Hoarding BoG reservations?

[jamieann]

Sorry if this has been asked before. Not wanting a heated debate or anything, just opinions

What's your opinion on people booking more than 1 reservation for dinner at Be Our Guest? I know it's not a question of right or wrong or even ethics. The reservations are open to everyone and if you get them first, they're yours for the taking. I just think these reservations are in such high demand that it would be rude of me to make more than one, while others can't get them at all.

Again, not trying to call anyone out or start a debate, just wondered if I'm way off base!

 

[Nancyg56]

Sorry if this has been asked before. Not wanting a heated debate or anything, just opinions

What's your opinion on people booking more than 1 reservation for dinner at Be Our Guest? I know it's not a question of right or wrong or even ethics. The reservations are open to everyone and if you get them first, they're yours for the taking. I just think these reservations are in such high demand that it would be rude of me to make more than one, while others can't get them at all.

Again, not trying to call anyone out or start a debate, just wondered if I'm way off base!

Well, I don't understand the mentallity that one needs multiple ADR's for any restaurant, but that is my opinion. If someone wants more than one, and they are willing to get on the phone or online when their window opens up, that is their business.

Before the CC ADR hold, folks used to book multile ADR's for the most popular restaurants, and then they did not need to commit to any one of them until they got hungry. You cannot do this any longer, not unless you want to have your card charged, so if someone wants to go three times to BOG or 'Ohana, it is fine with me.

I think what you are thinking may be something like multiple rides on a popular attraction. You get your FP, and then go standby early in gth morning, taking two rides. Same thing IMO. You are not taking anything from anyone.

 

[kmb584]

Last October we had 3 BOG ADRs. I made the first because I wanted to go, the second was made because my aunt couldn't join us for the first one, and the third was because my best friend was driving up to visit us that day and wanted to see what all the hype was about. It was too many visits to the restaurant for me and I did feel bad about "hogging" the ADRs, but I did what I had to do in order to get everyone through the front door.

 

[dpswift]

I was shocked when I saw how much availability opened up for popular restaurants at the last minute. My girls were at Disney I was home they decided at 5:30pm that they wanted to do a sit down that night. BOG was not available but a lot was. So for the heck of it I decided to see what I could get for a character breakfast the next morning. All the popular meals had at least some availability.

I guess with FP+ I can understand making 1 or 2 ADRs early on but to book for every night and then cancelling all but one at the last minute seems greedy. If you want to eat there every night fine. Just if you are holding ADRs planning on cancelling, be fair and cancel a few weeks out so someone else can use it.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

OP apparently wants a universal condemnation of people who book more then one ADR. otherwise the thread would not start with a post about how it is rude and state OP is not trying to start a debate. I assume that means we are all suppose to just agree with you? I figure if people want to overpay to eat there more then once good for them.

Nor do I really care if you book and cancel. If Disney has problems they will come up with a solution.

 

[Allison]

If people want to eat there more than once and get the ADR's, nobody should care.

 

[MaleficentRN]

This is why it's a good idea to check for open reservations for restaurants you really want to go to on a daily basis. People make multiple reservations and cancel them as they change their plans. I have no problem with that and don't consider it hoarding. I have reservations for two different days at Sci Fi and Rose & Crown because I can't yet decide what day I want to go to EPCOT. (But I'll have to by Friday! )

 

[cjappert]

We have 2 for our upcoming trip. We are going there to meet the Beast, so at the odd chance that the Beast is not at our first ADR, I have a second one as backup. We don't plan on eating there twice unless we don't see the beast the first time.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Couldn't care less as long as they cancel them once they determine they are not going to use them.

There is no rule against eating there more than once, nor is there one against booking more than one reservation because you are not sure when you want to go, but at this point you'll be charged a penalty if you don't cancel them, so I don't think there is anything to worry about. It means there will be some cancellations and other guests have the opportunity to pick up these reservations. If Disney thought it a problem they'd make some rule that no one person booking via MDX can have more than one reservation there.

The biggest issue with BOG is that people are not going there because they want to eat the food there. They are going because they want to "experience" the restaurant. See the above poster who went three times just to be sure all of their party members got to have that experience. The experience is proving far more valuable than the food.

