Oh so THAT'S WHY I can't get a reservation at Be Our Guest (and every other restaurant in WDW)!!

[kaytieeldr]

This discussion thread started on the topic of dining reservations. What I said was if the Dining reservation system was not used for a month. Disney would be forced to get other ways to get customers during all hours into their restaurants. So if people were not walking in to eat at 3:30 they would have characters handing out food samples to draw people in.

What makes you think if Disney were to stop accepting reservations for a month that guests wouldn't walk in to restaurants? That they'd have to be enticed with character-distributed samples? People would still need to eat, would still know that (and which) restaurants exist, would still reasonably be expected to enter a dining establishment when they wish to dine...

 

[lorenae]

Wow, some pretty harsh words here.

I guess the only thing I can add is that I am coming to WDW for the first time in 13 years. I didn't make reservations a year in advance, only about 2.5 months, for a "slow-ish" season by Disney Standards (crowd levels 3/4). I can NOT get even one ADR for dinner. Anywhere. That's absolutely nuts. I mean, I can get a table at French Laundry in less time than I can get a table at Chef Mickey's.

Whether it's "selling" ADRs, or others "hoarding" ADRs, to plan what time and where to eat for a week on vacation with a 5 year old is just nuts. If anybody who is setting their alarm for 6 months in advance to make dinner reservations to cancel them later if needed is considered normal for WDW vacations, that means WDW has a problem with their reservation system. The system is broken, obviously. There are a LOT of restaurants in and around WDW. Few are the type of world class restaurants that would require a 6 month reservation in any other circumstance. And it's not cheap, either.

This just seems really out of control to someone who just wants to eat dinner someplace amenable.

 

[minidis]

kaytieeldr,

I agree with you - thats my point. I never said in any of my posts guests would not eat at the restaurants. The frustration is with the reservation systems.

People would get to eat without having to worry about month out reservations if they are first in line.

Barry

What makes you think if Disney were to stop accepting reservations for a month that guests wouldn't walk in to restaurants? That they'd have to be enticed with character-distributed samples? People would still need to eat, would still know that (and which) restaurants exist, would still reasonably be expected to enter a dining establishment when they wish to dine...

 

[Overexcited]

Ooooooooohhhhh (titillated)! Harsh? How harsh? I do love a good fantasy harsh penalty. I vote for a public tarring and feathering. We could go more medieval, but if there is anything I have learned from DIS, we must think of the children. I would think watching a parent go completely peanut allergy crazy on the concierge about a restaurant reservation would be far more traumatic that seeing mom in leg irons in Liberty Square.

Lol, you made me crack up.
I really don't have a solution, but charging the ADR holder (card used for the reservation) as a NS and refusing seating to the party that "bought" the fake reservation from one of these unsavory sites.
I really don't know if it can be resolved. Just sad to see what is happening.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

@disneylicious
You have been talking about 'hording reservations' as being a big issue and I mentioned that I didn't think it really was. That our community was fairly unique and most guest didn't subscribe to the same planning that we do.

I still believe the searching sites are causing stress on the Disney system and creating problems for regular people searching and getting errors. And I firmly believe the scalping sites will only increase in scope if not cracked down on resulting in it being more difficult for the average guest to get a reservation. I still think that these are big problems that need to be addressed, but I took a peek at the Nov cancellation thread and wowza, you are on to something.

Not trying to single anyone out so removing the name, but here is an example:
"I have the following to release. Let me know if you want them - shoot me a PM.

Sat - 11/14 - 5:25pm for Akershus for 5ppl
Sun - 11/15 - 2:55pm for Akershus for 5 ppl - GONE
Mon - 11/16 - 3:10pm for Akershus for 2 ppl

I may have a BOG on 11/14 at 7:50pm for 5ppl if the gal I sent a PM to doesn't respond today. - GONE"

This actually wasn't even the worst example. So Disneylicious, I am changing my opinion and will include hording as something to be contended with.

 

[Disneyliscious]

@disneylicious
You have been talking about 'hording reservations' as being a big issue and I mentioned that I didn't think it really was. That our community was fairly unique and most guest didn't subscribe to the same planning that we do.

Appreciate the comments.

Most people dont realize the sheer size of this forum. It has what? 500,000 members or something like that? At any given time there are thousands of people reading here and planning trips. Not all of them post, but they do learn the "tricks" set forth by others.

If you had a mere 1000 people each week planning trips from tips they learned on the DIS, and each person booked 6 ADRS per day (not uncommon at all) until they could make their mind up, thats 6000 ADRS being booked per week from this one discussion board alone. I don't know the statistics but I'd wager only 1/3 of those ADRS (at most) ever are actually used. The rest will be cancelled at some point closer to their vacation date.

