Someone is Selling Restaurant Reservations....

[HolleBolleGijs]

OK, either my understanding is off or some people are missing a step. I did quick research on the "buddy" and how I understand it working is you pay $8 for them to "find/alert" you of a reservation opening. All the "buddy" has to do is send you an alert when an opening in your time window opens up and they collect their $8. It does not matter if you get the reservation or not, their job was just to alert you of the opening.

On the back end the "buddy" is reserving tons of reservations at the 180 day mark with their credit card. When somebody contacts them wanting restaurant "A" at dinner time for a party of #, they go online cancel a reservation (canceling their deposit - because they canceled in the time window they are not charged the $10/person) they email the interested party that a reservation just "opened up" and they collect their $8 or $15 or what ever it is. These people are out nothing but time.

The "buddy" is different from what @PhotoDave219 originally posted about. Both are questionably ethical. The service that this thread is about makes a bunch of reservations, and guests purchase them. They aren't guaranteed, but the company will release it at your preferred time.

The "buddy" works differently. I don't know what goes down on the back end, but it seems as though they notify you when their system detects a spot has opened up. I'm not a tech person, so I don't know how they do it. But it doesn't look like they are actually making reservations.

 

[MickeyMomV]

The "buddy" works differently. I don't know what goes down on the back end, but it seems as though they notify you when their system detects a spot has opened up. I'm not a tech person, so I don't know how they do it. But it doesn't look like they are actually making reservations.

I would think it would have to work the same way. Unless they have somebody on the inside letting them know when a block of reservations are opening up there is no way a person or a small team of people can track all TS restaurants for all the times and notify people of them with any notice before somebody else snags them up.

 

[ULPO46]

Either way like @PhotoDave219 said it wont and isn't long before someone starts selling fast pass+ some idiots are already selling them. The good thing is if it's someone who has an annual pass it's easy to track their reservations. How ever it becomes iffy when it is an employee with no self esteem making some extra dough on the side. When this happens its a pain in the royal to track as they do have the knowledge to just hide their tracks. Yes people like the system in some sense or another but this has been a billion dollar living hell for the Parks and Resorts division. Too many flaws and someone found a way to hack peoples credit cards. Luckily it has only been one isolated incident but it proves the system isn't flawless.

 

[asianway]

From what I understand, they're booking these reservations just like anyone else. They go in (legally), make the reservation for themselves, and then (questionably legally) transfer those reservations for a fee. They aren't using actual data from Disney.

I think that's what Howies Angels used to do. People were stupid then and nothing has changed

 

[PhotoDave219]

OK, either my understanding is off or some people are missing a step. I did quick research on the "buddy" and how I understand it working is you pay $8 for them to "find/alert" you of a reservation opening. All the "buddy" has to do is send you an alert when an opening in your time window opens up and they collect their $8. It does not matter if you get the reservation or not, their job was just to alert you of the opening.

On the back end the "buddy" is reserving tons of reservations at the 180 day mark with their credit card. When somebody contacts them wanting restaurant "A" at dinner time for a party of #, they go online cancel a reservation (canceling their deposit - because they canceled in the time window they are not charged the $10/person) they email the interested party that a reservation just "opened up" and they collect their $8 or $15 or what ever it is. These people are out nothing but time.

Not to give anybody ideas but if you have 2 people doing this. Each one handling 25 requests a day at $8 a request that comes out to just under $150,000 a year. Personally I think they are taking way more than 50 requests a day! These people are smart because they thought of it and very unethical for the same reason.

There's a couple of sites doing this. Couple of different methods.

 

[FettFan]

I just emailed TDO's office about this, and sent them a link to the website.

