Have you changed an ADR for a different time on the day of your ADR? Or for a different restaurant?

[vinotinto]

One of our days, DH and I are planning to attempt the 4-park challenge. We have lunch and dinner ADRs because we have the DXDP and it's our first adults-only trip, so dining is very important. I've never had to change an ADR the same day, but I anticipate that our timing may or may not work as planned, since we are hitting all 4 parks. Depending on weather, crowds, etc., we may be running ahead of schedule or behind schedule.

So, I would like to understand if these situations would trigger the cancellation fee:
1. Changing an ADR to an earlier time. - I have a lunch ADR at Tiffins dn we are planning to start our day at 6:30 am. What if we're hungry early? Can I modify my ADR online to an hour earlier? I'm guessing this is OK.

2. Changing an ADR to a different restaurant. - Ok, this one is trickier. What if I'm running really behind or ahead of schedule, and I'm at a different park. Can I change my reservation to a different restaurant, within the same rough time frame? I'm guessing this one will definitely trigger the cancellation fee when the original reservation is cancelled and replaced by the new one.

Note: this is not the case of being sick or trying to postpone to a later date. We would still have the meal, just earlier or later that same day or at a different restaurant that's same day.

Anyone done this?

 

[KrazeeK120]

As far as I know, neither of those would trigger the fee.

 

[tinkerone]

I have changed times when I was at the restaurant to get in earlier with no issue. Just make sure you let them know that it is in fact a change in time then they will note it and you will not be charged.
As far as changing restaurants I would think you would for sure get charged. That was one of the main reasons the charge was put in place to begin with. To make sure you don't have/hold/make two reservations for the same times or for different parks. I think you should count on this one triggering the fee.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I have changed times when I was at the restaurant to get in earlier with no issue. Just make sure you let them know that it is in fact a change in time then they will note it and you will not be charged.
As far as changing restaurants I would think you would for sure get charged. That was one of the main reasons the charge was put in place to begin with. To make sure you don't have/hold/make two reservations for the same times or for different parks. I think you should count on this one triggering the fee.

OP isn’t trying to hold 2 reservations. OP is trying to change from one restaurant to another. There is a difference.

Hey, @AngiTN, do you know the answer to this question? I feel like you’ve commented that you’ve made some sort of modification and not incurred a cancel fee in the past. Am I remembering correctly?

 

[tinkerone]

OP isn’t trying to hold 2 reservations. OP is trying to change from one restaurant to another. There is a difference.

If you think about it it is pretty much the same. They will have a reservation at a restaurant in a park where they may not be so they are holding a reservation 'in case' basically. Switching up to a different restaurant is not much different than having two reservations at two different parks. Your still holding a reservation that someone else may wish to have and you may not want. Its not a simple time switch, its a whole new reservation. You have to cancel the first one to take the second.
I still think that in this case I would not count out the cancelation no show fee. Ymmv.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

You could modify the time if there is an earlier time available. If the restaurant is already full you won't be able to do it.

Changing restaurants is not the same, and I'm not sure if you'd be charged or not. Could you not book a meal and just see what's available when you get hungry?

 

[KrazeeK120]

If you think about it it is pretty much the same. They will have a reservation at a restaurant in a park where they may not be so they are holding a reservation 'in case' basically. Switching up to a different restaurant is not much different than having two reservations at two different parks. Your still holding a reservation that someone else may wish to have and you may not want. Its not a simple time switch, its a whole new reservation. You have to cancel the first one to take the second.
I still think that in this case I would not count out the cancelation no show fee. Ymmv.

I’m not sure that’s how the system is set up. Hopefully someone knows for sure.

 

[AngiTN]

1. You can do this provided there is a time to change it to. If there is not you can't. Just use the Modify function on the app or the website and see what you can find at an earlier time.

2. You have a 2 step process.
First, change the existing ADR to a far off time. Then cancel that ADR
Second, look for a new ADR at the time and location you want.

 

[vicb]

I was able to same day modify our lunch adr at RoseNCrown to a slightly later time last week.

 

[BrookieM2001]

Yeah, there is a way to do this, as AngiTN mentioned, but you're basically cancelling and making a new ADR but switching the time on the original to something more than a week away before cancelling. Its circumventing the fee, but definitely works. I get the purpose of the fee, so people dont hoard reservations, but since this isn't what you're doing, i dont know that its really the same as making 2 reservations and cancelling one. Especially if you are looking for switches to or from dining locations like BOG where there are people out there who cant get a time and you are taking on you may not use.

And again, i feel like this falls kind of into the category of sickness or getting stuck on the monorail or something. Touring issues happen and sometimes you cant make your ADR, and everyone i have ever heard from on this subject have said that when they called, the CM was happy and understanding of the issue and waived the fee. I dont get the impression you are planning to miss your res, this is just an in case of emergency type scenario.

 

[jlmorris70]

I was able to change restaurants on the same day without a fee. I had to call the ADR phone number and the cast member was able to do it for me, she did mention it was a one time courtesy thing.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

According to the policy, the second option should technically incur the fee. We were really hoping for an 'Ohana res but couldn't get one so we settled for Kona (which is great in it's own right but not the crowdpleaser 'Ohana is). Lo and behold.. 'Ohana finally came up for a dinner reservation same day. We were so excited. We booked it. Called Disney from the park to cxl Kona for that night.

