A Letter for Our Reservation Thieves

[lhermiston]

To the family of four who posed as my family and stole our reservation to Be Our Guest on Feb. 5,

I hope it was worth it. I hope your children learned a valuable lesson about taking what isn't yours. I doubt you put much thought into this, so I hope they learned something about how to be instinctive when screwing someone over.

I hope you couldn't bare to wait another minute for your own reservation. I hope the mother in your family was seven months pregnant, tired and emotional after a long day at the parks and dying to eat like my wife was. I hope she didn't have to cry after a 40 minute wait.

I hope your children's meals were delicious. My daughters waited two hours before they finally were able to eat cheeseburgers from Pecos Bills. They never complained. I hope your kids are that amazing.

You ruined my wife's first night at the Magic Kingdom in 2 years, Family of Four. Waiting until 8 pm to eat when you're 7 months pregnant will do that. I'm at Disney World, one of my favorite places on Earth, so I refuse to let you get me down.

Again, I hope it was worth it.

- LBH

P.S. To the staff at Be Our Guest, I apologize we directed our frustrations at you. I hope we get another opportunity to dine with you.

 

[redrosesix]

To the family of four who posed as my family and stole our reservation to Be Our Guest on Feb. 5,

I hope it was worth it. I hope your children learned a valuable lesson about taking what isn't yours. I doubt you put much thought into this, so I hope they learned something about how to be instinctive when screwing someone over.

I hope you couldn't bare to wait another minute for your own reservation. I hope the mother in your family was seven months pregnant, tired and emotional after a long day at the parks and dying to eat like my wife was. I hope she didn't have to cry after a 40 minute wait.

I hope your children's meals were delicious. My daughters waited two hours before they finally were able to eat cheeseburgers from Pecos Bills. They never complained. I hope your kids are that amazing.

You ruined my wife's first night at the Magic Kingdom in 2 years, Family of Four. Waiting until 8 pm to eat when you're 7 months pregnant will do that. I'm at Disney World, one of my favorite places on Earth, so I refuse to let you get me down.

Again, I hope it was worth it.

- LBH

P.S. To the staff at Be Our Guest, I apologize we directed our frustrations at you. I hope we get another opportunity to dine with you.

OMG!! so sorry to hear this -- and sorry to hear they couldn't do more for you (they should have). How did it happen?

 

[lhermiston]

OMG!! so sorry to hear this -- and sorry to hear they couldn't do more for you (they should have). How did it happen?

Apparently, when they called our name, we didn't hear it and this other family said they were us and it's not like our last name is Smith.

I left to shoot Wishes, but my wife stayed to talk with the manager. He did give us some counter service vouchers and a voucher for a drink and popcorn. He also said to contact him about getting another reservation. We'll see what happens.

My wife (again, 7 months pregnant) took the whole ordeal really hard. I just hope it doesn't set the mood for the rest of our trip. (Last night was our first night.)

 

[herb102211]

Wow, that's horrible! I can't believe someone would be that greedy to do that I hope you're able to get to enjoy the rest of your trip!!

 

[auntfrannie]

I don't understand why any restaurant in Disney still calls out names instead of using the buzzers. Disney is loud and some of the hosts/hostesses don't speak very loudly or clearly.

Sorry that happened to you and I hope you are able to get in on another night.

 

[lizzi6692]

I'm really sorry that this happened to you. I am also really sorry that it appears Disney did nothing to right the wrong they had a part in causing, by somehow allowing the reservation to be stolen in the first place. It just goes to show how much customer service has gone down recently and unfortunately just reinforces my decision not to go back to Disney until they work this out.

I know Be Our Guest is a busy restaurant but I just can't see one table making that much of a difference and certainly not when the alternative was just letting a mistake like this go and basically saying "too bad, so sad". You also can't tell me that they had no way of figuring out where the party that stole the reservation was seated so they could have quite easily told that group that they were no longer welcome in the restaurant and asked them to leave. That would of course be too easy though, instead they'll wait until this becomes a more widespread problem and then implement a convoluted plan to fix it that punishes everyone rather than just the people that did things like this.

Sorry to hijack your thread with my rant, it's just things like this infuriate me because Disney used to have top notch customer service and now it seems to have gone by the wayside in the interest of making as much money as possible. I had no trouble paying Disney prices when I felt like I was getting my money's worth and then some but unfortunately the value of Disney seems to be going downhill with every passing day.

 

[Disworldluv]

Sadly, some people are amoral and believe they are entitled to take advantage of some else's misfortune. These same people will scream holy hell if the reverse had transpired.

 

[froggygal1301]

Yuck yuck yuck! I'm 7 months pregnant and this breaks my heart. Sorry you had that awful experience.

 

[lovin'fl]

Apparently, when they called our name, we didn't hear it and this other family said they were us and it's not like our last name is Smith.

I left to shoot Wishes, but my wife stayed to talk with the manager. He did give us some counter service vouchers and a voucher for a drink and popcorn. He also said to contact him about getting another reservation. We'll see what happens.

My wife (again, 7 months pregnant) took the whole ordeal really hard. I just hope it doesn't set the mood for the rest of our trip. (Last night was our first night.)

I wonder if they called your name once and when you didn't hear, they skipped over you and seated someone else. I can't imagine anyone stepping up and claiming to be a party that they are not. What happens when they go to pay...they pay cash? So I think BOG made the blunder. I agree with other posters that Disney service is sometimes lacking and I think they are at fault in this and most definitely should have found you a table immediately. So sorry...hope the rest of your trip is magical!

