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

[DizBelle]

I'm not asking if people think it is fair to people staying offsite. I'm asking if it is fair to other people staying on property.

For example, A is checking in on December 10 and staying for 6 days. A can make ADRs starting on June 13 and because of 180+10, they can make them for all 6 days of their trip. B is checking in on December 9 and staying for 7 days. B can make their ADRs starting on June 12 and because of 180+10, they can make them for all 7 days of their trip.

The problem is that B (and anyone else arriving before December 10 and whose trip overlaps A's) had an opportunity to make ADRs for December 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 a whole day before A did. I'm wondering if it is fair to A that so many people can make ADRs for their trip days before they can?

I'm wondering if, perhaps, a different schedule would be better. Perhaps onsite guests can make reservations 180 days in advance for any given day and offsite guests can make reservations 170 days in advance for any given day.

As it is now, if you want any popular ADRs, you have to make them for late in your trip if you want to have them at all because so many others have taken the ADRs for earlier in your trip before you even had an opportunity to make any ADRs at all.

I would rather log on every day to make ADRs than have a much lower probability of getting the ones I want for early in my trip. Also, if you don't have a long enough trip, you might not get that coveted ADR at all.

Thoughts?

 

[Aggieamy5]

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. : )

 

[EvieBug]

I'm not asking if people think it is fair to people staying offsite. I'm asking if it is fair to other people staying on property.

For example, A is checking in on December 10 and staying for 6 days. A can make ADRs starting on June 13 and because of 180+10, they can make them for all 6 days of their trip. B is checking in on December 9 and staying for 7 days. B can make their ADRs starting on June 12 and because of 180+10, they can make them for all 7 days of their trip.

The problem is that B (and anyone else arriving before December 10 and whose trip overlaps A's) had an opportunity to make ADRs for December 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 a whole day before A did. I'm wondering if it is fair to A that so many people can make ADRs for their trip days before they can?

I'm wondering if, perhaps, a different schedule would be better. Perhaps onsite guests can make reservations 180 days in advance for any given day and offsite guests can make reservations 170 days in advance for any given day.

As it is now, if you want any popular ADRs, you have to make them for late in your trip if you want to have them at all because so many others have taken the ADRs for earlier in your trip before you even had an opportunity to make any ADRs at all.

I would rather log on every day to make ADRs than have a much lower probability of getting the ones I want for early in my trip. Also, if you don't have a long enough trip, you might not get that coveted ADR at all.

Thoughts?

I think that example is fair, because B arrives sooner, so should get first picks. They are both staying onsite. What I wish they would do differently is figure out the balance between resort guests and locals and 'randoms' - with randoms being people who are not local, and have not booked a trip, and are still reserving dining. I don't know what the percentages of each of those populations are, but I wish they'd figure it out and limit accordingly if they don't already.

My TA booked all my dining this morning, and she did 'end load' it so the hot spots that she worried about getting would be at the end. I'm not sure this is "unfair" - it's just how it is. The reality is that the popularity of certain places (and dining in general) has exceeded what works well for people.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think the system is fair.....when it works.

My issue is that either the website is down or the 180+10 doesn't work for resort guests when it's supposed to. Booking online is a crapshoot and that's not fair.

 

[EvieBug]

I think the system is fair.....when it works.

My issue is that either the website is down or the 180+10 doesn't work for resort guests when it's supposed to. Booking online is a crapshoot and that's not fair.

Now THAT I agree with for sure! Getting started at 6 am only to find the whole system down is a serious drag.

 

[hollannc]

I was on at 6:00 am 180 days out last week and the site was working, and I still didn't get any of our first choices. Nothing for CRT or BOG during our entire stay. THATS a drag

 

[Marissaq]

I think that Disney needs to focus on improving the restaurants that are not booking up with adrs. If there was enough places to sit and eat, the adrs would not be so difficult to get. Look at Magic Kingdom, there are barely any sit down restaurants that don't book up right away.

 

[MulingAround]

I have no idea because Ive never done adr's.
This year will be first time doing it and Lord knows how nervous I am about it! I don't want to let my group down.

 

[artemis908]

One issue I see is that you could book a trip for 10 days, make your ADRs, and cancel after you got them. It'd be the only way you'd get all of the reservations you'd want and I have no doubt people do it.

