ADR CANCELATION PENALTY A SCAM?

[pinnocchiosdad]

So if you dont show for an ADR that you made with a credit card you will incur a penalty; correct?

So lets say I can't make a resie for lunch today at BOG or Cali Grill; after Disney charges me my no show fee do you really think my table will sit empty? I think not. So they cash in on the bill for the party that took my table and on my no show fee. Win Win Disney. Am I missing something?

 

[KayaWildfire]

Yes, they only charge if no one shows up. And yes you are missing why they began this fee as this hasn't always been around.
The reason for the fee is because people would make multiple ADRs for the same meal and just select whatever one worked for them that day, leaving tables unfilled. It has greatly improved ADR availability.

 

[Disneypro1]

So if you dont show for an ADR that you made with a credit card you will incur a penalty; correct?

So lets say I can't make a resie for lunch today at BOG or Cali Grill; after Disney charges me my no show fee do you really think my table will sit empty? I think not. So they cash in on the bill for the party that took my table and on my no show fee. Win Win Disney. Am I missing something?

This is for no shows. its a good thing. If someone can't make a reservation just cancel and there is no penalty...but just don't show up..there is and should be a fee.
Its just too easy to call and cancel. We make MANY reservations we KNOW we can't get to all off them. we just want to have all bases covered. But we always cancel the ones we decide not to do..never a fee.

 

[AllyReggie]

I totally see your point, although I wouldn't go so far as to call it a scam.

I think a lot of it comes down to people who might book several tables at the same place for multiple times, and then only show up to one (or not at all) making it more difficult for people who plan to eat at specific meals to get a table, schedule their day.

Sure, 1 table being a no-show/cancelled probably would be easily filled. but 20-25 tables an hour or so would significantly impact the ability for the restaurant to turn tables over, if they are giving 15 minutes grace for every table.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

They make cancelling ahead of time easy enough, and have a 15 minute grace period on the day of the reservation (in some cases people have been able to move thier reservation on the same day without penalty) so I'd hardly call it a scam. They give you plenty of ways to avoid having to pay this fee. I also don't think they're raking in a lot of money by doing this but rather trying to keep it a little more fair for everyone.

 

[Cramden]

I don't remotely see it as a scam. I've read of several instances where people who had legitimate reasons they couldn't make a reservation call into Guest Services and have the charge not applied or credited. I like this policy as a deterrent to people abusing the ADR system.

 

[MooseBucks]

Scam is a bit extreme but yes they cash in on it twice.

We once couldn’t stay for an ARD last minute so went and told them and since we “checked in” there was no penalty. It’s rude to assume you can make whatever reservations you want and not go so this helps avoid people taking tables others want to schedule in advance and not hope day of someone is a no show...

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Not a scam at all.
You were warned.
They have every right to charge you and give the table to someone else.
If you feel that is a scam then don't make an ADR, especially one you cannot attend.
What Disney is trying to do is make it so people like you that routinely fail to show up don't get away with it anymore.
There are others that would have loved to made and kept that ADR.
You being a no show doesn't hurt Disney. It hurts other guests.
Don't be that person.

 

[DisneyHardin]

People were hoarding ADRs like crazy before this policy was put into place. People would make an ADR at every park if they didn’t want to decide ahead of time their itinerary.

I will say that Disney is great about canceling last minute without a penalty if you just talk to someone about your reason. In November we had an ADR at Trails End and were staying at WL. We were just so tired, we didn’t want to bother with a sit down dinner. I went to the concierge desk and explained the situation and she was able to cancel for us without a penalty.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Not a scam. Without it a lot of people would not be able to pick up a reservation and the selfish people out there would sit on reservations even if they were not 100% sure they were going. Very very very glad they have this policy even though I've had to pay the penalty once or twice myself.

 

[sndral]

So if you dont show for an ADR that you made with a credit card you will incur a penalty; correct?

So lets say I can't make a resie for lunch today at BOG or Cali Grill; after Disney charges me my no show fee do you really think my table will sit empty? I think not. So they cash in on the bill for the party that took my table and on my no show fee. Win Win Disney. Am I missing something?

I take it you weren't making ADRs back in the days before this penalty came to be. Unfortunately, greedy, inconsiderate guests were reserving multiple ADRs for the same time slots - hoarding if you will, and others were unable to make ADRs at their preferred restaurants @ all - it was really bad. Once this policy came into effect, viola, ADRs were much easier to get - I just wish they'd impose the cancellation w/out penalty earlier - like a week out, but I've only ever made one reservation for each meal and if our plans about which park we'll be in change due to FPs at 60 days, we just change our ADR selections. Even w/ the current 24 hour system, at least people are able to grab an ADR the day before or the day of w/out having to make a trek to the podium at the restaurant to check to see if they can fit them in as a walk up.
I've never understood people who think it's ok to deprive others of a much wanted ADR because they 'can't decide' where they want to be, so they make 2 or 3 or 4 ADRs 'just in case.'

 

[maxiesmom]

The no show fee is one of the smartest things they have done. I'm glad they have it.

 

[Moliphino]

It's just like your hotel reservation. Not a scam.

 

[Hopefully]

Like the overwhelming majority, NO SCAM

 

[gorjus121]

It's not a scam....you are made aware of the policy ahead of time. My son got sick the day we had an ADR and I called CS and they cancelled the reservation for me with no charge.

 

[jdisnut]

It’s not a scam. The policy is so loosely enforced that it’s not worth being upset over. If you speak to guest relations and give a legitimate and honest reason for why you have to cancel a reservation, you won’t be charged. Disney understands things happen. This is just to prevent people from hoarding reservations they have no intention of using.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

And if you have a legitimate need to cancel --for example at Christmas last year I got ill in the parks — they will work with you. I much prefer CC guarantee vs standing in line waiting to see if you show.

 

[jbehr12]

So if you dont show for an ADR that you made with a credit card you will incur a penalty; correct?

So lets say I can't make a resie for lunch today at BOG or Cali Grill; after Disney charges me my no show fee do you really think my table will sit empty? I think not. So they cash in on the bill for the party that took my table and on my no show fee. Win Win Disney. Am I missing something?

You’re told upfront the rules and restrictions as well as the fee amount. It’s not a “scam”.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As others have pointed out, perhaps you weren't around during the days of ADR hoarding where people would make multiple reservations for the same meal (sometimes at the same restaurant) and then, day-of, decide which one they wanted thereby leaving multiple tables empty throughout WDW. Multiply that tactic by the hundreds/thousands of people employing it and now think about how many tables were left empty and how many guests missed out on reservations because one person was holding so many of them. WDW HAD to find a way to dissuade people from doing this and the only way to do it is threaten a no-show fee. If you happened to be around when this policy was first implemented you would have seen the immediate impact it had on ADR availability. It's not a scam. It's a way to ensure we all have a shot at securing restaurant reservations. If you want to blame someone for the need to implement this policy, blame the guests who were hoarding all the reservations.

 

[Peppermint Ice]

Now that we cannot do ADR modification on MDE, changing the time of a same day reservation would have to be done at the restaurant, right?