Interesting Experience w/ ADR Change Issue

[Chi35364]

It seems like Disney is getting petty w/ their ADR cancellation window.

So we had a Chef Mikeys ADR that I snagged about 3 weeks ago. I must say the recent change to the 2-hour window was pretty nice. In the past i remember having to make up our minds by midnight prior to our ADR. So this new 2-hr window was more flexible. I'm assuming it leaves more opportunity for ADRs to open up same day now.

Anyways, our ADR day arrived, our dinner for Chef Mikey's was about 1.5hrs away. We looked at MDE and noticed Artist Point pop up. We never done it in the past and were eager to try it but never saw ADRs show up. I quickly try to snag it, the popup showed there was a conflicting ADR and to choose the one I wanted to keep. I selected the Arist Point and then got an error I couldn't change the Reservation and to call in. At this point i was worried since that ADR might not be there by the time we wait on hold and get someone. To our luck, our phone wait time was just a few mins. I explained to the person on the phone we wanted to switch our reservation and he told us that it would be a $10/fee per person ($80 for 8 of us). I told him we just wanted to move restaurants NOT cancel. He was NOT at all accommodating, and then want on a RANT as to why restaurants are 1/2 empty is because people just reserve and never show up! as if he was accusing us as the reason to this. Anyways, after a bit of back and forth, I told him we will keep as is, and quikly hung up on him.

Called back, got another person, explained same thing, she had no issue swapping our reservation for us and NOT charing the ADR no-show fee.

I don't now but the 1st cast member rubbed us the wrong way. He even lied when I asked him to just move the reservation to a later time (past 2hrs), and he said none was available when at the same time I was looking at the same open time slot.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Disney recently updated their policy to include that modifying reservations within 2 hours of the reservation would no longer be an option. Many people were doing this so they could modify a reservation to a later time more than 2 hours away, then cancel the new reservation.

While the first CM could have absolutely had a better attitude, what you were trying to do (modify an existing reservation less than 2 hours prior to the reservation) is against the newly updated policy.

 

[DLgal]

Eh, no, you were being unreasonable to call in to ask to be an exception to a newly created policy that you admit you knew about.

I'm sure the first person wasn't full of pixie dust, but what's with the entitlement attitude from you? Why should you be exempt from the rules? Maybe you should have started searching for open ADRs more than 2 hours in advance.

 

[focusondisney]

Maybe you should have started searching for open ADRs more than 2 hours in advance.

That or stop looking at other ADRs once you’re within 2 hours of your own ADR.

 

[wegotodisney]

Disney recently updated their policy to include that modifying reservations within 2 hours of the reservation would no longer be an option. Many people were doing this so they could modify a reservation to a later time more than 2 hours away, then cancel the new reservation.

While the first CM could have absolutely had a better attitude, what you were trying to do (modify an existing reservation less than 2 hours prior to the reservation) is against the newly updated policy.

Eh, no, you were being unreasonable to call in to ask to be an exception to a newly created policy that you admit you knew about.

I'm sure the first person wasn't full of pixie dust, but what's with the entitlement attitude from you? Why should you be exempt from the rules? Maybe you should have started searching for open ADRs more than 2 hours in advance.

That or stop looking at other ADRs once you’re within 2 hours of your own ADR.

Can I be best friends with you three? I love how you throw down the rules!
100% serious!

 

[DLgal]

Can I be best friends with you three? I love how you throw down the rules!
100% serious!

My #1 pet peeve is people who think the rules don't apply to them. I will not be kind.

 

[wegotodisney]

My #1 pet peeve is people who think the rules don't apply to them. I will not be kind.

Me too. Absolutely. I've only been on here for about a month so I try to limit myself to one chastising per day. haha. I've been reading here for probably ten years without an account so that's a long time of biting my tongue.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I used to deal with people like the OP all the time at the insurance call center..didn't like the answer so called back and tried to get a different person. Sure understandable if you didn't think you got the correct answer but rude and entitled when it was merely you not liking the answer. That second CM the OP dealt with more than likely will end up getting in trouble if they do accommodations like that enough times.

