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

[maxiesmom]

And I have no problem charging me if I was a no show I just think they need a more resonable time to cancel.

What is reasonable is subjective.

I'm curious, does anyone KNOW the whole process that Disney goes thru when an ADR is cancelled? Does it take them a while to get to it, or is the ADR cancelled the moment someone calls? We all know how great the Disney computer system is laughing, so could it be they are just leaving themselves a large amount of time to process all the cancellations? One that doesn't leave them arguing with the guest that they didn't cancel in time, or didn't cancel at all?

 

[pinkerbell]

What is reasonable is subjective.

I'm curious, does anyone KNOW the whole process that Disney goes thru when an ADR is cancelled? Does it take them a while to get to it, or is the ADR cancelled the moment someone calls? We all know how great the Disney computer system is laughing, so could it be they are just leaving themselves a large amount of time to process all the cancellations? One that doesn't leave them arguing with the guest that they didn't cancel in time, or didn't cancel at all?

I do not know the process, but do know on our last trip whne I had to cancel some I was able to do it online, from my laptop in the room. I received an email instantly confirming my confirmation (HA HA HA sorry I coudlnt resist) had been cancelled.
When we were at a park though and I tried to use my phone, I had no cell service and the CM's were quite perplexed by me wanting to use a phone to cancel a ressie. The park was PACKED and we were not close to a table service Rest without trying to manuver a sick kid around, too much, I gave up. I made an effort, the phone system is a lenghtly one (as previously mentioned) and we just wanted to get her out of the park at that point.

So for some this may be an easier process than others.

 

[Colleen27]

What is reasonable is subjective.

I'm curious, does anyone KNOW the whole process that Disney goes thru when an ADR is cancelled? Does it take them a while to get to it, or is the ADR cancelled the moment someone calls? We all know how great the Disney computer system is laughing, so could it be they are just leaving themselves a large amount of time to process all the cancellations? One that doesn't leave them arguing with the guest that they didn't cancel in time, or didn't cancel at all?

This has already been answered - when an ADR is cancelled online it appears back in available inventory immediately. No processing time or delay involved. And since dining CMs use a different "door" to the same system we access from home the same logically holds true for cancellations by phone.

 

[MELSMICE]

The change will be good for same day planners, like tarheelfan, who's a local. I think that's why we keep hearing her support for the plan - she is one that will benefit from the change.

What I don't understand is why a company would institute a policy that might benefit less than 10% of their customer base while potentially irritating 90+%. That's just dumb business. And before anyone posts, I don't have any insider information on locals being less than 10% of the base. That's just my educated guess based on my experience.

I'm not a local but pretty much a same day planner. I am going to ask......where are you getting these stats from? How do you know it's 90/10?

You can bet your cancellation fee that's what we're going to do if we don't feel like eating at an ADR - we'll show up, have a glass of water, and leave. At least people won't be able to complain about our supposed empty table though.

Good policy...

That's a great plan and if you're traveling with children it definitely teaches them a great lesson. so I can definitely see why you would do that. .

My guess would be that Disney will eventually catch on to those diners that decide to do this & institute not only the $10 fee per no show but also a minimum order policy for those that show up but want to just take up the table to prove a point.

That's also a very mature and responsible thing to do to the server. Of course, I would guess that people would be tipping though for the water that they bring you.

Someone else posted earlier (& I can't find it) that we should wait until this policy has gone into affect. Just like when they discontinued the appetizers & tips being included in the DDP there was a big uproar. Now, it's just the norm.

 

[maxiesmom]

This has already been answered - when an ADR is cancelled online it appears back in available inventory immediately. No processing time or delay involved. And since dining CMs use a different "door" to the same system we access from home the same logically holds true for cancellations by phone.

Sorry, I didn't see that post amount the 800+ on this thread.

I'm going to leave as nothing new appears to be being said. Though I do hope that if someone feels strongly about this either way, they don't just post their thoughts here and they go the extra step and let Disney know. Otherwise we are all just crabbing to crab, no matter which side we are on. And that is not attractive.

 

[miprender]

I wouldn't. Disney will collect $10, but they still won't have a table to give to someone else cause they'll believe I'm still coming. I just think everyone jumping for joy over being able to get "walkups" is partying prematurely.. And the kicker is you can't be mad at those folks for not showing up anymore because they played within Disney's defined rules.
They paid to hold that table even though they're not coming.

But unless you are going solo it will be $10/pp which would be $50 for my family.

What is reasonable is subjective.

I'm curious, does anyone KNOW the whole process that Disney goes thru when an ADR is cancelled? Does it take them a while to get to it, or is the ADR cancelled the moment someone calls? We all know how great the Disney computer system is laughing, so could it be they are just leaving themselves a large amount of time to process all the cancellations? One that doesn't leave them arguing with the guest that they didn't cancel in time, or didn't cancel at all?

Our last trip in July I had booked an ADR for 10 people at Via Napoli @ 5pm. I tried to add another and it was booked for that time frame. The month before our trip I canceled the reservation online as we were not going to eat there anymore and just for the fun of it I checked to see if the availability was there after I canceled and it was. So I would assume with no glitches that the reservation opens up minutes after you cancel.

