dining lady cancelled my reservations without my permission!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clanmcculloch]

I need to ask: Don't you think the fact that a warning pops up to tell you that you are double booked indicates that Disney does indeed not condone the practice?

I'm not trying to be smart with you at all, but to me that is what it indicates. Why would they warn you otherwise?

The fact that the system notifies you of the double booking and then ALLOWS them to both stand tells me that Disney is official ok with people booking 2 ADRs at the same time. If they didn't condone it, the system wouldn't allow it. I think it is important to have such a message so that people who forget about an ADR are reminded that they now have the double booking, but if the system is allowing both to stand then that's their way of condoning the practice. It is wrong for CMs to cancel the ADRs without any notice or confirmation when Disney allowed it in the first place.

Just to be clear; the only time I've ever had a double booking is when a TA didn't cancel one when I asked her to make a change. This did happen to be the last time I booked with that TA because she was really slow with responses and I didn't feel as though she was taking proper care of us. I don't intentionally book them myself. I just don't see the reason people get angry at those who are doing something that Disney themselves have allowed.

I'm not stating if I think it's ok or not. That's up to the individual to decide if it's right for him/her. Disney has made it possible and condones it with their own system so I don't see it as my place to question Disney's decision about their own practices.

 

[ngvenice]

I think it was very wrong for this CM to cancel her adr's. this is what I call a rogue CM and I would be livid too. If Disney does not make you cancel them why should this CM take it upon herself to do so. Now I do however think OP should not double book not because she cant but because she shouldnt.

with that said-----

i am so against double booking because it keeps people from getting those tables they really want and that go to "waste". Some of us don't have the luxury of the 180 + 10 days because our trip was purchased 2 or 3 months from our departure date so we have to get what we can and hope for the best. In my case I was very lucky, I was able to get what I wanted but then our park days changed when the new hours went up and now I am struggling to find adr's that fit our schedule again. it's been a nightmare so I feel the pain of those who struggle. I really do feel that they need to make a better system when it comes to adr's because the current one is not working. I think cancelling one adr when you have a conflicting one should be mandatory because as of right now it isnt. It tells you, you have 2 and then gives you the option of keeping both.

Although this can be convinient sometimes as in when I found a Le Cellier for dinner on our Epcot day (already had one at garden grill). I was double booked for about 3 hours till my daughter got out of school and talked to her about maybe having 2 many character meals and if she was ok w/ missing out on Garden Grill because the food hadnt really appealed to us anyway. we agreed and I cancelled garden grill , it was convinient but if I had not had a choice I would of made an executive decision and cancelled it anyways for Le Cellier.

 

[claryche]

I just hope that Disney finally makes a decision about double booking and does something one way or the other. Whether it's not allowing it at all, or it's where they allow it up to say the 45 days out mark and then if you haven't cancelled one of them, then the last one you made will be automatically cancelled.

However, what to do about the legitimate double bookings. I thought well maybe they could have a program that would compare the number of people on the reservation against the number of people on the ADR. For example, 10 people total in say 3 rooms, one reservation. Then they have 3 ADR's same time one for 5 one for 2 and one for 3. This would all be legit. However, how about if those 10 people also have 5 friends in the Orlando area who are joining them for the day only at an ADR. So how would you account for that. You couldn't account for it at all. So I'm at a loss. I understand the problem with double bookings, but I also see the need for them in rare occasions. All I can say is I just wish Disney would make up a decision, put it writing and then be done with it.

 

[cm8]

At this time Disney has no written or known policy that prevents this behavior. As such Disney CMs shouldn't take measures into their own hands. (Even when they're abruptly hung up on)

I would suggest to the OP that you call and try to talk to a supervisor and give them your confirmation numbers to see if they can do anything to help you.

Personally I don't believe in double booking, but it's not up to me or anyone else on the board to attack others who don't adhere to our own personal morals. In situations like this it's best to go by Disney's written rules.

 

[GeneralTso]

Try not to panic! Seriously.
Chances are, your reservations are still there. I was there last week and every single one of ours was there. I had my printed confirmations because I had been told on the phone that I didn't have reservations. I saw online that I didn't have reservations.

I went to Guest Relations in Downtown Disney and the wonderful guy just went through and confirmed everything. He said it had been pretty confusing and frustrating for a lot of guests, but it was all ok.

