New credit card guarantees. Restaurant list, policy & common questions in 1st post

[Colleen27]

Now I have changed to try to get ADRs closer to opening, so we don't have to wait as long...but sometimes we just don't want to eat dinner at 4pm, ya know?

Yep. That's one reason of many why the signature suit us so well - opening-time is 5:30 at the resort signatures, so if I make a first seating reservation to improve our odds of being seated quickly we're getting our food at a normal dinner time.

Yes, I fully understand that my alternative is to just not make any ADRs but that is too much of a gamble for me since vacationing in Disney for our family means enjoying sit-down meals and not eating hamburgers/pizza each day So instead I will gamble that we can make 2-3 ADRs in a week. We used to eat 4-6 TS in a week but I'm not willing to gamble that much.

We enjoy TS dining too much to cut back to just a couple of ADRs over the course of a week's vacation. But we're looking at this as a reason to branch out on future trips - rather than gambling on the cancellation fee for Disney's signatures, we'll eat Shulas instead of Yachtsman, BlueZoo rather than Flying Fish, Bistro instead of Le Cellier, and plan our after-park-closing dinners for DTD restaurants instead of Disney resort signatures.

This is completely non-responsive to your issue with the window being 24 hours (or whatever it is).

I recently wrote to them complaining about how they were handling the princess line at the hard ticketed parties, allowing day guests in line up until 7, allowing them to see party characters without having purchased a ticket. I got back a stock email with basic party information. Not one word about my real issue.

That's all I got too, and I asked very specific questions (not complaints) I wanted addressed about precisely what the cancellation policy is, hoping for an IN WRITING definition of "one day prior" as well as clarification on the hoew the policy will be applied if you show up with fewer people than you booked for. What I got was the same stock e-mail using the same wording that we've already seen in the Hub notice and multiple responses from guest services, but with no actual information about either of the questions I had. At this point, that's at least as annoying to me as the policy itself - I can understand reasoning behind the new policy even though I don't agree with it, but the lack of straight answers and consistent information is just bad customer service no matter how you look at it.

 

[mom2rtk]

I can understand reasoning behind the new policy even though I don't agree with it, but the lack of straight answers and consistent information is just bad customer service no matter how you look at it.

Yep. I absolutely agree.

 

[mcd2745]

And again, I can appreciate wanting a shorter window, but does anyone know why they opted for a one-day cancellation period?

My guess is that they did so for uniformity. There's no question that a shorter window (let's say 3 hours) would work fine for dinner reservations. It doesn't work nearly as well for lunch and doesn't work at all for breakfast. So rather than having different cancellation policies for different meals, they likely went with what would work for all meals.

I did but it really didn't say much. I wrote a letter complaining about the 24hr cancellation period. Here is the email letter:

Thank you for contacting us.

I am very sorry to hear about your disappointments with the new dining
cancellation policy. At the Walt Disney World Resort, we strive each and
every day to ensure our Guests have memorable experiences with us. As
you are aware, additional table-service locations now participate in our
dining cancellation policy already in place at select restaurants on
property. When booking a reservation at these restaurants, Guests are
required to provide a credit card to hold a reservation and are charged
$10 per person if the cancellation isn?t made at least one day in
advance. This reduces the number of ?no shows? at our restaurants and
ensures more Guests will have the opportunity to dine at our
table-service restaurants.

Dining cancellations can be made by calling 407-WDW-CNCL, visiting any
table-service restaurant podium, Walt Disney World Resort Hotel front
desk or concierge or by calling 407-WDW-DINE. Guests may also make and
cancel reservations by visiting www.DisneyWorld.com/Dining.

In addition, pre-paid locations will continue to retain the full,
pre-paid amount if Guests are unable to honor the reservation and are
unable to cancel the reservation one day in advance. Special dining
events and packages such as Fantasmic! packages, New Year?s Eve dinners,
Victoria & Albert?s reservations may have different cancellation
requirements.

We truly regret your disappointment with the adjustments made to our
dining cancellation policy and assure you that your remarks have been
shared with the appropriate individuals. Our Guests' impressions are
very important to us, and we appreciate the time you took to share your
thoughts.