The CM said per the policy, the cancellation fee would apply. I asked to speak to a supervisor who, very firmly, said she would only do it as a one time courtesy. I should have shut my mouth there but of course I was like... I'm standing in your park, staying at your resort, spending money in your stores, and you want to charge penalties for foregoing eating at one of your restaurants... to eat at another one of your restaurants? Then she was like sir.. that's the policy. I said I would do it as a one time courtesy. Do you want me to waive it or not?

I was like wow. Yes. Please. There's that Disney magic. It was nice of them not to charge it I guess but that exchange left such a bad taste in my mouth...one that was quickly alleviated by the taste of 'Ohana bread pudding.

 

[AngiTN]

According to the policy, the second option should technically incur the fee. We were really hoping for an 'Ohana res but couldn't get one so we settled for Kona (which is great in it's own right but not the crowdpleaser 'Ohana is). Lo and behold.. 'Ohana finally came up for a dinner reservation same day. We were so excited. We booked it. Called Disney from the park to cxl Kona for that night.

The CM said per the policy, the cancellation fee would apply. I asked to speak to a supervisor who, very firmly, said she would only do it as a one time courtesy. I should have shut my mouth there but of course I was like... I'm standing in your park, staying at your resort, spending money in your stores, and you want to charge penalties for foregoing eating at one of your restaurants... to eat at another one of your restaurants? Then she was like sir.. that's the policy. I said I would do it as a one time courtesy. Do you want me to waive it or not?

I was like wow. Yes. Please. There's that Disney magic. It was nice of them not to charge it I guess but that exchange left such a bad taste in my mouth...one that was quickly alleviated by the taste of 'Ohana bread pudding.

I realize that but the idea to do that came from the CM at the dining reservation line. We were stuck in traffic and taking even more than 90 min to reach the park for a reservation and called. That's when the CM said we can always try and move the ADR ourselves. First, to a time we could make, if there was one that worked for our plans or to something far out that would later be cancelled. It does not incur a fee. There is a point at which you can't change the ADR, I'm not sure what that time is. I believe it's about an hour out from the ADR.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

It's one thing to change your ADR time if available without a fee, no different than showing up early to see if they can seat you. But to out right cancel an ADR last minute for another restaurant, a fee should be incurred. The policy was created in order to prevent people from double, triple booking and cancelling at the last minute or worst yet, just not showing up. OP, you say dining is important, then prioritize it and make those ADRs, but should you fail, in the spirit of Disney magic, having your cake and eating it too, call MS and complain, I don't doubt they would credit you the fee.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I heard on a podcast last week that since the most recent update to the MDE app some people have not been able to make any changes to their adr on thr day of. So no more modifying to a future date then cancelling. I haven't tried it myself but I know it could be done in the past.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

OP, I'm curious where your ADR's are and for what time (also which time of year are you touring)? Getting an earlier Tiffin's ADR may not be an issue. I just looked at Tiffins reservations for tomorrow and, for a party of 2, lunch time was wide open. Where are you planning on having dinner? If you are willing to be flexible, you may want to consider not having a dinner ADR at all and simply looking on the MDE about an hour or two before you want to eat to see what's available. If you have a specific place you want to eat, this may not work, but in most of the parks (EP especially) there is typically something available day-of.

 

[AngiTN]

I heard on a podcast last week that since the most recent update to the MDE app some people have not been able to make any changes to their adr on thr day of. So no more modifying to a future date then cancelling. I haven't tried it myself but I know it could be done in the past.

Remember, you can always use the website via the browser on your phone. You aren't limited to the app

 

[vinotinto]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback of those that shared their experiences with changing an ADR on the day of the ADR.

OP, I'm curious where your ADR's are and for what time (also which time of year are you touring)? Getting an earlier Tiffin's ADR may not be an issue. I just looked at Tiffins reservations for tomorrow and, for a party of 2, lunch time was wide open. Where are you planning on having dinner? If you are willing to be flexible, you may want to consider not having a dinner ADR at all and simply looking on the MDE about an hour or two before you want to eat to see what's available. If you have a specific place you want to eat, this may not work, but in most of the parks (EP especially) there is typically something available day-of.

Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking! The places I have reserved are the types of places that tend to have last-minute availability. I have no desire to dine at BOG or Ohana (been there, done that; they are loud and chaotic and the food and experience is simply NOT what we seek).

For our 4-park day, we were thinking lunch at Tiffins and dinner at Skipper's. I may just cancel the Tiffins lunch now to give us flexibility on timing. We've never done the 4-parks, and we really rarely hop, so we have very little experience with how long things take. We dine out a lot at WDW, but we usually have a car, which we won't have this trip. So, all in all, I think flexibility will be key.

 

[Merida43]

We've several times gone into a restaurant a couple of hours earlier than our ADR and asked if it would be possible to eat then instead without a cancellation charge on the ADR and they've said it was fine. Case in point was a VERY rainy day at HS when we were drenched even through the rain gear by 11am and couldn't face any more park in order to wait around for our 1pm ADR. They let us in at 11 and it was fine.

 

[MaC410]

You can definitely change the time of your reservation on the day of or at least show up earlier in the day and if they have room they will take you. On our last trip we had a reservation for San Angel Inn for dinner because we didn't know what time we would arrive that day. We got there earlier in the day and decided to try to go there for lunch right when they opened. We went up to the hostess and said that we had a later reservation but would like to see if we could be taken now. Sure enough they had an opening for us, and they wrote a little note down to check us in later at our real time.