Your thoughts... Is 180+10 "fair" to resort guests?

[mickeychickie]

I think reservations should open up 180 days prior to THAT particular date - no +10, no +6, just straight 180; also I think that the system should not allow for any two dinners to be booked within 2 hours of each other on any given day... it may not be the solution, but i think it would give everyone a better chance at getting these illusive ADRs. With a 2-hour window for dinner on the one date I needed, I didn't stand a chance at getting a BOG res at my 180-day mark due to the +whatever days - i just have to hope that a cancel comes through at this time or that more tables are added... smh

 

[Disneyliscious]

Also, I really wish Disney would do something to now allow people to hoard ADRs. I have heard of some people booking five be our guest reservations, saying they will decide what day and time they will eat there the week before their trip. (Yes, this person must have been very lucky to snag so many BOG ADRs!) It's one thing if you actually plan on eating somewhere five separate times, but another to hold onto so many reservations for such a long period of time.

Just wanted to say that I agree with this. I've seen so many piggy people hoarding on to ADR's that many other people would like to have. I partly blame them and partly blame Disney. Here's why...

As I was booking my trip and figuring out which parks to do on which days, I realized a huge snafu. I had all my days set. On Tues Oct 20 we were going to MNSSHP. I got a 4pm reservation at Pirates League for the guys. Asked how this works since we are able to enter the park at 4pm and the res was for the same time. Was told I had to buy the day time park ticket. Ok, fine. We'll do that and just spend all day at MK that day. Everything's taken care of, right? Wrong.

I now find out that "about" 60 days before MNSSHP starts, they extend the Pirates League hours from 4pm to 7pm (I knew my previous one years ago was at 5pm but figured they had changed the hours). So now, if I am able to snag a Pirates League res from 5-7pm I wont need to go to the MK all day that day. So what do I do? Book and hold on to ADR's now that I may not need or wait and risk trying to get an ADR "about" 60 days out? I'm basically planning 2 itineraries at this point, both with diff parks on diff days, both with diff sets of ADRs -because- of the issue with Pirates League. Its stupid. Why not let PL be online booking or at least open up the extended hours when MNSSHP tix go on sale? There is NO reason for Disney not to do this and its one small thing that could be a HUGE help in people planning their vacations. Pick a mark - 180, 90, 60 days out...whatever....and make -every- reservation available at the same time. I'm only going to use ONE itinerary but I have to wait another 2 months or so before I know which one to let go of. And if the extended schedule hits at 60 days, then we get to throw in FP+ on top of that already crazy day. That is Disneys issue.

As far as the guests (us) issue, I totallt agree that a person should be limited on the high pop reservations. Limit it to 2 per 7 days or something like that.

I've been spending some time down on the US/IOA board and its clear from those on the darkside that US/IOA is getting busier each year and many feel its the Disney people who are sick of micro-planning every move of their vacation gravitating to a new park. I am one of those people. Been loyal to Disney for almost 4 decades but this year, for the first time ever, we are spending 2 of our park days (and all the eating and spending that goes with it) in Universal Parks simply because Disney has gotten to be a pita.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Just wanted to say that I agree with this. I've seen so many piggy people hoarding on to ADR's that many other people would like to have. I partly blame them and partly blame Disney. Here's why...

As I was booking my trip and figuring out which parks to do on which days, I realized a huge snafu. I had all my days set. On Tues Oct 20 we were going to MNSSHP. I got a 4pm reservation at Pirates League for the guys. Asked how this works since we are able to enter the park at 4pm and the res was for the same time. Was told I had to buy the day time park ticket. Ok, fine. We'll do that and just spend all day at MK that day. Everything's taken care of, right? Wrong.

I now find out that "about" 60 days before MNSSHP starts, they extend the Pirates League hours from 4pm to 7pm (I knew my previous one years ago was at 5pm but figured they had changed the hours). So now, if I am able to snag a Pirates League res from 5-7pm I wont need to go to the MK all day that day. So what do I do? Book and hold on to ADR's now that I may not need or wait and risk trying to get an ADR "about" 60 days out? I'm basically planning 2 itineraries at this point, both with diff parks on diff days, both with diff sets of ADRs -because- of the issue with Pirates League. Its stupid. Why not let PL be online booking or at least open up the extended hours when MNSSHP tix go on sale? There is NO reason for Disney not to do this and its one small thing that could be a HUGE help in people planning their vacations. Pick a mark - 180, 90, 60 days out...whatever....and make -every- reservation available at the same time. I'm only going to use ONE itinerary but I have to wait another 2 months or so before I know which one to let go of. And if the extended schedule hits at 60 days, then we get to throw in FP+ on top of that already crazy day. That is Disneys issue.