Sincerely,

S***** O*****
Guest Services
Walt Disney World Resort
407-***-****

I've contended all along that the main goal of this policy was most likely to reduce the insanely high no-show rates and this just reinforces that.

 

[MELSMICE]

I've contended all along that the main goal of this policy was most likely to reduce the insanely high no-show rates and this just reinforces that.

 

[coopersmom]

I've contended all along that the main goal of this policy was most likely to reduce the insanely high no-show rates and this just reinforces that.

Then a fee should be charged for actual no shows, not those who cancel. Period. If that was the case I, and many others who don't like this policy, would have no issue with it. Take my credit card number and if I blow off the reservation totally, for any reason short of an ambulance-run-requiring accident, sure, charge my card a no-show fee. But if I cancel a dinner reservation at 11 AM? Or breakfast the night before? That's just silly.

I can see the pre-payment and long-window cancellation with set meals, like dinner shows. There's little or no walk-up business there and they ARE reserving a table specifically for you that can only be filled at a specific moment in time. But for everything else? The idea that this is a "problem" for Disney, just doesn't pass the smell test.

Disney has a wealth of built-in walk-up business--more than just about any other restaurant operator on earth--so there is zero need for a large cancellation window. They are not "holding tables" for anyone anyway, even those that have an ADR, so to charge for a cancelled reservation is greedy, off-putting and very, VERY poor customer care.

And, oh yeah, if you are going to put into place a policy that charges people for not canceling within a set amount of time, and hold them to a strict window, first off all, you better clearly publish EXACTLY what that amount of time is and, second, you better make darn sure you have a full-proof and efficient system for cancellation that documents, up to minute, when the person cancels and confirms all cancellations via a unique number that can be referenced in the case of mis-charges. And, having been at Disney twice in the past year, and been mis-charged for several items both times, those mis-charges absolutely do happen and are, again, absolutely lousy customer service. Having to fight to get fees charged erroneously reversed is just insult to injury and something I predict, based on my experiences to date, will be an ongoing issue with this policy.

And, yeah, I'd also argue that if you're going to hold the customer to a time limit on cancellation (lest they incur a charge), you'd better hold your own restaurants to a similar standard, with seating promptness a priority and compensation--maybe in the same $10/person range (free drink, appy or dessert, etc.)--offered if that doesn't happen, for whatever reason. Do I expect to see that actually occur? Absolutely not, but it would definitely be, and feel, "fair," and take some of the sting out.

And there is a definite business reason for customers (meaning an incentive for Disney to do it) not to feel mis-used by company policy: In short, happy guests spend more.

EDITED TO ADD: And, maybe, just maybe, before penalizing and, to some extent, demonizing (a required "credit card guarantee" means you don't trust your clientele), your customer base, you should start by working with your staff. When we ate at Le Cellier last December for lunch we were seated very promptly for our reservation--the most promptly of any of our ADRs--but couldn't help but notice that, in this highly coveted restaurant during a free dining period, there were multiple tables that stayed empty throughout our meal. Was this due in part to no-show ADRs? Possibly. But, I can say with certainty that while we waited (less than 10 minutes) for our table to be made ready we saw at least 8 people walk up and ask if there was any availability at that moment, and all were turned away by the staff, without even a cursory look at the dining room or a conversation with the manager. No shows may have been the issue that left empty tables in the first place, but those tables could have EASILY been filled, and money inserted into Disney coffers via willing diners, with just a modicum of effort by any of the staff. A quick, "Let me check," followed by a consultation of your reservation log (e.g. such and such many guests haven't shown up and/or are at least 15-30 minutes late), would have shown they could serve a party of whatever size the no-show reservation was for. If the other guests did eventually show up late than they could have either waited until another table became available, or went elsewhere. After all, they'd already missed their reservation time. Restaurants all over the world do this shuffle every single day. If Disney is turning away diners ready and willing to take tables left empty, for whatever reason, that sounds like Disney's real problem, and not one their customer's should have to pay for.

