Is Disney Unfair Towards Smaller Parties Re: Dining Reservations?

[JessRose]

I have to preface my post this morning by saying, I'm pretty devastated. This morning, our ADR window opened up for our trip in early December.

While I know it's certainly not "low" season, it is a considerably less busy time of year than summer break or the week following our trip.

This is will be my 10th trip to Disney World - so I'm hardly new to the game.

I was a good little Disney vacation planner this morning and was up at 4:45 AM, with multiple electronic devices in hand - only to find we couldn't get a single PPO breakfast during our entire 9 day stay by 6:00 AM EST.

I resolved myself to the fact that surely - something was going on with the ADR system. I was just about to give up when, for some unknown reason, I decided to search for parties of 3 or 4. Low and behold, there was availability. Not for everything I wanted - Garden Grill still has no availability - but for Crystal Palace, Tusker House and BOG, I was able to secure 8:00 AM reservations vs. not even having the option of any times at all from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

Let me preface by saying - I fully intend to keep looking each morning, as I always do, for reservations for parties of 2, and I fully intend to pay the no-show fee for the 3rd person if I'm unable to find anything else - but I booked those reservations. I'd rather eat the cost than not have the experience.

To me, this seems so unfair. Despite there being tables available to accommodate our party, we were unable to book because Disney could make more money if a larger party showed up instead.

Has anyone else experienced similar situations booking as a small party?

 

[melanielll]

They won't charge you if you show up with less people. Also - you can modify the reservation to a lower number of guests after you make it. It is more a function of the programming algorithm - it is looking at the number of chairs at a table - not at how many people could be seated allowing for empty chairs.

I find it to be annoying - but it actually opens up more spots. In a restaurant with tables that seat two (BOG, CRT for example), I can look for parties of two and for higher numbers. People with 4 guests can't do that.

It's an example of how computers aren't really that smart.

 

[Amelia :)]

All you have to do is book for 3/4 then modify it to 2 it's really easy

 

[mousefan]

my dining option opened up this am , and I was up and ready to start the search , thankfully I was able to get the dinner reservations for all ten nights I wanted including lunch and dinner at BOG ( would have been happy just getting a lunch lol but when dinner option popped up another day I grabbed it also ) and we are a party of 2 didn't have to use the book and modify option so there is hope

 

[Hopefully]

No
I don't think Disney is unfair. As others have posted, it is a limitations of the computer algorithm. Frustrating, but not unfair IMO.
If you book for 3 or 4 and only 2 go, you will not be charged for any others.
If you book for 3 or 4 you can modify the reservation in your MDE account.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I have to preface my post this morning by saying, I'm pretty devastated. This morning, our ADR window opened up for our trip in early December.

While I know it's certainly not "low" season, it is a considerably less busy time of year than summer break or the week following our trip.

This is will be my 10th trip to Disney World - so I'm hardly new to the game.

I was a good little Disney vacation planner this morning and was up at 4:45 AM, with multiple electronic devices in hand - only to find we couldn't get a single PPO breakfast during our entire 9 day stay by 6:00 AM EST.

I resolved myself to the fact that surely - something was going on with the ADR system. I was just about to give up when, for some unknown reason, I decided to search for parties of 3 or 4. Low and behold, there was availability. Not for everything I wanted - Garden Grill still has no availability - but for Crystal Palace, Tusker House and BOG, I was able to secure 8:00 AM reservations vs. not even having the option of any times at all from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

Let me preface by saying - I fully intend to keep looking each morning, as I always do, for reservations for parties of 2, and I fully intend to pay the no-show fee for the 3rd person if I'm unable to find anything else - but I booked those reservations. I'd rather eat the cost than not have the experience.

To me, this seems so unfair. Despite there being tables available to accommodate our party, we were unable to book because Disney could make more money if a larger party showed up instead.

Has anyone else experienced similar situations booking as a small party?

there are very few tables that seat only 2 but a lot more that seat 4. so it is easier to make ressie for 3 or 4.i have never been charged when only part of group showed up. not what you asked this is also why it is easier to make ressies for even numbers than odd. this is done all the time making ressies for a larger number than needed. lot easier to lower than adding one to ressie

 

[Shanti]

This morning, our ADR window opened up for our trip in early December...While I know it's certainly not "low" season, it is a considerably less busy time of year than summer break...

I wouldn't count on that. We're a party of two going in early August, and only planned the trip 3 months out. I've been able to get ADRs for 2 people at every restaurant we wanted: BOG, Ohana, Sci-Fi, Beaches & Cream, etc. Same experience during our trip last July, which had the lowest crowds I've seen at WDW since January 2009. Summer isn't the peak crowd season it used to be. There have been a lot of complaints on the boards from people with dining parties of all sizes being unable to get their desired ADRs for November and early December. Looks like that's shaping up to be a high-crowd time this year. You should be prepared for that possibility.

As someone who routinely makes ADRs for 2 people (& who sometimes also checks 3/4 people for an availability comparison), I find it to be hit and miss whether there are more ressies for 3/4 people than for 2. Sometimes, there are ressies available for 2 but not for 4. Two summers ago, we made all of our ressies for 3, because my significant other was going to go, but then couldn't at the last minute due to work. I couldn't get the ADRs changed at the last minute, so just explained my situation at each restaurant at check-in. I'm not sure they always believed me (probably a lot of people use this excuse), but they did accomodate us. We sometimes had to wait longer than usual for our reservation, however.

