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

[pattyw]

How are you supposed to cancel on 12/9 when you made the reservation on 12/10 The policy as it stands, with needing one full day in between cancellation and ADR, does not allow for people to cancel or change last minute ADRs like this one. I agree with others who say they should allow up until 10pm the day before the ADR, or they should just charge people who are no call no shows.

I agree!!

 

[Colleen27]

I expect businesses to make money through legitmate services that they provide, dont nickel and dime me. Charge me if I am true no show, dont charge me if my kid wakes up sick at 8am and I cancel a 7pm ADR. That is money grab pure and simple, not a good business decision. They could fill that table in a heartbeat.

There are good business decisions that make money, and there are others that make money but leave your customer annoyed, they are bad business decisions.

Not every way a business decides to make/save money is a good decision. Gee lets save money by not running the monorail after parties...we will save money...uh oh now we have a bunch of guests with no way to get back to their rooms and they arent happy...money saver but bad decision!r

Exactly. Disney seems to be making a lot of decisions of late out of arrogance and the assumption that there will always be people who want to come to WDW regardless of the price, either because Disney is so iconic or because die-hard fans are so hooked that they'll put up with anything. And this decision is firmly in that vein IMO; there are a number of other ways they could have addressed the issues of double bookings and no-shows before moving to this poorly implemented, highly rigid, guest unfriendly policy. But none of those other steps would have them collecting revenue in return for nothing, which as we've already seen is happening under this policy.

 

[Mkrop]

I know this is OT, but you can still use the buses and the water transportation, so they haven't left you with no way to get back to your resorts. The resorts that the monorail serves all have other options of transportation.

In fact, I just read this in my DVC Files Magazine:

"Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort: Members who use the Walt Disney World Monorail system for transportation to and from Bay Lake Tower while enjoying the Parks should note that Monorail trains now serve the Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot until one hour after the respective Park concludes its regular operating day. Buses and (for the Magic Kingdom Park) watercraft continue serving Guests during Extra Magic Hours."

I realize this was written in a DVC magazine, but it does hold true for all WDW guests. You can also walk from MK back to the Contemporary.

As a business I can see why they would do this. There are less people in the park, even for special parties, after closing so why would they keep something running when they can save money and still service their guests.

But my point was in a bad decision bc after it was implemented, they found it was mass chaos and people were having to wait too long to get back to not only the resorts but the parking lots. This decision didnt affect me personally bc we own at BLT so can walk or we stay BW and take a bus. My point was here was a business decision that in theory was most likely made to make save money but it turned around and ticked off customers instead....that is a bad business decision in the long run and could potentially negate your savings, save if people stop booking monorail resorts or choose not to go to a party next year bc of the hassle of getting back to their car.

This new dining policy seems like a money grab. There is no reason they can not have a more reasonable cancellation window, charge for true no shows, but fill the tables with walkups for the true cancellations or use social media/texting to fill the seats. Source of revnue for the true no shows, the cancellations are filled with walkups or texts, people are happy to get into Crystal Palace as a walkup or get that "magicial" text that we can accomodate your party of 4 at 7pm...good business plan

 

[MELSMICE]

But my point was in a bad decision bc after it was implemented, they found it was mass chaos and people were having to wait too long to get back to not only the resorts but the parking lots. This decision didnt affect me personally bc we own at BLT so can walk or we stay BW and take a bus. My point was here was a business decision that in theory was most likely made to make save money but it turned around and ticked off customers instead....that is a bad business decision in the long run and could potentially negate your savings, save if people stop booking monorail resorts or choose not to go to a party next year bc of the hassle of getting back to their car.

This new dining policy seems like a money grab. There is no reason they can not have a more reasonable cancellation window, charge for true no shows, but fill the tables with walkups for the true cancellations or use social media/texting to fill the seats. Source of revnue for the true no shows, the cancellations are filled with walkups or texts, people are happy to get into Crystal Palace as a walkup or get that "magicial" text that we can accomodate your party of 4 at 7pm...good business plan

As with any new policy or change there are always bugs to work out.

I can't be positive, but I would think/hope that after experiencing "mass chaos" and unhappy customers they put more buses and watercraft in operation to take care of guests during busy times.

Maybe things with this new policy will change also if it doesn't do what Disney is intending it to accomplish.

 

[maxiesmom]

As with any new policy or change there are always bugs to work out.

