Be Our Guest Lunch FastPass Thread [PLEASE read the FAQs in the first post!]

[andrewilley]

Update on 30th January 2015:

The following message has just been posted on the Be Our Guest Lunch FastPass+ site:
On Feb. 24, 2015 the lunch testing at Be Our Guest Restaurant will be ending. Beginning Feb. 25, log on to MyDisneyExperience.com for more information about dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant for lunch.

We await more info as to whether we can still make bookings via the FP+ site in the meantime until it is turned off on Feb 25, or more likely that there will be no more FP+ available for any meals beyond that date and the MDE system will soon be taking over to allow these bookings to be made. At the moment guests wanting to book are somewhat in limbo though. Please read the latest messages in the thread.


Update on 10th January 2015:

We are hearing reports that availability is currently very poor via the Be Our Guest lunch FastPass+ booking site, so it might be advisable to check as soon after 2:30am as possible on the 27th day before you plan to eat. The following two [slightly condensed] posts help throw some light on the situation, but please note that we have had no official confirmations or denials from Disney:

I decided to utilize my contact at WDW directly involved with this system and BoG. He emailed me that the FP testing for BoG has officially concluded. Stand-by line is reopened. They have cut back the FP availability significantly. Chances are my FP availability was already gone by the time the email was even sent. Can check daily for openings but it's NOT A GLITCH. AND THEY REALLY ARE BOOKED. He double checked for me all my dates for a 10 day period on both my split stay res and my sisters as well. Just luck of the draw if you get an opening.

I've been trying since December but just very casually. I didn't pay much mind to the 27 day mark but just waited for the email for my window to open. My emails came inside the 27 day mark and I suspect my availability was already gone.

My contact for me is reliable as they were able to override the system and fix issues for me in addition to getting me my FP for BoG. They work directly for BoG, but I'm not sure my contact's exact job in the organization.

What is Be Our Guest Lunch FastPass+?

It's a new trial system which allows you to reserve a time-slot for lunch at the Be Our Guest counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, avoiding having to wait in the long lines that can often occur at this location. You can even pre-select your meal choices if you want.

It is not an ADR exactly, nor is it exactly a FastPass+ either, and it does not link to anything else in the My Disney Experience system. Hence this FAQ!

However please remember that it is only a TEST, and does not seem to be officially supported as yet. If it works, great (and this thread will hopefully help you to make it work) but if it doesn't then there isn't much anyone can do about it at present.


What do I need in order to make a BoG Lunch booking?

1. A Disney on-site hotel reservation (sorry, the Swan and Dolphin are not included). You will need to know your 12 digit booking reference number, which will begin with 43 or 44 (depending on when you booked). If your reference number is shorter, or it has letters in it, then it will NOT work with the BoG booking site. See the end of this FAQ for advice on finding your 12-digit reference number.
2. A disney.com account login. This can be your My Disney Experience account, or disneystore.com, ABC.com, etc. At the moment, if you have more than one room booked using different reservation numbers then you will need a separate disney.com account for each separate reservation.

Do I need an invitation email for this test?

No. Although some people have received invites by email to test this new system, anyone with a valid on-site hotel reservation can use it - and multiple cast members have given out the booking website address too. A few people have reported that receiving an email invitation AFTER they have already made their booking can occasionally cause problems, so if you do get a later email it might be worth checking that your booking is still visible, and make a new one if it seems to have vanished.


When can I book?

This seems to be somewhat variable as the testing process is still ongoing, but at present you can book up to 27 days before the planned date of your meal. So for example on August 1st you can book a meal time for August 28th.

The system currently only allows you to make a pre-booking within the first SEVEN days of your hotel stay, and those dates will still only open up one day at a time (there is no "arrival date plus 10" system like there is with ADRs). So if you are arriving on August 28th, then on August 1st you can book for your first day, on August 2nd you can book for your second day, on August 3rd for the third day, etc., up to a maximum of seven days into your stay.

You can only have one active booking on the system at any given time, if you try to make a second it will remove the first one. Searching for new times/dates is fine though, the old booking will remain in place until the point when you confirm the revised time or date.

If you want to book for some time later within a longer stay, this only becomes possible after your hotel arrival date. On your arrival day you will be able to book for day eight, on your second day for day nine, etc.

