Wow! People really get hot over this reservation thing!
Really? You don't think that holding 2 reservations, knowing full well that you do not intend to use one of them, smacks of a self-centered entitlement mentality? It says "I think I'm more important than anybody else; therefore the requests/policies of my host do not apply to me."
No, I honestly don't. I call within the same window as everyone else, we book 2 restaurants and if we decide not to use them, cancel so someone else can have the table. As long as we cancel so someone else can be seated, I honestly don't see what's wrong with it. As it looks now, we may use both a night or two since 3 of us really don't want to eat at the Japanese place or the Norway place. If we do decide to all eat together, I'll cancel the unused reservation.
Not everyone can or does book more than 3 months in advance. Plus, resort guest get 90 + 10 which I don't get at the Dolphin.
ADR's are like FP's. You are holding a place in line. If you are in two different lines at the same time you are taking a space that someone else can use.
I'm sorry but the "two for me and none for you" is really self explanatory.
We usually don't stay on site so until I saw your post about 90 + 10 I had no idea. But wouldn't that be a perk of staying on site? That would be like me griping about not getting EMH when we stay off site. How is it 2 for me and none for you if we cancel at least an hour or so before hand so someone else can be seated? People canceling is how other folks without reservations get a table.
Disney also doesn't police you to make sure you put your trash in the trash cans, they don't police you to make sure you refrain from using foul language around other people, there are millions of things you "CAN" do. But your actions do affect the vacation experience of other Disney goers. Does everything have to be a set rule or law before we, as people, will be fair to others.
There are tons of reasons why people cannot book at 90 or 90+10. I'll give you my example. I was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer and wanted to go to Disney before my surgery and treatments which left me in that less than 90 day window. So I call for meals for my family and so much is already booked. How many of those already booked were by people like you, who felt that it's totally okay to book multiple meals that you have no intention of showing up for. How is that NOT selfish.
I don't like making my plans so far in advance any more than anyone else does. But I don't think I'm so self important that I need to make multiple reservations so that I am the only one not inconvenienced by Disney's setup.
I can't help or be responsible for the trip planning of others. I'm sorry that happened to you but how is it any different from us never being able to book a hotel because they are always full when we call a week or two before arrival? When you're a resident and go a lot, many times you go with just a week or two notice-Disney just isn't set up for that but I'm not going to throw a fit because the tourists from other places crowd things so we can't stay where we wish. That's silly, I chalk it up to being grateful that we get to go as much as we do.
So as using someone else's example, if you went to the mall and there were no parking spaces available because everyone else there took up two spaces, well, that's your fault for not getting there early enough?
It is tough to pull a full vacation at Disney without a credit card (it can be done, but it is so convenient), they should go ahead and require a card for each reservation and charge $50 if you don't cancel within 24 hours (48 hours during peak season). Then people can still double book, but those not paying attention pay the price for their selfishness.
Actually, that analogy doesn't quite fit if I cancel my other "parking spot" so someone else can use it...unless our party is split and we eat dinner at two different restaurants. The better analogy would be if the parking spot could ONLY be used at 8pm and I had two such spots reserved, then canceled my reservation for one of the spots at 7pm so someone else could use it at 8 pm.
So let me clarify, people are getting angry because they can't be assured of a spot in advance because of my reservation? Canceling the reservation before hand so it can be used by others doesn't matter, only that someone couldn't book it in advance?
I think the credit card idea is fantastic! I wish they would also require payment in full for room/camping spot reservations upon making the reservation as well.
Like many other things, I had no idea this was such a hot topic. If it makes you feel better look at it this way...since 2001 we have been to Disney World about 35-40? times, usually a week or so at a time, and until now have NEVER made a dining reservation of any kind, we had also never stayed on site until the campground last December so just look at it as any extra reservation we book then cancel as a reservation we saved from before.
