Party size for ADRs?

[LieutLaww]

If you put 2 down as a res and 4 of you turn up don't be surprised if you are turned away.

 

[MinnieM123]

They also have tables at the rear. We did a walk in late one night and were seated at a table and not a car

Pam

I learn something new on the forums every day. It was surprising for me to read that they had a big table in the back, because I thought SciFi was only the cars for seating. That aside, glad that you and your group could enjoy dinner there late one evening, without an ADR.

(Note: I only went to SciFi once a few years ago, and I was a solo diner. The waitress was funny, and told the people in the front of the car, that I was a hitchhiker in the back seat! )

 

[aliceismad]

By putting down two people and showing up with four, you’d be putting the staff in a crappy position, in my opinion. Because staff knows they can turn you away, but they also know some people will throw a royal fit if they get turned away (and this have to pay $20 for canceling the reservation without notice). I’m sure you’re thinking “what, it’s just two more people, no big deal” but what if lotd of people did that? Disney uses ADRs to help determine staffing levels. Having worked at a restaurant, I can say it’s no fun for servers when groups come in larger than anticipated when it’s super busy, and that can make service slow.

So yes Disney may accommodate you but the rule is pretty clear.

Not going to WDW in the past 20 years and not needing ADRs then is no excuse. Plenty of people have never been to WDW before or haven’t been since they were kids and still manage to see what WDW has put in place and work within it. Crowd levels have increased incredibly in the past 20 years. Maybe you think ADRs are ridiculous, but Disney uses them for a reason.

 

[aliceismad]

Since there are two adults and two kids, you could split up your party and get two reservations. But you may not be seated near one another.

 

[Hockey89]

By putting down two people and showing up with four, you’d be putting the staff in a crappy position, in my opinion. Because staff knows they can turn you away, but they also know some people will throw a royal fit if they get turned away (and this have to pay $20 for canceling the reservation without notice). I’m sure you’re thinking “what, it’s just two more people, no big deal” but what if lotd of people did that? Disney uses ADRs to help determine staffing levels. Having worked at a restaurant, I can say it’s no fun for servers when groups come in larger than anticipated when it’s super busy, and that can make service slow.

So yes Disney may accommodate you but the rule is pretty clear.

Not going to WDW in the past 20 years and not needing ADRs then is no excuse. Plenty of people have never been to WDW before or haven’t been since they were kids and still manage to see what WDW has put in place and work within it. Crowd levels have increased incredibly in the past 20 years. Maybe you think ADRs are ridiculous, but Disney uses them for a reason.

100% but in 2019 It is all about me.... How to beat the system...

 

[Andrew M]

Actually, it was a sincere question, and your initial response was non specific and insulting. Had no helpful information to add. I was looking for personal experience and advice from others who may have found themselves in my situation before. Others did comment that they were successful in adding more to their party by calling the restaurant or by going in-person ahead of time to ask, and the restaurant was able to accommodate them. So obviously, there is some wiggle room sometimes.
I'm really just looking for solutions. Not wanting to argue about the rules.
The last time I went to Disney was 20 years ago and ADR's were not a thing. I have no personal experience to go on, which is why I posted the question in the first place.

To answer the actual question, without getting into morals, if you're one short, they usually accommodate you. I've had cases where I had a reservation for 10 and we ended up with 12 people that day and each time they accommodated us. As for smaller reservations, 2 to 4 might be a big deal since you are doubling your party.

As others suggested, you can try doing two reservations for 2, and ask if they can put you together. I've done this before and it has worked, as long as you are polite and are able to wait for them to accommodate you.

If you don't want to risk it, I'd wait til less than 24 hours before you want to go. Unless it's an extremely busy time like Christmas, you can almost always get an ADR anywhere last minute.

 

[Jayhawkie]

OP, I would keep checking for availability. It seems ressies always open up. Are you pretty set on the time you want to eat? If they have a early morning or late ressie, you could work around that with a light breakfast or snack to tide your family over.