New credit card guarantees. Restaurant list, policy & common questions in 1st post

[maxiesmom]

So when should we expect the first reports on what really does or does not happen? How soon should we expect to hear from people who had to cancel? I'm very curious as to how this will all be handled when it actually starts to be put in effect.

 

[Gmouse]

But it's OOOOONNNNNLY $10 a head. JUUUUUST $40. What's the problem?

OK, sorry. I agree and am just having a little fun because some here think that shouldn't bother anyone.

If you find out they can't make it, call the reservation line and see if they can adjust it down to 4. If they can't, I'd call back and ask another agent.

LOL--yep...I did see a couple people say that. Obviously they have more MONEY than SENSE. As we all know Disney is very expensive - and not everyone makes hundreds of thousands of $ a year!! I def. don't want to get down there and have to pay $40 for NOTHING. $40 here and another $$ there and another $$$ over there...it all adds up! The average person (at least here in SC) could not afford to just let money fly out the window like that!! We can barely GET TO Disney to begin with!
I'll try calling dif. agents, if we have to cancel some. I hope we don't!!

 

[Gmouse]

That's sort of a fuzzy area... Some of the responses from CMs have indicated that partial parties won't be charged, some have said they will. No one seems to want to give a firm answer in writing so I'd be a little nervous about counting on either answer at this point, at least until we have some first-hand reports from people affected by the new policy.

Your best bet is to call to try to modify your ADRs if needed, being sure to use the word "modify" to be directed to the right CM on the phone system, and if you get a CM who tells you it can't be done call back and try again. Changing ADRs is really a hit-or-miss, cast member roulette thing; I've been told it is impossible but others have had success.

We don't have very long before we go- so let's hope our DisBoard buddies going before us will report for all of us to know!!

 

[Colleen27]

So when should we expect the first reports on what really does or does not happen? How soon should we expect to hear from people who had to cancel? I'm very curious as to how this will all be handled when it actually starts to be put in effect.

Impossible to predict because most of the reasons for last-minute cancellation are inherently unpredictable, and with most DISers being 180-out planners a lot of the posters here won't even encounter the new policy until it has been in effect for quite some time (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who made sure to finalize my plans before 10/26 to avoid having the penalty apply, just in case).

180 out from the implementation date is 4/23/12 (and I wonder if it is coincidence that the policy won't be fully applied until *after* cold/flu season, to give Disney time to work out a clear exception policy on the fly before getting back to the time of year when illness is more common?). We might see the odd report before then from people who booked on shorter notice or made changes after 10/26, but I'm not expecting to hear much until late spring or summer.

 

[dismommom]

A friend of mine just got back from a land sea trip. They are in DVC and saved two years credits to make this trip. Three year old son got the flu the first day at WDW. They had to miss all of their adrs. Unable to take the child to a local DR ( they did not have a car) the had a DR Disney arranged come to their room. $300. Then they got on board ship and Mom got the flu and was quarentined for two days.

I told them they were lucky they had made their reservations prior to 10/26/11 so they weren't charged or it would have cost them a minimum of another $160. I do feel Disney probably would have considered this a serious illness, but would they have expected Dad and one child to attend the Dinners?

As all of us discussing this at the soccer game agreed - We've never been on a vacation where everyone was well the whole trip.

And that's what it' like when people from New Jersey travel.

 

[maxiesmom]

A friend of mine just got back from a land sea trip. They are in DVC and saved two years credits to make this trip. Three year old son got the flu the first day at WDW. They had to miss all of their adrs. Unable to take the child to a local DR ( they did not have a car) the had a DR Disney arranged come to their room. $300. Then they got on board ship and Mom got the flu and was quarentined for two days.

I told them they were lucky they had made their reservations prior to 10/26/11 so they weren't charged or it would have cost them a minimum of another $160. I do feel Disney probably would have considered this a serious illness, but would they have expected Dad and one child to attend the Dinners?

I'm wondering where the $160 number is coming from. If their child got sick the first day, wouldn't they then cancel most if not all of their remaining character/signature ADRs? How many people are in their family, and how many of their ADRS would require the fee be charged? Are you maybe overstating the fee a teensy little bit?