Note: the system will start displaying all seven of your possible booking dates as soon as you have linked your reservation details. However if you try to make any booking before that 27 day window you will be shown a message saying there is "no availability". Do not be concerned about this wording, it does not mean the restaurant is sold out, just that your booking window is not open yet.


Where do I book?

Go to https://beourguestlunch.disney.go.com/ and log in using your disney.com account. The first time you sign in using a new account you will be asked to provide your hotel reservation number, which then seems to be remembered for subsequent visits.

You can only have one reservation number attached to one login at a time, so if you have more than one reservation number for a given stay, you will need to create multiple accounts using different email addresses (see below for tips on making such bookings).

Once linked to your account, the BoG Lunch system may even pick up new reservations automatically once you've added them to your My Disney Experience account.


How do I book?

Once you are signed into the website and have linked your hotel reservation, choose the "Select or Replace" option and select a date. You will only be offered your on-site arrival date plus six subsequent days, nothing beyond that. Click Next.

Your party details will be shown, click Next.

You will be offered a couple of possible half-hour arrival timeslots, between around 10:30am and 2:30pm. If one suits you, select it. Otherwise just refresh the browser window to be presented with two new time options. You can do this as often as you want to find a time which works for you.

There are two rather confusing options at the top of this screen: "FastPass+ Direct to Table" and "FastPass+ Expedited Arrival". Basically the "Expedited Arrival" option is just a regular booking time; you will still have to queue up to make your food selections when you arrive, and then go to your table and wait for your meal to be delivered. The "Direct to Table" option allows you to pre-order your food when you make the booking (you can go back and change your choices later, even upon arrival at the restaurant) so that when you arrive at your table they will already know your selections and bring the food directly to you. If you happen to know what you want to eat in advance, you can save quite a bit of time this way.

Click Next to complete and review your booking.


Once booked, can we change our mind about the food selections? Is it possible to customise meals for preferences/needs?

Yes, you can modify your food selections at any time, even once you arrive at the restaurant if you wish.

If you need to further modify an option (for example you don't want horseradish with your beef sandwich) you should do this after you have added the item to your order. Go back to the View screen and click to modify the item, then you will be presented with various options to remove relishes, toppings, etc.

You can also make an initial simple Expedited Arrival booking, and then go back into the system later and add meal choices (turning it into a Direct to Table booking).


How do I make bookings for my whole group if we are in different rooms with different reservation numbers?

You'll need to open two browser windows and set up a different session in each (I used completely different browsers, e.g. Chrome and Firefox, but you may even be able to use two windows in one browser). Then login using two separate disney.com accounts linked to the two different reservation details. When you get to the screens offering booking times, refresh each window multiple times until you get slots which are close enough to matching, and then book them both.


Does it sell out quickly? How early should I book?

Not especially, no. Well, not at present anyway. This is a somewhat hidden and limited test and does not seem to be selling out too far in advance. Some people have even booked same-day via their phones and turned up ten minutes later to bypass the line - but that's not guaranteed of course.

However if you are a serious planner and want to book as early as possible, the system seems to open up for each new day's reservations somewhere around 2am Eastern.


Is this an ADR, do I have to give my card details?

No, it's not an ADR, it's a half-hour long arrival slot during which time you can bypass the regular line - and you don't have to guarantee it with a credit card, so there are no penalties if you don't show up. It will not be displayed with your other ADRs, and it doesn't check for any clashes with your exiting ADRs.


Does this link with my other FastPass+ bookings, or my My Disney Experience account?

No, this is completely separate from the rides and attractions FastPass+ system, and nothing will show in the My Disney Experience website or app. It does not count against your three FP+ per day allocation either. It links directly with your hotel booking reference number.


Will I get a booking reference number or confirmation email, how can I be sure it's worked?

No, what you see on-screen is all you get - there are no confirmation numbers or emails, and you won't see your booking in My Disney Experience.

You are meant to be able to review your booking via the "View" option in the BoG Lunch website, but people have reported varying degrees of success in doing this. If the "View" option is not selectable when you log back in to the system, try logging in again and then going directly to the View page by pasting the following URL into your browser's address bar: beourguestlunch.disney.go.com/ViewConfirmation.aspx

However just because you might not see it when you log back in doesn't necessarily mean it is not tucked away inside the system somewhere. Take a printout of the confirmation screen with you!


