New cancelation policy for Walt Disney World restaurants

[2goofycampers]

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/General..._policy_for_Walt_Disney_World_restaurants.htm

Beginning October 31, Walt Disney World will have a new restaurant cancelation policy in place. For all table service restaurant reservations, guests will have to provide a credit card hold. If the reservation needs to be canceled, but isn't done one day in advance, a $10 per person charge will be made to the card. This policy is in place for both Disney owned and operated restaurants, as well as operating participants.

 

[RVMH]

Yeah, had to do this for almost all of my ADRs for January. So many people made multiple reservations and then chose at the last minute which one to us, leaving restaurants with too many "no shows". This new policy is a bit of a pain but it potentially allows more people the opportunity to get into the restaurant of choice. It will be really important to keep track of all ADRs and cancel, if necessary, before the cut off.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Yeah, had to do this for almost all of my ADRs for January. So many people made multiple reservations and then chose at the last minute which one to us, leaving restaurants with too many "no shows". This new policy is a bit of a pain but it potentially allows more people the opportunity to get into the restaurant of choice. It will be really important to keep track of all ADRs and cancel, if necessary, before the cut off.

I can understand this and agree with it totally . Works for me,

 

[thegoofyfamily]

LOVE it! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this policy change!!!!

 

[articfox676]

Can understand the need. Overheard in the ladies room, "I made 16 reservations for dinners since I didn't know which park we would be in which day".

 

[4mickey2]

Can understand the need. Overheard in the ladies room, "I made 16 reservations for dinners since I didn't know which park we would be in which day".

wow! that is totally wrong. i am glad they are making these changes. maybe now people that know where and when they want to go somewhere - can get in.

 

[thegoofyfamily]

There were always people that will come and want a table at the last minute.....especially for the nicer places. Just like the GAC, it was being abused and they finally dealt with it. I just wonder if they will start limiting the number of registered guests at each site. That change will be tough on us since we are already a family of 5 and we usually let the kids bring a friend. But, we'll adjust.

 

[auntie]

Hmm... I don't know. I have to admit I am guilty of booking more than one restaurant because I'm not sure months in advance where we might want to eat on a particular day. Reason being...Some of the more popular restaurants keep NOTHING for "walk in's".

I personally preferred the old days...prior to the implemetation of the Dining Plan. Where, yes, if you wanted to be sure to eat at a particular place you made a reservation. However, one also had the possibility of "walk in's available. The implementation of the Dining Plan virtually did away with that (not to mention the decline in the quality of the food).
Our last trip, we went to several obviously half empty restaurants and were told they had no walk in's available. Place was empty waiting on all the "reservations" half of which will be no shows. I say keep a certain percentage of the tables for walk in's of the day. If there is a wait for the those tables, so be it.
Honestly, with the food being what it is now, I wouldn't exactly be crying my eyes out over missing any of the eateries. Certainly those with young children hoping to experinece character dining, that's an entirely different story, and most of those have always had a no show policy.

 

[CiCiBee]

I am all for only making one reservation! But this also make me nervous as we start to have children and bring them to Disney when they are rather young, how are we supposed to know about a meltdown 24hrs in advance? What happens if we have just one ADR for the day for dinner, and the baby just isn't feeling it?

Does this mean I can't make any ADR and just hope I can get a walkup if we are all in a good mood?

 

[PEC]

Once again, this is what Disney has to do because individuals abuse a system. My guess is this will free up space for Walk-Ins as it will stop multiple reservations.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I have to admit I am guilty of booking more than one restaurant because I'm not sure months in advance where we might want to eat on a particular day . . .

. . . the new system is meant to foil you and tactics like this
. . . using more than one ADR takes from others trying to pre-plan the trip
. . . basically, rude

. . . how are we supposed to know about a meltdown 24hrs in advance? . . .

. . . this is ONLY personal observation from watching families entering the hotel at night
. . . many parents do not give the kids enough time to rest and decompress
. . . they think just because it is vacation, kids will change their habits
. . . kids are used to sleeping, resting, playing
. . . in fact, many have an almost predictable schedule
. . . having a kid be on-the-go from early AM-thru-fireworks is a lot
. . . and, having them out in the hot Florida sun all day is stressful
. . . and such practices contribute to melt-downs

 

[thegoofyfamily]

. . . the new system is meant to foil you and tactics like this
. . . using more than one ADR takes from others trying to pre-plan the trip
. . . basically, rude


. . . this is ONLY personal observation from watching families entering the hotel at night
. . . many parents do not give the kids enough time to rest and decompress
. . . they think just because it is vacation, kids will change their habits
. . . kids are used to sleeping, resting, playing
. . . in fact, many have an almost predictable schedule
. . . having a kid be on-the-go from early AM-thru-fireworks is a lot
. . . and, having them out in the hot Florida sun all day is stressful
. . . and such practices contribute to melt-downs

Yeah. That's the reason we haven't been able to just walk up and wait for a table. Way too many people would make reservations for more than one place???? Seems a bit selfish to me.

