Why does the WDW reservation system allow for multiple reservations at the same time?

[labattblue]

With the ADR craziness in conjunction with the DDP(especially during free dining), why does the reservation system allow a guest to hold multiple reservations at the same time?

Doesn't this just make getting a reservation for restaurants that are already popular even more difficult?

You would think this would be a no brainer from Disney's perspective.




[edited]Oops. I meant to post this in the restaurant forum. Mods please move.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I wish I knew the answer.
If it's still possible to do that, l'd wager many, many hundreds of multiple reservations have already been made which makes it all the harder for folks who actuallly KNOW when and where they want to eat.

I had read somewhere that Disney was "aware"of the matter--but I guess they must think it's no big deal if they haven't corrected it

 

[bicker]

FWIR, they do cancel multiple ADRs made by the same person, if that person is indeed uniquely identified and identifiable based on how the ADR was made. Is that no longer the case?

Beyond that, if two ADRs aren't without-a-doubt made by the same person for the same time, then I don't see a reasonably practical and fair means of putting the limitations in you imply show be imposed. Also, the most important issue for Disney is related to how many guests they serve, so the only time duplicate ADRs causes a problem for Disney is when it results in empty tables due to no-shows, that would have been occupied tables if it wasn't for the duplicate ADR. I suspect that the vast majority of empty tables due to no-shows end up as tables occupied by walk-ins.

 

[vicki_c]

FWIR, they do cancel multiple ADRs made by the same person, if that person is indeed uniquely identified and identifiable based on how the ADR was made. Is that no longer the case?.

Not true in any verifiable way. Conventional wisdom says that this only happens when a CM happens to notice and takes it upon themselves to cancel one. It seems to be a VERY rare case that this happens.

There are legitimate reasons for having multiple reservations at the same time - for example, parties splitting up. Disney has no way of knowing the situations behind every ADR and what the reasoning is behind it.

 

[Jalva22]

I think a credit card hold coupled with a no-show fee would help. It may not help with advance reservations, but it would help with same day ressies as people begin cancelling the ones they know they don't plan to use that day.

 

[labattblue]

FWIR, they do cancel multiple ADRs made by the same person, if that person is indeed uniquely identified and identifiable based on how the ADR was made. Is that no longer the case?

Beyond that, if two ADRs aren't without-a-doubt made by the same person for the same time, then I don't see a reasonably practical and fair means of putting the limitations in you imply show be imposed. Also, the most important issue for Disney is related to how many guests they serve, so the only time duplicate ADRs causes a problem for Disney is when it results in empty tables due to no-shows, that would have been occupied tables if it wasn't for the duplicate ADR. I suspect that the vast majority of empty tables due to no-shows end up as tables occupied by walk-ins.

Using the online reservation system, I just did a quick test this morning. I made two ADR's, one after the other. When I went to put the second one in, I got a message that I already had a ADR at that time, but it still allowed me to book the second ADR.

 

[loveDmouse]

It wouldn't let me do it. I wanted to change an ADR but didn't want to cancel the one I had until I knew I could get the other one. It came up with an alert saying I had two ressies and would I like to keep the new one and cancel the old or keep the old. You couldn't keep both. I thought that was nice. This was like last week when I did it. It is really not fair for people to have several ressies for the same time.

 

[bicker]

I think a credit card hold coupled with a no-show fee would help.

I'm not so sure. I think something like that might discourage so many people from making ADRs that it might actually reduce patronage of the restaurants.

 

[labattblue]

It wouldn't let me do it. I wanted to change an ADR but didn't want to cancel the one I had until I knew I could get the other one. It came up with an alert saying I had two ressies and would I like to keep the new one and cancel the old or keep the old. You couldn't keep both. I thought that was nice. This was like last week when I did it. It is really not fair for people to have several ressies for the same time.

Strange. The message I got gave you two options(I just tried it again). Replace existing ADR with the new one or keep both ADR's.

 

[Lynne M]

Moving to Restaurants...

 

[Jalva22]

I'm not so sure. I think something like that might discourage so many people from making ADRs that it might actually reduce patronage of the restaurants.

