Best option when you forget to add a person to a reservation

[winnieofpooh]

Hi all, I had a major oops moment when booking dining reservations and forgot to include my 1 year old. I had no issues modifying all of our reservations except for one, at Beaches and Cream. We need a reservation for 5, and right now we have one reservation for 4. Once I realized, I also snagged two reservations - one for a party of 2 and one for a party of 3. I tried calling and they can't do anything for me, so I'm trying to figure out what is the best path forward.

Obviously I'm going to keep checking up until our trip to see if anything opens up for 5, though I'm not hopeful. Which do you think is less of a pain for the restaurant? Keep the reservation for 4, and show up early and ask if they can add one person? Or keep the reservations for 2/3 people, and show up early and ask if we can be seated next to each other? The reservations for 2 and 3 people are for the exact same time, just two different parties.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Id keep the 4 person reservation and just tell them at checking what happened, they should accommodate you.

 

[Marthasor]

Hi all, I had a major oops moment when booking dining reservations and forgot to include my 1 year old. I had no issues modifying all of our reservations except for one, at Beaches and Cream. We need a reservation for 5, and right now we have one reservation for 4. Once I realized, I also snagged two reservations - one for a party of 2 and one for a party of 3. I tried calling and they can't do anything for me, so I'm trying to figure out what is the best path forward.

Obviously I'm going to keep checking up until our trip to see if anything opens up for 5, though I'm not hopeful. Which do you think is less of a pain for the restaurant? Keep the reservation for 4, and show up early and ask if they can add one person? Or keep the reservations for 2/3 people, and show up early and ask if we can be seated next to each other? The reservations for 2 and 3 people are for the exact same time, just two different parties.

I would keep the reservation for 2 and 3. It is better to have reserved enough seats for all of your party than beg for an extra spot (which they may not have). They will do their best to seat you all together.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

I would keep the 2+3 ressies, that way they can put a two top and four top together as that's what you'll need and what they'll have available when you check in. No fuss at check in. If you haven't been to B & C it's very small by Disney restaurant standards. If you wait until checking in with your 4+1 request, you will need to first wait for two other groups to finish at the same time which may cause a long wait with a 1 year old.

 

[CarolynFH]

I also vote for keeping the 2+3 reservations, and for showing up a little early so you can let the CM know you'd like to be seated close together. Be sure to check in with the CM in person, not via MDE. The expanded B&C has a bench seat along one wall as well as tables that give them more flexibility to accommodate parties like yours than the old B&C had.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hi all, I had a major oops moment when booking dining reservations and forgot to include my 1 year old. I had no issues modifying all of our reservations except for one, at Beaches and Cream. We need a reservation for 5, and right now we have one reservation for 4. Once I realized, I also snagged two reservations - one for a party of 2 and one for a party of 3. I tried calling and they can't do anything for me, so I'm trying to figure out what is the best path forward.

Obviously I'm going to keep checking up until our trip to see if anything opens up for 5, though I'm not hopeful. Which do you think is less of a pain for the restaurant? Keep the reservation for 4, and show up early and ask if they can add one person? Or keep the reservations for 2/3 people, and show up early and ask if we can be seated next to each other? The reservations for 2 and 3 people are for the exact same time, just two different parties.

Keep the 2 and 3 reservations you will have enough seats and be early enough to ask if you can be seated together or near each other. Yes they might be able to add to the 4 but you will most likely have a wait which could be roughly with a toddler. You could be looking at a 30 or more minute wait as all the ones with correct number on their reservations will be seated ahead of you

 

[focusondisney]

The booking website has been made even more clear that everyone must be counted. B & C is consistently fully booked, there are always people waiting for tables. I’d keep the reservations that account for everyone, so the 2 & 3. I’ve never tried to add people, so no real life experience. We’re usually a party of 2. I have gotten the “may add 0 guests” message when doing online check in. They *might* accommodate you if you keep the 4 & try to add a guest, or they might not. If you keep the 4, make a plan for what you’ll do if they say no, which adult will walk away & who will stay. But please don’t try to guilt the CM with the ‘but you’re turning away a 1 year old baby’ nonsense like some people try. It’s not their fault you made an error & they don’t police who stays & who goes. It’s up to the guest to decide who will be seated & who will not. There are posts here several times a week from people who miscounted or had someone join their trip & want to add to their ADRs. Sometimes they’ll even say they couldn’t find an ADR for their party size so booked less & expect to just add the extra at check in. If the CM can accommodate they will, just be prepared if they can’t.