And if the reason those tables were empty at one of Disney's most popular dining destinations, during the busy free-dining offering, was Disney's decision to not fully staff that location, or unwillingness by the staff that was there to do anything other than the minimum required of them ("we are fully booked, no need to work any harder" and "only serve those who show up"), those aren't issues that will be solved, or even ameliorated, via a no-show/cancellation fee charged to the customer.

 

[Marshay]

Then a fee should be charged for actual no shows, not those who cancel. Period. If that was the case I, and many others who don't like this policy, would have no issue with it. Take my credit card number and if I blow off the reservation totally, for any reason short of an ambulance-run-requiring accident, sure, charge my card a no-show fee. But if I cancel a dinner reservation at 11 AM? Or breakfast the night before? That's just silly.

And, oh yeah, if you are going to put into place a policy that charges people for not canceling within a set amount of time, and hold them to a strict window, first off all, you better clearly publish EXACTLY what that amount of time is and, second, you better make darn sure you have a full-proof and efficient system for cancellation that documents, up to minute, when the person cancels and confirms all cancellations via a unique number that can be referenced in the case of mis-charges. And, having been at Disney twice in the past year, and been mis-charged for several items both times, those mis-charges absolutely do happen and are, again, absolutely lousy customer service. Having to fight to get fees charged erroneously reversed is just insult to injury and something I predict, based on my experiences to date, will be an ongoing issue with this policy.

And, yeah, I'd also argue that if you're going to hold the customer to a time limit on cancellation (lest they incur a charge), you'd better hold your own restaurants to a similar standard, with seating promptness a priority and compensation--maybe in the same $10/person range (free drink, appy or dessert, etc.)--offered if that doesn't happen, for whatever reason. Do I expect to see that actually occur? Absolutely not, but it would definitely be, and feel, "fair," and take some of the sting out.

EDITED TO ADD: And, maybe, just maybe, before penalizing and, to some extent, demonizing (a required "credit card guarantee" means you don't trust your clientele), your customer base, you should start by working with your staff. When we ate at Le Cellier last December for lunch we were seated very promptly for our reservation--the most promptly of any of our ADRs--but couldn't help but notice that, in this highly coveted restaurant during a free dining period, there were multiple tables that stayed empty throughout our meal. Was this due in part to no-show ADRs? Possibly. But, I can say with certainty that while we waited (less than 10 minutes) for our table to be made ready we saw at least 8 people walk up and ask if there was any availability at that moment, and all were turned away by the staff, without even a cursory look at the dining room or a conversation with the manager. No shows may have been the issue that left empty tables in the first place, but those tables could have EASILY been filled, and money inserted into Disney coffers via willing diners, with just a modicum of effort by any of the staff. A quick, "Let me check," followed by a consultation of your reservation log (e.g. such and such many guests haven't shown up and/or are at least 15-30 minutes late), would have shown they could serve a party of whatever size the no-show reservation was for. If the other guests did eventually show up late than they could have either waited until another table became available, or went elsewhere. After all, they'd already missed their reservation time. Restaurants all over the world do this shuffle every single day. If Disney is turning away diners ready and willing to take tables left empty, for whatever reason, that sounds like Disney's real problem, and not one their customer's should have to pay for.

Gotta say I agree with you!!

I also found it odd that the only time we didn't have to wait either was at our ressie for Le Cellier. Our table was waiting for us at the time of our ADR. I was actually quite surprised!

 

[Colleen27]

My guess is that they did so for uniformity. There's no question that a shorter window (let's say 3 hours) would work fine for dinner reservations. It doesn't work nearly as well for lunch and doesn't work at all for breakfast. So rather than having different cancellation policies for different meals, they likely went with what would work for all meals.

They could have uniformity that works for all meals on a shorter window than a full day, though, particularly since it seems the emerging consensus (at least if you ask for a supervisor or request the CM double-check) on the interpretation of "one day" is not 24hrs or on the calendar day prior to the ADR but rather closer to two full days (roughly 36hrs for breakfast ADRs/48hrs for dinner).

 

[miprender]

This is completely non-responsive to your issue with the window being 24 hours (or whatever it is).

I recently wrote to them complaining about how they were handling the princess line at the hard ticketed parties, allowing day guests in line up until 7, allowing them to see party characters without having purchased a ticket. I got back a stock email with basic party information. Not one word about my real issue.

