Reservation Hoarders - You Know Who You Are :)

[ElaineB55]

This is just a little rant. We have been trying to get reservations now since February for BOG in June at lunch on either 6/5 or 6/8 with no luck yet. Yet I see people on the June cancel reservations thread cancelling reservations for each and every day they are at WDW for BOG (just not our date, yet). I don't understand why people can't commit to what park they are going on what day and free up the reservations for us poor schmucks.
For those who have cruised, it is like the cruisers who put a flip flop on a chair by the pool at 6AM and don't show up to that chair until 11AM. It is called chair hogging. I think we need a name for those overbooking reservations they "might" need....thus the title of my thread.
Okay, rant over, and still getting very excited - 2 weeks and 1 day until we come "home"!

 

[supersnoop]

I don't understand why people can't commit to what park they are going on what day and free up the reservations for us poor schmucks.

Isn't that exactly what they're doing when you see them post in the cancellation thread?

 

[JimmyBean42]

We have been trying to get reservations now since February for BOG in June at lunch on either 6/5 or 6/8 with no luck yet. Yet I see people on the June cancel reservations thread cancelling reservations for each and every day they are at WDW for BOG (just not our date, yet).

Reading that, it appears you're more frustrated that their haven't been cancellations on the days you want reservations as opposed to "hoarders". Agree it's frustrating when you can't get the reservation you want on the days you want, but if you aren't seeing many given up on those days you want, maybe that's just a popular day. A lot of people base them on their FP+ times as well and if you are seeing a lot of other cancellations it sounds like your just getting unlucky.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not planning a WDW trip right now so hold no reservations. It irritates the crap out of me too. But honestly, when Disney plays the games they play, changing park hours, changing EMH dates, adding special events, I do understand why people do it. I'm helping a friend plan right now and am advising her to have a back up plan for the 1 or 2 reservations that are make or break for her. I would never advise her to book it every single day though. That's just wrong.

Keep trying and watching the cancellation threads. We visited in early June last year and booked late enough to miss all the ADRs too. I just hovered over the keyboard and finally got perfect times to dine in both castles. I hope you have the same luck!

 

[mom2rtk]

Reading that, it appears you're more frustrated that their haven't been cancellations on the days you want reservations as opposed to "hoarders". Agree it's frustrating when you can't get the reservation you want on the days you want, but if you aren't seeing many given up on those days you want, maybe that's just a popular day. A lot of people base them on their FP+ times as well and if you are seeing a lot of other cancellations it sounds like your just getting unlucky.

I think the PP believes that if more people weren't holding so many multiple reservations, they might have found something available initially without having to wait for someone to graciously give up what they overbooked.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I think the PP believes that if more people weren't holding so many multiple reservations, they might have found something available initially without having to wait for someone to graciously give up what they overbooked.

Exactly.

Make a game plan and try to stick to it.

It is crazy that people have figured out that reservations have to be an hour apart to be able to make multiple for the same meal. Who the heck eats two meals just an hour apart? No one. Someone found out because they were hoarding reservations.

 

[ElaineB55]

I think the PP believes that if more people weren't holding so many multiple reservations, they might have found something available initially without having to wait for someone to graciously give up what they overbooked.

Exactly - sloppy seconds. It is just not courteous. I know the hoarders don't care, but we have been very careful when planning this trip that if we change our parks days to to switched EMH's etc., we have rebooked and cancelled the other reservations right away. This has been a very difficult trip to plan & reservation hoarders have added to the difficulty. And yes, I am desperate and checking the cancellations every day. But I missed one at 9PM last night.....I can't be on the computer every second.
I am just wondering why people can't make a plan to start with and just tweak it if need be. To take a reservation EVERY day of their trip for the same time & restaurant is rather unfair. They can, but it is not playing nice.

 

[JimmyBean42]

I'm guessing most people aren't planners the way many on these boards are. I'm just amazed that people can actually get multiple reservations per day, especially for popular spots. I have a tough enough time just getting the ones I want on the days I want. I find myself adjusting on the fly b/c things are available that I initially planned for on my ADR day. So I guess the whole hoarding concept seems out there to me b/c I'd have no idea how anyone could get lucky enough to have multiple reservations that close in time.

 

[conandrob240]

Sorry, holding reservations every day is fair game as long as not more than one at every meal. I often book a few days of BOG lunch until I finalize my plans at FP+ window then I throw them back in the pool.

 

[supersnoop]

I'm convinced that "hoarding" is a myth perpetuated by folks who are upset that they can't get the reservations they want. Every now and then, someone will post a massive list of cancellations (usually because they cancelled their trip), and that will be the "proof" folks use to further the hoarder myth.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I'm convinced that "hoarding" is a myth perpetuated by folks who are upset that they can't get the reservations they want. Every now and then, someone will post a massive list of cancellations (usually because they cancelled their trip), and that will be the "proof" folks use to further the hoarder myth.

Read the post above yours. It isn't a myth.

 

[ElaineB55]

I'm convinced that "hoarding" is a myth perpetuated by folks who are upset that they can't get the reservations they want. Every now and then, someone will post a massive list of cancellations (usually because they cancelled their trip), and that will be the "proof" folks use to further the hoarder myth.