"Now is where the fun begins." - Anakin Skywalker

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

I think that's what Howies Angels used to do. People were stupid then and nothing has changed

So I just read up on that whole saga. The difference is he wasn't charging people for the service; he was just doing it as a nice gesture. (the situation escalated beyond his control, but that's a different story)

 

[asianway]

So I just read up on that whole saga. The difference is he wasn't charging people for the service; he was just doing it as a nice gesture. (the situation escalated beyond his control, but that's a different story)

I seem to recall "voluntary donations" and t shirt sales.

Wasn't he a dentist? I hate dentists

 

[matt9112]

oh so.....this is low but i would drop 15 bucks for BOG....considering we have the DDP bahahahaha

 

[Mouse_Trap]

If only they would scrap the entire ADR system.
No reservations, just turn up and wait for a table.

If the wait is too long, you go elsewhere.

If this is too revolutionary, how about just accepting reservations on the day.
Have kiosks at the park entrance, which allow you book any restaurant.

...for the simple life eh?

 

[DaisyDoesDisney]

If only they would scrap the entire ADR system.
No reservations, just turn up and wait for a table.

If the wait is too long, you go elsewhere.

If this is too revolutionary, how about just accepting reservations on the day.
Have kiosks at the park entrance, which allow you book any restaurant.

...for the simple life eh?

I wouldn't exactly call it "the simple life" when you're suggesting scrapping the reservation system in favor of either standing in line to eat or standing in line to use a kiosk. A lot of people plan their trips with certain things in mind that are must dos. This includes eating at a particular restaurant and even doing so at a specific time. Personally, I like planning the details of my trip in advance and while there are certain challenges to reserving exactly what I want, I'd rather have the current system as opposed to no system.

Also, I suppose your view of reservations at Disney might be influenced by where you live and what you do at home. I've had my reservation for dinner tonight for over a week and I'm not on vacation- just going down the street for dinner with my hubby. Where I live, any place decent requires a reservation for dinner on a weekend and if the party is larger than four or it's a holiday you better get those reservations a month or two out, otherwise you're eating at Fridays (and probably waiting a while before being seated).

 

[danyoung56]

If only they would scrap the entire ADR system.
No reservations, just turn up and wait for a table.

And the popular restaurants like the California Grill would always have 2 hour lines. And that's somehow better?

 

[thomas998]

As much as I don't like the direction this has us headed in, it's not much different than having a travel agent booking dining reservations for you. I assume travel agents will now book FP+ for you, as well.

I imagine, though, that places like this that are constantly tracking many restaurants presumably at many different times of the year must generate a fair load on the site. I wouldn't mind if Disney could shut these super-users down, but I think it would be too difficult to do. I wouldn't be surprised if it said somewhere in the TOS for the Disney site that it was for personal, noncommercial use. You could sick the lawyers on them in that case.

It would be easy to shut them down by simply doing the same thing some musicians do to eliminate ticket scalping... Require a credit card number when you buy the tickets or make the reservations and then require that same card when you show up at the concert or restaurant. Very easy to do and it would eliminate the ability to sell reservations.

 

[matt9112]

So fridays

I wouldn't exactly call it "the simple life" when you're suggesting scrapping the reservation system in favor of either standing in line to eat or standing in line to use a kiosk. A lot of people plan their trips with certain things in mind that are must dos. This includes eating at a particular restaurant and even doing so at a specific time. Personally, I like planning the details of my trip in advance and while there are certain challenges to reserving exactly what I want, I'd rather have the current system as opposed to no system.

Also, I suppose your view of reservations at Disney might be influenced by where you live and what you do at home. I've had my reservation for dinner tonight for over a week and I'm not on vacation- just going down the street for dinner with my hubby. Where I live, any place decent requires a reservation for dinner on a weekend and if the party is larger than four or it's a holiday you better get those reservations a month or two out, otherwise you're eating at Fridays (and probably waiting a while before being seated).

so Fridays isn't decent? How dare people eat there...I guess if eating a cliche foodie places is your thing. We cook home every day now. No going out. #thelifeofthepoor

It would be easy to shut them down by simply doing the same thing some musicians do to eliminate ticket scalping... Require a credit card number when you buy the tickets or make the reservations and then require that same card when you show up at the concert or restaurant. Very easy to do and it would eliminate the ability to sell reservations.