In any case, I'm sorry your friend had such a rotten vaction. To save for that long and have so many people get sick is horrible.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm wondering where the $160 number is coming from. If their child got sick the first day, wouldn't they then cancel most if not all of their remaining character/signature ADRs? How many people are in their family, and how many of their ADRS would require the fee be charged? Are you maybe overstating the fee a teensy little bit?

In any case, I'm sorry your friend had such a rotten vaction. To save for that long and have so many people get sick is horrible.

If someone wakes up sick first thing in the AM, then they have missed what we are discussing as the cutoff (close of business). They would anything they miss THAT day and the day before.

And putting someone in a spot where they have to decide to not only miss the stuff from the immediate time around the sickness, up through the rest of their trip just seems silly. Should they not be able to salvage some fun at the end of the trip?

If it's for a good reason, fine. But setting the deadline so far out is my complaint. It's arbitrary. A few hours, even 12 hours, I can see. That gives Disney a chance to fill the table without waiting on someone who is really a no-show. And I think once people catch on, they will start looking for last minute cancellations and most of them will be filled.

No need at all to set it so arbitrarily early.

Or how about starting with a 6 or 8 hour window and SEE how that goes. If that doesnt' get the job done, move on to 12 or even a true 24 instead of this utter nonsense of close of business the day prior to 24 hours (or whatever it is).

 

[Colleen27]

I'm wondering where the $160 number is coming from. If their child got sick the first day, wouldn't they then cancel most if not all of their remaining character/signature ADRs? How many people are in their family, and how many of their ADRS would require the fee be charged? Are you maybe overstating the fee a teensy little bit?

Well, that's the problem with this long cancellation window. Everything on the day the child gets sick and the following day are already lost as far as the fee goes, and I think most people would want to see how the illness plays out before cancelling everything for the rest of the trip. When a child wakes up on Tuesday, at least in my family, 9 times out of 10 he's going to be just fine by Thursday but since Tuesday is the cancellation deadline for Thursday's ADRs parents no longer have the ability to wait and see.

Even a true 24 hours or the by-the-end-of-the-day-prior that were both early interpretations of the cancellation deadline would be a world more customer/family friendly than the almost-48-hours interpretation of "full day" that seems to be the official final word.

 

[wdwlinz]

I think people are taking this policy a little too literally. If your child wakes up with the flu and you have to cancel multiple ADR's, I find it hard to believe that Disney is going to charge you for all of them. Maybe one of them, yes, but if you are cancelling multiple days of ADR's, I seriously doubt they will be so ridiculous as to charge you for each one.

 

[SmallWorld71]

180 out from the implementation date is 4/23/12 (and I wonder if it is coincidence that the policy won't be fully applied until *after* cold/flu season, to give Disney time to work out a clear exception policy on the fly before getting back to the time of year when illness is more common?). We might see the odd report before then from people who booked on shorter notice or made changes after 10/26, but I'm not expecting to hear much until late spring or summer.

It is also after the busy Easter/ spring break season. It will give Disney a # of weeks to implement this policy during a relatively quiet time - before the summer crowds come.

I am traveling next August. (with extended family) My current plan is to do things as I normally would, pretending this policy doesn't really exist. (Except I will have to give a credit card #, of course) Quite a few of our favorites are on this list. If I find over the months before out trip that the policy is very restrictive, then I will either change some ADR's or not use a dining plan at all and stick to mostly CS. If, as I hope, Disney is working with the guests who have some issues pop up, then I will already have my ADR's.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Sorry if this has already been asked and answered!

So I was just reading a thread over on the theme parks board regarding capacity closings over Christmas. What would happen if MK was at final closing stage and no guests were allowed in and you had an ADR? Presumably the CM at the gate not letting you in would be able to work some magic to let you in or it would be one of these exceptional circumstances and you wouldn't be charged?

Just thought I'd ask as we are going next Dec for our first trip with DD who will have her 4th birthday there on Christmas eve. Not sure yet if we will make any rope drops!!!

Claire

 

[mom2rtk]

Sorry if this has already been asked and answered!

So I was just reading a thread over on the theme parks board regarding capacity closings over Christmas. What would happen if MK was at final closing stage and no guests were allowed in and you had an ADR? Presumably the CM at the gate not letting you in would be able to work some magic to let you in or it would be one of these exceptional circumstances and you wouldn't be charged?Just thought I'd ask as we are going next Dec for our first trip with DD who will have her 4th birthday there on Christmas eve. Not sure yet if we will make any rope drops!!!