I just asked them to reconsider the time frame for the cancellations and how it was not clear what that time frame really meant. Maybe I should give him a call and see what I get for an answer

 

[Mkrop]

Then a fee should be charged for actual no shows, not those who cancel. Period. If that was the case I, and many others who don't like this policy, would have no issue with it. Take my credit card number and if I blow off the reservation totally, for any reason short of an ambulance-run-requiring accident, sure, charge my card a no-show fee. But if I cancel a dinner reservation at 11 AM? Or breakfast the night before? That's just silly.

I can see the pre-payment and long-window cancellation with set meals, like dinner shows. There's little or no walk-up business there and they ARE reserving a table specifically for you that can only be filled at a specific moment in time. But for everything else? The idea that this is a "problem" for Disney, just doesn't pass the smell test.

Disney has a wealth of built-in walk-up business--more than just about any other restaurant operator on earth--so there is zero need for a large cancellation window. They are not "holding tables" for anyone anyway, even those that have an ADR, so to charge for a cancelled reservation is greedy, off-putting and very, VERY poor customer care.

And, oh yeah, if you are going to put into place a policy that charges people for not canceling within a set amount of time, and hold them to a strict window, first off all, you better clearly publish EXACTLY what that amount of time is and, second, you better make darn sure you have a full-proof and efficient system for cancellation that documents, up to minute, when the person cancels and confirms all cancellations via a unique number that can be referenced in the case of mis-charges. And, having been at Disney twice in the past year, and been mis-charged for several items both times, those mis-charges absolutely do happen and are, again, absolutely lousy customer service. Having to fight to get fees charged erroneously reversed is just insult to injury and something I predict, based on my experiences to date, will be an ongoing issue with this policy.

And, yeah, I'd also argue that if you're going to hold the customer to a time limit on cancellation (lest they incur a charge), you'd better hold your own restaurants to a similar standard, with seating promptness a priority and compensation--maybe in the same $10/person range (free drink, appy or dessert, etc.)--offered if that doesn't happen, for whatever reason. Do I expect to see that actually occur? Absolutely not, but it would definitely be, and feel, "fair," and take some of the sting out.

And there is a definite business reason for customers (meaning an incentive for Disney to do it) not to feel mis-used by company policy: In short, happy guests spend more.

EDITED TO ADD: And, maybe, just maybe, before penalizing and, to some extent, demonizing (a required "credit card guarantee" means you don't trust your clientele), your customer base, you should start by working with your staff. When we ate at Le Cellier last December for lunch we were seated very promptly for our reservation--the most promptly of any of our ADRs--but couldn't help but notice that, in this highly coveted restaurant during a free dining period, there were multiple tables that stayed empty throughout our meal. Was this due in part to no-show ADRs? Possibly. But, I can say with certainty that while we waited (less than 10 minutes) for our table to be made ready we saw at least 8 people walk up and ask if there was any availability at that moment, and all were turned away by the staff, without even a cursory look at the dining room or a conversation with the manager. No shows may have been the issue that left empty tables in the first place, but those tables could have EASILY been filled, and money inserted into Disney coffers via willing diners, with just a modicum of effort by any of the staff. A quick, "Let me check," followed by a consultation of your reservation log (e.g. such and such many guests haven't shown up and/or are at least 15-30 minutes late), would have shown they could serve a party of whatever size the no-show reservation was for. If the other guests did eventually show up late than they could have either waited until another table became available, or went elsewhere. After all, they'd already missed their reservation time. Restaurants all over the world do this shuffle every single day. If Disney is turning away diners ready and willing to take tables left empty, for whatever reason, that sounds like Disney's real problem, and not one their customer's should have to pay for.

And if the reason those tables were empty at one of Disney's most popular dining destinations, during the busy free-dining offering, was Disney's decision to not fully staff that location, or unwillingness by the staff that was there to do anything other than the minimum required of them ("we are fully booked, no need to work any harder" and "only serve those who show up"), those aren't issues that will be solved, or even ameliorated, via a no-show/cancellation fee charged to the customer.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

And, oh yeah, if you are going to put into place a policy that charges people for not canceling within a set amount of time, and hold them to a strict window, first off all, you better clearly publish EXACTLY what that amount of time is..............