Sorry OP resist the temptation the next time and don't look for an ADR within the cancellation timeframe or pay the fees if the other place is really that much more desired.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Can I be best friends with you three? I love how you throw down the rules!
100% serious!

Yes!! I believe the rules exist for a reason. Disney (like most companies) isn’t going to bother updating rules and training employees regarding new rules if there isn’t a problem they’re looking to solve.

My #1 pet peeve is people who think the rules don't apply to them. I will not be kind.

Same. The rules exist for a reason. The first CM isn’t wrong (maybe the attitude could be better but there are also two sides to every story).

Getting mad that a CM is trying to do his job by enforcing the policy exactly as stated, that was known to OP, then pestering him to do exactly what you’re trying to do online but can’t because it circumvents the policy in place doesn’t go over well with me.

 

[Her Dotness]

I think it somewhat unkind to berate the OP for seeking to modify the ADR.

The OP indicated an awareness that the cancellation window had changed. That does not necessarily mean the OP understood that modifying within 2 hours of the ADR time now incurs the $10/per person fee as does canceling altogether.

When I first heard of the policy change on these boards, it was stated as canceling an ADR. It was not immediately clear to me that modifying to a future date and then canceling would be penalized just as no one showing up is.

 

[mom2rtk]

I find the CM response to be unreasonable. I would assume that the new rule was there to keep people from manipulating the system. All they wanted to do was swap one expensive meal for another. For a group of 8, either option was going to close in on a total of $600 with tax and tip. Heaven forbid that Disney try to make sure they were able to maximize that and eat at the place they wanted most.

Remember the good old days when Disney was actually the industry leader in helping people have magical trips?

I'm aghast that people are actually defending this.

 

[mom2rtk]

That or stop looking at other ADRs once you’re within 2 hours of your own ADR.

Some people have alerts set up to notify them when openings come up, and I doubt they stop coming 2 hours in advance if they come up.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I don’t think the new rules for ADR’s is “petty“ at all. The first CM could have handled it better but rules are rules. I hope someone was able to get the Chef Mickey’s reservation you dumped and they got it within the rules.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I find the CM response to be unreasonable. I would assume that the new rule was there to keep people from manipulating the system. All they wanted to do was swap one expensive meal for another. For a group of 8, either option was going to close in on a total of $600 with tax and tip. Heaven forbid that Disney try to make sure they were able to maximize that and eat at the place they wanted most.

Remember the good old days when Disney was actually the industry leader in helping people have magical trips?

I'm aghast that people are actually defending this.

It always gets to a point where things have to change due to guest behavior. Way outside of Disney that's everywhere.

A line eventually gets drawn. I don't think the first CM was particularly professional though.

To the OP the change in policy was great until it didn't work for what they wanted to do.

Some people have alerts set up to notify them when openings come up, and I doubt they stop coming 2 hours in advance if they come up.

True but in this case the OP went specifically looking at MDE.

 

[jo-jo]

But how many times we have read, with tickets, return times with rides, etc, The rules say no, but ask anyway you may get pixie dusted.

I like rules and yes I get upset when I don’t even bother to ask, but others say this and that happened and I ask and we got XYZ . And we’re all so happy they got pixie dusted.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think it somewhat unkind to berate the OP for seeking to modify the ADR.

The OP indicated an awareness that the cancellation window had changed. That does not necessarily mean the OP understood that modifying within 2 hours of the ADR time now incurs the $10/per person fee as does canceling altogether.

When I first heard of the policy change on these boards, it was stated as canceling an ADR. It was not immediately clear to me that modifying to a future date and then canceling would be penalized just as no one showing up is.

I believe the new policy has been in place since last year.

When you go to Chef Mickey's webpage you get this following message:

Cancellations and Modifications​

This restaurant has a cancellation policy and a modifications policy. The credit card provided at the time of reservation will automatically be charged a per-person fee if you don’t show up for your reservation or fail to cancel in accordance with the policy, or if you fail to modify in accordance with the policy and then need to cancel. Policy details will be available when you make your reservation and in your confirmation email.

