Hi there, Sherryanne!
We're thrilled you stopped by to see us at planDisney today. I'm so sorry to hear that some of your party is feeling less than magical. Let's discuss your options regarding advance dining reservations.
Most
dining reservations have a cancelation/modification window of up to 2 hours before the reservation time. If you know part of your group will be unable to accompany you, simply locate the reservation under "Today's Plans" or "Future Plans" on the
My Disney Experience Mobile App, click "Modify" and adjust the party size down. If you are already within your 2-hour window, you may still have some options.
In many cases, a cancelation fee will not be charged as long as some of the party still shows up for the reservation as planned. Let's say you have 6 guests booked to dine at a particular meal, but only 4 can make it on the day of. When you arrive for your meal, let the Cast Members at the check-in podium know about your reduced party size and they'll do their best to accommodate the changes. If your whole party decides to skip the reservation altogether without canceling, then a per-person fee will be charged to the card used to secure the reservation as indicated in the booking terms.
There are a few exceptions to this, particularly for pre-paid meals and dinner shows like
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review or Cinderella's Royal Table at Magic Kingdom Park. As indicated when booking those experiences, the full cost of the meal (or a specified fee) will be forfeited if a guest does not cancel within the designated window. You can review the
information on this page for specific pricing and fees.
If part of your party is still planning to attend as scheduled, I recommend contacting the restaurant as soon as possible. Visit in person if logistics allow and let them know the specifics of your group's situation. I can't say that they will be able to assist or waive any of the fees, but notifying them early is your best course of action, and also frees up spots for other guests hoping to experience some of these hard-to-get reservations.
Sherryanne, if you are unable to head to the venue in person, you can visit with a member of the
Guest Relations team or
contact a Cast Member by phone and ask to be directed to the appropriate party. Cast Members always do their best to help sprinkle a bit of pixie dust on guests, so I'm crossing my fingers you'll be able to find a solution.
Magic and memories,
Amy