Personally, I think there are not enough benefits for staying at Deluxe resorts and they'd get more people choosing Deluxe resorts if they gave them added benefits, like they can book their reservations first. I am not someone who always stays at Deluxe resorts, I don't personally see the benefits of staying there outside of some are walkable to the parks. But if they added some things that made it worth it, I'd consider it again.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I'm wondering if, perhaps, a different schedule would be better. Perhaps onsite guests can make reservations 180 days in advance for any given day and offsite guests can make reservations 170 days in advance for any given day.

This would definitely give the onsite people who have reservations at 180 or more days out the most equal opportunity. But would you want to get up at 6AM 10 days in a row to do it? LOL Plus what about the person who didn't make their reservation until 150 days out. Oops, they not only lost their fair chance with onsite guests, but even the offsite guests had a 20 day jump on them. Guess what I am getting at is a completely fair system is hard to come by.

 

[abs1978]

There are no good answers. Personally I think you shouldn't be able to hoard reservations. Booking BOG for 5 and 7 because you aren't sure which one you want while waiting for a 6 to open up seems unfair. You should be able to reserve one place per meal. Obviously no one is going to eat at 7 restaurants in one day yet the system lets you reserve it.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I wish free dining would just go away completely so we wouldn't have these problems of not getting an adr because the restaurant is "new" and popular or being nervous the night before your 180 day mark.. it is so crazy to me that it got to this point! I wish it was the way it used to be... whatever you are in the mood for- walk up and get seated! People do walk-ups but its not a guaranteed table and most of time you are told they are booked solid.

I did do my adrs last weekend and luckily the site worked great and I got everything we needed, even the harder adrs but I have a 10 day trip so getting both CRT breakfast and BOG dinner on our 8th day was a breeze. Not everyone has a 10 day trip so they don't have an advantage. We usually only stay 6 nights, so this is my longest trip yet and I am happy that I was able to get everything... but I also feel bad that those with shorter stays and plan each day with say BOG on their first or second night, it is a given that they won't get it and they probably won't get it on their 4th, 5th or 6th night either! I checked and anything before my 8th day, nothing was available for BOG dinner. This is just how I feel about it. The site is good on one day and horrible the next.. a HUGE company like Disney, you'd think they would have a better system.

And I agree completely about hoarding ADR's or booking a throw away room just so you have the 180+10 advantage when you are eventually planning on cancelling the room reservation.. I just can't believe people do these things nowadays all for dining.

 

[Disneylover99]

There are no good answers. Personally I think you shouldn't be able to hoard reservations. Booking BOG for 5 and 7 because you aren't sure which one you want while waiting for a 6 to open up seems unfair. You should be able to reserve one place per meal. Obviously no one is going to eat at 7 restaurants in one day yet the system lets you reserve it.

I think so too. But at the same time, if Disney implemented a system like this, instead of booking a BOG at 5 and 7, people would book a BOG at 5 and Ohana at 7, then on another day, Ohana at 5 and BOG at 7. So basically same problem with regards to availability I would imagine.

 

[EvieBug]

I wish free dining would just go away completely so we wouldn't have these problems of not getting an adr because the restaurant is "new" and popular or being nervous the night before your 180 day mark.. it is so crazy to me that it got to this point! I wish it was the way it used to be... whatever you are in the mood for- walk up and get seated! People do walk-ups but its not a guaranteed table and most of time you are told they are booked solid.

I did do my adrs last weekend and luckily the site worked great and I got everything we needed, even the harder adrs but I have a 10 day trip so getting both CRT breakfast and BOG dinner on our 8th day was a breeze. Not everyone has a 10 day trip so they don't have an advantage. We usually only stay 6 nights, so this is my longest trip yet and I am happy that I was able to get everything... but I also feel bad that those with shorter stays and plan each day with say BOG on their first or second night, it is a given that they won't get it and they probably won't get it on their 4th, 5th or 6th night either! I checked and anything before my 8th day, nothing was available for BOG dinner. This is just how I feel about it. The site is good on one day and horrible the next.. a HUGE company like Disney, you'd think they would have a better system.

And I agree completely about hoarding ADR's or booking a throw away room just so you have the 180+10 advantage when you are eventually planning on cancelling the room reservation.. I just can't believe people do these things nowadays all for dining.

Is this really all caused by free dining? I realize it makes an impact of course, just didn't think that was a major cause.

