Reservation Hoarders - You Know Who You Are :)

[chupacabra]

I see nothing wrong with any of these practices if the reservation system allows it. I am going the first week of October and had Ohana and Akershus booked on 3 different nights because I wasn't sure what MNSSHP we were going to go to and our arrival date wasnt set in stone due to waiting for free dining to be released. Since I didn't have a vacation package at 180 days out I had to just check everyday when the booking opened so no +10 for me but I got everything I wanted. Everyone had the same opportunity as I did to make a reservation.

 

[Regan117]

I've booked BOG and CRT several times over the course of one trip. We book our resort a year out and dining 180 days - when that happens, park hours, special events, parties, etc are rarely available. So I don't know Disney's plans, which means I don't know mine. There's also stuff like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which can be hard to get, so we plan a MK day around when that's available. So I don't think it's unfair. Once our plans are final, I cancel what I'm not using. I don't hold them until the day before.

 

[Duck143]

I really find nothing wrong with booking the same place a couple of times and then releasing them when you decide which to keep. I am staying offsite, so had to book 180 every day for 10 days for our trip. I booked Chef Mickey's 2x because I wasn't sure which time I wanted. I did choose once I had booked all the days of our trip and released the one I didn't want.

What I don't understand (or think is right) is when I see someone release 8 or more reservations for the exact same place. I saw a post releasing 8 CRT reservations. That, in my opinion, is hoarding reservations.

 

[mom2rtk]

I really find nothing wrong with booking the same place a couple of times and then releasing them when you decide which to keep. I am staying offsite, so had to book 180 every day for 10 days for our trip. I booked Chef Mickey's 2x because I wasn't sure which time I wanted. I did choose once I had booked all the days of our trip and released the one I didn't want.

What I don't understand (or think is right) is when I see someone release 8 or more reservations for the exact same place. I saw a post releasing 8 CRT reservations. That, in my opinion, is hoarding reservations.

That's exactly how I feel about it.

 

[disneyseniors]

A little quote I remember from a movie: Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD. Food for thought

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Gross. Who does this? Not the same thing IMO.
You're really comparing people who have more then one ADR to people who return food to a buffet table?
I'd rather be called a hoarder.

It was hyperbole.

I was making the point that some people grab everything they can. Then after they know exactly what they want, they give back the leftovers.

 

[Disneylover99]

It was hyperbole.

I was making the point that some people grab everything they can. Then after they know exactly what they want, they give back the leftovers.

Glass half empty/glass half full mentality I guess. If I get a coveted ADR that wasn't previously available, I consider it a score not a "leftover".

 

[Family B]

I look at it as if someone is hording it increases my odds. It gives a chance of finding the desired after the 180 days. Yes it is hard to plan, but chances are a "non-hoarder" is holding on to an ADR they don't really want in the hopes that they can find the one they do want. Besides....if we are booking at 180 days out and got everything we absolutely wanted, what would we do with ourselves while waiting......

 

[megster1123]

I booked my ADRs with a best case scenario in mind and then padded a bit for the what ifs/when wills...
When will MNSSHP be? - had to end up cancelling an ADR on a party night
What if ROL doesn't open? - had to move around another ADR for that night and still have a couple backup options in case it still doesn't open by Oct.
What's going on with FEA/A&E? - dumped yet another ADR in favor of a PPO option instead so can RD A&E

And when I've cancelled I've put the info on the Oct ADR cancel threads as well, so others can grab them.

i would love to have our plans finalized but it looks like Disney doesn't really want me to.

 

[Nancyg56]

it absolutely did not used to be a myth....it was the thing to do back before credit card guarantees...u could make a resize in every park and their was no penalty for not showing up....it absolutely was real

It was but now that Disney has implemented the CC hold, I think that the issue is no where near as bad as it used to be. Thank goodness!