Does anyone really know what the time frame is to cancel? Does Disney even know? I called to find out... and guess what?... they don't know. I called 3 times and got 3 different answers.

This is the note on my confirmation -- "There is a one-day cancellation policy and a $10 per-person fee will be charged if you cancel within one day of the reservation or are a "no show" for the reservation". This is the only thing in writing (contract) where I'm agreeing to this very unclear time frame. Within one day could be interpreted to include that day before... meaning I'd still be charged if canceling the day before.

What does "within one day" mean? Within that day (the day of the reservation)? Within one day including the day before the reservation? Within 24 hours?

It seems that I have to cancel by 10pm the day before.... but at 10pm, that is still canceling the day before the reservation and canceling less than 24 hours before the reservation.... Now.. is that Eastern Time? Because If I'm in California (I'm not) my 10pm is not Disney's 10pm. Keep in mind, there are several ways to cancel (Call, Automated Phone Option, Internet, In-Person).

Here's what the call center said about when I need to cancel a Tusker House reservation I have for 11:00am on December 9.

First Call -- Must cancel before the dining reservation line closes at 10pm on December 8. I asked if the time is different if I cancel the reservation using the Internet. The person said, "There is a cutoff but I don't know what it is... you're probably best to cancel by 10pm".

Second Call -- Must cancel anytime on December 8th by 10pm. I asked about cancelling using the Internet site or the automated phone options, and if the time to cancel was different. I was told "That's not an option, you have to call".

Third Call -- Must cancel anytime on December 8 between 7am and 10pm.

Fourth Call -- Must cancel by calling by 10pm. I asked about canceling using the Internet and the reply was "It's not going to let you cancel online, they are still working some of the bugs out" (It's tough to be a bug!). I said I was able to cancel a different reservation online... and if the web site is working, could I cancel before midnight the day before. The reply was "As long as you don't cancel the day of the reservation, you should be fine".... implying I have until midnight.

 

[mom2rtk]

Does anyone really know what the time frame is to cancel? Does Disney even know? I called to find out... and guess what?... they don't know. I called 3 times and got 3 different answers.

This is the note on my confirmation -- "There is a one-day cancellation policy and a $10 per-person fee will be charged if you cancel within one day of the reservation or are a "no show" for the reservation".

What does "within one day" mean? Within that day (the day of the reservation)? Within one day before the day of the reservation? Within 24 hours? Here's what the call center said about when I need to cancel a Tusker House reservation I have for 11:00am on December 9. It seems that I have to cancel by 10pm the day before... but that' not what my written contract (confirmation) says...... Now.. is that Eastern Time? Because If I'm in California (I'm not) my 10pm is not Disney's 10pm. Keep in mind, there are several ways to cancel (Call, Automated Phone Option, Internet, In-Person).

First Call -- Must cancel before the dining reservation line closes at 10pm on December 8. I asked if the time is different if I cancel the reservation using the Internet. The person said, "There is a cutoff but I don't know what it is... you're probably best to cancel by 10pm".

Second Call -- Must cancel anytime on December 8th by 10pm. I asked about cancelling using the Internet site or the automated phone options, and if the time to cancel was different. I was told "That's not an option, you have to call".

Third Call -- Must cancel anytime on December 8 between 7am and 10pm.

Maybe you can just wait for your next credit card statement and see if they billed you. That seems to be the only sure-fire way of knowing.

 

[Colleen27]

Does anyone really know what the time frame is to cancel? Does Disney even know? I called to find out... and guess what?... they don't know. I called 3 times and got 3 different answers.

This is the note on my confirmation -- "There is a one-day cancellation policy and a $10 per-person fee will be charged if you cancel within one day of the reservation or are a "no show" for the reservation".

What does "within one day" mean? Within that day (the day of the reservation)? Within one day before the day of the reservation? Within 24 hours? Here's what the call center said about when I need to cancel a Tusker House reservation I have for 11:00am on December 9. It seems that I have to cancel by 10pm the day before... but that' not what my written contract (confirmation) says...... Now.. is that Eastern Time? Because If I'm in California (I'm not) my 10pm is not Disney's 10pm. Keep in mind, there are several ways to cancel (Call, Automated Phone Option, Internet, In-Person).

