Adding guest to an ADR last minute

[mickeys_chick]

Is it possible to add a guest to an ADR last minute? We are there next week and due to family illness are taking my niece with us, she 15. Would you recommend us calling up before hand to try see if any of our reservations can be made from 6 people to 7 or would we have to rebook all adrs? Obviously as we go next week this wouldn't be easy. Another question - one of the party has food by tube. So while they can still eat sometimes they might not eat a large meal. Question I guess is if 6 guests go to something like akershus for breakfast and one didn't want to eat would non eating guest have to pay for full buffet? Like is the charge based purely on you participating in the character meal or can you chose to basically not eat and just be part of the experience??

 

[bigbabyblues]

Yes, you should try to change the ADRs as soon as possible. If you just show up, there is no guarantee they will seat the extra person.

Yes, every person at a character meal/buffet is charged full price, regardless of whether they eat or not, no matter what the reason.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

At a character meal, you're not just paying for the food, you're also paying for the experience. I don't think you can count on the tube-fed person not to be charged.

You also need to rebook your ADRs for 7. They cannot always accommodate "just one more!" from the podium, and you will need a plan to deal with only being able to seat 6 at most restaurants.

 

[purple figment]

Definitely start checking online to see if you can find a reservation for your entire group or try looking for a reservation for 1 or 2 at the same time as your current reservation. At least if you have a reservation for everyone, all the members of your group will be seated. If you show up with an extra person who doesn't have a reservation, the castmembers at the podium will do their best to seat everyone, but there is no guarantee so one person in your group might have to go elsewhere to eat. Reservations will open up this close to your trip as people change their plans and cancel because they don't want to be charged the no show fee so keep checking. You can also subscribe to the Cancellation thread for the month that is stickied at the top of the Dining Reservations forum.

As far as buffets, all you care to eat meals and any set price meals (e.g. dinner shows, CRT, Akershus) you will be charged for anyone 3 years and older at the table regardless of whether they are eating or not, no matter the reason. Sometimes a server will not charge a tube fed guest, but that would be pixie dust and not something to be counted on.

 

[DisBuckMan]

As others have said previously, try to add the extra person to your adr's. Many people have been denied an extra person that they just showed up with. Your problem is made worse by going from 6 to 7, which will require an entirely different table at most restaurants. If you were going from 5 to 6 or 7 to 8, it would be a bit easier at most restaurants, simply due to not having to be seated at another size table.

 

[mickeys_chick]

I suspected that to be honest it would be more difficult going from 6 to 7 as new table configuration required. We decided we may just take it in turned to sit out of ADR's booked already. I'm more than happy to pay for as to be honest it is more about the experience just wanted to query it to avoid any embarrassment for my sister. As I said its last minute changes so for a compulsive planner it's near tipped me off the scales

 

[MrToadfan]

We were adding 3 people last minute, not 1, but we had very good luck with booking a smaller second reservation so there were no surprises at the podium.

 

[mickeys_chick]

I've just gone though and been surprised how many tables for 1 I've managed to add but for some reason it won't let me book some saying I already have reservation at same time?? Any ideas? Also has anyone had any success getting the two tables together?

 

[TheRustyScupper]

THE QUESTION OF AN EXTRA PERSON or EXTRA PEOPLE (the "411"):
1) Disney is getting wise to the "but, they decided to join us" or "I miscounted".
2) People can't always get the ADR they want.
3) So, they under-count to get a table.
4) Then, they show up with "unexpected" additional people.
5) In a team meeting, CM's have been told to warn guests against this.
6) If there is room, WDW will not turn away revenue.
7) But, if busy, they will turn away the additions.
8) Go ahead and arrive with the extras, if you like.
9) Just be prepared to have someone stand around while you eat.
10) I have heard explanations such as . . .
. . . "but, Aunt Suzy decided to join us and we need an extra seat"
. . . "but, two friends from off-site decided to join us and we need two extra seats"
. . . "but, brother-in-law and his family decided to join us and we need 5 extra seats"
. . . "but, the entire Boy Scout Troop decided to join us and we need 14 extra sets"
. . . "but, my baby is so small that I didn't count her in the number of eaters"
.
NOTE1: It is far easier going from an odd-number to an even number, such as from 7-people to 8-people, adding a person to an even number of diners, such as going from 6-people to 7-people. Adding odd person can mean adding a table, and this might not be possible. Going from an odd-to-even might only mean adding a chair or using an empty seat. So, if going from even-to-odd, you might not get the extra person a seat. It is always better to get another ADR with the proper people-count.
.
NOTE2: Frequently a party-of-two will try to add a third person at the podium. This can be risky, because many eateries do have tables-for-two. If the guest was slated for one of these, there simply might not be a table available to seat the third person - even if an infant. The extra chair location might extend into an aisle and block access for other guests or Servers.
.
NOTE3: Sometimes it is a threesome adding a fourth. Unfortunately, there are many eateries that do have 3-top tables - usually against a wall or pillar. They can't add a fourth chair, since that would invade the aisle and be unsafe for SERVERS.
.
NOTE4: The final question is that of how many people are in the eatery. There are Fire Codes
which dictate the maximum amount of people. If the capacity is exceeded, there are some big
fines possible. And, Disney will not violate the max-capacity of an eatery.

***************************************************************************************************************
Regarding discounts for not eating or eating very little:?
At buffets/AYCTE/shows, everyone pays full price for their age group (adult or child). There are no discounts. How does WDW know how much you ate or did not eat. They do not have Food Police. It would be unfair to others for someone to get as discount. Worse, everyone would start to claim an eating disorder and want a discount. It would get our-of-hand.

 

[mickeys_chick]

Many thanks for the reply - as other people have already clarified and I've started trying to book different tables. It's no problem to us if one person can't join us at the table it was just a query I had. As for getting wise to people booking for 6 and adding 1 person - I didn't ask for my mum to be diagnosed with terminal cancer so be unable to join us. So to try bring some happiness to my sister and niece were taking them. Unfortunately my sister has a feeding tube - I wasn't asking to try avoid paying I was just curious. My sister has voluteered to sit out of the reservations we already had but I just thought it may have been easier to see with a tube up her nose that she won't be eating.

 

[Arielismyfave]

You could also try calling WDW dining to see if a CM can add 1 to your reservation. Or maybe they could split the reservation into 2 tables: 4 and 3?