Reserved for 5 - only 4 going...

[LaurenT]

I dutifully made all my reservations at the earliest opportunity for my group of 5...
Now the little girl who was supposed to be joining us is not able to go! I realize that we are hogging a table for 5 when there are only 4 of us...but we're leaving in like 3 weeks!
Do I try to change our ressies - fat chance!? Or just leave things the way they are, explain that one of us couldn't make it when we get to the restaurant and maybe they'll have a 4 top freeing up the 5 for a nice surprise for a group that never expected to get in?
I don't want to take up more room than we need, but I also don't want to lose our restaurants and times just because Veronica can't make it!
Am I bad?

 

[DonaldRocks]

If you want, I'll take her place!!!

 

[KatMark]

I dutifully made all my reservations at the earliest opportunity for my group of 5...
Now the little girl who was supposed to be joining us is not able to go! I realize that we are hogging a table for 5 when there are only 4 of us...but we're leaving in like 3 weeks!
Do I try to change our ressies - fat chance!? Or just leave things the way they are, explain that one of us couldn't make it when we get to the restaurant and maybe they'll have a 4 top freeing up the 5 for a nice surprise for a group that never expected to get in?
I don't want to take up more room than we need, but I also don't want to lose our restaurants and times just because Veronica can't make it!
Am I bad?

I would leave it alone. We have had 3 turn into 2 a couple of times and when we arrived at the restaurant we just told them that the third member of the party could not make it. We never had an issue with this.

 

[OhThePain]

IMO you aren't bad. Things happen. I have seen parties of 2 seated at tables for 4, parties of 3 or 4 seated at tables for 5, etc. I would just stick to your plan as you have it and just notify the host/hostess when you check in that a member of your party is not going to make it.

You can always try to see if you can change and see if you can get anything close to what you have now. If you can then change it, if you can't then just leave the ADR as it is. Just remember not to cancel anything until you have already booked something else.

 

[JoQuo711]

They would just lose out on turning you away anyway- your party has already been planned into the seating arrangement for the night, so they'd just be leaving an open table at some point and missing out on some business if they turned you away.

 

[Missytara]

I dutifully made all my reservations at the earliest opportunity for my group of 5...
Now the little girl who was supposed to be joining us is not able to go! I realize that we are hogging a table for 5 when there are only 4 of us...but we're leaving in like 3 weeks!
Do I try to change our ressies - fat chance!? Or just leave things the way they are, explain that one of us couldn't make it when we get to the restaurant and maybe they'll have a 4 top freeing up the 5 for a nice surprise for a group that never expected to get in?
I don't want to take up more room than we need, but I also don't want to lose our restaurants and times just because Veronica can't make it!
Am I bad?

You will be fine - if they are busy, the hostess will be thrilled because she can now sit you at a four top instead of a six top. That frees up a six top. If they are not busy, they will just seat you at the six top as planned.

Now, if you were going from 4 up to 5, it would be a different story! You would have to wait until a six top opened up and it could take some time if they are busy.

 

[TDC Nala]

Be cautious if you have CRT, Akershus, California Grill or a Fantasmic dining package. There've been reports that if you show up without your full party at a restaurant that required a credit card hold, you'll pay the no-show fee for the absent members. If you have any of those, I'd try to change them.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I would leave it alone, this happened to me last year. We were a party of 4 originally and then went to a party of 3. I was so stressed out over it, everyone told me to leave it alone and thankfully I was seated at all of our ADRS without a problem.

 

[gigi729]

I don't think your bad, but I would at least try to change it because maybe there is a family out there that needs a table for 5 and cannot get the reservation. So if you can change your to table for 4, you may be allowing someone else to get a reservation they really want too.

 

[Tara922c]

I know that they wont change a reservation, they will have to cancel it, and re-book one. I would call, and see what you could do, and if you cant get what you originally had, I would just say, "oh well" and go have fun on your trip. They are not going to turn you away for having one last person. I think by at least trying you are doing the right thing. I know that there is no way I would give up all my ADRs just because one person can't come.