Is there light at the end of the BOG tunnel?

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I've given up trying to get a BOG ressie. I'll go for lunch, and wait in the damn line and get right over myself.

 

[moonwishes2013]

Yes and no. You can't book overlapping ADRs and the CC guar is required, BUT there are other ways to hoard. The ADRs have to be an hour or more apart for them to not be considered overlapping and bring up the double booking prompt. So, you could have the 4:30, the 5:35, the 6:40 and so on- and it won't prompt the double booking notification. You can also book under a separate email account(s) and that will enable you to bypass that double booking issue and have all kinds of overlapping ADRs. You can even pull those confirm numbers in and link them to your account so you can manage them all in one place. Now, the CC guar means these people still have to cancel in time to avoid the no show fee, but many of these people are doing just that...waiting until the last minute to cancel...or at least waiting until right before they travel. So, you could use a work email, a home email, a spouse's email, a spouse's work email, and so on...and be able to book a TON of ADRs...and sadly, people are still doing just this.

At one point I thought we were going to have to reschedule our vacation, so I went ahead & booked a breakfast reservation for Cinderella's Table for the week I thought we might have to change to, I felt so guilty having 2 booked, that I might cause someone else not getting one ( it was the only one that was important). As soon as I knew that we would not have to change I canceled it. I can not imagine someone hoarding reservations, no consideration for anyone else.

 

[moonwishes2013]

I've given up trying to get a BOG ressie. I'll go for lunch, and wait in the damn line and get right over myself.

We just skipped that part of FL, that area was packed both days. We will catch that on our next trip, I would say in 4yrs the newness should be wore off by then.

 

[DfromATX]

I got into a very heated argument on another forum over this. I shouldn't be, but I was shocked how many people had anywhere from 5-25 dinner ADRs booked per day ... every hour and half hour under multiple email accounts and profiles ... just so they could decide fairly last minute on what they really wanted to do. Sooooo, hoarders seemed pretty fitting. They didn't like it, but sometimes the truth hurts. Oh how it would make for a fun fun episode of Hoarders!

I don't see how that would work because they made me give my credit card and booking info to reserve my ADR's?? I got a normal dinner time for BOG, but at Mama Melrose (for Fantasmic), I could only get 3:40 and I called at my 180 days! So I guess we are eating a really late lunch or early dinner!

 

[jlsHouston]

I've given up trying to get a BOG ressie. I'll go for lunch, and wait in the damn line and get right over myself.

I like that attitude.. I am trying to work myself up to that line thing for Gastons at lunch ....

 

[Figgy1]

I don't see how that would work because they made me give my credit card and booking info to reserve my ADR's?? I got a normal dinner time for BOG, but at Mama Melrose (for Fantasmic), I could only get 3:40 and I called at my 180 days! So I guess we are eating a really late lunch or early dinner!

The Fantasmic package is always at an early time. I guess they want you to stay and eat more before the show cs or cart food!

 

[DfromATX]

The Fantasmic package is always at an early time. I guess they want you to stay and eat more before the show cs or cart food!

Oh, I didn't know that. It's going to be really hard eating at that time. I think we'll try to make it a late lunch. I guess we better eat a big breakfast. Last time we went we were unable to see Fantasmic and I was so disappointed, so I'm determined this trip!

 

[jlsHouston]

The Fantasmic package is always at an early time. I guess they want you to stay and eat more before the show cs or cart food!

I wondered why that was... I keep trying to get a 5 pm dinner time everytime I go to make ressies and can only get 3 or 3:30...

 

[DfromATX]

The Fantasmic package is always at an early time. I guess they want you to stay and eat more before the show cs or cart food!

This was also the first time they asked for a credit card for ADR's. I don't recall them doing that before. I guess too many people weren't showing up.

 

[Figgy1]

Oh, I didn't know that. It's going to be really hard eating at that time. I think we'll try to make it a late lunch. I guess we better eat a big breakfast. Last time we went we were unable to see Fantasmic and I was so disappointed, so I'm determined this trip!

I wondered why that was... I keep trying to get a 5 pm dinner time everytime I go to make ressies and can only get 3 or 3:30...