I can't be positive, but I would think/hope that after experiencing "mass chaos" and unhappy customers they put more buses and watercraft in operation to take care of guests during busy times.

Maybe things with this new policy will change also if it doesn't do what Disney is intending it to accomplish.

That is the thing. We have to wait and see if the policy really makes more guests unhappy, or makes more guests happy that they can now get ADRS that they really intend to use. If Disney sees a decrease in revenue, I'm sure they will do away or change this new policy.

I don't feel this is nickle and diming everyone. Only those who don't show up are having to pay the fee, and that is really the way it should be. Charge those who don't show up. It is much better imho than Disney raising costs again across the board to make up for what they seem to think is lost revenue.

 

[Marshay]

It is much better imho than Disney raising costs again across the board to make up for what they seem to think is lost revenue.

Oh, don't kid yourself ... Disney will still raise prices!!

 

[TDC Nala]

What's annoying the posters is not that they are charging guests that don't show up. It's the cancellation policy. Although I'm not sure what a really good cancellation policy would be. Some say a strict 24 hours rather than "a day", some say three hours before the reservation, some say cancel at any time as long as you cancel. Don't know why Disney is using the time limit they're using but a lot of guests are finding it potentially very restrictive. We'll have to wait a bit to see how it actually works out.

I wouldn't say I won't be eating at any of the listed restaurants in the future but I won't be making reservations to do it.

 

[Mkrop]

As with any new policy or change there are always bugs to work out.

I can't be positive, but I would think/hope that after experiencing "mass chaos" and unhappy customers they put more buses and watercraft in operation to take care of guests during busy times. Maybe things with this new policy will change also if it doesn't do what Disney is intending it to accomplish.

But they cost money too. The whole point of cutting the monorail was to save money, the only way this helps, if it is cheaper than the monorail.

And they added back the monorail to the parties after the mass chaos and unhappy guests. So they wound up saving nothing except during that short period of time it wasnt running and they ticked people off who may bot come back.

 

[MSLRAC]

That is the thing. We have to wait and see if the policy really makes more guests unhappy, or makes more guests happy that they can now get ADRS that they really intend to use. If Disney sees a decrease in revenue, I'm sure they will do away or change this new policy.

I don't feel this is nickle and diming everyone. Only those who don't show up are having to pay the fee, and that is really the way it should be. Charge those who don't show up. It is much better imho than Disney raising costs again across the board to make up for what they seem to think is lost revenue.

How is this not a money grab? So far we have reports of people being charged for being late, being told they would be charged next time for a documented medical issue, being told that a last minute ADR's needed to be canceled a day before it was made and people being told that they couldn't change an ADR time or location without being charged. That is craziness and a straight up money grab!

DH and I were holding out on making a final decision about our next WDW trip until we saw how this policy was going to play out but at this point, it is clear to us that we need to totally reconsider even going to WDW.

 

[Tink415]

I also think its a money grab. The happiest place on earth, except when your late, someone gets sick, or you change your mind. That will be $10 per person.

 

[MELSMICE]

Oh, don't kid yourself ... Disney will still raise prices!!

When the cost of the goods or services you offer increases, then a business must increase their prices to recoup their costs. The costs are always passed on to the consumer. The consumer then decides if they are going to still buy the goods or service, forego it, or look somewhere else.

But they cost money too. The whole point of cutting the monorail was to save money, the only way this helps, if it is cheaper than the monorail.

And they added back the monorail to the parties after the mass chaos and unhappy guests. So they wound up saving nothing except during that short period of time it wasnt running and they ticked people off who may bot come back.

Yes, the buses & watercraft cost money also, but do we know if they cost more money than running the monorail?

Again, here is what the DVC Files Magazine says:

"Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort: Members who use the Walt Disney World Monorail system for transportation to and from Bay Lake Tower while enjoying the Parks should note that Monorail trains now serve the Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot until one hour after the respective Park concludes its regular operating day. Buses and (for the Magic Kingdom Park) watercraft continue serving Guests during Extra Magic Hours."

The monorail still does not run until the end of the evening if there is a special party. It runs until one hour after its regular operating day. They have still cut costs with the monorail in this respect and hopefully took care of any transportation issues there may have been.

 

[Snurk71]

When the cost of the goods or services you offer increases, then a business must increase their prices to recoup their costs. The costs are always passed on to the consumer. The consumer then decides if they are going to still buy the goods or service, forego it, or look somewhere else.

