a spot taken. I found a couple with 6 just didn't want to fool with canceling the extra person! I think I read on Disneys Moms panel that it was easier to drop a person from reservation than to add. So... if you think you may have 5 people instead of 6 it would be better to reserve 6 instead of 4 and then have to add one. Which makes since because your space would be secure.Garden grill is open for 6 people on July 5 at 5:15 reservation. We have planned 70 some days from now on swimming that day! (LOL) I think we would be hard pressed to get there, even if we go to Epcot later. So I kept the one I have for Saturday for 5 people. I know that its frowned upon to reserve double reservations at the same time. I understand that. But is it frowned on to have a couple reservations at the end of the week extra incase you don't make it to one of your dinner reservations for some reason. I don't think I've ever been on vacation that someone didn't get sick (at least bad headache)or we were stuck somewhere in a bad thunderstorm.