Claire

Nope. On both counts.

Even if you have a prepaid ADR at CRT, if the park is closed you're out of luck. On many counts.

You need to take that into account as you decide how to schedule that day. Go early and don't leave.

 

[pinkerbell]

Time will tell how Disney works the guidelines on this policy, but the fact is it has been put in place and I doubt they went through all this work to just waive fee's. The very nature of the policy is one that sets the tone of show up or pay up. 2 yrs ago when they system was down "parkwide" and we were not allowed to use our key to teh world card to purchase our meals (on dining plan) and were told to pay and then be reimbursed I saw Disney going in a bad direction. We were leaving that day and were only offered a coupon for a snack that we had to walk across DHS (told to go to Guest realtions, but not told waht could be done, so we did it) to get in the rain! Tehir solution was to pay for everything up front and then be reimbursed, since we had already checked out this solution didnt really seem very helpful. It's hard enough to correct a bill when your there, not to mention getting a correction when your 1300 miles away and noone could tell me just how they could look up my account once I was home to see what credits I had left, yea... this is not going to good

 

[AWHOFAN]

Call this the "What If" reservation forum. You go to Disney because they do most things correct. They will do right this time too. Be mad at humans that cheat the system and brought this upon the people with integrity. If things go right this will make the ones without integrity stay at home. If you can go up to a cast member and tell the TRUTH I feel they will make it right, remember your kids are watching.

 

[pinkerbell]

We can speculate as to why disney did this allwe want, but the truth is many co's do tings for no other reason than to make money. We go to Disney often and during off peak times, very LOW crowd levels and have yet to see an resturant that was not full. If they are filling them at off peak times, it would stand to reason that they are also filling them during peak times, especially given the fact they fell they can and do charge higher meal prices at those times.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Be mad at humans that cheat the system and brought this upon the people with integrity. .

When you say 'humans that cheat', you mean greedy CEO's, CEO consultants (yes, most major CEO's have consultants that constantly lobby on behalf of CEO's for higher compensation packages), and banker -types, right?


And when you say 'people with integrity' you mean WDW customers, right?

Then I agree with you.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Adding fuel to the fire:

Iger has been CEO since October 2005.

Iger's compensation in 2009 ranked 58th on the Forbes Executive Pay list.

Iger's compensation in 2010 ranked 30th on the Forbes Executive Pay list.

Iger's compensation in 2011 ranks 3rd on the Forbes Executive Pay list.

Walt Disney ranks 98th on the Forbes Global company list in 2010.(and 102 in 2009) Total compensation in 2010 was $29,617,964.00.


Go figure.

 

[dismommom]

I just checked my e-mail after a couple of days away and found a reminder from Disney that I have a reservation for dinner ar O'Hana's TONIGHT! It advised me there "is a 1-day cancellation policy and a $10 per person charge if you cancel within 1 day of the reservation or are a "no-show"". This reservation was made in August and not held with a CC, but I was sure I had cancelled all my ADRS when our plans changed in September. Although I would not be charged I went on the Disney Website to cancel. I thought at least someone else could get the ADR. When I tried to pull up the ADR it stated that this ADR was no longer in the system.

I advise you print and save all cancellation confirmations. While the website system had the reservations cancelled, obviously the we're going to charge you system did not have the ADR cancelled.

They need to adjust this system or there's going to be a lot of people spending a lot of time trying to get reimbursed for ADRS they did cancel.

 

[dismommom]

I'm wondering where the $160 number is coming from. If their child got sick the first day, wouldn't they then cancel most if not all of their remaining character/signature ADRs? How many people are in their family, and how many of their ADRS would require the fee be charged? Are you maybe overstating the fee a teensy little bit?

In any case, I'm sorry your friend had such a rotten vaction. To save for that long and have so many people get sick is horrible.

The $160 come from 4 people 4days at Disney and 1 meal a day. It was already too late to candel for the first two days and they did not expect the 103 temp to keep up for 4 days.

 

[diskids2]

Although this is a relatively new policy, I was wondering if anyone has seen a change in your ability to get an ADR for one of the listed restaurants...just curious.