First Call -- Must cancel before the dining reservation line closes at 10pm on December 8. I asked if the time is different if I cancel the reservation using the Internet. The person said, "There is a cutoff but I don't know what it is... you're probably best to cancel by 10pm".

Second Call -- Must cancel anytime on December 8th by 10pm. I asked about cancelling using the Internet site or the automated phone options, and if the time to cancel was different. I was told "That's not an option, you have to call".

Third Call -- Must cancel anytime on December 8 between 7am and 10pm.

Actually, it seems like the responses are getting more consistent... At least every CM you spoke with agreed on Dec 8 and that it had to be done by the close of the day! When I called when the policy was first released I got a much wider range of answers. Using your hypothetical date/time for ease of comparison, I was told:

1) By 10pm phone/midnight online Dec 8. (basically any time during the day before the ADR)

2) By 10:59am Dec 8. (exactly 24 hours)

3) By 10pm phone/midnight online on Dec 7. (one full day between cancellation and ADR)

If a CM seemed uncertain I asked him/her to verify with or transfer me to a supervisor and at that level I was mostly getting answer #3 - that there must be a full business day between the cancellation and ADR. I might just have to repeat the experiment now that Disney's had a few weeks of calls, questions, and e-mails and has presumably had time to better educate the CMs in the new rules.

As far as time zones go, all of Disney's booking operations go by WDW local (Eastern) time and I don't expect this will be any different.

 

[starousse]

Then a fee should be charged for actual no shows, not those who cancel. Period. If that was the case I, and many others who don't like this policy, would have no issue with it. Take my credit card number and if I blow off the reservation totally, for any reason short of an ambulance-run-requiring accident, sure, charge my card a no-show fee. But if I cancel a dinner reservation at 11 AM? Or breakfast the night before? That's just silly.

I can see the pre-payment and long-window cancellation with set meals, like dinner shows. There's little or no walk-up business there and they ARE reserving a table specifically for you that can only be filled at a specific moment in time. But for everything else? The idea that this is a "problem" for Disney, just doesn't pass the smell test.

Disney has a wealth of built-in walk-up business--more than just about any other restaurant operator on earth--so there is zero need for a large cancellation window. They are not "holding tables" for anyone anyway, even those that have an ADR, so to charge for a cancelled reservation is greedy, off-putting and very, VERY poor customer care.

And, oh yeah, if you are going to put into place a policy that charges people for not canceling within a set amount of time, and hold them to a strict window, first off all, you better clearly publish EXACTLY what that amount of time is and, second, you better make darn sure you have a full-proof and efficient system for cancellation that documents, up to minute, when the person cancels and confirms all cancellations via a unique number that can be referenced in the case of mis-charges. And, having been at Disney twice in the past year, and been mis-charged for several items both times, those mis-charges absolutely do happen and are, again, absolutely lousy customer service. Having to fight to get fees charged erroneously reversed is just insult to injury and something I predict, based on my experiences to date, will be an ongoing issue with this policy.

And, yeah, I'd also argue that if you're going to hold the customer to a time limit on cancellation (lest they incur a charge), you'd better hold your own restaurants to a similar standard, with seating promptness a priority and compensation--maybe in the same $10/person range (free drink, appy or dessert, etc.)--offered if that doesn't happen, for whatever reason. Do I expect to see that actually occur? Absolutely not, but it would definitely be, and feel, "fair," and take some of the sting out.

And there is a definite business reason for customers (meaning an incentive for Disney to do it) not to feel mis-used by company policy: In short, happy guests spend more.

