just need to vent - holding multiple ADR's

[Tara922c]

I agree with you. It is really frustrating system that currently allows people to book more than one reservation for the same dining period and then they either don't cancel or cancel the same day as the reservation. This would not be accepted for non-Disney restaurants and should not be accepted for Disney restaurants. There should be some type of financial penalty imposed (say at least $ 75) for non-shows. It is frustrating for people who legitimately are looking to book reservations and must be costing Disney money.

I am going to have to disagree. If this is to be done, it should be done up front, like it is for BBB where you must attach the reservation to a CC, and if you don't show up it is going to be 10 bucks. People forget, people get sick, people think they can hold out until 8 to eat, but they just can't, things happen. 75 bucks is ridiculos. An ADR is not really a reservation, it is a "you are allowed to put your name on the list". Disney overbooks all ADRS, and depends on people not showing up because of the above circumstances. It isn't like they hold a table for you, your name simply doesn't go on the list, and they move on. I do agree at some of the more popular places, such as Ohana, they should have people attach a CC to the reservation, but charge something like 10 bucks, not 75. I plan to go to all my ADRs, but if something happens, like when we woke up at 9AM, and we had a 7:30 AM ADR, I don't want to be charged 75 bucks. The way I look it is, that may be one more walk up that is sprinkled with some pixie dust.

 

[Huck Sawyer]

right there with you. I have been trying to book breakfast at CP for over 2months for sept 28th. Its the only day my brother's kids will be there and this is a once in a lifetime trip for them. But nothing is open for CP in the morning. I check at least 3 times a day online.

 

[GoofyBaby]

I've been trying to book Ohana since my 180 day for something between 5 - 7pm on 11/29 or 12/2 and online always says all booked up. Thanks to people like that who have 2 booked

It did come up with a 9:40 once but that is way too late for a 4 year old. Oh well, I'll keep trying daily...

I'm in the same boat...I missed the first week of my 180 day window due to going on a beach vacation with my hubby (I just flat out had a brain fart) and I have been trying several times per day since late June. Tonight I finally landed a 7:50 p.m. reservation, but it's on the last full day of our vacation and we'd rather have a 5:00-ish time earlier in our trip. I will not double book, but if a better day and time open up, I will grab it and cancel the other reservation.

Sending pixie dust your way to get that reservation!

 

[collegejunkie]

I've double booked at the 180 day mark before . . . but I always cancel as we finalize and have never waited until the trip itself to do it. I think that my first experience on the DxDP for our trip next month caused me to double book a little more than normal (in addition to 1 out-of-park evening that we needed to wait and find out a time on b/c it switched around our whole touring plan). So I've only got a couple left that I have to cancel and will do so by this weekend, so I'm a month out and done.

I wish the 180 day window would shorten too . . . it's so tough to plan - and then when they change park hours as the dates draw nearer - it kills me!!!

i always do that. as you said, i cancel with a good amount of time left and i post in the canceled ADR thread to give DISers time to PM me.

 

[Colleen27]

I personally haven't double booked reservations, but I can understand why people do it. Having to make reservations 180 days before you eat is tough ... I can't even imagine what I'll be eating tonight for dinner, let alone 180 days from now. I can't blame people for trying to have all their bases covered well in advance.

My only complaint is with people like the OP was talking about, who don't want to bother to firm up plans in enough time to cancel the extras. When we didn't know which sets of dates we were going to go I made ADRs for both at 180, and then when we booked I cancelled everything that didn't work with our final dates. I don't feel bad for that - maybe someone did miss out at 180 because of me, but someone else got those ADRs at 90-something out. When people book multiple ADRs that they plan to hold onto until the day of they don't leave time for those to go back into the system if they bother to cancel at all, so no one else can get the unused times.

As far as holding tables for walk-ups, I think there is a very simple reason Disney doesn't do that. They don't want large numbers of walk-up guests. Few of the restaurants we've eaten at have adequate space to accommodate people waiting for their ADRs, much less groups waiting for available walk-up space. Think Applebees on a Friday night, when you practically need a bulldozer just to get to the podium to put your name on the list, multiplied exponentially. Particularly for park restaurants with little indoor waiting space it would not only mean potentially hazardous conditions in the waiting area (from a fire-safety/code perspective) but also logjams on the walkways around those eateries.

 

[Gregowa]

I personally don't have a problem with booking dining at the 180 day mark. It gives me something to look forward to knowing that the ADR is in place for a specific date and we plan around that. For our upcoming December trip, I purposely delayed making ADRs until I got the Candlelight Processional booked. Two days after booking, I ended up having to change the Candlelight Processional reservation to the next day and miraculously got the same time and restaurant 1 day later from what I originally booked! I felt truly sprinkled with Pixie Dust! I then began making the ADRs for the rest of the trip and again had no trouble getting ADRs at the restaurants on the days and times I wanted. This was at about 130 days out. At that time, the free dining promotion for that time frame had not been announced yet and there seemed to be a lot of available reservations to choose from. Now that the free dining promotion is out, it will be undoubtedly harder to make ADRs. I have to say all in all we've been really fortunate when making ADRs even for short notice trips 2 - 3 months out. Times like that I found I just needed to be flexible and to keep checking back if there was something I really wanted that was not available. It has always worked out! It's just part of the Disney magic!

 

[shenaniganzz]

My only complaint is with people like the OP was talking about, who don't want to bother to firm up plans in enough time to cancel the extras. When we didn't know which sets of dates we were going to go I made ADRs for both at 180, and then when we booked I cancelled everything that didn't work with our final dates. I don't feel bad for that - maybe someone did miss out at 180 because of me, but someone else got those ADRs at 90-something out. When people book multiple ADRs that they plan to hold onto until the day of they don't leave time for those to go back into the system if they bother to cancel at all, so no one else can get the unused times.

But why should people who do know their dates at 180 days out be penalized because you don't know your dates? It seems to me that it should be you checking the system at 90 days out once you confirm your travel plans.

At any rate, I have a bit less of an issue with this than with people booking multiple ressies for the same day with no intention of canceling at all or until the day of.

 

[Colleen27]

But why should people who do know their dates at 180 days out be penalized because you don't know your dates? It seems to me that it should be you checking the system at 90 days out once you confirm your travel plans.

At any rate, I have a bit less of an issue with this than with people booking multiple ressies for the same day with no intention of canceling at all or until the day of.

We all see things from our own perspective. DVC members often wish they could make ADRs when they book, 11mo out. Others like the 180. I loved the 90 day window and wished they would have kept it, because I hate the idea of being penalized because we just don't know our schedule 6+ months in advance. But I play the game by Disney's rules because I know if I wait until we actually book our resort it likely means being shut out of most character meals and other popular dining locations.

If you're booking at 180 too you're not penalized for anything; we're on even ground competing for the same fixed number of tables. If I'm booking ADRs at 90 out when I make my resort reservation, I'm at a 3 month disadvantage and am stuck browsing the leftovers. So I book dining when I've narrowed down potential dates, and fine tune things once those dates are more certain.

 

[ejkjrogers]

Ohana has an Oct. 24 815 adr open.