Is there a technical helpdesk, who do I contact if it goes wrong?

Sorry, there is no help facility for this test service. It does not seem to be run by the same IT teams which operate the My Disney Experience system, but instead by some part of the Food & Beverage department or even an external third-party. The best anyone seems to be able to offer is to wait until you arrive at your resort and make enquires at the Concierge Desk. Or ask in this thread for other people's advice of course.


What do I do when I arrive at the restaurant?

Just proceed straight to the Be Our Guest podium (on the left as you approach the restaurant, just before you start to cross the bridge) and advise them that you have a Lunch FastPass+. Your name will be visible on their screens, but you won't be able to use a Magic Band to sign in (Magic Bands can be used for your server to find you at your table for pre-ordered food though).


How do I find my 12-digit hotel booking reference number?

A 12 digit booking reference number, which will begin with 43 or 44, is required. If your reference number is shorter, or it has letters in it, then it will NOT work with the BoG booking site. There are several ways to get this:

If you booked directly with WDW it will most likely be on your confirmation email and/or visible in your My Disney Experience account.

If you are using Disney's Magical Express for your airport transfers, the reference number should be on the special yellow luggage tags too.

If you booked with a travel agent, or made an overseas booking, then your local agent might be able to find it for you.

You can also try asking the Disney Reservations Center on 1-407-WDISNEY. Make sure you ask for your full 12-digit number, and you may need to confirm some security details with them first.

Otherwise, you need to be a bit clever with the Disney online systems to find places where they hide the number in plain sight. Here are some tips worked out by the clever folks in these forums:

You must have the 12 digit all numeric reservation #.
Here are a couple of ways to find it:

• Login to the Disney website.
• On the My Disney Experience tab, click "My Itinerary"
• Scroll the calendar to your check in day.
• On the page, place your cursor on the line that says "View Reservation Details" and right click.
• Scroll down to "view page source"
• Then I used the "control F" feature (just hold down control and the F key>it will bring up a "find" box>type in the word "reservationnumber" to find reservationNumber value and the 12 digit code that starts with 44xxxxxxxxxx.

OR, if you can't find it like that, I was going into my account to make a payment and found it there.

• Log into your account on disneyworld.com
• Hover over MyDisneyExperince till you see the options
• Click on My Reservations and tickets
• Under "Disney Resort Hotel Reservation" you will see your reservation details
• Click on "view details" at the bottom of the reservation details
• A box will pop up that will show more details on the left and your travel party avitars on the right.
• At the top right under "Reservations for X", you will see "balance due (due by XXXXXXXX) $x,xxx.xx USD Make a payment"
• Click on "Make a payment"
• Now, look at the URL web address.
• It will look like this: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservation/resort/44XXXXXXXXXX/payments/

This (12 digit # I have underlined) is your reservation number. It will start with a 4.

Hope this helps

The only other way that I know to find your number besides the ones posted in the OP and on your yellow luggage tags is:

Go to your MDE
My Reservations and tickets
Under Disney Resort Hotel Reservations you will see your confirmation number over to the right and IF you are within your 60 day time frame it will say "check in online"
click on check in online
the number you need will be in the URL and will look like this:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/trip/online-check-in/resort-reservation/44XXXXXXXXXX/

The bolded numbers are what you are looking for.

Being an international guest, a lot of the ways to get the 12 digit reservation number didn't work for me. I tried all the URL ways, but couldn't get them to work either.

What did work for me was my Memory Maker confirmation number.

After your 60-day window has passed, on the MDE website, go to My Reservations. There should be a button that says "Online Check-In" or, if you have already checked in, then there will be a link that says "Modify Check-in." It has already been suggested to hover your mouse over the button/link to see the 12-digit number in the url (for me the url appears in the lower left corner of the screen). If that does not work for you, you can print the page. Then, in the place of the button/link, it shows the url, and the number is printed there. The other method that worked for me is to right-click the button/link, and select "copy link address." Then paste it anywhere- in the address bar, or into a Word document, etc. and the number should show up at the end of the url.


