People with multiple reservations

[Davis2902]

I want to know the DIS boards honest opinion about people who book multiple reservations for the "top" or hard to get restaurants? Example: If you are staying say the week of June 10th and you have BOG booked everyday as well as Ohana and Crystal Palace Breakfast(pre-park open). With all of the available park crowd calendar's and times it make no sense to not have your park attendance planned out each day prior to making your reservations.It all comes down to GREED!

 

[Herbord3]

This is terrible in my opinion. I have been waiting for that week and 3 to 4reservations back to back just to hold it??? I still can't get a reservation. Not sure when they cancelled it, but I don't think it's fair to others.

 

[princess aleya]

I think because of this a lot of places are now requiring a deposit at the time of booking with a cancellation policy. In most cases I believe you are charged a fee if you cancel less than 24hrs in advance.

 

[fla4fun]

If they are booking them with the intention of cancelling at the last minute what they don't need, then I agree it's a greedy, selfish thing to do.

However, I have two BOG reservations for my September trip, and I intend to use both of them. They are about four days apart - one is just me solo, the other is me and a couple friends who are going to Night of Joy with me. So if a person has multiple reservations at a popular restaurant that they intend to keep, as I do, I don't see anything wrong with that.

As to planning, I don't plan which park I am going to be in most days until I see what bus comes first! The only "planned" days are when there is a special event going on (like Night of Joy) or arrival day (when I go to the most convenient park for my resort). So I typically don't make ADR's until the last minute - sometimes as I'm walking into the park.

I wouldn't give up though. I didn't get my BOG ADR's until about 2 weeks or more after my 180+10 window opened.

 

[wolf29]

I refrain from making any negative posts/comments here, but this subject really burns me. I would like to hear from someone a rationalization for doing this. Not sure why the reservation system can't be set up so that this can't occur (sort of like the Fastpass system limiting pass issuance). Understand that ressies can be made under different names, but any that are linked to room packages should be able to be spit out should dupes be made.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

I refrain from making any negative posts/comments here, but this subject really burns me. I would like to hear from someone a rationalization for doing this. Not sure why the reservation system can't be set up so that this can't occur (sort of like the Fastpass system limiting pass issuance). Understand that ressies can be made under different names, but any that are linked to room packages should be able to be spit out should dupes be made.

You can't make two reservations within two hours of each other, you have to cancel one if you want to proceed with a second booking. Obviously this can't account for people with more than one account.

If you're booking with the intention of cancelling, that is just wrong. However we managed to get two BOG reservations for our upcoming trip but plan to do both. We also got two CRT reservations (one for breakfast and one for dinner) but are going to use them. If you're going to use the reservations, then it's fair. Everyone can log on 180 days in advance and make their reservations. I wouldn't not book a a reservation so that "someone else" can get it. However as soon as we realise plans have changed, we cancel whatever reservations we don't need.

 

[Cafeen]

I refrain from making any negative posts/comments here, but this subject really burns me. I would like to hear from someone a rationalization for doing this. Not sure why the reservation system can't be set up so that this can't occur (sort of like the Fastpass system limiting pass issuance). Understand that ressies can be made under different names, but any that are linked to room packages should be able to be spit out should dupes be made.

The system already will prevent multiples if within a couple hours on the same login. Beyond that, there's not much the system can do.

It does seem to be far less of an issue than it was not so long ago before the system recognized conflicts and before the CC-hold was implemented (and yes, I was very much against the CC hold, at least when it was first rumored to be all restaurants!)

Part of it too, is that I don't trust the Web Development team employed by Disney. Over the past 3 iterations of the site, they have included "features" that didn't work, created massive amounts of bugs and downtime, had issues with very poor performance and response, have huge basic underlying UI design flaws, and, in general, just don't do a very thorough job. Perhaps it's their QA department, but I know for a fact if my company let out software as bad as Disney's, we'd be looking for new jobs right now.

 

[disnut8]

I refrain from making any negative posts/comments here, but this subject really burns me. I would like to hear from someone a rationalization for doing this. Not sure why the reservation system can't be set up so that this can't occur (sort of like the Fastpass system limiting pass issuance). Understand that ressies can be made under different names, but any that are linked to room packages should be able to be spit out should dupes be made.