I do realize that doing ADR's 4 months out is a crap shoot. There were several personal things going on which made us delay our decision to book this trip. We have had to tweak a couple of ADR's ourselves when then changed EMH days on days we had selected to be at those parks as we are staying off property. Changing plans on the fly as you get closer to your trip, I agree, does not make you a hog. You are trying to get the most out of your trip and I get that. It is when people book the same dining experience for 5 days in a row and decide late in the game which one they are going to keep. This keeps 4 families out there from finalizing their plans and having to keep getting on the computer or app to see if something has opened up.
And alas, our coveted BOG did open us for us at a lunch time. And yes, we are happy. But if it hadn't, it sure would not have ruined my trip.
I had a conversation with a co-worker with an autistic daughter who just returned from WDW. He had tried for months to get a reservation to Cinderella's castle. Finally, there was a cancellation and his daughter's dream came true. What struck him was that the room was full of tables with mostly adults. He felt a bit sad that his almost not dinner was because adults want to meet and greet the princesses.
I am just saying to all, be a little more thoughtful. There are those for whom a reservation somewhere in the park would mean so much, and yet you are holding on to it, "just in case".

I have tow points to make in regards to this post. You had issues that pertained to you, and that made it impossible to book your ADR's 180 days out. That happens, and as much as I sympathize that the "popular" ADR's seem to be scooped up, it is not anyone elses problem. I book at 180 when I can. When I book later I take what I can get and move on. One time I tried to gain a BOG dinner ADR because my DDIL had never had dinner there, but I have to say I never was compulsive about it. I checked a few times a day for a while, and then decided that we would try another trip. I cannot be upset that because my plans were later than another's they got what I did not.

Now I really need to comment on the coworkers thoughts that only children can enjoy what he has decided is for kids. If that was the case, no adult could enjoy a M&G with a character, pics with characters, or meals unless they had youngsters in tow. And does he also dictate the age" Up to 5 at CP, but no one under 24 months....they do not remember anyway. 12 and under for Princesses. H&V.... only the 5 and under crowd. You get the picture? We all decide for ourselves what we enjoy when on a Disney vacation, and it is comments about adults enjoying these experiences that make folks worry they will be ridiculed.

I see people that grab a few ADRs "just in case" the same as people grabbing a bunch of cupcakes at a party and holding them at their table until their family comes back from playing and everyone picks out the best one for them. Then they take the leftover cupcakes back to the dessert table.

No, it isn't "against the rules." But it is rude.

Of course these are the same people that end up with a vacation ruined because they couldn't eat at Ohana or CRT.

Yep, I'll be up at 4:30 to book my reservations. But I have back up plans for any that we can't get. And by back up, I mean a different night or a different place. I don't mean that I plan to book multiple days for the same place and wait to see what strikes our fancy.

So JIC ADR's are not okay? I'm in that boat then, because I will be up at the crack of dawn in June making ADR's for PPO character dining at every park JIC my little Princesses can come with us.
Once I know for certain if they will be joining us, or if not, I will release the ADR's but no way am I going to wing it. AS far as I am concerned, I am planning for them and until I hear otherwise, I will make sure that I book the character meals they will enjoy. I am also booking a few luncheon ADR's as place holders, but once I know how the hours will be in December, if I want to attend the CP, and if we are going to Fantasmic, I will let the extras go as well. I have not managed a BOG dinner since 2012, and I am not really sure of our park days yet, so I might book two ADR's in the unlikely event there are any available on the two nights we are considering for MK. I will let the extra go once my plans are set in stone.

I am not selfish. I am not a rulebreaker. I do not use two different accounts to hold extra ADR's although I do have one so I can book meals for 1/2 of the group while the other dines elsewhere. I do not believe that it is rude to try to manage a trip 180 days out using the limited information that is released. As others have pointed out, if Disney released all of their information prior to the ADR window, more people would be able to finalize plans and less people would have back up in place.

It was hyperbole.

I was making the point that some people grab everything they can. Then after they know exactly what they want, they give back the leftovers.