You know that's what they do now right? Put there own credit cards on file and make reservations than cancel long before cancelation fee window. Hence they can book as many as they want and never shovel out a dime because they just cancel and hand it off to you. And how has ticket scalping ended? Last I checked stub hub is booming. Place like that or ace ticket buy huge lots you think your fav concert sells out in 30 seconds because of all the rabid fans?

 

[PhotoDave219]

So I just read up on that whole saga. The difference is he wasn't charging people for the service; he was just doing it as a nice gesture. (the situation escalated beyond his control, but that's a different story)

Hogging all the reservations is "a nice gesture?"

And I'm sure Grand Moff Tarkin was simply giving Alderaan an extreme makeover......

 

[PhotoDave219]

So fridays

so Fridays isn't decent? How dare people eat there...I guess if eating a cliche foodie places is your thing. We cook home every day now. No going out. #thelifeofthepoor

You know that's what they do now right? Put there own credit cards on file and make reservations than cancel long before cancelation fee window. Hence they can book as many as they want and never shovel out a dime because they just cancel and hand it off to you. And how has ticket scalping ended? Last I checked stub hub is booming. Place like that or ace ticket buy huge lots you think your fav concert sells out in 30 seconds because of all the rabid fans?

Apples and oranges. You're talking ticket scalping and I'm talking about the resale of vacation dining reservations. Completely different things.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Hogging all the reservations is "a nice gesture?"

Well when you put it like that...

I just mean that he wasn't taking advantage of the system for profit. Because of that I don't think you can really compare him and the site in question.

 

[JillC LI]

It would be easy to shut them down by simply doing the same thing some musicians do to eliminate ticket scalping... Require a credit card number when you buy the tickets or make the reservations and then require that same card when you show up at the concert or restaurant. Very easy to do and it would eliminate the ability to sell reservations.

And how has ticket scalping ended? Last I checked stub hub is booming. Place like that or ace ticket buy huge lots you think your fav concert sells out in 30 seconds because of all the rabid fans?

Actually, for those venues that actually do what thomas998 suggested, ticket scalping really is eliminated. You have to show up with the same credit card that purchased the ticket or you can't get in. I've been to concerts like that and although it takes a little longer to get in, it's great knowing that only the true fans are there. It's the places that still allow ticket resales that fall victim to stubhub.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Actually, for those venues that actually do what thomas998 suggested, ticket scalping really is eliminated. You have to show up with the same credit card that purchased the ticket or you can't get in. I've been to concerts like that and although it takes a little longer to get in, it's great knowing that only the true fans are there. It's the places that still allow ticket resales that fall victim to stubhub.

So people who buy tickets from stubhub aren't "true fans?" If I were to use DDB to get into BoG (I didn't), am I not a true Disney fan?

I think it's totally different to talk about paying a lot of money for concert tickets vs. a restaurant reservation.

 

[JillC LI]

So people who buy tickets from stubhub aren't "true fans?" If I were to use DDB to get into BoG (I didn't), am I not a true Disney fan?

I think it's totally different to talk about paying a lot of money for concert tickets vs. a restaurant reservation.

No, that wasn't my point. I have been forced to buy tickets on stubhub myself because they were snatched so quickly by non-fans who were permitted to resell them. And as I said above, I paid a HUGE premium to get Eiffel Tower tickets earlier this summer because they were snatched up by resellers. I didn't mean to imply that only true fans are at the resale-preventable concerts, just that true fans were the original buyers of those tickets. You would still be a true Disney fan if you were forced to pay a premium for a BoG reservation because resellers had snatched them all up as well - it would just be a shame that you didn't have the ability to reserve it yourself from the get-go because the reseller was in the picture.