I remember walking up for meals just about everywhere (perhaps not character meals) and having 'normal' wait times, so I'm still adjusting to the notion of reserving everything :-/

 

[Disneylover99]

Is this really all caused by free dining? I realize it makes an impact of course, just didn't think that was a major cause.

Yeah, I don't think free dining is the problem. I have the same problem getting the restaurants I want no matter what time of year it is.

 

[tinkerbella16]

Is this really all caused by free dining? I realize it makes an impact of course, just didn't think that was a major cause.

I remember walking up for meals just about everywhere (perhaps not character meals) and having 'normal' wait times, so I'm still adjusting to the notion of reserving everything :-/

I really do believe it plays a huge part for the fall/winter months. Each year it is more and more difficult (besides the site being down) to get anything.. People have reported this week that they couldn't get any of their choices and they are going during free dining. I have heard that the other times of the year when free dining is not offered, it is a lot easier to get adrs, with the exception of BOG I'm sure and the other most coveted restaurants like CRT. You have more availability when free dining is not offered. And then there are the Epcot restaurants... Some who always have availability but now don't at the 180 day mark because they are holding back tables for dining packages like the Candlelight Processional and Eat to the Beat. So that factors into those.

I lost count on the amount of posts I've seen this past week of people wondering why everything was either fully booked or almost impossible to get.. There was plenty available when I made mine and the beginning of my trip does not fall in free dining.. I got the harder ones because they are towards the end and I was able to book them before those checking in on Nov 8th when free dining starts in November. Had I been checking in when I normally do after 11/8, I wonder if I would have been so lucky to get everything with no issue.

 

[10CJ]

My first thought is the website needs to work better. Disney knows every morning at 6 am eastern people will be logging into the system. I feel like I got lucky. They day we needed to log in three out of the four in my group were able to pull things up. One person had problems. In the end we got most of what we wanted. There were still a few things I was looking for so I got up early the next day just to check. The site was not working at 6. I was frustrated. I can only imagine how frustrated I would have been had that been the day before. I would not want to get up every day at 6 to check for ADRs. So I am thankful for the 180 plus length of stay option for resort guests.

I also got lucky in that our 180 day was before free dining was announced. We are going in Oct and will not be there during free dining. I am not sure if that is ever a deal we would try to use. I would be okay if it went away.

Since then I have gotten one of the two reservations I have really been searching for. Still looking for a BOG dinner but I am optimistic that people will drop reservations or they will open up more times. Hopefully I can get one when they do.

I have no idea how many slots the average person is holding. In general I don't have a huge problem with that. I know I have more reservations than I need. We potentially have family visiting us during our trip so I have a couple of reservations for 8 that I may not need at all if they do not join us. I also do not know yet what day they might be there. So I have booked a couple of options and we can drop/change as plans finalize.

I have just come to accept that it is not a perfect system and if there is something you really want, you may have to follow message boards and search more often. I got the Via Napoli time I wanted because someone posted about it on here. For whatever reason it seemed like they opened a bunch of times after my 180 window.

I think the idea that those staying at deluxe resorts getting a different benefit is an interesting one. I assume some people would complain about this if people at deluxe resorts got to book earlier though.

 

[FunTimeMom]

I think the 180+10 is as fair as it can be. Is it perfect? No, but it is better than anything I can think of. It is the hoarding of ADRs that bothers me. There is no reason that everything was booked solid for my trip 180+6 days out. I don't know how or what they can do to fix it, but I wish they would use some Disney magic and solve the problem.

 

[kamik86]

I personally have no problem with the system. If they went to 180 days people would have to get up each day for a week to do their ADRs if they wanted to have all done when they first could. That would be a pain for everyone... the people doing it and the horrible disney IT as that would mean many additional people on each day which would make the site even more likely to crash.

 

[gsmith0113]

My only complaint is that all of the ADRs should be available at the 180+10 date, there have been several issues this week with the Epcot restaurants, as well as some places at AK (Yak and Yeti) and HS (Hollywood and Vine has been the bane of my existence this week). None of these have the cache and wait times of BoG, but the longer it takes to fix the issues that they are having or they are holding reservations, the more people are going to jump on them and crash the site when they do open up...
Eventually, I'm sure some times will open up, but I was hoping to be done with my ADRs by now