I also wanted to share some of my story, which may help others down the line, particularly people who have multiple resort reservations (that is, a large party in different hotel rooms):

I am a single woman traveling with a family of 4. In order to explain this, let's pretend my name is Elizabeth Smith, and the family I am traveling with is Mark Jones, Kayla Jones, and their children Samantha Jones and Charles Jones. We have two separate hotel room reservations at Pop Century- one reservation for just me, and the other reservation for the family. We are all linked as Family & Friends on the MDE site. We have one Memory Maker purchased. We are going to Disney in less than 60 days but more than 30 (so, I haven't actually made the Be Our Guest reservations yet).

Before the 60-day mark, I went to the Be Our Guest FP+ reservation site, just to check it out. I entered my email and password for the MDE site, then I entered the 12-digit Memory Maker number. Let's pretend that number is 442411111111. My name, Elizabeth Smith, showed up, and I logged in. I got to the page with the option to "Select or Replace" and I chose that option. I chose the day we wanted, and got to the page for "Select Party Members" I was confused to find that my name, Elizabeth Smith, was listed along with Kayla Jones, Samantha Jones and Charles Jones, but there was no Mark Jones. I figured that Mark Jones must be under a separate reservation number. I knew I had plenty of time, so I just waited until after the 60-day mark, then I checked in online, and got the 12-digit number from that (by printing the My Reservations page and seeing the number in the url). Let's say that number is 442422222222.

This is where it gets confusing. On the MDE website, I was only able to do online check-in for myself, not for the Jones family. However, once they had checked in online, I was able to see both of our 12-digit numbers. The Memory Maker number was the same as the 12-digit number that is linked to their resort reservation (442411111111), but my resort reservation has a different 12-digit number (442422222222). Once I had both numbers, I returned to the Be Our Guest website. I entered Mark Jones' email and his password that he uses for the MDE site. I then entered 44242222222, the number which is connected to my resort reservation, and which I had not already used. Once I entered the number, the name Mark Jones appeared in the boxes below (one box for first name, another box for last name). I tried to continue, but the page said the guest was already registered. I had to erase his name, and enter my name, Elizabeth Smith. Then I was able to get into the site. However, when I go to "Select or Replace," then Mark Jones is the only person who shows up under "Select Party Members." When I use my own login information (email and MDE password), it still shows me, Kayla, Samantha and Charles. The key bit of information here is that you have to try all sorts of weird things and it doesn't always work the way you think it will. I saw a post on this thread where someone said you should try the name of every person in your party, and I agree.

In the end, what worked is that I used my name, my login information and the Jones' family confirmation number to get to the reservation page for me and 3 members of the family, then I used my name, the Jones' family login information and my confirmation number to get to the reservation page for 1 member of the Jones family. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it! The only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with Memory Maker. Maybe I am linked with 3 members of the Jones family? I don't know how Memory Maker works, so I can't speculate too much in that area. Hopefully, after I get my FP+ reservations I will remember to come back and tell you all how it went.

Any questions that aren't covered here, please ask away! You can also check out the original DIS thread on this subject at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3159118. Let me know any errors or omissions too, this is a self-help group!

Andre

 

[Figment Mom]

Great job!

I booked and received the email a day or two later. They had our information at the booth. There were no complications. We were there this past Sunday.

We did not preorder the food and were directed to the line (which was to the end of the bridge). I recommend ordering the food online. Those people got in much more quickly. I don't know if they are still doing it but on Sunday there was no regular standby line. They were handing out the paper cards with return times.

We waited about 20 minutes to order.

 

[Leafsgirl36]

When you say go right to the podium, does that mean go to the head of the line? I don't want to walk up and bypass a whole line of people waiting.
Thanks

 

[ses1230]

When you say go right to the podium, does that mean go to the head of the line? I don't want to walk up and bypass a whole line of people waiting. Thanks

The podium is before the bridge to the restaurant, that's where you check in. Then you will walk across the bridge to the entrance of the restaurant where a CM will direct you where to go.

If the line has started to go out onto the bridge then yes, you will be walking past the people in line.

 

[Mommymarie]

thanks for putting this all in one place!

 

[StarDreamer]

This is great, already answered a couple of my questions. Thanks!

 

[sladphie]

What do I need in order to make a BoG Lunch booking?


[*]A disney.com account login. This can be your My Disney Experience account, or disneystore.com, ABC.com, etc. At the moment, if you have more than one room booked using different reservation numbers then you will need a separate disney.com account for each separate reservation.