 

[nugov2]

I'm one who had 2 reservations on our last trip. I guess I don't get the mentality of considering if someone else may want an ADR or FP before I book what my family wants. If we want A&E 3 times while we are there and get it, then we get it. I don't care it is hard to get. I don't think about the people who might not able to get theater tickets before I get them or concert tickets. Or a hard to get ADR locally. I book what we want to do with the fair and equal opportunity that everyone else has. It is the luck of the draw sometimes we win, sometimes we don't. Now under the old system I would have been happy to pass some htg paper FP if we didn't want them anymore, but the new system doesn't allow that, but I will for sure release all ADR's or FP we don't want so others have a crack at them. I am one who books a bunch of ADR's and will cancel within the guidelines, b/c with all this way in advance planning I want to know we have options we will enjoy as our trip gets closer. I have no problem with the CC guarantee policy.

 

[nugov2]

Couldn't care less as long as they cancel them once they determine they are not going to use them.

There is no rule against eating there more than once, nor is there one against booking more than one reservation because you are not sure when you want to go, but at this point you'll be charged a penalty if you don't cancel them, so I don't think there is anything to worry about. It means there will be some cancellations and other guests have the opportunity to pick up these reservations. If Disney thought it a problem they'd make some rule that no one person booking via MDX can have more than one reservation there.

The biggest issue with BOG is that people are not going there because they want to eat the food there. They are going because they want to "experience" the restaurant. See the above poster who went three times just to be sure all of their party members got to have that experience. The experience is proving far more valuable than the food.

Exactly this! I was actually chastised on here for only eating dessert at our BOG reservation, but we wanted the atmosphere and Beast and the dinner menu wasn't appealing. Some thought you shouldn't be booking a reservation unless you ate a full meal

 

[Hootch]

I was shocked when I saw how much availability opened up for popular restaurants at the last minute. My girls were at Disney I was home they decided at 5:30pm that they wanted to do a sit down that night. BOG was not available but a lot was. So for the heck of it I decided to see what I could get for a character breakfast the next morning. All the popular meals had at least some availability.

I guess with FP+ I can understand making 1 or 2 ADRs early on but to book for every night and then cancelling all but one at the last minute seems greedy. If you want to eat there every night fine. Just if you are holding ADRs planning on cancelling, be fair and cancel a few weeks out so someone else can use it.

you will find 30-40 restaurants with availability that day. Some will have only a couple of slots open. Several will be signature experiences. If you are flexible, you can find something worthwhile.

 

[lam0037]

My thinking is if one person went three times or three people each went once, those tables will be full either way. BOG, while not the largest restaurant, still has capacity where more than one person can have the same ADR time, or go within 5 minutes of another group. Their reservation is taking one of several chances for you to get a table/ADR

I think this differs at someplace like V&A chef table, where only one group/ADR is allowed at once. You might have a better argument for someone not to book more than one V&A chef table per trip, but if someone wants to (and can afford) to eat at the chefs table every night for a ten day trip they still should be able to, if V&A allows it.

 

[OurLittleFamily]

I don't see any issue with it at all. We have two BOG dinner reservations for our trip in a few weeks. (We also have two reservations for another restuarant that we love though it isn't a hard to get ressie)

Our reason is that there are several things on the menu that look wonderful to us. With more than one reservation, we are able to try several things. IT has nothing to do with the fact that it's BOG, it is simply the fact that there are things on the menu we want to try. (There is nothing on the menu at CRT and some other hard to gets that appeals to us, so we didn't even try to get an ADR at some other hard to gets just to say we have eaten there. So just because we have two BOG's doesn't mean we are hoarding all the hard to get ADR's)

 

[Peachkins]

I have absolutely no problem with people booking more than one ADR at a restaurant- any restaurant. This from someone who has been trying to book a BOG reservation for a few months now. If they want to eat somewhere more than once on their vacation and they're able to get the ADR, more power to them.