Additionally Disney advises on their website: "
Q:
How do I cancel or modify a dining reservation at Walt Disney World Resort?
A:
You can cancel or modify your dining reservation online.
Restaurants offering advance reservations do not allow modifications within 2 hours of the reservation time, and most charge a $10 per-person fee to cancel within 2 hours of the reservation time, or if you don’t show up for your reservation. Each restaurant’s policies are provided when you make your reservation. If you’ve already booked, the policies can be found in your confirmation email.

Then there is a list of restaurants that have a different policy of which Chef Mickey's is not one of them so it would fall under the cannot modify or cancel within 2 hours of the reservation time without penalty.

I think the OP thinks it's petty because it was 1 1/2 hours before the reservation probably thinking "it's only 30mins" but you gotta have a line somewhere.

 

[mom2rtk]

It always gets to a point where things have to change due to guest behavior. Way outside of Disney that's everywhere.

A line eventually gets drawn. I don't think the first CM was particularly professional though.

To the OP the change in policy was great until it didn't work for what they wanted to do.


True but in this case the OP went specifically looking at MDE.

So it's the guest's fault. That's ridiculous. I would see it if they were making an excuse to try and get out of the ADR completely. This is just a switch of one expensive meal for another.

And those dining alerts take you straight to MDE when you click on them.

Question: Who would it hurt to happily say sure, we can do that for you?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But how many times we have read, with tickets, return times with rides, etc, The rules say no, but ask anyway you may get pixie dusted.

I like rules and yes I get upset when I don’t even bother to ask, but others say this and that happened and I ask and we got XYZ . And we’re all so happy they got pixie dusted.

yeah it's that that becomes the problem. I always hated it with FP+ when they threw it around like candy. It made guests this way. In this case the new policy has been around for more than 7 months IIRC. It's also why I said that second CM could get in trouble if they kept doing what they were doing.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So it's the guest's fault. That's ridiculous. I would see it if they were making an excuse to try and get out of the ADR completely. This is just a switch of one expensive meal for another.

And those dining alerts take you straight to MDE when you click on them.

Question: Who would it hurt to happily say sure, we can do that for you?

Well yeah it's not the OP's fault but the guest's fault in general. You as well as I understand how people make things change for other people. The OP knew the 2 hour window, liked that it gave them the flexibility, but then called it petty when they were then held to that standard. That in itself is probably not going to win many posters on one's side.

It's not just merely a switch from one expensive place to another. In what realm does that honestly make sense to just use that as one's logic for when a generic cancellation policy previously applied generally should now just be considered based on an ever-changing price tag? Would you think that's fair that you were held to a different policy because you didn't spent X amount but someone else did? So you spent $50 but someone else spent $70 and so you should get a different policy than them? I don't for one minute think you would be okay with that.

You can argue all day long about dining alerts but from what we know the OP themselves said they checked MDE. Even so the OP advises they were aware of the new policy but thought they could (however innocent) and even so dining alerts are what type of excuse for controlling one's own impulse?

As for your last line absolutely 100% yes it would hurt because if you've worked with customer service you know 100% it's never just that one person. We all know that one because in our lifetime we've all probably at least once asked to be that exception lol.

 

[focusondisney]

All they wanted to do was swap one expensive meal for another.

I don’t look at it like that. As far as I know, each restaurant is considered a separate “business” with their own expenses, profits & budgets. There is no swapping of business dollars between restaurants. So Chef Mickey’s lost money that they were planning for at that point. Their staffing is set, planned amount food is being prepared. I have no idea how many last minute ADRs or walk ups happen at any restaurant, so no idea if the OP’s 8 seats are able to be refilled within 90 minutes of their time. Because it would probably be people who have no ADRs already but are looking for CM that would fill it. I have no idea if there are enough of those at any given time. Restaurants do send servers home if the place is slow, so enough last minute cancellations may leave them overstaffed or cause servers to lose hours & pay, to say nothing of lost gratuities even if they’re not sent home.

Sure, OP is only 1 party, but a big party. Multiply it by many times a meal period, because, why should the OP be the only one cancelling last minute. And I can see why Disney felt the need for a drop dead cut off for cancelling/ changing. How quick people are to go from “what a great advantage to be able to cancel/ make changes until 2 hours before” to complaining that they have to actually make their decisions by 2 hours.