 

[cathicool]

Wow! That is awful! I'm so sorry that happened!

Why didn't Be Our Guest find a way to seat after it was clear what had happened you so you could eat dinner? I find it hard to imagine they couldn't find a way to squeeze you in. I mean really, you had a reservation, you have 2kids, an obviously pregnant wife....and they didn't find a way to feed you?

They let you leave with a voucher and the possibility of another reservation on another night????

Ugh....again, so sorry!

 

[chinarider]

I am so sorry to hear that happened. I hope that the rest of your trip makes up for the rocky start and that you and your family have an opportunity to dine at BOG ( and hope you do enjoy it very much), May only good things happen the rest of your trip

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I wonder if they called your name once and when you didn't hear, they skipped over you and seated someone else . . . I can't

1) This is what I (personally) believe happened.
2) For eateries without beepers, they call your name.
3) If no answer, they assume you left and they go to the next in line.
4) Lots of people get tired of waiting or just do not pay attention to announcements.
5) So, this is not an uncommon occurrence.

 

[afnaechiquita]

I wonder if they called your name once and when you didn't hear, they skipped over you and seated someone else. I can't imagine anyone stepping up and claiming to be a party that they are not. What happens when they go to pay...they pay cash? So I think BOG made the blunder. I agree with other posters that Disney service is sometimes lacking and I think they are at fault in this and most definitely should have found you a table immediately. So sorry...hope the rest of your trip is magical!

reservations can always be made in one person's name and the meal paid for by another person with a different name.

i can't believe the manager did not seat you, OP. that's awful. i hope the rest of your vacation goes up from here

 

[Belle61513]

I would be more po'ed at the BOG CM's that actually allowed this to happen. That's not ok. Although it was wrong for the other 4 top to steal your table, I feel it's just as bad that BOG doesn't have a system in place to 1. prevent this from happening and 2. fix it when something does go awry. That's a hot mess. Glad we're doing BOG FP for lunch.

Hope your trip improves!

 

[Masonmj84]

Wow! That is awful! I'm so sorry that happened!

Why didn't Be Our Guest find a way to seat after it was clear what had happened you so you could eat dinner? I find it hard to imagine they couldn't find a way to squeeze you in. I mean really, you had a reservation, you have 2kids, an obviously pregnant wife....and they didn't find a way to feed you?They let you leave with a voucher and the possibility of another reservation on another night????

Ugh....again, so sorry!

Amen!!!

While the other family's behavior was reprehensible, that was terrible customer service on Disney's part.

 

[lhermiston]

1) This is what I (personally) believe happened. 2) For eateries without beepers, they call your name. 3) If no answer, they assume you left and they go to the next in line. 4) Lots of people get tired of waiting or just do not pay attention to announcements. 5) So, this is not an uncommon occurrence.

We had a beeper. It never went off. My wife checked with staff when we had been waiting for 20 minutes and again at 35. The staff simply assured her we would be getting in "any minute."

I imagine when the error was discovered they would have seated us immediately. However, by that point I had gone off to stake our claim for watching Wishes.

I do wish they had found the family that stole our reservation and asked what happened. I'm not vindictive enough to want them kicked out and making a scene, but they should feel some level of shame.

 

[redrosesix]

We had a beeper. It never went off. My wife checked with staff when we had been waiting for 20 minutes and again at 35. The staff simply assured her we would be getting in "any minute."

I imagine when the error was discovered they would have seated us immediately. However, by that point I had gone off to stake our claim for watching Wishes.

I do wish they had found the family that stole our reservation and asked what happened. I'm not vindictive enough to want them kicked out and making a scene, but they should feel some level of shame.

I am! I was never more proud of my mother than when I was a little girl going to see the Ice Capades. We got to our seats and found another family sitting in them. She got the usher to give them the boot -- he pulled out his flashlight and everything. Yay Mummy! And the truth was, her kids knew they shouldn't be sitting there. They wanted to leave as soon as we showed up but the mother was the one giving my mum the attitude.

good to hear they might have seated you... I guess. I would have chosen to watch Wishes another night and let the family eat right away at BOG though. So it's not totally the CMs fault that your family didn't eat til 2 hours later.

 

[ses1230]

I wonder if they called your name once and when you didn't hear, they skipped over you and seated someone else. I can't imagine anyone stepping up and claiming to be a party that they are not. What happens when they go to pay...they pay cash? So I think BOG made the blunder. I agree with other posters that Disney service is sometimes lacking and I think they are at fault in this and most definitely should have found you a table immediately. So sorry...hope the rest of your trip is magical!

It happened to us at Biergarten in December. We handed in our beeper and waited for our name to be called. We didn't hear the hostess when she called our name and someone else went in under our name. It took them a little while to figure it out and in the meantime the manager came and apologized. They did seat us a s soon as they figured out what happened.

OP, I hope BOG accommodates you when you contact the manager. Please let us know. Good luck!

 

[TDC Nala]

I would be more po'ed at the BOG CM's that actually allowed this to happen. That's not ok.

The only way they could not allow this to happen would be to ask for an ID from the person representing the party before they are seated.

Would the masses get behind that? Or would there be a lot of complaining about "why do I have to show an ID to be seated in a restaurant?"

 

[shadeauxe]

The only way they could not allow this to happen would be to ask for an ID from the person representing the party before they are seated.

Would the masses get behind that? Or would there be a lot of complaining about "why do I have to show an ID to be seated in a restaurant?"

A perfect use case for the magic band. No ID needed.