As far as the guests (us) issue, I totallt agree that a person should be limited on the high pop reservations. Limit it to 2 per 7 days or something like that.

I've been spending some time down on the US/IOA board and its clear from those on the darkside that US/IOA is getting busier each year and many feel its the Disney people who are sick of micro-planning every move of their vacation gravitating to a new park. I am one of those people. Been loyal to Disney for almost 4 decades but this year, for the first time ever, we are spending 2 of our park days (and all the eating and spending that goes with it) in Universal Parks simply because Disney has gotten to be a pita.

I agree that limiting dining reservations for certain restaurants might be useful in preventing the hoarding. I know that people book BOG and Chef Mickey's and other popular restaurants for multiple days on their trip, fully intending to use only 1 of them. I am a big believer in first-come, first-served, but when some folks can't get any ressie at all for their favorite restaurant when they book at 180 +4, 5 or 6, there is certainly a problem.

I am also frustrated with Disney for choosing not to release all reservations at the 180 day mark. When Disney releases large numbers of BOG reservations 60-90 days in advance, it hurts those who tried to do it right and plan in advance. I understand that with the breakfast Disney is not sure if they are going to continue with offering the breakfast and they have to have more time than 180 days, but Disney knows 180 days in advance about BOG dinner and lunch. Intentionally holding on to those ressies is what seems unfair to me.

 

[CynBeth]

I personally think the whole way they allow guests to book dining is unfair. In an ideal world, I think guests should just get to book dining right when they make their on-site resort reservations, although I'm sure this would be way too far out for Disney to handle in many cases. Say person A and person B are both leaving for their trip on November 8th. Person A booked their trip a whole year in advance well before any promos were offered, but person B booked their trip on May 1st (only slightly before their 180 day window and after the free dining promo came out.) Person A & B get to make reservations at the exact same time and day even though person A planned their trip much farther in advance. Person B gets lucky and gets almost every single ADR while the system is glitchy for person A or they are just unlucky and aren't able to snag as many ADRs. Seems pretty unfair to me, especially since person A booked well before free dining came out and is now almost being penalized by the promotion and everyone clamoring to book their free dining. (This is just a scenario and I am not person A at all! Lol. Due to my husbands work schedule, we can hardly ever book a trip a whole year in advance, but more power to someone who can and they should get to be first in line in my opinion.)

Also, I really wish Disney would do something to now allow people to hoard ADRs. I have heard of some people booking five be our guest reservations, saying they will decide what day and time they will eat there the week before their trip. (Yes, this person must have been very lucky to snag so many BOG ADRs!) It's one thing if you actually plan on eating somewhere five separate times, but another to hold onto so many reservations for such a long period of time. (I understand holding onto them for a week or two, but six months??) I wish the system would only let you make two or three reservations for the same place during your stay so more people would have a chance to get to eat at these restaurants. I'm sure many would disagree with me, and I completely understand the other side of it, but it's just a thought...

I'll get off my soap box now. : )

I agree with the part about allowing guests to book dining as soon as ressie is made at a resort whether part of package or room only.

I really did not like this year where we are doing a split stay so I could only make ressies for the first part of the trip at the 180 day mark from the first resort and then had to wait until the 180 day mark at the second resort to make for the second part of the trip. The last time a few years ago we did a split stay I am pretty sure I was able to do the entire week once the 180 day mark if the first resort hit. I do not like the change and feel I am being penalized for wanting to experience several resorts.

In the grand scheme of things I know making ADRs is an annoyance but not a big deal. I am just so happy and fortunate to be able to go. I know a lot of people that never take a vacation or see much outside our state and if they do go away it is usually the same beach trip every year.

 

[KristiK]

I like the plus ten, but think it's ridiculous you can make tons of overlapping reservations and keep them indefinitely! Makes it hard for those of us who do make our plans concrete far out.

 

[Confederate Scott]

I think the idea of allowing to book at the time of reservation is a great idea. It benefits those that truly are planning ahead. This of course applies to beyond 180 day bookings.

 

[TwoCortWort]

I think it's a bit unfair that resort guests get the 180+10, but I have had luck away from that 180 mark in getting what we wanted on occassion.

 

[Tonberry]

I know one thing I would not like to see is making reservations at 180 days straight with no additional +1, +5, +10 etc.

Can you imagine getting up at 5:30 am every morning for a week, waiting at your computer until 6:00, and pulling your hair out while you keep getting the "we are unable to....." message?