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!!!

 

[supersnoop]

Read the post above yours. It isn't a myth.

But I am thinking there are many, many reservations like this out there.

The entire membership here at the DIS is about the same as attendance in the parks on a single busy day. And here we have an example of one or two people who have some extra reservations over the course of a week. Many of which are for different party sizes, indicating that they are actually for different people. And the other holds a couple extra reservations but releases them 60 days in advance. Do some people hold on to extra reservations for a little while? Sure, but only a minuscule and insignificant amount. Is there a "hoarding" epidemic? Absolutely not.

 

[Regan117]

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!!!

Actually, for a lot of these, it looks like this person was trying to book a party of 7 and made several smaller reservations because they weren't able to get a table for 7. And then maybe they just held onto them to try and help someone out on this board. I've done that - kept a hard-to-get ADR so that I could offer it to someone here.

 

[TeresaWen]

If Disney would finalize their plans for AK I would finalize mine. Not sure when dining package for late September / early October will be available for booking but until then I am holding onto my BOG ADR's. I know I may have to book Tiffins and a ROL package over one of my BOG reservations. Just not sure which one yet! When I know I will cancel the others.

 

[scdak]

This is just a little rant. We have been trying to get reservations now since February for BOG in June at lunch on either 6/5 or 6/8 with no luck yet. Yet I see people on the June cancel reservations thread cancelling reservations for each and every day they are at WDW for BOG (just not our date, yet). I don't understand why people can't commit to what park they are going on what day and free up the reservations for us poor schmucks.
For those who have cruised, it is like the cruisers who put a flip flop on a chair by the pool at 6AM and don't show up to that chair until 11AM. It is called chair hogging. I think we need a name for those overbooking reservations they "might" need....thus the title of my thread.
Okay, rant over, and still getting very excited - 2 weeks and 1 day until we come "home"!

OP I fully understand your frustration but I will say that I have been very, very lucky looking for a cancellation between 11:00pm and 11:45pm on the night before I wanted something because people wait until the last possible minute to cancel for the next day. Shoot one night I didn't even wake up my travel mate to tell her how lucky I got.........I just reset our alarm and told her then next morning to get up and get MOVING since we had an 8am breakfast with "friends" at Tusker House

 

[21stamps]

The entire membership here at the DIS is about the same as attendance in the parks on a single busy day. And here we have an example of one or two people who have some extra reservations over the course of a week. Many of which are for different party sizes, indicating that they are actually for different people. And the other holds a couple extra reservations but releases them 60 days in advance. Do some people hold on to extra reservations for a little while? Sure, but only a minuscule and insignificant amount. Is there a "hoarding" epidemic? Absolutely not.

I booked our last trip 65 days out. Immediately after i went on mydisneyexperience to start booking our dining- out of 9 of my "must do" places- I got 1.

Totally started freaking out! A friend told me about the "hoarders" and advised me to keep checking every single day. Eventually (even leading up to the day before we left) I was able to get all of them- although not at preferred times, but hey I had to take what I could get.

I got them by seriously checking 8 or more times per day, minimum. It was crazy stressful.

I understand cancelling here or there, but there should be no reason to cancel so many. As a pp said- sure it's perfectly "legal". It's just a little ridiculous.

ETA- I actually didn't do Chef Mickey, which was one of my 9. While we were there a 2:30 opened up, but it just didn't fit. That was at the lowest end of importance, so I got over it.

 

[ziravan]

The rules allow it. It isn't unethical. I've been able to go to BOG every trip that way.

I normally book - and use - 3 or more 7DMT and TSMM FPs each trip. We use half day touring plans, split parks, and don't use FPs at AK or EPCOT.

We also use rideswaps to our maximum advantage. Here is our 27 E-ticket ride live report from last June.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/live-report-4-park-roller-coaster-day-the-sequel.3419002/

I know the system. I know it's weak points. I use that to my advantage.

I'm supposed to feel bad about taking advantage of hard earned knowledge?

I do not. In many ways, the system is designed to work better for those with more knowledge, or time, or staying on-site. It's a feature, not a flaw.

 

[butterfly71076]

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!!!

Ummm, if you would have actually read the entire response, you would have noticed this was a TA cancelling several clients ADR's, not one person making reservations for themselves.

Sometimes I make several different ADR's for different days at the same place and when the park hours get updated, I cancel the ones I won't use. It doesn't bother me when other people do the same

 

[1sttimedisneymama]

I booked CRT on two different days and then went back and looked at which day fit best for our plans and canceled the one that didn't on the same day. I see nothing wrong with "hoarding" reservations anyway. It's just like people who book a "fake" vacation while waiting for FD so they can book ADRs at 180 days. I'm sure a lot of people cancel trips if they can't get free dining, but also don't want to miss out on good ADRs if they can. It's just how it is IMO. I really wanted to book BOG dinner but couldn't and that's okay! It was only three days into our trip so some people had already been booking up to 11 days before that. It's seriously just meals. I get it's an experience but it shouldn't be THAT big of a deal. Use touring plans to get alerts for when they open up if you really want something in particular