Best way to get a reservation when someone cancels?

[disneymotherof3]

I have someone that has offered a reservation to us that they won't be using. We're both new to this process. Can anyone offer some insight on the best way to do it? FYI - We don't live near each other. TIA!

 

[RealBlast3]

Well, I think the easiest way would be for both of you to be online and on the phone at the same time and you enter in all your information on the Disney website, make sure you're signed in, and put in the date and time you want for that restaurant, and the minute she cancels her reservation, you would hit the button to search for the times you want, and ideally, that time would now pop up.

Or, I guess, she could keep her reservation and give you her name and confirmation # to use? Is that allowed? I'm not sure. Does Disney care that you're signing another name when you pay the bill? I would think they wouldn't care. It's not like they check photo ID when you sign into a restaurant.

 

[figment_jii]

I have someone that has offered a reservation to us that they won't be using. We're both new to this process. Can anyone offer some insight on the best way to do it? FYI - We don't live near each other. TIA!

Unfortunately, there is really no way to do this that does not run the risk of you losing out on the reservation. Another person could get the reservation between when she releases it and you search for it. it's also possible that there is a lag between the release and it showing back up as available. I think RealBlast3 probably has the best suggestion how to possibly do it, but I think the chances are high that you won't get it if it's a really popular ADR (e.g., BOG, 'Ohana, CRT, etc.).

Or, I guess, she could keep her reservation and give you her name and confirmation # to use? Is that allowed? I'm not sure. Does Disney care that you're signing another name when you pay the bill? I would think they wouldn't care. It's not like they check photo ID when you sign into a restaurant.

I don't think Disney would care, but the person who made the reservation is on the hook for the no show fee if something happens to the folks who are going to use the reservation.

 

[disneymotherof3]

Ok. I wasn't sure if there was a science to it.

 

[Mommymarie]

Lots of people have success, but on my last trip I had coordinated to get a CRT from someone and it never showed up

 

[Missyrose]

Lots of people have success, but on my last trip I had coordinated to get a CRT from someone and it never showed up

Either someone else nabbed online or Disney had overbooked the restaurant and wasn't letting the cancellations back into the system. We've seen that a lot with Be Our Guest, especially.

 

[nennewmom]

I've coordinated with a number of people (through cancellation thread) and have been successful every time.

I would suggest picking a non-peak time and make sure you and the other party coordinate the exact times.

 

[Shagley]

And make sure you are communicating through a PM or somewhere private. I have seen a few times where people post in the thread "I will cancel at 6pm, be ready" for a prime ADR. I have always wondered if the person actually got it, or if someone else stole it out from under them.

One more suggestion - Make sure you are looking for the exact number of people that the cancelled reservation is for. I cancelled one time for 4 people and the other person almost didn't get it because she had put in her search for 3 people because that was all she needed it for and it never showed up for her. After about 5 minutes, it was still out there so I sent her a PM and told her to look it for 4 even though she only needed it for 3.

 

[cattywampus]

I just successfully did this today!

The poster who was cancelling was kind enough to do it via text, but you could also do it via PM, if someone doesn't want to release their cell number.

Here's how we did it: We both logged on and I had the restaurant and the date pulled up on my computer (I actually hit search a few times and let it show as nothing available). She texted that she was cancelling and I just kept hitting the search button until it appeared.

It worked perfectly -- so perfectly that I actually hit search once more, after the time appeared. Luckily, it appeared again and I grabbed it.

Good luck!

 

[supersnoop]

My first tip is to synchronize your watches. No, really, specify the exact time to release the reservation including the timezone. Use the national official time website, http://nist.time.gov, and keep refreshing for 30 seconds afterwards in case the cancellation take longer than expected.