How late will Ohana hold a reservation?

3littlecuties

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
15 minutes?

I’ve been trying for months to get a reservation on our arrival night and I just managed to snag one for 3:35. Unfortunately, if we get out the door on time that morning, the earliest we’ll arrive is 3:00 pm. If we run into traffic, it could definitely be later. Would you risk it or is it just too close? We’re driving from NC on Tue Nov 20 (Thanksgiving week).
 
15 minutes?

I’ve been trying for months to get a reservation on our arrival night and I just managed to snag one for 3:35. Unfortunately, if we get out the door on time that morning, the earliest we’ll arrive is 3:00 pm. If we run into traffic, it could definitely be later. Would you risk it or is it just too close? We’re driving from NC on Tue Nov 20 (Thanksgiving week).
They may hold it for a while but I'm not sure how long. Sounds like it would make for a very stressful day if I'm constantly worried about getting to a dining reservation.

I'd probably keep the 3:35 but then keep checking for something later.

I don't know if there is an actual amount of time that they will hold your reservation. I was over and hour late once and our reservation was waiting but this was at a resort monorail and the monorails broke down while we were on it. Nobody was going anywhere as the boats were also closed due to a thunder storm.
 
I think thats too close.
Its hard to tell how bad traffic will be, but probably heavy.
Likelyhood of leaving on time? Thats always a huge deal for us.
Even if you get there at 3, Are you staying at the Poly or driving from another resort? Will you check in before eating? If so, even staying at the Poly, not likely to done by 3:30.
I would keep trying to modify the ADR for a later time. Odds are, over the next 2 weeks, something will come up.
Also try reservation finder at touringplans, that has helped us find difficult to get reservations.
Good luck.
 
I think thats too close.
Its hard to tell how bad traffic will be, but probably heavy.
Likelyhood of leaving on time? Thats always a huge deal for us.
Even if you get there at 3, Are you staying at the Poly or driving from another resort? Will you check in before eating? If so, even staying at the Poly, not likely to done by 3:30.
I would keep trying to modify the ADR for a later time. Odds are, over the next 2 weeks, something will come up.
Also try reservation finder at touringplans, that has helped us find difficult to get reservations.
Good luck.

I already have a touringplans alert set and I’ve also been checking on my own for months. I’m losing hope!
 


Sounds like you're doing everything right.
The only other site I've tried, but not had luck for reservations is ***********.
Can't hurt to put a reservation alert there as well.
 
I think you will be fine if you keep to a tight schedule on your way down. I was once told at BOG that the reservation “technically lasts all day.” I think she meant all of the meal-time window though because I doubt we could have eaten dinner there if we had arrived late for our lunch res.! I was suprised when she said that, but she insisted they don’t physically cancel your reservation which makes sense, since you would be charged a $10 per person fee for a missed reservation they let it sit there. I could be very wrong, and this is just based on my personal experiences, but I really think you will be ok!
 
Sounds like you're doing everything right.
The only other site I've tried, but not had luck for reservations is ***********.
Can't hurt to put a reservation alert there as well.

Well...what you posted was blocked out but I’m guessing what it is and I have an alert set there too. That one has never worked for me though.
 


Assuming we are all talking about the same other site too it hasn't worked for me as well. Been times I put in the same date and venue on both sites and I've only ever gotten a text from TP.

Besides the restaurant finder keep looking at the Dining Reservation sub-forum here called "Cancelled November 2018 Reservations". I've had some good luck picking up some worthy ADRs there.
 
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15 minutes?

I’ve been trying for months to get a reservation on our arrival night and I just managed to snag one for 3:35. Unfortunately, if we get out the door on time that morning, the earliest we’ll arrive is 3:00 pm. If we run into traffic, it could definitely be later. Would you risk it or is it just too close? We’re driving from NC on Tue Nov 20 (Thanksgiving week).

As you've already found, Ohana is one of, if not THE most popular restaurants on property. They won't hold your ADR or your table, and you'll be charged the $10 per person cancellation if you don't show or your so late that they had to move on.

I wouldn't risk it with a drive all the way from NC. If you were just coming in from northern FL or something, maybe. There's too much that could happen to keep you from getting there. Just this week, there have been two really bad accidents on I95 that have closed it in both directions for hours with lengthy detours.
 
I honestly wouldn’t even hold on to the 3:35. It isn’t going to work with your timeline, and I know it would cause me stress the whole day while driving.

In your shoes, I would keep looking for something in the 5:00-6:00 range and come up with a fun backup option. somewhere new and exciting? maybe somewhere in disney springs?
 
They may hold it or they may charge you a $10PP no show fee and give your table to another party.

If the earliest you will get there is 3pm and that is if traffic isn't bad then you're highly likely NOT making it even if there is a 15 minute grace period.
Either leave earlier or cancel.
 
I wouldn't risk it. We drove once and got stuck in traffic on I-5 on the way down and missed a reservation to BOG lunch. Thank goodness it was when they were trying the "fastpass" so we didn't get charged a no-show fee.
 
There is no way to know ahead of time what will happen. They may hold your spot for you. They may seat you with a bit of a wait. They may tell you you missed your ADR and charge you the $10 per person no show fee. No once here can tell you for sure which of those 3 will happen.
 
Where in NC are you driving from? The 20th is a weekday so if you are using 77 or 85 to get through Charlotte you WILL be stuck in morning rush for an hour or so. We live in NC and if we drive off at 6am, we typically are pulling in to our resort at 3:30 with normal Orlando traffic and Charlotte rush (plus gas and potty breaks). We have driven down and hit accident traffic that put us close to 5pm arrival.
 
I wouldn't risk it. We drove once and got stuck in traffic on I-5 on the way down and missed a reservation to BOG lunch. Thank goodness it was when they were trying the "fastpass" so we didn't get charged a no-show fee.
Shoot, I don't know how you could have driven from California and make it in time. I think you mean I-4.
 
Where in NC are you driving from? The 20th is a weekday so if you are using 77 or 85 to get through Charlotte you WILL be stuck in morning rush for an hour or so. We live in NC and if we drive off at 6am, we typically are pulling in to our resort at 3:30 with normal Orlando traffic and Charlotte rush (plus gas and potty breaks). We have driven down and hit accident traffic that put us close to 5pm arrival.

We live in south Charlotte. We’ll head down 77 but we’ll be heading opposite of traffic heading out.
 
We live in south Charlotte. We’ll head down 77 but we’ll be heading opposite of traffic heading out.
Yet you'll be traveling down with people from further north when 77 and 95 meet in SC? Orlando is on the list as one of the top T-Day distinations.
 

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