 

[mcd2745]

I just hope that Disney finally makes a decision about double booking and does something one way or the other. Whether it's not allowing it at all, or it's where they allow it up to say the 45 days out mark and then if you haven't cancelled one of them, then the last one you made will be automatically cancelled.

However, what to do about the legitimate double bookings. I thought well maybe they could have a program that would compare the number of people on the reservation against the number of people on the ADR. For example, 10 people total in say 3 rooms, one reservation. Then they have 3 ADR's same time one for 5 one for 2 and one for 3. This would all be legit. However, how about if those 10 people also have 5 friends in the Orlando area who are joining them for the day only at an ADR. So how would you account for that. You couldn't account for it at all. So I'm at a loss. I understand the problem with double bookings, but I also see the need for them in rare occasions. All I can say is I just wish Disney would make up a decision, put it writing and then be done with it.

The answer is right there in your statement. The fact that those instances are "rare occasions", the system shouldn't harm the much greater number of people in order to accomodate the "rare occasion". I think we all can agree that no system, in any form, will be perfect. We all have opinions on what the best possible system would like like. Mine would involve reducing the 180 days to 45 (but keeping the +10 rule), require a CC for all ADRs, charge no-show fees...and of course, no concurrent ADRs. I'd also lean in favor of a reservation fee at the time of booking. I truly believe such a system would lead to better availability for guests and for Disney, a significantly less number of empty tables.

 

[Shelli_5]

If there wasn't an option to keep both reservations I'd agree with you.

There is an option to keep both reservations, which means that Disney has no direct policy against it.

Not saying I do it personally, and I don't believe in it. However DISNEY has no rule against it and that's the moral compass that we have to follow here.

The CMs who follow their own guidelines are wrong in this instance. They're hired by Disney and they should be following Disney's policy, not their own belief system.

I agree 100% with you.

 

[Danibelle]

Well, do want us to condone this behavior?? It is inconsiderate to hold more than one ADR for the same meal, and Disney is cracking down on the practice. Good for them!!

I'm always surprised to hear about double bookings. Maybe that's why it's hard for the rest of us??????

If ADR's were like reservations in Open Table, you would not be allowed to double book.

 

[leebee]

I think Disney has made a decision about double bookings. The whole thing is computerized; surely if they didn't want you to be able to double book, the system wouldn't allow it. The fact that the system gives a double-booking warning but allows you to ignore it tells me that this isn't such a huge problem for Disney, just for the folks on boards like this one. It seems that Disney has decided double bookings are something they can live with, whether we agree with the practice or not.

As with all things Disney, if they were losing money on it, it'd change!

 

[Ava]

I really think Disney has to figure out a way to make this fair to everyone, the system as it is is flawed. I know it is not fair for people to have 2 reservations at the same time, but it is difficult 6 months out to know what you are going to be doing in which park

This. I wish they'd go back 90 days out for dining reservations. 3 months out is much more reasonable than 6 months to have a firm plan in place. Especially since they don't release the park hours & parade/show times until close to 6 months in advance. If your trip is at the beginning of a month, you could have just a couple days between when park hours are released & your 180 window opens up. Not a lot of time to plan, especially with a larger group. We're traveling with my parents & MIL next May, and I just made ADRs for all of us without even knowing if they are going to stay the whole week.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't think Disney is that concerned with fairness at this point. If they were, they'd already require a credit card hold on all reservations (not just the ones like CRT or California Grill that were being routinely abused) or eliminate the options online for guests to keep concurrent bookings. They may think guests value flexibility over perceived fairness. Any change in the future, if it should happen, may depend on survey feedback and on how many complaints they get.

 

[MrsLS]

I'm always surprised to hear about double bookings. Maybe that's why it's hard for the rest of us??????

If ADR's were like reservations in Open Table, you would not be allowed to double book.

You could still double book Open table if you had 2 accounts, just like if someone books using a different email address in Disney. I'm not saying its wrong or right but there is no way for Disney to ever know if someone double books or not unless they use the same account.

Like PP have stated online Disney gives you the option to have 2 ADRs. The pop up window states that you have another ADR for the same time, do you want to keep the old one or cancel it. If they did not allow for double bookings, they would make you choose one or the other, not give you the option to keep both. If CMs are cancelling the ADRs, they are doing so on their own.