If this were to happen 52 weeks out of the year, thats 312,000 ADRS booked annually that will never be used by the person who booked them and will only become available to others once that person decides to release them. Granted, I'm throwing out numbers here but I think I'm being generous with them. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture of things.

In all honesty, these third party sites are doing us a favor because hopefully, they will prompt changes to the madness and put the reins on some people.

 

[mom4fun]

Part of the problem is that we have to book fast passes after adr's so sometimes you have to cancel at that point. It might be better if it was done in reverse.

 

[JimmyBean42]

Part of the problem is that we have to book fast passes after adr's so sometimes you have to cancel at that point. It might be better if it was done in reverse.

Here's the thing - ADR's don't matter for Fast Passes. You can go in and change FP+ times one by one immediately after you are done booking them and get a more convenient time based on your schedule. You don't have to stick with the recommended time they gave you. There are plenty of tutorials on how to do this and even if you didn't know and called Disney, they will change it for you. For those ones (A&E Meet and Greet, 7DMT) that are tough to change the time (and honestly it is really just those 2 b/c I was able to change my TSMM time this week [and move it earlier!] and my 60 day mark was a week and half ago). And let's say you are at one of your ADR spots and miss your FP+ window b/c they seated you late or anything else that could happen, all you need to do is bring your receipt and show the CM at the FP+ tap pts and you are fine. I think the FP+ excuse is not valid for why hoarding ADR's.

 

[Praying Colonel]

http://disboards.com/threads/disney-dining-buddy-shut-down.3450220/#post-54475982

My guess is Disney is or will be going after all of these sites now, including ones like DDB which don't actually make reservations.

 

[sndral]

I think what interests me about the whole ordeal is how the only problem seems to be when money is involved. Is the act itself not issue enough? Hoarding ADRs was perfectly acceptable here until media started covering places that made money by doing so.

Actually several years ago there used to be huge debates on Dis about whether it was ok to hoard multiple ADRs per day since the party wanted 'flexibility' about where to eat and by having an ADR in every park they had that flexibility. The common theme of posters who thought that that practice was cool was that Disney wasn't doing anything to stop it, so it must be ok. The other side of the debate maintained that it wasn't fair to have ADRs you wouldn't use as it deprived others who would actually use them of the ability to get them. Disney ended that debate by instituting the CC guarantee on all ADRs - clearly ADR hoarding was a problem for Disney. I noticed right after the change that hard to get ADRs, even at 180+10 before where suddenly no problem to get. As time has gone on people have found work arounds to again hoard ADRs - they just cancel before they have to pay a penalty and sure enough ADRs are getting harder to come by again. Once it gets bad enough that spots go empty at restaurants I'm sure Disney will come up w/ additional ways to stop the practice.

 

[V2000]

Disney Dining Buddy shut down on their website with this response.


Dear Loyal Customers,

Disney has requested that we discontinue our services as currently provided, and we have honored that request. We understand this may be disappointing to those of you who have found through us a solution to the stresses of dining planning. We share your disappointment.

We appreciate the grateful and positive comments we have received from you. Please know that we have truly enjoyed serving you.

If you have an active request for services from us, you will be receiving an email within the next week that contains information and instructions concerning refunds.

 

[littleblackegg]

Disney Dining Buddy shut down on their website with this response.


Dear Loyal Customers,

Disney has requested that we discontinue our services as currently provided, and we have honored that request. We understand this may be disappointing to those of you who have found through us a solution to the stresses of dining planning. We share your disappointment.

We appreciate the grateful and positive comments we have received from you. Please know that we have truly enjoyed serving you.

If you have an active request for services from us, you will be receiving an email within the next week that contains information and instructions concerning refunds.

Why would Disney request they shut down their services if they are completely awesome and fair and ethical and do not at all create unfair situations for families making a single reservation at a popular venue that is often booked? Isn't that the argument "pro"? That holding multiple reservations or making reservations with a fake name through one of these services is perfectly acceptable? I've been having a difficult time determining the exact "meat and potatoes" of the argument, but this seems to be a large component of it.

 

[sunflare]

Why would Disney request they shut down their services if they are completely awesome and fair and ethical and do not at all create unfair situations for families making a single reservation at a popular venue that is often booked? Isn't that the argument "pro"? That holding multiple reservations or making reservations with a fake name through one of these services is perfectly acceptable? I've been having a difficult time determining the exact "meat and potatoes" of the argument, but this seems to be a large component of it.

