do people NOT cancel there ADR's if not going

[disneyfan2]

it baffles me that so many CM's say that people don't always cancel ADR for the non Credit Card reservations. Our last trip we had booked Le Cellier for lunch 1 day, and dinner another day. Well the day before i called from my room to cancel the lunch as i knew our plans had changed the next day. The CM was almost discouraging me from canceling. She said, are you sure? It is difficult to get in here(i know-that's why i am canceling to let someone else have the opportunity") Anyways, she said, alot of people just don't show up but i wonder why they don't just call to cancel. I know sometimes last minute things happen or you run late, but this sounds much more common, We were lucky to be able to eat and ADR everything we wanted, but i saw so many people turned away from walk in's, only to find many empty tables.

 

[aidansmommy]

I dunno? We've always called-even if it's to add one extra person. It's respect, you know? I guess people feel like they're on vacation? And if people don't show up, you'd imagine the tables would be given away....

 

[Tricia1972]

The best policy is to always call, but I do know that they overbook the restaurants understanding that there will be some people who don't call and just don't show up.

I have also heard stories (recently) of people calling for ADR's to be told that the restaurant is booked up. The showed up on a whim for lunch and were seated in just a few minutes because there were quite a few no-shows and the restaurant had the room, so it sounds like they try to give the tables away when they know they'll have extras.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

OK, I really hate to admit this...

DH and I are always very conscienscious, and never cancel an ADR, and would definitely call if we couldn't make it.

HOWEVER...last April we planned a big trip with my sisters and their families. One family saw no reason to make dining reservations at all, while the other family wanted to eat TS meals every evening, and everybody wanted to pretty much stay together. DH and I who vacation at WDW frequently didn't care but saw a huge problem!!!

Our solution was to make ADRs behind the back of the "Let's wing it" sister. We figured she would complain about no availability and we would spring our ADRs on her then. We failed to realize that she would change her mind about which parks to visit on which day on her way down in the car, and that she would make 99% of all of the decisions for the entire trip. Sis also believed that all Disney food was not only over priced but would taste like cardboard too. They went off property twice during the trip.

Anyway, I'm guessing that we probably made 6 or 7 ADRs and probably cancelled half of them. We only kept 1 ADR for the trip, and that was one of two that she made on the way down in the car for 9:30 at night at WCC. She decided against the O'hana for 5:30 the next evening. I kept wanting to coordinate all kinds of things before we left home, but never got past the ADRs. It seemed like I was always on a bus, or a monorail or something when I figured out that there was NO WAY we were going to make our ADRs.

I'm overweight so my sisters now think that I constantly obsess about food. Ugghh!

 

[BabyPiglet]

I'm always very respectful and cancel the ADRs once we realize we won't eat there.

 

[BroganMc]

I tend to go to all my ADRs but I've let some slip by without cancelling. Usually it was one of those spur of the moment things where I didn't have access to the ADR number and was in the middle of something else anyway.

I'm not all that worried about it though. See, I know they overbook and really only count you if you show up at the check-in counter. They are not strictly "dining reservations" but "priority seating" placements, which means they'll put you ahead of the queue for a shorter wait. It's not like they are specifically holding the table by the window for you.

I say this because I have gotten my ADRs wrong and showed up an hour late yet still was seated eventually. I've also walked up to the podium and put my name in and got seated quickly.

The one exception to this habit of mine are restaurants I know have a lot of demand. I'll cancel character meals, for instance. Now for LeCellier, I had a heck of a time deciding when I'd actually be in EPCOT next month (over a 3 week trip), so I fear I've made quite a lot of lunch ressies there the last month. I've cancelled all but two. One is the first week I'm there and another is the last day. I figure I'll probably make the first one and will cancel the second after. But if I don't at least I have a backup.

The problem is ADR and spontaneity do not mix well.

 

[disneyfan2]

Now for LeCellier, I had a heck of a time deciding when I'd actually be in EPCOT next month (over a 3 week trip), so I fear I've made quite a lot of lunch ressies there the last month. I've cancelled all but two. One is the first week I'm there and another is the last day. I figure I'll probably make the first one and will cancel the second after. But if I don't at least I have a backup.

The problem is ADR and spontaneity do not mix well.

I see nothing with making the extra reservations as we did this too, but at least you are canceling the used ones. I did the same with Le Celliere made a dinner and lunch so that i knew i would get there at least once. But i canceled the lunch one with over 24hr notice to open it up. It just sounded like the CM's were surprised we did that.

 

[MickeyNicki]

If we are not going to go to one of our ADR's I cancel as soon as I can....I wouldnt want to hold a spot that I know I am not going to use when someone else might need it

 

[joenan88]

We went to Disney In November and I tried to get a reservation for dinner at Tony's the day we were going to be in the MK...I called maybe 120 prior to our departure and was not able to obtain a reservation..I called several times to check for cancellations..but still nothing...the day we were in the MK I called the dining phone number at 3:00pm just to see..and YES it was available for a party of 5 at 6:00pm! So there are plenty of people who cancel and do the right thing!

 

[acourtwdw]

If you are unable to keep your ADR and are in a park, go to any TS and they can cancel it for you. We have done this a few times, that way a walk up family might be able to get that table.