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

[TDC Nala]

so what happens if you cancel the CC that you gave when making these ressies under the new rule?

No idea. Maybe there is someone out there who had to cancel a credit card they gave when making a reservation for CRT or California Grill or a dinner show.

at any rate I am not sure Disney is anticipating that a lot of guests will cancel their credit cards just to get out of paying a no-show fee on a restaurant reservation.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I had a question about this new policy. Let's say you are already at WDW and are staying Club Level. If you ask the Club Level Cast Members working in the lounge of your resort to make you a last minute ADR, do they take the credit card number you used to check-in to make the ADR?

 

[TDC Nala]

I had a question about this new policy. Let's say you are already at WDW and are staying Club Level. If you ask the Club Level Cast Members working in the lounge of your resort to make you a last minute ADR, do they take the credit card number you used to check-in to make the ADR?

You may want to call the Club Level and ask them, as they already make reservations for guests at restaurants that require prepayment or a credit card hold.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I see that a lot of people who are in favor of this policy, like it because they think it will make more room for walk-ups. I don't necessarily think this is the case. If people are required to cancel at least a day ahead of time, that will make room for those who go to concierge/ on-line/ call the morning of or the night before. Most of these places are very popular and I think that cancellation openings will be snatched up long before the walk-up gets there. If you are someone who is hoping walk-ups will now be available, then I think you really should be for Disney tweaking this policy to have a much shorter (2 or so hours) window. Otherwise, I think you are just as out of luck as you were before.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You may want to call the Club Level and ask them, as they already make reservations for guests at restaurants that require prepayment or a credit card hold.

I know that's true for the restaurants that required a credit card before this announcemnet was made, because the form the IPO departments would e-mail us had a section for those locations if we wanted them to reserve it and a section for a credit card to type in.

However I wasn't referring to the IPO Cast Members who make the ADR's before Club Level guests arrive at WDW. I was referring to the Club Level Cast Members that work inside the Club Level lounges and can make ADR's for those guests right in front of them on their computers.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I see that a lot of people who are in favor of this policy, like it because they think it will make more room for walk-ups.

I never said I like it . I don't dislike it, and I understand why they're doing it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

However I wasn't referring to the IPO Cast Members who make the ADR's before Club Level guests arrive at WDW. I was referring to the Club Level Cast Members that work inside the Club Level lounges and can make ADR's for those guests right in front of them on their computers.

If Club Level Cast Members that work inside the Club Level lounges and make ADR's for those guests right in front of them on their computers take credit card numbers to prepay for restaurants that require prepayment, then they would be able to - will, in fact - take credit card numbers to hold reservations at the listed restaurants. Staying Club Level doesn't exempt one from the process.

 

[TDC Nala]

I know that's true for the restaurants that required a credit card before this announcemnet was made, because the form the IPO departments would e-mail us had a section for those locations if we wanted them to reserve it and a section for a credit card to type in.

However I wasn't referring to the IPO Cast Members who make the ADR's before Club Level guests arrive at WDW. I was referring to the Club Level Cast Members that work inside the Club Level lounges and can make ADR's for those guests right in front of them on their computers.

Can you not get that information from the IPO? If not is there a way for you to call the desk? I haven't stayed club level in many years but I thought you could call the desk.

do you want to know if the guest would need to bring the credit card to the desk or if the cast members can just use the credit card on file? Try the Resort board to ask this question as I'm sure there are club level guests there who know.

Or is what you want to know if club level guests can bypass the credit card requirement by making their reservations at the desk? If they can't do it now they won't be able to do it when the extra restaurants come onboard.

 

[MSLRAC]

No idea. Maybe there is someone out there who had to cancel a credit card they gave when making a reservation for CRT or California Grill or a dinner show.

at any rate I am not sure Disney is anticipating that a lot of guests will cancel their credit cards just to get out of paying a no-show fee on a restaurant reservation.

I used my debit card to secure our Akershus ADR for our last trip and I lost the card while holiday shopping a couple of months later. That card was canceled and a new card issued. I never even thought to call Disney to change the card they had on file but our ADR was not effected.

I'm not sure what Disney would have done if we hadn't shown up and then our card was decline for the no show fee. But I suspect that if they start seeing that trend when they implement this policy that they will tweak the policy in some way that probably will not be good.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Can you not get that information from the IPO? If not is there a way for you to call the desk? I haven't stayed club level in many years but I thought you could call the desk.

do you want to know if the guest would need to bring the credit card to the desk or if the cast members can just use the credit card on file? Try the Resort board to ask this question as I'm sure there are club level guests there who know.

Or is what you want to know if club level guests can bypass the credit card requirement by making their reservations at the desk? If they can't do it now they won't be able to do it when the extra restaurants come onboard.

I already filled out the form sent by the Boardwalk Inn IPO department last month, so I am not sure if they have changed them yet to add the new policy for making ADR's at the restaurants which are effected by needing a credit card in advance.

I just wanted to know if the Club Level Cast Members working inside the lounge would use the credit card on file if a guest was to make an ADR at the restaurants that require one in advance or if they can use a different one?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If Club Level Cast Members that work inside the Club Level lounges and make ADR's for those guests right in front of them on their computers take credit card numbers to prepay for restaurants that require prepayment, then they would be able to - will, in fact - take credit card numbers to hold reservations at the listed restaurants. Staying Club Level doesn't exempt one from the process.

I never said Club Level guests should be exempt from this new rule. I just wanted to know how things will work in the future when making ADR's with the Club Level Cast Members when your already at Walt Disney World.