Not true. Some companies do, definitely lazy ones. But some companies look at improving/tightening their cost structure and becoming more efficient in order to keep their prices low/competitive/in line with demand. It just may look easier to pass along cost increases.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Still waiting to see what happens if a partial party, say 4 out of 6 or whatever, shows up or what happens if a guest wants to SWITCH an ADR within the day and a half/ two day required cancellation window. Say maybe you have a breakfast ADR at Cape May but a spot at 'Ohana opens up and you'd like to switch to a breakfast there. This is not a revenue loss for Disney at all - are they going to charge you anyway?

 

[smidgy]

Still waiting to see what happens if a partial party, say 4 out of 6 or whatever, shows up or what happens if a guest wants to SWITCH an ADR within the day and a half/ two day required cancellation window. Say maybe you have a breakfast ADR at Cape May but a spot at 'Ohana opens up and you'd like to switch to a breakfast there. This is not a revenue loss for Disney at all - are they going to charge you anyway?

OMG!!! this is one of the BEST not often thought of scenarios!!!! great job!!

you have ADRS for X restaurant. but your are really hoping to go to x Restaurant.

the place you are hoping for, and looking for, for 6 months.. finally opens up!!!! 6 hours before your ADR time!!! now, oh come on!!! you have been faithful in making ADRS, done everything exactly the way you are supposed to. keep checking in, to see if .. maybe, just maybe, an opening will show up...


ok, NOW.. becuase of the new system,.. someone cancels an ADR for Ohanas... but.. you had one at another restaurant... but you prefer Ohanas.. had been waiting and hoping for it!!
and.. it's available...! but! you ca't take it without taking a $10 a head hit on another ADR...

at first I thought this MIGHT be a good thing.. I really dislike the people who make multiple ADRS.. I think they are really selfish... but now I can see how the solyution causes many problems also.

 

[TDC Nala]

Still waiting to see what happens if a partial party, say 4 out of 6 or whatever, shows up or what happens if a guest wants to SWITCH an ADR within the day and a half/ two day required cancellation window. Say maybe you have a breakfast ADR at Cape May but a spot at 'Ohana opens up and you'd like to switch to a breakfast there. This is not a revenue loss for Disney at all - are they going to charge you anyway?

From what I've seen if you switch an ADR within a day then yes, you are charged, because switching is the same as a cancellation and rebooking.

Best I can suggest is to make any reservations like this at a restaurant that isn't subject to the credit card hold - for example if you are really hoping for 'Ohana for a certain meal and cant' get it, make a reservation at someplace like Grand Floridian Cafe instead if you plan on still checking to see if 'Ohana opens up at the last minute. Yes, that does mean you can't switch between character meals at the last minute.

 

[SmallWorld71]

From what I've seen if you switch an ADR within a day then yes, you are charged, because switching is the same as a cancellation and rebooking.

Best I can suggest is to make any reservations like this at a restaurant that isn't subject to the credit card hold - for example if you are really hoping for 'Ohana for a certain meal and cant' get it, make a reservation at someplace like Grand Floridian Cafe instead if you plan on still checking to see if 'Ohana opens up at the last minute. Yes, that does mean you can't switch between character meals at the last minute.

Thanks. I've never actually had to change an ADR when at WDW, as I've been fortunate to get what I wanted ahead of time and I'm not one to change my mind. I strongly disagree with this part of the policy though and I think this is way too restrictive on WDW's part. As a real life example, my brother was down at WDW last year with his family and his DD was turning 16 while there. She really wanted to eat with the princesses, but as it was a busy week, nothing was available. SIL tried for weeks to get something, but with no luck. So, they booked a different character meal and that was going to be that. But, on the day of her birthday, a breakfast at Akershus opened up and they jumped at the chance. Under the new policy, they would have been charged $40 for the switch even though they were spending about double the money with the new ADR.

Also, as someone who loves to read the dining reviews here on the DIS (as I know you do) I do know that even the best of planners sometimes end up making changes. I think about 1/2 the reviews I've read recently have had some type of switch (not cancellation) for one reason or another. Every time I read a review these days, I can't help but think of all the money my fellow DISers. would be losing out on with this restriction.

Disney would not lose $ by allowing guests to switch (most of the time) so to not allow them to do so without penalty is just being greedy! Bah! Humbug!