While you keep checking for an ADR for 5, check for 6 also. Sometimes that is easier to find. Good luck!

 

[winnieofpooh]

But please don’t try to guilt the CM with the ‘but you’re turning away a 1 year old baby’ nonsense like some people try. It’s not their fault you made an error & they don’t police who stays & who goes. It’s up to the guest to decide who will be seated & who will not. There are posts here several times a week from people who miscounted or had someone join their trip & want to add to their ADRs. Sometimes they’ll even say they couldn’t find an ADR for their party size so booked less & expect to just add the extra at check in. If the CM can accommodate they will, just be prepared if they can’t.

Oh yeah, I definitely wouldn't get mad at them! It was my dumb brain that caused the issue, lol. Looks like we'll stick with the 2 and 3 reservation and try to get seated next to each other!

 

[jimmymc]

I'm very surprised they couldn't figure something out on the phone, especially for a one-year-old. But if you can't get a reservation for 5, I would show up with the 2 and 3 and wait a bit until they could accommodate.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

They’re not gonna refuse to seat you because you have a baby that wasn’t accounted for. Come on people. This actually happens frequently because a lot of people don’t realize they have to count the baby in the total. The worst that will happen is they’ll tell you that you have to wait a bit longer. How is having a reservation for 2+3 and asking to be seated together any different than showing up with one extra person on a 4 person res? Either way they have to find a table you all fit at, and with the 2+3 person adr you’re taking up 2 adr spots for one party instead of 1. And there’s lots of instances where the table they seat a party of 4 at can fit more than 4 anyway. It’s really not that big of a deal.

 

[focusondisney]

Either way they have to find a table you all fit at, and with the 2+3 person adr you’re taking up 2 adr spots for one party instead of 1.

No, when you have an ADR for 4, they do not have to find a table to fit 5. And they don’t have to find a table to accommodate the party of 2 & 3 that want to be seated together. As I said, if they can accommodate they will. But if they are fully booked, they may not be able to accommodate the extra. It happens. And again, the website is very clear when you make the ADR, that everyone must be counted, regardless of age. Otherwise, pretty much every party booked can just show up with extra people & expect to be accommodated. No restaurant can function that way.

And this particular restaurant does not have that many tables for more than 4 people.

 

[Debbie Jean]

No, when you have an ADR for 4, they do not have to find a table to fit 5. And they don’t have to find a table to accommodate the party of 2 & 3 that want to be seated together. As I said, if they can accommodate they will. But if they are fully booked, they may not be able to accommodate the extra. It happens. And again, the website is very clear when you make the ADR, that everyone must be counted, regardless of age. Otherwise, pretty much every party booked can just show up with extra people & expect to be accommodated. No restaurant can function that way.

And this particular restaurant does not have that many tables for more than 4 people.

Exactly… on all points!

This has nothing to do with who can fit or how comfortable you are… everyone with a pulse has to be counted. It’s not Disney… it’s the fire code!
Going from 4 to 5 is always going to be a bigger challenge since your party now requires more than the normal 4-top you booked. Most restaurants can accommodate with a wait… B&C is the size of a postage stamp… well, not really but you get the idea… so groups larger than 4 are harder to seat. Unless, of course, one of the 5 doesn’t mind sitting at the counter which I’m thinking isn’t your plan.

Definitely keep the 2 & 3 ressies and see if they can push the table together or at least get them close. Good job scoring those reservations, BTW… this is a fun, funky place but hard to get sometimes!

 

[nighttowll]

Keep 2 and 3 and keep checking. Also agree, check for 5 and 6. You can modify down to 5 if needed if you get one for 6.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

They’re not gonna refuse to seat you because you have a baby that wasn’t accounted for. Come on people. This actually happens frequently because a lot of people don’t realize they have to count the baby in the total. The worst that will happen is they’ll tell you that you have to wait a bit longer. How is having a reservation for 2+3 and asking to be seated together any different than showing up with one extra person on a 4 person res? Either way they have to find a table you all fit at, and with the 2+3 person adr you’re taking up 2 adr spots for one party instead of 1. And there’s lots of instances where the table they seat a party of 4 at can fit more than 4 anyway. It’s really not that big of a deal.

I have seen them seat them yes but most have had about an hour wait past their reservation time which might not be fun with a toddler. Worse one was an infant not a Toddler. We were seated ahead of them but close enough to hear them complain because we didn’t have to wait and we had an infant but we had counted her in our count. They had waited over 45 minutes past their reservation and we were seated as we arrived