I will admit I get a bit irritated seeing some cancellations. I once saw someone cancelling three different ADRs- all for the same restaurant on the same day. The ADRs were only like an hour apart from each other. That to me is a bit of overkill. I mean, I understand why it's being done- plans change, and depending on when you're able to get FP+ reservations and such you may need to adjust your meal times. That is not something I would feel right doing though- I would have picked a time and, if the necessity arose, changed it to another hoping there was availability.

I am glad Disney implemented the cancellation policy they have now. You would constantly read about people just blowing off their ADRs without notifying the restaurant. At least now those reservations will be available for someone else to pick up.

 

[CKCruising]

Sorry if this has been asked before. Not wanting a heated debate or anything, just opinions

What's your opinion on people booking more than 1 reservation for dinner at Be Our Guest? I know it's not a question of right or wrong or even ethics. The reservations are open to everyone and if you get them first, they're yours for the taking. I just think these reservations are in such high demand that it would be rude of me to make more than one, while others can't get them at all.

Again, not trying to call anyone out or start a debate, just wondered if I'm way off base!

When i first read this I thought that the OP was referring to people who book multiple reservations for the same restaurant on the same day (ie book 5:00pm and 7:00pm) with the intention of only using one once they decide their plans (Or in the old days, just ignoring one). That IMHO is rude.

Booking the same restaurant over multiple days with the intention of going to all of them not out of line in any way.

I guess if you book a reservation with no intention of ever using it, that would probably considered rude by most.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Used to be, when there was no penalty for just not showing up, guests would book multiple reservations for the same day and then decide at the last minute which one to keep and just let the others go. That's not what the OP is concerned about, I think she genuinely believes it might be rude to book more than one reservation to a popular restaurant. I have seen this before, there was somebody around on Disney boards a long time ago who advocated that parties without young children shouldn't be allowed to book character meals because it wasn't "fair" to potentially take a spot away from children. It wouldn't be workable, whatever was behind the thought (usually what is behind the thought is frustration at not being able to get a popular reservation).

She may not be off base but I don't agree with her. With the cancellation fee, those reservations will get picked up. Probably not by the same people who would have picked them up had they been available for booking earlier, but that's luck fo the draw.

 

[dizzyinwdw]

Personally, I have a couple of redundant ADRs for the restaurants that are must-dos as I can't be 100% certain what park we will be at since FP+ booking is at 60 days and ADRs are at 180 days out. DS wants to see A&E so whatever day I can grab a FP+ during out trip that is the MK day. Once I line up FP+ then I will finalize ADRs schedule and cancel those we don't need. I really think 60 days out for FP+ and ADRs would be ideal! So no, I don't blame anyone for hoarding as long as they cancel once they know they don't need it.

PS I only have one BOG ADR which I lucked out at getting--A&E trumps BOG so I may have to cancel at 60 days out for some other lucky party (we aren't getting hoppers).

 

[LadyRayado]

To each their own, I guess is how I see it. If someone wants to eat in the same place over and over, or wants to "hoard" ADRs and eat the cancellation fees, that's fine by me. Personally I'd rather not do either, so I make sure to offer my unwanted ADRs to others. I've got a BOG FP and ADR on the same day, and as soon as I decide which one fits our schedule better, I'll cancel one. Heck, I might even cancel both if I find the other ADR I'm after - but I'm holding on to them until my plans are set. I think that's what most people do, and I think that's perfectly fine.

 

[Dis-n-Pix]

We typical do not make multiple ADRs for the same day and time. However, we did make 6 ADRs for our first Thanksgiving dinner at Disney this year. This is due to the fact:

1) Disney has not released any official information as to what restaurants will be serving a Thanksgiving meal
2) Those that are serving a Thanksgiving meal what is on the menu
3) I received conflicting information from the dining reservation cast members as to what restaurants are planned to have Thanksgiving meals.

So we decided to play it safe and made ADRs at six locations in the Parks and Resorts for Thanksgiving dinner. When Disney makes an official announcement for Thanksgiving dinner locations we will then determine which ADR we will keep.

This would not be an issue if Disney would post this information 180 days prior, and not wait to less than 54 days (and decreasing) from Thanksgiving.