Use Touring Plans reservation finder to help you get those hard-to-get ressies. You can get a free account by clicking "basic access" on the sign-up page. The finder really works well.

 

[IrishNYC]

Unfair would be if you couldn't book for 3 or 4 then modify it for 2, or you were penalized for only showing up with 2 people. Unfair would be parties of two being barred from booking at all.

We are a family of 3, and I've read many times that it's difficult to get ADRs for parties of 3. I've occasionally had trouble and had to book for 4, but I never once thought it was "unfair."

 

[Allison]

No, not unfair.

 

[AngiTN]

We are a party of 2 and never have a problem with finding ADR, ever. Never had to book for anything but 2 either. And we only eat TS at Disney. At least 1 every day, often 2. So no, it's not unfair at all.

 

[KimBean]

No
I don't think Disney is unfair. As others have posted, it is a limitations of the computer algorithm. Frustrating, but not unfair IMO.
If you book for 3 or 4 and only 2 go, you will not be charged for any others.
If you book for 3 or 4 you can modify the reservation in your MDE account.

I have no knowledge on this. Just curious why this is believed to be a computer issue and not just a lack of two top tables? I would assume if I went with 8 people (have went with 7 many times) that it will be harder then 4 because not as many table set ups for 8. I would assume the same for 2. Less availability for under or over the average. However on the flip side you also have less people looking for them.

 

[KimBean]

Unfair would be if you couldn't book for 3 or 4 then modify it for 2, or you were penalized for only showing up with 2 people. Unfair would be parties of two being barred from booking at all.

We are a family of 3, and I've read many times that it's difficult to get ADRs for parties of 3. I've occasionally had trouble and had to book for 4, but I never once thought it was "unfair."

Well, to be fair not everyone not reading this dis would know to do either of these things. They look for two, don't have two. Doesn't occur to them to look for 2 more people who don't exist in their party or make it for more and then adjust it later.

 

[IrishNYC]

Well, to be fair not everyone not reading this dis would know to do either of these things. They look for two, don't have two. Doesn't occur to them to look for 2 more people who don't exist in their party or make it for more and then adjust it later.

Even if you don't know to look for a larger party, it's still not unfair.

 

[SaintsManiac]

My feeling is that the reservations just aren't loaded yet for everything. We booked for 3 people and got everything we wanted, but we also purposely choose off times for those reservations.

I used the TP finder because we changed our minds and got several hits already. I was unsuccesful on one, because I didn't have my phone when it went off.

I've changed ADRs a couple of times already and my window opened a month ago.

Keep the faith, OP! I know it's upsetting, but you have to keep trying.

 

[Hopefully]

Even if you don't know to look for a larger party, it's still not unfair.

I totally agree.
I do not think it is unfair

 

[KimBean]

Even if you don't know to look for a larger party, it's still not unfair.

I am a family of 4 and haven't really found it very easy this go Round myself OP. I had to get some really not great times. Or settle for lunch when I wanted dinner.

To the person I quoted I didn't say it was unfair.

But if some people know loopholes and some don't it certainly isn't an even playing field. Since you know the loophole and have used it and always get what you want I can't believe that you can be sympathetic to the OP who did not know the loophole at the time of her ADR dropping.

 

[Pumbaa_]

If you understand how to work with the system it is easier

The system looks for a match. Table for 2? nope, not there.
A human looking would see an opening and adjust accordingly

Once you learn the system and how to use it to your advantage, it is easier

So less than a fair thing and more of how the system is coded

best of luck

 

[JessRose]

We are a party of 2 and never have a problem with finding ADR, ever. Never had to book for anything but 2 either. And we only eat TS at Disney. At least 1 every day, often 2. So no, it's not unfair at all.

Same - in 9 trips now, we've never not gotten the table we wanted - as long as I've been booking at our ADR window. And majority of the time, we've been able to adjust times slightly for reservations much closer to our departure time. I was shocked this morning and really thought I was doing something wrong due to lack of availability.

Thanks all for your help - had no idea it was possible to modify on MDE to a smaller party - was used to the old way where you had to always re-book the entire reservation!

 

[AngiTN]

Same - in 9 trips now, we've never not gotten the table we wanted - as long as I've been booking at our ADR window. And majority of the time, we've been able to adjust times slightly for reservations much closer to our departure time. I was shocked this morning and really thought I was doing something wrong due to lack of availability.

Thanks all for your help - had no idea it was possible to modify on MDE to a smaller party - was used to the old way where you had to always re-book the entire reservation!

And we never ever book a trip at 180 days. We don't book ADR at all. Well, not advanced anyway. We book for the day when we get up that morning. We might book a place or two just before we leave for a trip.
We got home last week from a 10 day trip and had ADR every day but when we left we only had 1 booked, and that was for one of the Dis20th Meet events

 

[loves to dive]

And we never ever book a trip at 180 days. We don't book ADR at all. Well, not advanced anyway. We book for the day when we get up that morning. We might book a place or two just before we leave for a trip.
We got home last week from a 10 day trip and had ADR every day but when we left we only had 1 booked, and that was for one of the Dis20th Meet events

This is us as well, if I book an ADR in advance it's for tea at the GF, otherwise we book day of or night before if we know what park we are definitely going to the next day (we rarely do, we decide when we wake up or get to the bus stop if we are riding a bus). We eat at TS just about every day but we just never know if we are going to want to until it happens.