does anyone else do this... please say yes

[kdibattista]

First - please know that I never go to Disney during "peak" time. It is always Sept/Oct. I am a bit of a "disney freak" and I like planning EVERYTHING way in advance.

Does anyone else book A LOT of Priority Seatings "just to have"? I pretty much know what parks I want to go on which day so what I do is book 1 or 2 different restaurants at different times an hour or two apart. Again - I don't go during peak season and I don't do it with really, really popular restaurants - mainly Tony's, Mama Melrose, SciFi, Chef Mickeys.

Am I a horrible person???? Please tell me others do this as well.

 

[hmp2z]

Hi! We don't book extra PS that we don't use, but since we also like to plan things out in advance, we decide ahead of time what days we will be going to what parks. Since they don't have early entry, it really doesn't matter what days we pick, except we definitely avoid the MK on weekends, and try to go to a less crowded park like MGM or AK on those days. Since we plan ahead of time, we make all of our PS in advance, even the lunch ones, and don't make extras to just throw away. I would definitely try to decide which I was gong to use, and cancel the other, b/c otherwise, you may be taking a time up that another group could use. Even when it's low season, some of the restaurants get crowded, so we wouldn't feel comfortable having PS just to have them. If we were really that undecided as to what park we'd be in that day, and if we really believed that the restaurant would be uncrowded, then we'd just do a walk in. If you truly think that the restaurant isn't crowded, then there's no reason for you to make the PS.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[cindyfan]

I think most of us here on the DIS boards are "Disney Freaks" and we all do ALOT of planning. Which does include PS for many different places.
BUT.....IMHO you really need to narrow it down and just make PS for the restaurants and times that you will actually use.
Most of the restaurants as flexible if you are a little early or a little late showing up. So don't worry about that.

But it just seems to be a waste to have a PS that you know you won't use. There may be others trying to get a PS for that time.
I can understand trying to decide can be difficult, but since you know what park you will be at, try and narrow it down.

One option you may consider is deciding the day before, or the morning of.....then call from your room and make the PS. Considering that you don't go during peak times, it should be easier to get the PS.
Good Luck

 

[cinmell]

For us, part of vacation planning is making our PS. However, we only make them for restaurants that we know we are definetly going to. If there is a restaurant we are unsure of, we will just walk in when we get hungry and hope for the best. I don't want to tie up PS that others could use and I don't want to be tied to a schedule built around meals.

 

[FunkyLamb]

I've been in the restaurant business for about 12 years and I can tell you that by making multiple unecessary bookings is just not fair to everyone.

For the other guests, you are hurting them. They can't get a table. Don't assume that just because it is slow that there are plenty of tables. Many restaurants close sections of the restaurants during slow periods. This leads me to a second and I think more serious problem.

If a good amount of people do this because they can't make up their mind, restaurant have to staff accordingly based on the amount of people on the books. If there are a large amount of no-shows, then the restaurant has wasted money in bring in extra staff and the waiters have wasted their time in coming in to work for practically no money.

Please decide where you want to go ahead of time. Have respect for the people who work at these restaurants and make their jobs a little easier.

 

[eeyore0062]

No, we narrow it down to the restaurants that are on our "must do" lists for the trip, and try to make our arrangements around them. I have to agree, taking up multiple PS isn't fair. I am surprised they allow it, as they can easily see what you have already booked. They have put a stop to this practice with booking resorts, so I have a feeling that they may be on the way to doing the same with PS. If you book them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they couldn't say anything, but if you are booking several dinners on the same day, that should raise a red flag.

 

[cindyfan]

eeyore0062.........agree
I just found out this week that they actually enter your PS # under your Phone #....
That is, most of the time

When I called to change a couple of mine....I did have 2 for the same day, LLT at 6:40 and Ohana at 5pm. I had to get a vote from everyone else as to which they wanted, so I had no intention of keeping both........
anyway, she asked for my Ph # and was able to pull up 2 of them. But the others were not listed. So she asked the PS# then she said they were just listed under the Ph# 111-111-1111, which is what they use alot of the time.

So, they can see if you have duplicates, IF they were entered using your PH#.

I really don't think duplicate PS is that big of a deal for them. If people don't show up, they always have walk ins.
But it still is not a good thing if you know that you won't be showing up for one of them.

 

[BCV23]

Planning and making those PSs is a favorite thing for me, too, but I never make more than one for any given meal and always cancel if our plans change. Out of consideration for others, I think you should try to narrow it down. I guess none of us are saying what you wanted to hear!

 

[disney queen]

oh yes! i am planning 2 trips now! gets kinda confusing sometimes. we are going in 18 days for the pin event at epcot and then again early december for the usual time for us. 2 adults travelling w/out children(they are grown; anyway we took them in july). i plan everything!

 

[kdibattista]

Well... I knew I was in for it - with my tail tucked between my legs I am off to the phone to cancel my "unnecessary" seatings.

 

[travelitis]

Good Show! You took a risk and stuck your neck out for the chopping block, and instead of being insulted you respected the opinions.

Even though they can access all your PS by phone#, they don't always do that. I'm trying to plan PS knowing that 4 family members may or may not be joining us, so I've called a few times rearranging my PS. Only once did they use my phone # to look at all the bookings. I wish they'd do it more, because it was much more convenient.