Question - I used this site to book a FP lunch at BOG in Oct 2013. When I logged in today (I know it won't open until 27 days before I want to book), I didn't need to put in a new booking # for this year's trip, I was able to just log in. But, it automatically shows my dates that we are planning to go. Will I need to create a new email account in order to link my new booking #? Or does your comment just mean that if you have 2 concurrent reservations, you need separate accounts?

 

[SRUAlmn]

Question - I used this site to book a FP lunch at BOG in Oct 2013. When I logged in today (I know it won't open until 27 days before I want to book), I didn't need to put in a new booking # for this year's trip, I was able to just log in. But, it automatically shows my dates that we are planning to go. Will I need to create a new email account in order to link my new booking #? Or does your comment just mean that if you have 2 concurrent reservations, you need separate accounts?

This happened to us too. It automatically recognizes your log in and links to your dates for this trip. I believe Andre's note was for people who do something like a split stay during the same trip with different reservation numbers.

 

[bdoyledimou]

based on the fact that everyone and their dog abuses any system/plan/feature that is discussed on these forums, you might as well remove this portion:

Does it sell out quickly? How early should I book?

Not especially, no. This is a somewhat hidden and limited test and does not seem to be selling out too far in advance. Some people have even booked same-day via their phones.

However if you are a serious planner and want to book as early as possible, the system seems to open up for each new day somewhere between midnight and 2:30am Eastern.

(i am only half way joking here)

 

[jcarwash]

1. With "FastPass+ Expedited Arrival" you can choose that option and then add a food order to it later, essentially making it the same as "Direct to Table." This can let you grab a time and then work with your party to make your meal selections later.

2. Another location for your 12-digit hotel booking reference (a.k.a resort reservation number) is on your yellow Disney Magical Express (DME) luggage tags.

 

[RatherBeInAK]

I have a question that wasn't addressed in the first post. My dd is 1 but eats a lot so I know we're going to have to order a kids meal for her. The rest of us are on the dining plan. If I choose the option where I pre-order our food can I order meals for all four of us? I know we don't pay until we arrive so can they split the check between two different methods of payment (dining plan and oop)?

Thanks so much for starting this thread!

 

[pta-mom]

I don't seem to have a 12-digit resort confirmation number. My number is 3--followed by two letters--followed by five numbers. The BOG site will not take this.

Any ideas?

 

[andrewilley]

I've updated the FAQ based on some of the above posts, and expanded the bit about being able to change/add menu choices later (I've given it a heading of its own to make it easier to see, in fact). Thanks for the suggestions.

Andre

 

[andrewilley]

My dd is 1 but eats a lot so I know we're going to have to order a kids meal for her. The rest of us are on the dining plan. If I choose the option where I pre-order our food can I order meals for all four of us? I know we don't pay until we arrive so can they split the check between two different methods of payment (dining plan and oop)?

I can't see any reason why not - payment is not taken until you get there anyway, so how you choose to split the payment methods would presumably be up to you.

I don't seem to have a 12-digit resort confirmation number. My number is 3--followed by two letters--followed by five numbers. The BOG site will not take this.

Any ideas?

Yes, read the FAQ. (the bottom section in particular)

Andre

 

[SPOERLX3]

Andre!

This is wonderful! You did a GREAT job!

 

[pta-mom]

Yes, read the FAQ. (the bottom section in particular)

Andre

Thanks Andre....I read it and tried it and it does not work for me, either way. The box that comes up does not have the information available that says should be there, ei. "Make Payment" or "Page Source"

I'll check at home to see if the number is on my tags instead.

 

[SPOERLX3]

The only other way that I know to find your number besides the ones posted in the OP and on your yellow luggage tags is:

Go to your MDE

• My Reservations and tickets
• Under Disney Resort Hotel Reservations you will see your confirmation number over to the right and IF you are within your 60 day time frame it will say "check in online"
• click on check in online
• the number you need will be in the URL and will look like this:
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/trip/online-check-in/resort-reservation/44XXXXXXXXXX/

The bolded numbers are what you are looking for.

Hopefully this will work

Andre, you may want to add this to the OP

 

[pta-mom]

Thank you SPOER!!! That worked perfectly!!

 

[V a n e s s a]

Thank you for this thread and compiling all the info here!

 

[SPOERLX3]

Thank you SPOER!!! That worked perfectly!!

YAY!!!