Question about cancelling an ADR

[bangzoom6877]

Let's say I want to try Spoodles for breakfast during my trip but I am not sure which morning to make an ADR. Is it all right to make an ADR for a few different mornings (let's say 3 out of my 10-day trip), and then to cancel the two I do not need once I am there, or more likely, some time before the trip once I know my park touring plans much better? Problem is, I do not want to go to Spoodles on a morning when we would be going to a park since on those days we prefer to have breakfast in the room and get to the park well before rope drop. So Spoodles would be reserved for a morning when we do not have to go to a park, and it is more of an off, relaxing day (pool day, or Downtown Disney for some shopping).

Would you make ressies there for a few mornings then just cancel the ones you do not need once you know what you are doing? Is this frowned upon by others? I do not want to do the wrong thing, as it aggravates me to hear people making multiple ADRs when they shouldn't be (i.e., ADRs at 3 different restaurants in the same park so they can decide that day which one to go to...I think this is very unfair). Of course I would never make an ADR and simply not show up. Even if it was the day before I would call and cancel. I even do this at home if we have a dinner reservation and then can't make it (it's happened before when one of the kids gets sick). Just feel this is courteous and the right thing to do rather than not show up!

 

[JanineandMike]

Would you make ressies there for a few mornings then just cancel the ones you do not need once you know what you are doing? Is this frowned upon by others? I do not want to do the wrong thing, as it aggravates me to hear people making multiple ADRs when they shouldn't be (i.e., ADRs at 3 different restaurants in the same park so they can decide that day which one to go to...I think this is very unfair). Of course I would never make an ADR and simply not show up. Even if it was the day before I would call and cancel. I even do this at home if we have a dinner reservation and then can't make it (it's happened before when one of the kids gets sick). Just feel this is courteous and the right thing to do rather than not show up!

personally i would not do that, if you need to figure out your park days before you decide which day you will go to spoodles then do it. i think you answered your own question when you said it aggravates you when you hear about other people doing this have a great trip!

 

[TDC Nala]

It is not against the rules of WDW to book reservations for the same restaurants on different dates. Some may consider it a violation of common courtesy to hold reservations that you are not sure you want to keep, because of the perception that it limits accessibility of the restaurants to others who call after you.

Disney won't care if you do this, but other guests posting here might. Where Disney has a problem is apparently if you book identical reservations for different restaurants at the same time because you can't decide which one you'd rather keep.

 

[AnnetteF]

This is exactly what we did on our last trip in August. We winged it for the most part but there were 3 meals that we knew we wanted to do - CRT for lunch, Garden Grill for dinner and Cape May Cafe for breakfast. We didn't know which days we would want to do them however, so I made ADR's for each day for both GG and CMC (CRT is the one that we had to commit to). When the day came and I knew we would not be using the ADR that day, I did call and cancel, so I hope someone got lucky with a walk-up. And after we used one, I called and cancelled the rest.

We've had it with having our meals driving everything else on our vacation. We did have to eat several CS meals on the trip, but also got lucky with a few unexpected meals that we had not made ADR's for. We were very relaxed and enjoyed the pace of our vacation this time.

Also just wanted to add, people on these boards advise others to make ADR's so that they have them "just in case" all the time and also do encourage them to cancel if they decide not to use them. If it is okay to do that, it shouldn't make any difference to them if I am making my just in case ADR's at the same restaurant or a different one each night. Your are entitled to make ADR's for each day or even each meal of your stay just like everyone else.

 

[Pakey]

OP asked so I'm going to answer. I would never do this. Let's hope OP is never someone who decided at 3 months out to go to WDW when an opportunity arises only to find there are no ADR's available for the family because everyone else out there is booking the same restaurant over and over because they can't decide what day they want to eat there.

There are a lot of things that Disney does not say you can or cannot do. I've never seen anything that says you can't spit onto the pavement. That doesn't mean people should throw all common decency to the wind and do it anyway.

Personally, I hate that WDW takes ADRs so far in advance. I am not a planner. But it is the way it is so if I want a certain TS I book it for the date I'm going to eat there. If I later change my mind, I call and attempt to rebook it for a different date. That way I'm leaving fair opportunity to others to get reservations. Not everyone knows you need to call at 180; not everyone knows they are even going at 180. I'd like to think those people still have a shot at having a wonderful vacation, including ADR's at the places they want too.

 

[bangzoom6877]

OP asked so I'm going to answer. I would never do this. Let's hope OP is never someone who decided at 3 months out to go to WDW when an opportunity arises only to find there are no ADR's available for the family because everyone else out there is booking the same restaurant over and over because they can't decide what day they want to eat there.

There are a lot of things that Disney does not say you can or cannot do. I've never seen anything that says you can't spit onto the pavement. That doesn't mean people should throw all common decency to the wind and do it anyway.

Personally, I hate that WDW takes ADRs so far in advance. I am not a planner. But it is the way it is so if I want a certain TS I book it for the date I'm going to eat there. If I later change my mind, I call and attempt to rebook it for a different date. That way I'm leaving fair opportunity to others to get reservations. Not everyone knows you need to call at 180; not everyone knows they are even going at 180. I'd like to think those people still have a shot at having a wonderful vacation, including ADR's at the places they want too.

Okay, good points you made here, and also everyone else.

For our trip this past july, I had made all our ADRs at the 180-day mark then had to change 2 of them along the way. We were split between 1900 Park Fare for dinner and Ohana for dinner. I had made the ADR for Ohana and not for 1900 Park Fare because I did not think it was right to make 2 ADRs for the same time. Then about 3 months before the trip we decided to do 1900 Park Fare instead so I called and changed the ADR, booking 1900 Park Fare and cancelling Ohana in the same phone call. I also changed our dinner time for Biergarten to an earlier time, about 6 weeks before the trip, once again booking one time and cancelling the other.

You all make good points, it is better to just choose one morning we want to go to Spoodles and then just book it when we decide.

Now for the next question...is it difficult to get an ADR for breakfast at Spoodles closer to the trip? It's not a place we have our hearts set on, just a place we thought we might like to try and see how it is for breakfast. How about calling and getting an ADR there during our trip? Anyone ever do this with ADRs and get lucky? It would be summer season.

 

[B-Ride]

While I am totally against people abusing the system by booking multiple ADRs, I would hardly consider you booking 2 extra breakfasts at Spoodles over a 10 day trip much of an abuse.

I would recommend you book all 3 days with the plan of going to all 3 breakfasts. If you change your mind later because of a change in plans they you may be forced to cancel one or two of your resevations.