Because they use the word "Disney" in the name of the service, which implies that it is associated with the official company. It comes down to trademarks.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

I hope people stop giving these sites their CC info. It is just a matter of time before they are gone based on DDB shutting down. No one knows anything about the level of security of these servers. I would not want them to store my credit card.

 

[V2000]

Why would Disney request they shut down their services if they are completely awesome and fair and ethical and do not at all create unfair situations for families making a single reservation at a popular venue that is often booked? Isn't that the argument "pro"? That holding multiple reservations or making reservations with a fake name through one of these services is perfectly acceptable? I've been having a difficult time determining the exact "meat and potatoes" of the argument, but this seems to be a large component of it.

Maybe like one of the other members said they are using the Disney name. I have used dining buddy and it had worked for me!
I don't think that they are the ones who were selling reservations. It may be that Disney does not want any site plugging up their system anymore. I am not of the positive or negative affect this will have on their reservation system. I just hope they make it easier to make reservations!

 

[GreatLakes]

Why would Disney request they shut down their services if they are completely awesome and fair and ethical and do not at all create unfair situations for families making a single reservation at a popular venue that is often booked? Isn't that the argument "pro"? That holding multiple reservations or making reservations with a fake name through one of these services is perfectly acceptable? I've been having a difficult time determining the exact "meat and potatoes" of the argument, but this seems to be a large component of it.

Disney wants to control the experience. Any service that is offered around ADRs, FP+, or anything else liked to MyMagic+ needs to pass through the system as designed to generate the correct and complete data on each individual.

If Disney wanted to allow access to the system through third parties they would have an API that does it. It comes down to controlling the system.

 

[LvsTnk]

ADR's don't matter for Fast Passes.

This simply isn't true for everyone, there are just too many variables to make this blanket statement. I would hate for a newbie to read that and think they will have no problem changing FP. Yes you can try to and sometimes it just doesn't work out like you have it explained.

 

[JimmyBean42]

This simply isn't true for everyone, there are just too many variables to make this blanket statement. I would hate for a newbie to read that and think they will have no problem changing FP. Yes you can try to and sometimes it just doesn't work out like you have it explained.

You conveniently cut out the rest of my post there @LvsTnk. It in fact can work out if you do it somewhat after your 60 day window which is what I explained. I also explained the only ones I had trouble moving were 7DMT and A&E M&G. I had zero problems moving TSMM, Festival of the Fantasy parade and Wishes which are probably the only other FP+ you could debate are tough. Maybe Illuminations. If you selectively quote what someone writes, it makes it an easier counterpoint.

What I would really hate is for a newbie to read your statement and others and think this is extremely difficult to do and they have to hoard 6 ADR's a day. That's what would be a shame, not reading the posts that help and learning how to do it a fair and normal way.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

I hope people stop giving these sites their CC info. It is just a matter of time before they are gone based on DDB shutting down. No one knows anything about the level of security of these servers. I would not want them to store my credit card.

Yeah unlike places like Target and Home Depot. Much safer.

 

[LvsTnk]

You conveniently cut out the rest of my post there @LvsTnk. It in fact can work out if you do it somewhat after your 60 day window which is what I explained. I also explained the only ones I had trouble moving were 7DMT and A&E M&G. I had zero problems moving TSMM, Festival of the Fantasy parade and Wishes which are probably the only other FP+ you could debate are tough. Maybe Illuminations. If you selectively quote what someone writes, it makes it an easier counterpoint.

What I would really hate is for a newbie to read your statement and others and think this is extremely difficult to do and they have to hoard 6 ADR's a day. That's what would be a shame, not reading the posts that help and learning how to do it a fair and normal way.

Not sure what the whole quote has to do with it in regards to the issue as I go on to say as "you explained it" I am not trying to argue if you can or cannot change a FP just that it's not a no brainer and there are ALOT of variables that go into it time of year, changing of park hrs., attendance, and so on. Even your statement about CM's being understanding is up to the discretion of the CM at the FP line at the time. I just got misinformed by a CM on the phone while adding my DD to my Dec trip about FP but since I knew she was wrong verified what I thought on the FP thread on the Theme Parks board. So, I stand by my statement a lot of opinions on these boards and to assume because it worked out for you it's that simple for others is simply not true. It's just another opinion like the one I gave. I wasn't addressing the hoarding of ADR's just the changing of FP being easily done after 60 days, if the person is even staying on site. If there is an ADR your not sure about I would defiantely keep it until the FP were all in place.