When our girls were little and unpredictable, we just didn't go to restaurants......especially in the evenings. I didn't want other people's dinner ruined because of my overtired kids. There were years we ate every dinner either very early or at the camper.

Bravo to WDW!

 

[tiggerdad]

This was a reason why I went with a camper with an outdoor kitchen. I was planning on doing most of my own food, while trying not to have the camper smelling like it. I did not like the idea of planning my park days around dinner times either. We still made one or two dinner plans for the kids to have character interactions. I think this is a good policy change for Disney.

Sent from my Desire HD using DISBoards

 

[auntie]

Once again, this is what Disney has to do because individuals abuse a system. My guess is this will free up space for Walk-Ins as it will stop multiple reservations.

That would be great.. However we were told by several table service restaurants they no longer take in ANY walk in's. We were told that walk in's have been done away with. No reservation, no chance of a table.
Which in my opinion, (for what it's worth) is a policy that lends itself to the abuse of making more than one reservation.

 

[articfox676]

It would be ideal if when you booked a DR you had to give your reservation number to tie it to. That way you couldn't just change names. The system would only let you make one dinner or lunch table service per day (like fast pass). I'm sure someone would find a way around it but it's a start.

 

[kathie859]

It would be ideal if when you booked a DR you had to give your reservation number to tie it to. That way you couldn't just change names. The system would only let you make one dinner or lunch table service per day (like fast pass). I'm sure someone would find a way around it but it's a start.

That really wouldn't work for day guests--just those staying on-site.

I fully support the new policy and hope that it does free up a few slots for walk in's.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I went with a camper with an outdoor kitchen. I was planning on doing most of my own food, while trying not to have the camper smelling like it . . .

1) But, that makes you cook the fish outside on the Barbie.
2) Deep Fried Fish should be cooked INSIDE your tent.
3) After all, isn't the idea of tent camping to bring in the smells of the outside?
4) And let the smells linger, and linger, and linger?
5) And linger.

 

[tiggerdad]

Sorry Scup, wife rules the nest...even the mobile one. While she likes the taste of fried bream and bass, homemade hushpuppies, and made from scratch coleslaw, she does not like the idea of her couch, curtains, or bed linens smelling like it. I had to make sacrifices. Camping might be a "man's" thing, but "woman" controls too many important things...

Sent from my Desire HD using DISBoards

 

[bama_ed]

1) But, that makes you cook the fish outside on the Barbie.
2) Deep Fried Fish should be cooked INSIDE your tent.
3) After all, isn't the idea of tent camping to bring in the smells of the outside?
4) And let the smells linger, and linger, and linger?
5) And linger.

There are several Boy Scout campout stories I could pass on from the last 15 years about zipper bags, raccoons, and sardines with green chiles that I could pass on.

But I will offer this opinion on the new policy...

In my professional opinion, the $10 per person penalty is too low. Yes, too low.

Since most of these ressies are made WELL in advance (months in advance), no one knows for sure WHERE the will be on the ACTUAL day of their vacation.

Just because you may buy a Dining Plan that give you a table meal per day doesn't mean everyone has to hyper-schedule, uber-schedule, or multiple schedule each day's meal opportunities.

Honestly, I feel sorry for the people who minutely schedule their itinerary MONTHS in advance. They are deserving of my pity.

I'd like to see something like a 2-4 ressie limit per week for table service (prorated) with a heavy penalty for no-shows. That way, there would be plenty of opportunity for walkup requests or 24-hours-or-less ressies to get people in.

The boneheads in WDW management would actually fill more tables with a policy like this.

And make more money.

For the average meals they overcharge for.

Of course, as I have revealed about them before, this opportunity may be TOO OBVIOUS for them to get their arms around.

Bama ED

PS - I've never bought the DDP, never would, I would pay OOP if I did eat a decent meal, and like tiggerdad am blessed to have a kitchen at my camper to cook food and avoid the overpriced swill that is served in most of the Disney restaurants. Occasionally I have paid for a sit-down lunch that is better than Counter Service but the DDP has dumbed down the menus on property. But that's like a ten-year old story, right?

 

[North of Mouse]

Sorry Scup, wife rules the nest...even the mobile one. While she likes the taste of fried bream and bass, homemade hushpuppies, and made from scratch coleslaw, she does not like the idea of her couch, curtains, or bed linens smelling like it. I had to make sacrifices. Camping might be a "man's" thing, but "woman" controls too many important things...

Sent from my Desire HD using DISBoards

Am with your DW 100% - NO smelly fish cooked in our MH either!

Thankfully DH feels the same way!