ADR Warning

[DVCAustralia]

The following is a direct quote from easywdw.com, my increasingly favourite site for wdw information: -

Disney is going to begin guaranteeing dining reservations at all Signature Restaurants and Character Meals with a credit card beginning October 26th, 2011. Provided you cancel your reservation within 24 hours, you will not be charged a penalty. Should you fail to cancel and fail to show up for your reservation, $10 per person will be charged to your credit card. Disney has a new phone number for canceling reservations quickly – 407-WDW-CNCL. This can also be done online at disneyworld.com/dining or at any guest services/resort front desk location. Reservations made before October 26th are unaffected. DISNEY FORUMS PREPARE FOR ERUPTION. The new policy is enforced at the following restaurants:

Animal Kingdom

Tusker House Restaurant (potentially only for breakfast and then for lunch when it transitions to a character meal on December 4th)
Epcot

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Garden Grill
Le Cellier
Hollywood Studios

Hollywood & Vine
Hollywood Brown Derby
Magic Kingdom

Crystal Palace
Animal Kingdom Lodge:

Jiko – The Cooking Place
Beach Club

Cape May Café
BoardWalk

Flying Fish Cafe
Contemporary Resort

California Grill
Chef Mickey’s
Grand Floridian Resort

1900 Park Fare
Cítricos
Narcoossee’s
Victoria & Albert’s – $25 penalty per person
Polynesian Resort

‘Ohana
Wilderness Lodge

Artist Point
Yacht Club

Yachtsman Steakhouse

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I actually think this will be a good thing. With the system as it is, people can have multiple bookings at multiple places at the same times, stopping other people from getting a table. I think this way, people will take their ADR's more seriously and perhaps people will be able to get their table and time of choice more often.

 

[kylieh]

Not surprised - it's a good thing. I thought that may be on the cards when for one of my late changes it said in the T&Cs something like "A charge of $10 will be applied to your credit card...." and it was for one of the ADRs which the credit card wasn't supplied. I'll have to find which one it was.

 

[aussietravellers]

I don't think it's a bad thing either. It isn't so bad when you make your ADR's on the 180 day mark. But I have done a last minute trip to WDW, planning in about two weeks and there were restaurants that we could not get in to and we were there for three weeks. It was often almost impossible to get into a TS restaurant for us at that late stage. We did end up getting walk ups because so many people book don't show up at many restaurants.

Disney has been allowing for this for such a long time, overbooking the restaurants, allowing for those who don't show up, also causing often long wait times even with an ADR, when more than expected show up. They also bought in the system of if you booked within two hours of another booking they were both cancelled, but it didn't stop people booking under different names.

So this may cut out the at times, long waits, the no shows, the ones who make multiple bookings.

I just need to go back now to take advantage of this new system

 

[RedfromNL]

So this may cut that out the at times, long waits, the no shows, the ones who make multiple bookings

Totally agree. I see many people (on these forums alone) make multiple bookings, deciding short before their holiday which to keep. That means others can't get a booking.

I have booking with Ohana and Chrystal Palace and the only way I'd not show up is if I'm ill or otherwise not able to go. Then 10 is unimportant...

Hopefully it will work the way PP'rs state it might and make booking these places fairer and easier for all.

 

[Tara2004]

This is a good thing for sure. Surprised it has taken them this long.

 

[Toy Story]

Thanks for the update, we can make reservations on the 23rd. Does anyone know what time the reservations open?

 

[Sugarglider]

Toystory - bookings open at 7am florida time = 10pm that night EST

Gee it seems we all agree with this - I have no problem with complying with this.
At my office I made the tough decision to charge our staff's section work budgets $200 when they were no-shows on dept run training courses.

whilst I admit it was a very blunt instrument but it stopped all the no-shows.

I agree with DVCAust - the forum will go nuts and we'll get repeated use of the smilie

 

[aussietravellers]

Thanks for the update, we can make reservations on the 23rd. Does anyone know what time the reservations open?

I believe the online reservation open at 6am and the phone lines at 7am (orlando time), which is 8pm and 9pm Qld time or 9pm and 10pm for NSW & Vic (daylight savings time). I would try a little earlier than though.

 

[Toy Story]

Thanks, today is reservation day, I will start trying from 5am (Orlando time).

I also played around making bookings, and have decided to make a changes due to the Fantasmic package, so thanks for the tip on testing out the system.