They also figure you will stay in the park and shop! Sometimes you can get a true lunch time try that and see if that would work out better for you!

 

[RedDad]

DW had no problem getting 2 ADR's for BOG in June at the 180 day mark. She was feeling guilty because she booked an additional BOG dinner on a night we were pretty sure we were eating somewhere else, but wanted it just in case. We then found out some of our friends are going to be there the same week we are, and they hadn't been able to get an ADR for BOG, so she gave it to them!

 

[DfromATX]

They also figure you will stay in the park and shop! Sometimes you can get a true lunch time try that and see if that would work out better for you!

Figgy, I just got off the phone with them. You were right, they only book Fantasmic during their slow time. The person on the phone said it's to get people to come to their restaurant at the slow time, so as an incentive they throw in the Fantasmic reserved seating. I learned something new today... lol

 

[HouCuseChickie]

At one point I thought we were going to have to reschedule our vacation, so I went ahead & booked a breakfast reservation for Cinderella's Table for the week I thought we might have to change to, I felt so guilty having 2 booked, that I might cause someone else not getting one ( it was the only one that was important). As soon as I knew that we would not have to change I canceled it. I can not imagine someone hoarding reservations, no consideration for anyone else.

And that's just it- there are legit. reasons to do thing like this - hence your story, but we tend to feel guilty for doing such things where many others feel no remorse. Oh well. Not much we can do at this point.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I don't see how that would work because they made me give my credit card and booking info to reserve my ADR's?? I got a normal dinner time for BOG, but at Mama Melrose (for Fantasmic), I could only get 3:40 and I called at my 180 days! So I guess we are eating a really late lunch or early dinner!

A lot this is done via the website and taking advantage of its weaknesses. There are all kinds of little tricks...just the simple act of putting in a different phone number and email address from an overlapping ADR will permit one person to double book. The website also only gives you the warning msg about overlapping ADRs if they're within 1 hr or so of each other, so if the ADRs are out there (or a person stalks for them), they can fairly easily book a ton of ADRs for one day under the same email address and phone as long as the system doesn't see them as overlapping.

 

[edrho]

We got reservations at BOG for Easter week. I was shocked!

 

[SecondStarTilMorning]

If you are consistent and keep checking, I bet something will open up. It did for me a few weeks ago and our trip is in April.

Right now I'm hoarding a reservation on a Wednesday and a Friday evening. I'll only go once, but I'm keeping my options open since cancelling means no chance of getting it back.

 

[kamr211]

August 7-14

 

[Jessica Meier]

Yes and no. You can't book overlapping ADRs and the CC guar is required, BUT there are other ways to hoard. The ADRs have to be an hour or more apart for them to not be considered overlapping and bring up the double booking prompt. So, you could have the 4:30, the 5:35, the 6:40 and so on- and it won't prompt the double booking notification. You can also book under a separate email account(s) and that will enable you to bypass that double booking issue and have all kinds of overlapping ADRs. You can even pull those confirm numbers in and link them to your account so you can manage them all in one place. Now, the CC guar means these people still have to cancel in time to avoid the no show fee, but many of these people are doing just that...waiting until the last minute to cancel...or at least waiting until right before they travel. So, you could use a work email, a home email, a spouse's email, a spouse's work email, and so on...and be able to book a TON of ADRs...and sadly, people are still doing just this.

I wonder if this would mean more walk ups would be available and no one checks b/c of the difficulty getting ADRs? Worth a shot. We walked up at CRT on the morning after Christmas and got a window seat overlooking the carousel in 2007. It is ALWAYS possible.

 

[Rina]

Kamr

August 7-14

i was gonna say if we were going the same time I would give you mine but we arent

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I wonder if this would mean more walk ups would be available and no one checks b/c of the difficulty getting ADRs? Worth a shot. We walked up at CRT on the morning after Christmas and got a window seat overlooking the carousel in 2007. It is ALWAYS possible.

We sat around that area for breakfast back in Nov. Love those window seats! While walk ups were being turned away from BoG when we ate there, it was also only the 2nd day of the official preview period so I don't think too many people were dropping ADRs at that point; however, now that we're several months in- I think it's totally possible.