I think ALL restaurant reservations should be a credit card hold, it will stop people who aren't 100% sure where they are going to eat from making reservations they are only half inclined to take and if they do decide to take them they will be much quicker on the mark in cancelling them if money is involved.
I also think this might cut back on the number of reservations and allow more people to just walk up to the restaurant or concierge that day and make a booking.
I can't see of any other way around this problem of double booking or people just not bothering to cancel.
I've been screaming this for a couple of years on here. I've been saying it to every person I talk to at 407-wdw-dine as well when I make my ADR's.
IMO, this would solve the problem, and quickly.
But in return, WDW needs to
guarantee a table with a credit card hold, not just a place in line for a table, which is what ADR's are now. It's really not much skin off Disney's nose if someone doesn't show up for an ADR as it is for most restaurants, because Disney does not have to block tables off for ADR's until they show up in line.
With CC holds and actual reservations, the customer side would be made honest, through CC holds and penalties for non-cancellation,
AND WDW would be made honest (by having to set aside an actual reserved table with a reservation).
This is essentially what happens when you book Hoop De Doo Revue. It works quite well, IMO, and there never seem to be any problems with guests having to give CC numbers to book HDDR, since there never seems to be an empty seat in the place when we go. Yet we know that there will be a table for us at the exact time we booked for, because we have a CC hold on it. The only reason to stand in line at HDDR is to get one of the better tables, instead of, say in the very back where it's hard to see the show. But you know you will be seated.
I see no reason why even the least popular table service restaurants couldn't have ADR's that work as actual reservations like they do with HDDR. In most cases, the lines would be reduced dramatically because there is no show where you'd want to get as close a table as possible.