In the past if there was a location I wanted to try that didn't require a credit card to reserve it I would go in the lounge, the Cast Member would get on their computer, make the ADR if it was available and print off a confirmation.

So I never had any experience reserving ADR's with them that needed a credit card in advance.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm sure they will use any credit card to secure the reservation that the guest asks them to use, but you may want to ask on the Resort board.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I already filled out the form sent by the Boardwalk Inn IPO department last month,

Then it's moot; this now policy starts with reservations made on/after 10/26.

 

[MamaJessie]

I see that a lot of people who are in favor of this policy, like it because they think it will make more room for walk-ups.

I like it because I think it would deter people from making ADRs they don't plan on keeping, making it slightly easier to get an ADR for more popular meals. It seems some people are going to avoid those restaurants so it works for me

 

[TDC Nala]

Then it's moot; this now policy starts with reservations made on/after 10/26.

I think he wants to know what would happen if he decided to go to the desk while he was staying there to make a last-minute reservation at one of the new restaurants on the guarantee list. He'd need a credit card but I think he wants to know if the desk will automatically use the one previously submitted or if he can use a different one.

I don't think there's any reason for the desk to not take any credit card the guest wants to give them for that purpose, but he'd have to ask someone who regularly stays club level and uses the desk make last minute reservations at restaurants that take credit card guarantees.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I never said Club Level guests should be exempt from this new rule. I just wanted to know how things will work in the future when making ADR's with the Club Level Cast Members when your already at Walt Disney World.

In the past if there was a location I wanted to try that didn't require a credit card to reserve it I would go in the lounge, the Cast Member would get on their computer, make the ADR if it was available and print off a confirmation.

So I never had any experience reserving ADR's with them that needed a credit card in advance.

Not sure if this answers your question, but when we stayed CL at the Poly a couple of years ago, we went to the CM in the lobby of Hawaii to make a Neverland Club reservation for our dd (the kids' clubs require a CC to book). We had a CC on file but the CM helping us needed to see the actual CC to do the booking so DH had to go back upstairs to get his Amex.

This wasn't a restaurant of course, but a cc guarantee so maybe it might work the same.

 

[Colleen27]

Lets take the sick kid scenario, oft mentioned in this thread.You can make an advanced reservation, with a 24 hours cancellation policy KNOWING that anything can happen when you have kids. ( I have 4, btw) If something happens after the cut off line, you pay the fee.NOW, if you know the fee in advance, you are not REQUIRED to make an advance reservation. You could assume your kids will be sick, not make the reservation and try to walk up to every restaurant.

Except that according to most reports, Disney is so committed to their "no walk ups" policy at popular restaurants that they'd rather operate half-empty while turning people away than take them. Now maybe that will change with this policy... but I doubt it. So really, the choice is make an ADR or be content with counter service and a week of fast-food quality meals is not a vacation in my book.

Disney says it themselves in all their package bookings and e-mail contacts - ADRs are "highly recommended" for Disney dining experiences. And if you're booking the dining plan - something Disney really pushes, offering it free for most of the year these days - ADRs are practically a necessity for using it.

 

[eliza61]

Except that according to most reports, Disney is so committed to their "no walk ups" policy at popular restaurants that they'd rather operate half-empty while turning people away than take them. Now maybe that will change with this policy... but I doubt it. So really, the choice is make an ADR or be content with counter service and a week of fast-food quality meals is not a vacation in my book.

Disney says it themselves in all their package bookings and e-mail contacts - ADRs are "highly recommended" for Disney dining experiences. And if you're booking the dining plan - something Disney really pushes, offering it free for most of the year these days - ADRs are practically a necessity for using it.

That doesn't surprise me. From a business perspective you win if you can convince your paying customer that the only way to enjoy themselves is to eat, sleep and breathe the disney air.

allowing or encouraging walk ups is counter productive. Thats one of the reasons why dining plans are pushed (or given away) so readily. it's a no win situation for the mouse managers. You pay full price on your room (in the case of free dining) food is discounted and it guarantees a certain revenue.

I've read many threads here where people say that they aren't really hungry but go to their adrs any way because they don't want to "waste" their points. Now if those same people didn't have the dining plan, the option is open to them to not eat a ts and that's lost revenue. also the reason why disney forces you to get the dining plan for the length of your trip and every one must be on the package.

Don't ever think that the mouse managers make any decision with the guest in mind. the angle is always how to bring in more revenue.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I am also looking forward to the thread about the behavior of children at meals getting worse. Right now I plan our meals early... but even then there are just some nights that my kids can't make it. I normally can tell by lunch time if we won't make dinner. And rather than my kids be demons in a restaurant and effect others meals, we opt to cancel and take longer naps then normal. But I can't tell you the night before that that will be the case. So I apologize in advance if I am a terrible parent and make us still go to dinner rather then pay $70 oop. But you better believe that come hell or high water I'll be making my adr with this in place!

I can see where this policy makes total sense. I really do. I just think that 24 hrs is excessive. I'd be all for a flat fee to hold a reservation (even a high amount say $30) so that people wouldn't want to double a book a bunch because they'd have money tied up. I'd also be ok with that in combination of a no-show fee. But I think that 24 hrs is a LONG time on vacation and especially when it's a family destination and children are in the equation. (And even more crazy if the paper is right and it's a full day ahead and not just 24 hrs!)

 

[Snurk71]

It seems as though there are a lot of posters that say they make their ADR's 180 in advance. It's those same posters that say "it's tough to plan a Disney vacation, knowing how you're going to feel or what you want to do on that day at that time". Very contradictory.

Not contradictory. That is the rule of the game - if you want to eat somewhere, you have to make the reservation 180 days out. Doesn't mean you like it.