I do room only reservations and I'm the only one to do anything related to Disney World so it was (I haven't used the new online system yet) impossible to make multiple reservations. If I already had a dining reservation and went to make a second one for the same time, the system made me cancel the other one.

Yes, there are system work arounds and I could have set up my husband with an account and been playing dueling reservations but really, why? We've never starved at Disney World and it's not a place I go for the food. I'm not even that thrilled with the idea of dining at Be Our Guest because (1) as just two adults we rarely get to Magic Kingdom and (2) it's just a meal.

 

[wolf29]

Making more reservations than you intend to use is wrong. The problems begin when people make multiple reservations for one day, KNOWING that they are going to cancel one/more of them. Maybe you plan to spend the day at MK and make lunch & dinner ADRs for Crystal Palace, knowing you are going to only use one of them and decide during that day which you'll do. Is it ok for me to make ADRs for Noon at Chef Mickey's and 2pm at Tusker House and decide two days prior which we'll use? Never going to be able to stop people from doing this or something similar, but it really does hamper everyone else and is just wrong.

 

[jmmiller]

I am one of those who plans each day and makes my ressies asap! However, I only make ADRs that I am keeping, and if something changes, I cancel the other reservation so that someone else can get it. I cannot get into BOG either so we are going for lunch. I think it is frustrating for those who makes ADRs only to cancel at the last minute. But on the bright side, if I don't have the time that rly want I keep checking, grabbing, and moving it around. I luckily got Ohanas at 5:15 and canceled my 8:15 as soon as I got a confirmation number. With any system, ppl will take advantage but I want my trip to be magical...even during the planning process.

 

[Leigh123]

I just got into a tiff about this with someone at work...she has LeCellier booked for 2 days of her trip because she does not know which day they will feel like eating there........I tired explaining to her she is hoarding reservations someone else might want, her response was "well I will cancel one once we are at Disney"...urghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I don't think it is that some people don't get, it's that they just don't care!

 

[Indy Denise]

You can't make two reservations within two hours of each other, you have to cancel one if you want to proceed with a second booking. Obviously this can't account for people with more than one account.

If you're booking with the intention of cancelling, that is just wrong. However we managed to get two BOG reservations for our upcoming trip but plan to do both. We also got two CRT reservations (one for breakfast and one for dinner) but are going to use them. If you're going to use the reservations, then it's fair. Everyone can log on 180 days in advance and make their reservations. I wouldn't not book a a reservation so that "someone else" can get it. However as soon as we realise plans have changed, we cancel whatever reservations we don't need.

For some reason the new system let make new ADRS when I already had previous ADRs within 15 minutes ... so for me the two hour rule did not apply. Sure enough both showed up in MDE. I did cancel the ones I did not want ASAP.

 

[Davis2902]

I just got into a tiff about this with someone at work...she has LeCellier booked for 2 days of her trip because she does not know which day they will feel like eating there........I tired explaining to her she is hoarding reservations someone else might want, her response was "well I will cancel one once we are at Disney"...urghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I don't think it is that some people don't get, it's that they just don't care!

That sums it up right there!!!

 

[Disney_Princess83]

For some reason the new system let make new ADRS when I already had previous ADRs within 15 minutes ... so for me the two hour rule did not apply. Sure enough both showed up in MDE. I did cancel the ones I did not want ASAP.

When we made reservations last week, we weren't happy with our original ADR so changed restaurants and got half an hour later, we had to cancel the first reservation to get the second We were going to cancel anyone once our second ADR was confirmed but we couldn't continue without cancelling.

 

[Disneylover99]

Okay....here is my scenario.

Last year I booked Chef Mickey's at our 180 day mark for two nights knowing we would only be going on one night. We wanted CM on our arrival day for dinner but I had not yet booked flights and so I did not know if we would be able to go on our arrival day, so I made an ADR for two days later. A month later when I was able to book my flights, I ended up cancelling our arrival day ADR, five months in advance.

Does this bother people?

