Via Napoli - What Would You Do

[Dancersmom2]

I have dinner reservations at Via Napoli for New Year's Eve for myself, my DD, and my DH. My DD's friend is now going along on the trip with us and I cannot change the reservation for that night from 3 people to 4. They are completely booked for the night and when I called Disney Dining to see if we could just add 1 person to our reservation I was told absolutely not. I know for a fact that if it were just the 3 of us we would be seated at a 4 person table and there would be an empty spot. Now I am normally a play by the rules kind of person but I am not sure what to do at this point. Do I cancel the reservation all together and go some where else, do I call again and see if another person would make the change for us, or do I just keep the reservation for 3 and then show up with 4 and hope they still let us in? What would you do????

 

[smcabee]

If it were me, I would show up with the 4 and go from there. There should be no problem. It would be very much different if you were ate 4 going to 5 but 3 to 4 should be no problem.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

I would try calling back and talking to someone else...it does seem like a no-brainer to me, and if you explain right away that since you would have been seated at a 4 top anyway, you were calling to add a 4th person to the ressie, that way they might not be as quick to just say no without looking at it logically. As we see in many other threads, sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease...or that talking to a different CM makes all the difference.

The only other thing I can think of that would be why they said no is that the system won't allow them to make the change...in which case, I would call the resturant directly first and as if they see any issues if you were to do that...being on the front lines, they might be able to let you know not to worry...or that it would not work (do they have special triangle tables for the parties of 3 they planned to put you at?)

 

[maxiesmom]

Showing up with an extra guest should be the very last resort. There is always the chance the extra person will be turned away. If that happens and the group decides to leave they will be charged the no show fee.

 

[Disworldluv]

If it were me, I would show up with the 4 and go from there. There should be no problem. It would be very much different if you were ate 4 going to 5 but 3 to 4 should be no problem.

This was my first reaction to your problem. I would show up with the 4 people.
I doubt very much there would be a problem. I had to do the reverse and show up with one less and there was no problem whatsoever.

 

[maxiesmom]

This was my first reaction to your problem. I would show up with the 4 people.
I doubt very much there would be a problem. I had to do the reverse and show up with one less and there was no problem whatsoever.

Showing up with less is never a problem. Showing up with more can be a problem. They won't turn the extra away if they can help it. But if the restaurant is at it's occupancy level they will have no choice. There is always a bit of risk showing up with extra guests. And even more risk when the park will be so very busy.

Disney will help if they can but it is not a given.

 

[kastoney]

This was my first reaction to your problem. I would show up with the 4 people. I doubt very much there would be a problem. I had to do the reverse and show up with one less and there was no problem whatsoever.

I agree. Unless they suddenly developed a 3 person table you will be seated at a four top. This is always the case for us. I would call again though in hopes you get someone who understands this concept

 

[dachsie]

Also, keep checking as there may be a cancellation you can grab

 

[Polish Hammer]

There are places at WDW with 3-person tables,not sure if VN is one though.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

The "absolutely not" is probably necessitated by the fire code and maximum occupancy. Although you may be seated at a 4-top, therefore having room for another, the maximum occupancy with reservations, servers, bussers, and hosts scheduled for the night may have already been met (or perhaps already exceeded and they are hoping/planning on some cancellations, or some may have quite a wait).
ON the other hand, Via Napoli does have a long, communal table you could be seated at, with a party of 5 or 7 or something.
Showing up with an extra person on NYE won't work. Bad plan. You could try calling and checking with another CM, but if you keep getting the same answer, make other plans. Are the girls old enough to go to MK by themselves, for instance, and have counter service, while you and hubs do Epcot and Via Napoli?
If they are teenagers, they might really love doing NYE without the parental units, and feel very grownup. If you want them in the same park, they could still eat at Tangierine Café. Just them, without you two, could be so fun for them and a special NYE for them.
Either way, look for another reservation for 4 people now. You can always cancel it later.

 

[BigAlsGal]

You should be fine. If it were say......chef mickeys, if say probably not. Via Napoli is pretty flexible. We showed up an hour and a half early for our ADR there last trip and they said "no problem!" Seated us in five minutes. Your call though. I think you'd be fine going from 3 to 4.

 

[MSSANDRA]

How old are the girls? If they are old enough to be on their own a bit, maybe they would like to grab dinner at a CS and just explore WS a bit on their own. I would keep trying, especially as the dates get closer, to get a table for four. If not, I would try showing up with four and if they are not ok to add one, know you can all leave or if the girls are old enough, allow them to go on their on. You might also consider just booking somewhere else if you can. The park will be over-crazy-busy and waits for CS will be long everywhere!