EDITED TO ADD: And, maybe, just maybe, before penalizing and, to some extent, demonizing (a required "credit card guarantee" means you don't trust your clientele), your customer base, you should start by working with your staff. When we ate at Le Cellier last December for lunch we were seated very promptly for our reservation--the most promptly of any of our ADRs--but couldn't help but notice that, in this highly coveted restaurant during a free dining period, there were multiple tables that stayed empty throughout our meal. Was this due in part to no-show ADRs? Possibly. But, I can say with certainty that while we waited (less than 10 minutes) for our table to be made ready we saw at least 8 people walk up and ask if there was any availability at that moment, and all were turned away by the staff, without even a cursory look at the dining room or a conversation with the manager. No shows may have been the issue that left empty tables in the first place, but those tables could have EASILY been filled, and money inserted into Disney coffers via willing diners, with just a modicum of effort by any of the staff. A quick, "Let me check," followed by a consultation of your reservation log (e.g. such and such many guests haven't shown up and/or are at least 15-30 minutes late), would have shown they could serve a party of whatever size the no-show reservation was for. If the other guests did eventually show up late than they could have either waited until another table became available, or went elsewhere. After all, they'd already missed their reservation time. Restaurants all over the world do this shuffle every single day. If Disney is turning away diners ready and willing to take tables left empty, for whatever reason, that sounds like Disney's real problem, and not one their customer's should have to pay for.

And if the reason those tables were empty at one of Disney's most popular dining destinations, during the busy free-dining offering, was Disney's decision to not fully staff that location, or unwillingness by the staff that was there to do anything other than the minimum required of them ("we are fully booked, no need to work any harder" and "only serve those who show up"), those aren't issues that will be solved, or even ameliorated, via a no-show/cancellation fee charged to the customer.

I could not have said that better.

 

[waynesgirl]

I had an issue with some reservations. I had made online reservations back at the beginning of October. I cancelled one for the Rose and Crown at 4:20 and remade one for that same evening at 8:05.

Well, the one for the 4:20 never got cancelled correctly and for some funny reason, no one else could seem to find it, except for the R&C dining stand. They could not cancel it at all, even though it was the day before. They told me no worries and they appreciated me trying to make sure that it was cancelled for other guests.

Well, I went back the next day (the actual day of the res) and explained it again. The Rose and Crown stand cancelled the 4:20 (finally and officially) but also told me they could not cancel the $10 per person charge.

Well, that got me to talking. Gloria (at the R&C) was very sweet and explained to me that it is a 24 hour cancel, from what she was coached. She had already encountered people who made the reservations and tried to cancel last minute with her and she had been royally blessed out. I felt so bad for her- the look on her face when she said that broke my heart.

So, whether you people like it or not, it is happening so don't yell at the person at the stand. They just work there.

 

[Colleen27]

I had an issue with some reservations. I had made online reservations back at the beginning of October. I cancelled one for the Rose and Crown at 4:20 and remade one for that same evening at 8:05.

Well, the one for the 4:20 never got cancelled correctly and for some funny reason, no one else could seem to find it, except for the R&C dining stand. They could not cancel it at all, even though it was the day before. They told me no worries and they appreciated me trying to make sure that it was cancelled for other guests.

Well, I went back the next day (the actual day of the res) and explained it again. The Rose and Crown stand cancelled the 4:20 (finally and officially) but also told me they could not cancel the $10 per person charge.

Well, that got me to talking. Gloria (at the R&C) was very sweet and explained to me that it is a 24 hour cancel, from what she was coached. She had already encountered people who made the reservations and tried to cancel last minute with her and she had been royally blessed out. I felt so bad for her- the look on her face when she said that broke my heart.

So, whether you people like it or not, it is happening so don't yell at the person at the stand. They just work there.

Are you talking about Candlelight Processional package reservations? Because normal dinner reservations at R&C shouldn't be subject to a CC guarantee or penalty.

If you are talking about the CP package, I don't think that problem is anything new. Cancelling "special" reservations like the F! and CP packages seems to be frequently problematic for the WDW dining system.

 

[starousse]

@Wayne's Girl, so what did you do? Did you accept those charges, even though you rightfully canceled your reservation?

 

[waynesgirl]

I made my ADRs in the beginning of Oct- before they started the cancellation fees.

Are you talking about Candlelight Processional package reservations? Because normal dinner reservations at R&C shouldn't be subject to a CC guarantee or penalty.

If you are talking about the CP package, I don't think that problem is anything new. Cancelling "special" reservations like the F! and CP packages seems to be frequently problematic for the WDW dining system.