I am not bothered by people who make multiple reservations at popular places. I am bothered by people who don't cancel their adr's and just don't show up.

 

[wolf29]

Originally Posted by Leigh123
I just got into a tiff about this with someone at work...she has LeCellier booked for 2 days of her trip because she does not know which day they will feel like eating there........I tired explaining to her she is hoarding reservations someone else might want, her response was "well I will cancel one once we are at Disney"...urghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I don't think it is that some people don't get, it's that they just don't care!

This exactly. This scenario totally messes up the planning of others. Many of us plan some time out from our trip, so someone cancelling an ADR that they were never going to use two days before the date does many of us no good. Bottom line to me is that if you have booked more than the number of ADRs that you plan on using, you are wrong. Nothing wrong with changing should a more desirable restaurant/time become available, but making more than you will use is just selfish and greedy.

 

[JimmyV]

First of all, you CAN double book. You just make one ADR on line and then call for the other one within 180 days as if you were staying off site using a different name. Second, Disney has no one to blame for this but themselves for making ADRs available 190 days out. Well before park hours and special events are finalized. It is nuts to think that someone should have to know to a moral certainty where they are going to be at 7:05 pm 190 days ahead of time. And it is even worse that people who don't finalize their plans until 30 days prior to arrival get shut out of everything except Tony's. I don't see the problem in hedging by double booking, but within 20-30 days of your trip, you should be able to pare it down and cancel unwanted ADRs. People don't set their alarms for 5:45 on the 180+10 day because they want to. They do it because they have to. And double booking and making multiple ADRs at a single restaurant are simply strategies that are employed to counter the lunacy of the 180+10 system. Do I do it? No. Do I blame those who do? No. As long as they cancel what they don't need as soon as they know that they don't need it.

 

[martikus]

I'm thinking I'm in the minority.

I think WDW has forced people into reserving multiple nights. 180 days out I have NO IDEA what I'm going to feel like doing on my vacation and I don't want to schedule myself that much. What if I book something and it rains that days so I don't really want to go to AK? What if we don't end up staying in HS all day even or it is too crowded even though crowd calendars said it would be? If I reserve 2 days it gives more flexibility. If you don't you risk having no sit down meals.

If no reservations were accepted and you just had to wait in line, or maybe only take same day reservations I would be soo happy. The having to pre-plan sit down meals is the one thing we really dislike about WDW.

That said, I'm pleased to see a cancellation policy now. I hate to think how many people just didn't show up and others could have used those spots.

 

[disnut8]

I'm thinking I'm in the minority.

I think WDW has forced people into reserving multiple nights. 180 days out I have NO IDEA what I'm going to feel like doing on my vacation and I don't want to schedule myself that much. What if I book something and it rains that days so I don't really want to go to AK? What if we don't end up staying in HS all day even or it is too crowded even though crowd calendars said it would be? If I reserve 2 days it gives more flexibility. If you don't you risk having no sit down meals.

If no reservations were accepted and you just had to wait in line, or maybe only take same day reservations I would be soo happy. The having to pre-plan sit down meals is the one thing we really dislike about WDW.

That said, I'm pleased to see a cancellation policy now. I hate to think how many people just didn't show up and others could have used those spots.

And I agree. I had no idea what my husband and I were going to do for dinner tonight until we just discussed it five minutes ago.

However, unless you NEED/WANT those exact specific meals for your chosen park of that day, you don't have to crowd onto the dining line 180 days before your trip. I'm going next weekend. No dining plans but I just checked and there's an opening at the one place I would go - Sci Fi Dine Inn at 3:15 PM. Which would be perfect for me on Saturday, May 25th.

Just don't get the whole "have to be there at this place at this time on this day" thing. As I said, it's not about the food. Have a hard time thinking people go to Six Flags for a meal. Really have a hard time about that.

 

[TDC Nala]

At least for the popular places they will have to be cancelled at some point or be subject to the no-show fee. Before the fee, people were just not showing up.

There is no "deposit." Either you pay for the meal in full when you book it (CRT or dinner shows), or you supply a credit card number that only gets charged if your entire party doesn't show up.