Double booking PS-BEWARE-my story

[trampslady]

Okay, so I took extra great care to plan my family's trip during what I knew was to be a very busy spring break season. It was the four of us (me, hubby, mom, and grandma) and we had some special spots we really wanted to visit. I did not double book anything at all, but that took many changes to our PS as hours and extra magic hours changed just before we left.

So, I made a quick call to Disney Dining while at Boardwalk Villas late one evening after we discussed the next days plans. We decided to cancel a couple of PS for later in the week and add one new one. When I got the Cast Member on the telephone, she pulled up my telephone number and IMMEDIATELY began a tirade (and I mean the preachy third degree) on how crowded the parks were and she noticed I had double and triple (what!?!) booked PS. Quite honestly, I was so taken back, I got a bit defensive, and I asked that she point them out as I was staring at my own Excel spreadsheet with all our PS printed. She started down the list...uh, hello, that would be an AM and a PM PS for different restaurants. Since when did having breakfast and dinner become a double booking. Admittedly, she got a bit flustered at her own mistake, but amazingly, she still continued the tirade. At this point, I stopped her and expressed my disappointment at her accusations since it was clear that there was not one double booking on my record. What a bizarre ordeal.

Lesson learned.......apparently those Dining Cast Members have been given a class on how to lecture Guests on double booking. Beware as this particular Agent implied that "Quality Assurance" will be monitoring and cancelling PS if they find double bookings.

 

[LIGrumpyGirl]

Yikes! I have yet to double book...but I have one last name and my boyfriend has another. Does that count?!? I know a few couples who do that. I would always cancel the one I don't use though. I know I have been shut out of too many dinners...I wouldn't want that for anybody else.

 

[Snurk71]

Disney has been tracking on phone# as the key for some time now. As long as the phone#s are different, you shouldn't hit the radar. If you want to take an extra precaution, say you're staying at two different hotels too (off-site, so you're not tied into the Disney reservation system).

I don't know that they have an automated program though (they should). If they do, it might just be a manpower thing on calling on all potential duplicates. We had a duplicate one year when both DW and I got Cindy's. Disney called later that morning to ask which PS we wanted to keep and which we wanted to cancel. They didn't blindly cancel one or both at their whim.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We were just there a few weeks ago and I made a number of PS since we had a group of 10 and I didn't want to get stuck. However our 1st night I went to the BC conicere (so spelled wrong) desk and looked to make PS for us that night somewhere at Epcot. We got us all in at Italy, however we had an PS alreay there in 2 days. I was all see to cancel it then but the CM said, let's keep it just in case you don't get there tonight or even want to eat there again. I did later cancel it, but he seemed to think it was no big deal if I didn't.


What number where you making th PS at from home? I always use the DVC member services since it is tool free or the other 800 number. I have always gotten really friendly and helpful cast members then. Sorry this lady was so rude. That really takes the magic out of it doesn't it? (and leaves a bad taste in your mouth too. )

 

[EEyorelover22]

If they only look at phone numbers, I'm in big trouble if someone looks at mine because it looks like we are double booked, but we aren't. There are several breakfasts and dinners where DD and I eat one place and DS And DH eat at another. They are for parties of 2. I sure hope they don't cancel just looking at the phone number. I will not be happy that's for sure. One morning DD and I have CRT and the boys have Donald's. I did book the boys' under DH's name.

 

[jcemom]

Maybe if park hours were released BEFORE the PS windows opened up the wouldn't have this problem to begin with? I don't think I would take too kindly to being lectured on a 'crime' I hadn't even committed. It sounds as if you handled it much better than I would have!

 

[missypie]

I got some grief because I had lunch and dinner PS on the same day. It all makes sense to me. They are really promoting MYW and the dining plan. What's going to happen when all those people (who don't even know what PS stands for) get out of school and head down to Florida and find that they can't eat their sit down meal each day because no PS are available? (I personally think that those people are going to get the 7 pm PS at LTT that I tried to get 90 days out [but could only get 5:20 pm!])

 

[daisy112878]

EEyorelover22 don't worry. We do this all the time. We have a group of 8. We have always had the girls go to CRT for breakfast and the boys go to Ohana. We have never had a ressie cancelled b/c they thought it was double booking. And believe me if they did try that my dad would be all over them. I think its more of having 2 ressies for the same time for your exact party number.

I probably wouldn't have been so nice to the CM on the phone with the OP. That's about the worse case of bad customer service I have heard of. Who cares if you have PSs for different times during the day. My family can't get MYW dining b/c my dad is a DVC member. We all stay on his points and you can't get the dining with dvc.

 

[pixiedust23]

I'm sorry but I have to agree with Disney. I def think it's wrong for people to double and triple book PS's. It makes it almost impossible at times for other people to eat at sit down restaurants. These would be the people not fortunate enough to learn about wonderful places like the DIS. We shoudl take pity on them!

 

[Lewisc]

Who cares if you have PSs for different times during the day. My family can't get MYW dining b/c my dad is a DVC member. We all stay on his points and you can't get the dining with dvc.

I care if someone makes PS they have no intention of keeping. It makes it harder for people to PS they plan on using.

Obviously people can go to the same restaurant more than once and can split their parties up.

How many times, NOT IN THIS THREAD, have you read people making extra PS seatings? Book CM for breakfast and dinner, having no intention of keeping both.

An attempt to "keep us honest" is far better than having resort to credit card guarantees which is the alternative.

 

[daisy112878]

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with disney about double or triple booking for the same time for the entire party at different places. What isn't right is a CM lecturing the OP for double booking when she didn't double book. She had two PS for different times during the same day but that's not double booking. My family usually will do 2 PS for the same day b/c we have a party 8. We have a list of must do restaurants everytime we go and we want to make sure we get into them.

 

[daisy112878]

Lewis - I wasn't speaking of people who had no intentions of keeping their PSs. I was talking about people who like my family makes 2 PS in one day and have never cancelled any PSs during any of our stays. I would definitly have a problem with someone making several PSs and not planning to keep them. I totally agree that people shouldn't do PSs just b/c they might want to go there.

 

[Becky2005]

If they only look at phone numbers, I'm in big trouble if someone looks at mine because it looks like we are double booked, but we aren't. There are several breakfasts and dinners where DD and I eat one place and DS And DH eat at another. They are for parties of 2. I sure hope they don't cancel just looking at the phone number. I will not be happy that's for sure. One morning DD and I have CRT and the boys have Donald's. I did book the boys' under DH's name.

I was just thinking the same thing!! Since we are a family of 6, we have some split up time for different things sine age factors also come into play. I'm doing some things with some of the kids at certain times and DH is doing some things with the other kids, etc... It's quite possible for us to need 2 different places around similar times or within close timeframes. We haven't booked anything yet but was just considering it. The biggest one is the Steam Train Tour, DH & DD are going on that, I figured I would eat with the boys and then those 2 can eat afterwards. It won't be at the same time but definitely would probably be within 2 hours, so that would look odd and they might assume it's a double-booking.

Oh well, MORE stuff for me to stress over.

 

[jenjersnap]

I have been enthusiastically encouraged by more than one CM to make double bookings. I don't generally do it, though I am holding one currently because we are trying to decide if we are going to go on a date, just DH and I, or take the kids to a more family friendly restaurant. When I decide, I will cancel one when calling about something else.

I guess I will don my flame-retardant suit. *shrug* My main point was to say that not all CRO CMs have the same attitude. I think the OP handled it with much more grace than I would have!