I just made regular ADRs- I did not make them for any restaurants that needed CC holds. Rose and Crown didn't need one, or so I thought. But she clearly stated it when I went to cancel. Plus, that was the only reservation I tried to cancel. It was irritating.

@Wayne's Girl, so what did you do? Did you accept those charges, even though you rightfully canceled your reservation?

Since there were never any charges to begin with, it was really nothing. But I also made sure to have it documented by the front desk when I tried to cancel 3 days, then 2, then 1, in advance. I did not leave a cc but still made sure to cover my bases- never know what will happen

I think that they are all getting in the habit of saying it to prevent the inevitable meltdown from one person. I will say this. We did walk ups at 2 restaurants and walked right in- but bear in mind, we also went the Sat after Thanksgiving- it was really slow come that Sun.

 

[coopersmom]

I made my ADRs in the beginning of Oct- before they started the cancellation fees.

I just made regular ADRs- I did not make them for any restaurants that needed CC holds. Rose and Crown didn't need one, or so I thought. But she clearly stated it when I went to cancel. Plus, that was the only reservation I tried to cancel. It was irritating.

Since there were never any charges to begin with, it was really nothing. But I also made sure to have it documented by the front desk when I tried to cancel 3 days, then 2, then 1, in advance. I did not leave a cc but still made sure to cover my bases- never know what will happen

I think that they are all getting in the habit of saying it to prevent the inevitable meltdown from one person.

How is giving out inaccurate information--that Rose & Crown has a $10/per person cancellation fee--going to "prevent the inevitable meltdown from one person"?

Bad information is bad customer service, period. And lots of people have "meltdowns" (a.k.a. get annoyed and argumentative) when given misleading or downright incorrect information by a service employee that should know better. I'm certainly not advocating rude behavior by any party, but that's CREATING a problem, NOT alleviating one.

If someone is standing there telling me something I know to be false and not properly helping me because of it, I'm going to get frustrated. It's normal.


I, too, have had problems canceling reservations with Disney. I've cancelled online, and even received email confirmation of the cancellation, only to have the reservations suddenly reappear when I got to my hotel. I've cancelled reservations with Disney's club level concierge that also, oops, never got cancelled. At least once that I was charged for (cabana rental) ... Luckily, I caught it on my room bill BEFORE checking out and the same person was on the desk and remembered me coming down to ask to her to cancel in plenty of time to avoid a charge and reversed the charge. But if that had been a no-show dining fee that was erroneously charged, or more than one, I'd never know until I got home and saw my credit card bill, some 30 days, or more later. I'm not sure how much success I'd have calling/writing/complaining and getting anyone to believe/help me then.

 

[Marshay]

I, too, have had problems canceling reservations with Disney. I've cancelled online, and even received email confirmation of the cancellation, only to have the reservations suddenly reappear when I got to my hotel. I've cancelled reservations with Disney's club level concierge that also, oops, never got cancelled. At least once that I was charged for (cabana rental) ... Luckily, I caught it on my room bill BEFORE checking out and the same person was on the desk and remembered me coming down to ask to her to cancel in plenty of time to avoid a charge and reversed the charge. But if that had been a no-show dining fee that was erroneously charged, or more than one, I'd never know until I got home and saw my credit card bill, some 30 days, or more later. I'm not sure how much success I'd have calling/writing/complaining and getting anyone to believe/help me then.

You raise a great point. Guess I will need to:
- print out a copy of each of my ADRs that I have both before and after this new dining policy took effect. And keep a copy of my cancellations, too, and bring them along. In the past I just deleted my cancellations from my inbox but not anymore
- check my credit card bill before leaving Disney to make sure I wasn't erroneously charged.

I agree it'll be much easier to take care of any errors there then waiting until I get home.

UGH.

I don't go until the end of January so can only hope that the "kinks" are worked out by then...

 

[Joy2theWorld]

I made a reservation for a Candlelight Processional package for 3 people, but now it will only be two. In the past, we would just show up and say we were two or however many if someone opted out for a meal. Do you think I will have a problem calling to modify this reservation? There aren't any left for that night, so, I don't want to lose it.