 

[schoen]

This has happened to me twice at 'ohana, so a rather busy place. I fretted and fretted leading up to the ADR, because people on this board convinced me that it would be impossible, and immoral to show up with extra folks. In both instances the host staff barely blinked an eye, and accommodated my rather simple and reasonable request (could I please give you more money?).

Now, there are policies, and your plan is to spring a surprise on a restaurant, so I would have a backup in mind (maybe a CS) but I really think you will have no issues here.

 

[princess aleya]

I think I would just take the chance and show up with everyone, but in the mean time I would keep checking as people cancel all the time. I don't think you will have a problem.

 

[maxiesmom]

There are places at WDW with 3-person tables,not sure if VN is one though.

This. So to the poster who made it sound as if the people at dining reservations don't know what they are doing, they may know better than you think.

Show up with an extra as a last resort. Hopefully everyone will be seated but have a back up plan for the extra guest, just in case.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

WARNING . . . DANGER WILL ROBINSON . . . WARNING

1) Usually a fourth person is not a problem.
2) If you have a four-top table, they just seat you.
3) HOWEVER, VIA NAPOLI DOES HAVE 3-TOP TABLES.
4) If you are scheduled for one of these tables, you cannot add the fourth person !
5) And, once the ADR is entered and the screen flips, someone else cannot retrieve your exact table size assignment.
6) You take your chances with this one.

6) When making dinner ADR's, the screen shows as grid pattern.
. . . table size across the top column (number of people at the table)
. . . time period for rows (based upon eatery could be anywhere from 10-20 minute intervals
. . . a black numbers shows the quantity of tables of that size & time open
. . . a dash (zero) means there are tables of that size & time
. . . a red number means that table size & time are oversold *
. . . when your ressie is made, the size & time are reduced by one table
. . . thus, if your ADR is a 3-top, and others are sold out, you can't add anyone

* Yes, tables can be oversold, as some Concierge have an override code that
lets them defeat the ADR system. As an example, we can add a table for six
at 6:00pm, even if the eatery is totally sold out. Of course, this backs things
up as now someone has to wait while the over sold group is seated and eats.
The only places where this is not true are actual capacity-limited locations,
such as dinner shows and V&A. And, no, a Concierge with The Code will not
volunteer that he/she has it. Whether we override is dependent upon a) if we
have been treated well and like you, or b) the guest is a Vice-Pres or higher
at Disney/ABC -or- a Level 1 or Level 2 VIP -or- a Marketing Dept guest.

 

[tinkerbella16]

Going from 3 people to 4 on an ADR is one of the easiest changes to make. Unless Via Napoli has 3 top tables... So I am confused as to why the CM said "absolutely not". I too would just show up with the 4th person and go from there.

 

[tinkerbella16]

WARNING . . . DANGER WILL ROBINSON . . . WARNING

1) Usually a fourth person is not a problem.
2) If you have a four-top table, they just seat you.
3) HOWEVER, VIA NAPOLI DOES HAVE 3-TOP TABLES.
4) If you are scheduled for one of these tables, you cannot add the fourth person !
5) And, once the ADR is entered and the screen flips, someone else cannot retrieve your exact table size assignment.
6) You take your chances with this one.

6) When making dinner ADR's, the screen shows as grid pattern.
. . . table size across the top column (number of people at the table)
. . . time period for rows (based upon eatery could be anywhere from 10-20 minute intervals
. . . a black numbers shows the quantity of tables of that size & time open
. . . a dash (zero) means there are tables of that size & time
. . . a red number means that table size & time are oversold *
. . . when your ressie is made, the size & time are reduced by one table
. . . thus, if your ADR is a 3-top, and others are sold out, you can't add anyone

* Yes, tables can be oversold, as some Concierge have an override code that
lets them defeat the ADR system. As an example, we can add a table for six
at 6:00pm, even if the eatery is totally sold out. Of course, this backs things
up as now someone has to wait while the over sold group is seated and eats.
The only places where this is not true are actual capacity-limited locations,
such as dinner shows and V&A. And, no, a Concierge with The Code will not
volunteer that he/she has it. Whether we override is dependent upon a) if we
have been treated well and like you, or b) the guest is a Vice-Pres or higher
at Disney/ABC -or- a Level 1 or Level 2 VIP -or- a Marketing Dept guest.

I psted before seeing this. This is good to know! Thanks for the info!

 

[Dancersmom2]

I have decided that I will call again today and if they cannot change the reservation, it will be canceled and I will book another ADR some where else, I already have a back up plan. I realize that Disney has reasons for what they do, and I don't think that anyone, including myself ever insinuated that they didn't, so I will abide by the rules. Thank you to all of you for your opinions.

 

[quakechicago]

You have enough time to stalk the site and hopefully get a reservation for 4. If you called and they can't increase it on NYE I'm going to bet they're at capacity.

Good luck!