I find this kind of rough. Securing ADR's that you may need and then not releasing them is rude. Leftovers? if you see them that way.

 

[maryj11]

Umm - just look at some of the cancelled reservations threads. For instance:
6/1, 'Ohana, 4:00pm, party of 7 TAKEN
6/1, 1900 Park Fare, 5:10pm, party of 4 TAKEN
6/2, Akershus, 8:00am, party of 7 TAKEN
6/2, 'Ohana, 4:10pm, party of 7
6/2, 1900 Park Fare, 4:20pm, party of 7
6/2, BOG, 4:25pm, party of 2 TAKEN
6/3, BOG, 8:10am, party of 7 TAKEN
6/3, 'Ohana, 4:05pm, party of 7
6/3, 1900 Park Fare, 5:30pm, party of 4
6/3, BOG, 8:30pm, party of 4
6/4, BOG, 8:15am, party of 7 TAKEN
6/4, BOG, 6:50pm, party of 4 TAKEN
6/4, BOG, 8:25pm, party of 2
6/5, Akershus, 8:00am, party of 7
6/5, BOG, 8:30pm, party of 4
6/6, BOG, 8:45pm, party of 6 TAKEN

Why reserve BOG for 5 days in a row? Don't think this party is actually going to Magic Kingdom that many days. Could be, and I could be all wet. But I am thinking there are many, many reservations like this out there. And yes, the party involved was kind enough to inform people of the cancels so someone might snag them. However, my question is why book so many reservations just so you can sit on them and decide at a later date which one you actually want? We decided first thing what parks we were doing on what days, then made the ADR's. When the FP window opened up, we did those according to our original plans. Then when WDW changed an EMH on us, we likewise responded and opted for a day at Universal. It does hurt the ones who actually plan ahead and are unable to get what they want. It is a pain to every, every day keep refreshing your screen and trying. I was rewarded today with the golden ticket - actually got a lunch at BOG. But it has been many, many days of being on the computer when I have better things to do. I don't think the reservation hoarding is a myth. And yes, it is perfectly "legal" so to speak. But maybe not the kindest thing to do. Off my soapbox. And if I hadn't gotten the golden ticket today, it would still be good. A day at Disney, ADR or not, beats a day at work, for sure!!!

I believe that was a travel agent releasing all of those. It was for several people notice some have 2,3,4,6 and 7 people on different ones.

 

[mom2rtk]

I believe that was a travel agent releasing all of those. It was for several people notice some have 2,3,4,6 and 7 people on different ones.

So the travel agent just books a bunch of them on speculation then graciously lets them go if it turns out they don't need them?

That's ridiculous.

Isn't that the very reason CRT eventually became prepaid? People were just booking a bunch of them then graciously handing them out to people on a message board?

 

[1sttimedisneymama]

So the travel agent just books a bunch of them on speculation then graciously lets them go if it turns out they don't need them?

That's ridiculous.

Isn't that the very reason CRT eventually became prepaid? People were just booking a bunch of them then graciously handing them out to people on a message board?

I'm sure the travel agents have MANY people whose vacations overlap so I'm guess they had multiple people cancel or change reservations.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm sure the travel agents have MANY people whose vacations overlap so I'm guess they had multiple people cancel or change reservations.

Every day for a week? Just call me skeptical.

 

[celina14]

The problem is that Disney kind of makes people have to do this. For instance, my ADR window will open this weekend and our trip goes into the first week of December yet December park hours aren't even posted yet and I'm holding out no hope that they actually will be. So I may need to have a couple different plans going in. How am I supposed to plan park days ahead of time if I don't even have park hours to work around?

Also, the fact that they move the most popular meet and greet and now there's no FP for it? Sorry, but that M&G is a must so if I have to make 2 different Akershus ADRs until I'm able to make FP plans and finalize then that's what I'll do so that my daughter can meet A&E.