You'll always have walk-up requests. I don't think sales would drop any. Better fewer total ADR's than a multitude of duplicate ones that people have no intention of using.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Yep, for sure on the online reservatioin system you can have two at once. I have done that, but always cancelled right away the one I didn't want. Most times it brings it up right away, however if you have say two dinners, and one is at 4:30 and the other is two hours later, it doesn't bring up the screen telling you have two dinner ADR's.

I wish they'd fix it, but even if they did, crafty people will just set up different ADR's under different names to circumvent the system. Which is too bad.

 

[Jenngoofys]

There are occasions where parties choose to dine at different restaurants, when they have larger parties. They sometimes need more than one reservation at the same time. Disney has no way of knowing if you are meeting friends or splitting your party so they wont prevent you from making multiple reservations.

 

[TDC Nala]

Because guests might legitimately want multiple reservations at the same time (splitting up the party, etc) although I usually suggest that these be made under different names.

And according to most reports, some multiple reservations for the same person at the same time do get cancelled, but by no means all of them.

From what I recall, if you book two reservations online at the same time, the system DOES give you the option of keeping both reservations. This screen comes up if the same person makes two reservations within one hour of each other.

 

[bicker]

You'll always have walk-up requests. I don't think sales would drop any.

If (hypothetically) the proposed change reduces ADRs by 95%, it is very likely that that will result in lost patronage - empty tables that would have been booked if credit card guarantees were not imposed.

If walk-in demand was as healthy as you suggest then there would be no reason for WDW to incur the expense of an ADR system at all.

Better fewer total ADR's than a multitude of duplicate ones that people have no intention of using.

But that's just the point: It seems to me that that wouldn't be better for them.

 

[bicker]

There are occasions where parties choose to dine at different restaurants, when they have larger parties. They sometimes need more than one reservation at the same time. Disney has no way of knowing if you are meeting friends or splitting your party so they wont prevent you from making multiple reservations.

In such cases, though, then they could insist that the second reservation be made in the name of a different person. The resort ADR advantage would be lost, of course, but that seems like a fair condition. Assuming, of course, that there was a compelling reason for WDW to worry about multiple ADRs.

 

[Jalva22]

If (hypothetically) the proposed change reduces ADRs by 95%, it is very likely that that will result in lost patronage - empty tables that would have been booked if credit card guarantees were not imposed.

If walk-in demand was as healthy as you suggest then there would be no reason for WDW to incur the expense of an ADR system at all.

But that's just the point: It seems to me that that wouldn't be better for them.

There's no way that adding a cc hold would reduce ADR's by 95%. But we'll have to agree to disagree on the lost revenue. I sincerely doubt you would see an explosion of empty tables just because they required a cc hold and instituted a fee for not showing up. It's not like that's a major imposition on their guests in this day and age.

 

[bytheblood]

I think the answers are simple:

1 - A party of 8 may want to dine at 3 different places on any given night.
2 - You want restaurant A, but it is not available. You book B as a back-up. When A becomes available, how would you secure it if you could only do 1 at a time. Cancelling B to get A might make you miss out on A.

It is fair to remember that not all people who make more than one reservation are cheating the system, being selfish, overbooking until they make up their minds, etc. There are some of us who are very aware of the effect it has on other guests.

 

[bytheblood]

There's no way that adding a cc hold would reduce ADR's by 95%. But we'll have to agree to disagree on the lost revenue. I sincerely doubt you would see an explosion of empty tables just because they required a cc hold and instituted a fee for not showing up. It's not like that's a major imposition on their guests in this day and age.

I have to agree. What would stop people from using their cc to hold the reservation until a few days before their vacation starts. And I could use multiple credit cards if needed.

 

[bicker]

There's no way that adding a cc hold would reduce ADR's by 95%.

You have no way of knowing what impact it would have.

But we'll have to agree to disagree on the lost revenue.

However, in doing so you're effectively claiming that WDW would be better off financially without ADRs, since it costs something to maintain the system, but according to you, the restaurants would be filled just as much regardless of how many ADRs are made.

I sincerely doubt you would see an explosion of empty tables just because they required a cc hold and instituted a fee for not showing up.

An explosion is not necessary. All that is necessary is any amount of decrease above the cost of maintaining the ADR system.

It's not like that's a major imposition on their guests in this day and age.

That we can agree to disagree about.