 

[aubriee]

Thanks. I've never actually had to change an ADR when at WDW, as I've been fortunate to get what I wanted ahead of time and I'm not one to change my mind. I strongly disagree with this part of the policy though and I think this is way too restrictive on WDW's part. I do know that even the best of planners sometimes end up making changes. I think about 1/2 the reviews I've read recently have had some type of switch (not cancellation) for one reason or another. Every time I read a review these days, I can't help but think of all the money my fellow DISers. would be losing out on with this restriction.

Disney would not lose $ by allowing guests to switch (most of the time) so to not allow them to do so without penalty is just being greedy! Bah! Humbug!

I agree! I am one who makes changes on the fly down there. I keep the dining number programmed into my phone and sometimes just show up at a restaraunt opening to see if I can get in. If I do, I call and cancel my existing ADR. For example when I was there a couple of weeks ago, I had an ADR for Jiko for like 7:30pm. I was tired and showed up at opening to see if there was anyway I could get in early. I've done this several times without a problem and am usually seated at the bar where they prepare the appetizers without a problem. For some reason this time the CM would not let me. They weren't busy and that Cooking Place bar was totally empty. I walked right next door to Bomas and asked if I could get in and I was told it'd may be 10-15 minutes. I walked back over to Jikos and politely asked the desk CM to cancel my ADR, as I'd be eating at Boma instead. I told her I was just too tired to wait 2 1/2 hours for my Jiko reservation. She told me if I had booked it after the cut off date that I'd be charged as a no show. I informed her I had made the ADR at 180 days out well before the new policy went into effect and would have kept it, if I could have gotten in earlier. The Boma beeper went off about that time and I walked away. Jikos was not at all busy. If they'd let me in early I'd have spent more money at Jikos. I walked back by there after my Boma dinner and peeked in. They still weren't busy and there were still seats open at the Cooking Place.

A few days later I decided on the spur of the moment to go to AK, instead of Universal. I walked up at Yak & Yeti when they opened and asked if I could get in. I was seated in just a few minutes. When I checked in, I told the CM that I had an ADR there for the next day and asked her to cancel it which she did. Granted Y&Y is not one that requires a cc guarantee, but considering the low crowds that week, it could just have easily been Tusker House. If it was and I did that during my upcoming May trip, I would be charged (which is why I made a point of not making any ADRs that require a cc guarantee for that trip). I'll just take my chances as a walk up at any restaurant that requires a cc guarantee and if I get in, then I'll call and cancel my existing ADR.

 

[aubriee]

oops, duplicate

 

[MarineVet]

We just got back home yesterday from a week at WDW. Last Sunday night, we had an ADR for the Garden Grill at Epcot at 7:55 pm. We had spent the earlier part of the day at AK, so we didn't get to Epcot until about 6 and it was raining. We killed what time we could then headed over to The Land to see if we could check in early. There were three CMs at the desk. When I asked about checking in at 7:15, one was real smarmy with me and said it was too early, and we should just go do something else and come back at 7:50. Then he said we would probably not be seated until around 15 minutes AFTER our reservations, so I asked why and he said because people were lingereing at their tables so long because of the rain. When I looked at my DH and said something about "so much for making a reservation months in advance" the CM interjected that EVERYONE there had reservations as they don't take walk-ups. I told him we had been there three times within the last year and had just walked up with no reservation each time and had been seated within 10 minutes. He said the new reservation policy with the credit cards kept them from taking any walk ups. So we killed some time and then came back at 7:40. The woman in front of me was talking to a different CM (the smarmy one was not there) and she was giving her information about how many she had, etc. - She was a walk up, said she had no reservation.

Okay, no big deal. We got seated shortly after our scheduled time, the group that walked up got seated, no harm no foul. BUT, this one CM was so insistent they never took walk ups and was so nasty about it! A better approach would be to explain they "rarely take" walk-ups, and to please be patient, because of the rain they are running a bit behind, we will seat you as soon as we can. Thankfully, the waitress was nice and the food as good as always.

 

[AWHOFAN]

We were at the Disney World this past week Dec 16th 2011 and had no problems since we schedule 180 days prior and went when our schedule time was stated. Only rude person was the family that did not have their family ready at the schedule time at Cinderella’s Royal Table but felt it was okay to interrupt an yell at the hosts while I was talking to the hostess “the R… family are here now!”. Twice this so called lady did the yelling and interrupting. I asked the hostess don’t you hate those kind of people? She said ‘I just smile”. We were seated first and received a great table at the Royal Table while the rude families were seated last with a bad table. Now that’s pixie magic.