Now I'm not saying I'm going to book 3 dinners on a night or BOG every day of my trip but I need to have options in place so I'll do what I need to do. If I'm not breaking any rules then in my opinion it's fair game.

 

[ELSA711]

I think the biggest issue with committing to a park is that we don't know what FP+ we will get until 60 days out and yes for my family a FP+ for a specific ride may trump a dining reservation so we wait to cancel.
Now we never really hoard multiple reservations either but a few here and there do overlap parks.

 

[mom2rtk]

The problem is that Disney kind of makes people have to do this. For instance, my ADR window will open this weekend and our trip goes into the first week of December yet December park hours aren't even posted yet and I'm holding out no hope that they actually will be. So I may need to have a couple different plans going in. How am I supposed to plan park days ahead of time if I don't even have park hours to work around?

Also, the fact that they move the most popular meet and greet and now there's no FP for it? Sorry, but that M&G is a must so if I have to make 2 different Akershus ADRs until I'm able to make FP plans and finalize then that's what I'll do so that my daughter can meet A&E.

Now I'm not saying I'm going to book 3 dinners on a night or BOG every day of my trip but I need to have options in place so I'll do what I need to do. If I'm not breaking any rules then in my opinion it's fair game.

I totally agree with that and would do the same. Like you, I just think the every day thing is going way too far with it.

 

[verleniahall]

I had a conversation with a co-worker with an autistic daughter who just returned from WDW. He had tried for months to get a reservation to Cinderella's castle. Finally, there was a cancellation and his daughter's dream came true. What struck him was that the room was full of tables with mostly adults. He felt a bit sad that his almost not dinner was because adults want to meet and greet the princesses.
I am just saying to all, be a little more thoughtful. There are those for whom a reservation somewhere in the park would mean so much, and yet you are holding on to it, "just in case".

Disney is supposed to be for everyone. Just because we are an adult only traveling group does NOT mean that I don't deserve to eat with the Princesses. We are paying just as much (or sometimes more) than those families with children. Maybe they didn't go as kids (which is both DH and I) and they are embrasing their inner kid. Heck. When we go, I totally act like Im 3!

At the end of the day, everyone has equal access to all the FPs, all the ADRs, all the everything.

Or, on the words of a poster in my classroom: "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

I agree. Unless you have booked your trip past 180 days, its on you to put reminders on calenders, phones, etc... to remind when your 180 days is coming up.

LOVE the quote!!!

 

[Nancyg56]

So the travel agent just books a bunch of them on speculation then graciously lets them go if it turns out they don't need them?

That's ridiculous.

Isn't that the very reason CRT eventually became prepaid? People were just booking a bunch of them then graciously handing them out to people on a message board?

I think that the TA released the ADR's that were not needed or wanted after the clients plans were finalized. The TA's I know not only book all adr's but they assist in itinerary planning and book FP for their clients. It was probably easier to release them all at once in a single post in order to manage them in a more efficient manner. To be honest, I think that it was pretty nice to give others a chance to scoop them up through the cancelation thread because it would have been a lot easier to just release them and call it a day. I doubt that I would put myself through it.

CRT became prepaid after it was clear that there was a group, I forget the name, that was collecting all of the ADR's and then selectively giving them out. This was when CRT was 90 days out and the single most difficult ADR to secure.

 

[JimmyBean42]

I think the biggest issue with committing to a park is that we don't know what FP+ we will get until 60 days out and yes for my family a FP+ for a specific ride may trump a dining reservation so we wait to cancel.

As a helpful tip, I was worried about this before too. I could only get a 7DMT FP+ last time right when we would be in the middle of a Crystal Palace lunch. I was unable to move my CP lunch and I think we all know there would be no way I was getting to move a FP+ for 7DMT for 15+ people. But a helpful CM told me if I brought the CP receipt showing I was there during my FP+ window that the CM there would let us on. They said just to go straight there though, not to try it 2 hours later. The CM at 7DMT saw the receipt, saw our FP+ time and let us on. Good stuff to know!