 

[pinkerbell]

I'm going to leave as nothing new appears to be being said. Though I do hope that if someone feels strongly about this either way, they don't just post their thoughts here and they go the extra step and let Disney know. Otherwise we are all just crabbing to crab, no matter which side we are on. And that is not attractive.

 

[Snurk71]

I'm not a local but pretty much a same day planner. I am going to ask......where are you getting these stats from? How do you know it's 90/10?

Good gravy. Does no one read an entire post? How can you miss the line "And before anyone posts, I don't have any insider information on locals being less than 10% of the base. That's just my educated guess based on my experience."?!?!?!

That's a great plan and if you're traveling with children it definitely teaches them a great lesson. so I can definitely see why you would do that. .

Thanks, I think I raise my daughter just fine. I do teach her to be careful with her money and not waste it and not to eat just to eat and add to the weight epidemic our country has.

My guess would be that Disney will eventually catch on to those diners that decide to do this & institute not only the $10 fee per no show but also a minimum order policy for those that show up but want to just take up the table to prove a point.

They may. And the game will just continue.

That's also a very mature and responsible thing to do to the server. Of course, I would guess that people would be tipping though for the water that they bring you.

It's not my responsibility to pay a gainful wage to their servers. It will be Disney's policy that would cause such an act vs. letting the cancellation occur without penalty and figuring out a way to seat the table with hungry guests instead (which doesn't seem terribly difficult). It's kind of like the story "The Monkey's Paw" - you don't always get exactly what you expected when you wish for something.

 

[Snurk71]

It's not just the locals who will benefit. It will also benefit those who didn't realize they needed to make ADRs in advance. As I've said before, we also visit WDW for a week at a time. I really don't think this plan will negatively effect those experiences either. I only make ADRs I know we will go to, & don't book others just in case the stars align & we feel like going.

I didn't mean to imply that it would only help out locals. I said it would help out same day planners - of which locals are a section of (you've said on your day trips you like to check that morning hat might be available for dining). I agree that locals don't own the market on same day planning.

I will add that I think a less restrictive cancellation time would benefit the average guest more than day prior. How many people do you see asking at a restaurant for seating and be surprised they can't get in (I see it a LOT)? Under the new policy I would expect all of the ADRs will be gone at 180 days (taken by the uber planners), the cancellations will hit for opening the day before and the planners (locals, people in the Disney-know that might plan their days ahead by a day or that morning) will take all those leaving none available for the hapless walk-up that checks the podium to find nothing available. I think a 0 hour or even 3 hour policy would help out that uninformed Disney-newbie more to be able to sit down to eat. But that's just my take.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Under the new policy I would expect all of the ADRs will be gone at 180 days (taken by the uber planners), the cancellations will hit for opening the day before

Hit for opening the day before? If you mean 'be available for booking as soon as they're canceled', yes. But most people won't be calling today for tomorrow's meal.
The Guests Disney is most likely trying to assist will tend to try for same-day reservations: the ones who arrive at a park not knowing they needed to make ADRs; or the local resident whose schedule doesn't allow them to plan even a day in advance; or even the Guest who couldn't get Chef Mickey's at 180 days out.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I'm not a local but pretty much a same day planner. I am going to ask......where are you getting these stats from? How do you know it's 90/10?

I think there's a much higher number of same day planners than some think. It may not appear that way to those on the DIS, but people who frequent the message boards are in the minority. Most people don't start planning trips months in advance.

I didn't mean to imply that it would only help out locals. I said it would help out same day planners - of which locals are a section of (you've said on your day trips you like to check that morning hat might be available for dining). I agree that locals don't own the market on same day planning.

I will add that I think a less restrictive cancellation time would benefit the average guest more than day prior. How many people do you see asking at a restaurant for seating and be surprised they can't get in (I see it a LOT)? Under the new policy I would expect all of the ADRs will be gone at 180 days (taken by the uber planners), the cancellations will hit for opening the day before and the planners (locals, people in the Disney-know that might plan their days ahead by a day or that morning) will take all those leaving none available for the hapless walk-up that checks the podium to find nothing available. I think a 0 hour or even 3 hour policy would help out that uninformed Disney-newbie more to be able to sit down to eat. But that's just my take.

Personally, I don't think 3 hours is enough to help those planning same day. It will help walk-ups, but not those who want to plan their day around where they can get an ADR they want. I think this policy will benefit many more than it will harm. It has the potential to benefit everyone that doesn't book months in advance. It will only harm those who make ADRs, but aren't totally committed to them. The one exception is those who get sick (not sniffles), but I suspect that's a very small number of guests. From reading this thread, it appears the majority cancel last minute or don't show for many other reason. It's too bad those who are truly too sick to even go to the parks will have to pay the price, but that's what happens when people abuse a system. I don't blame WDW for not wanting their tables to sit empty. I blame those who booked ADRs & considered them expendable.

As for having to go to an ADR, when you're not hungry. The simple solution is to not make so many ADRs that you can't possibly hold that much food, or to not snack close to the ADR. It's easy to see why WDW wouldn't think "I'm not hungry" isn't a valid excuse to miss an ADR. That's easily controlled.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

They may. And the game will just continue.

Would you want someone to view your ability to make money as a game that can be won by finding a way to not pay you? I wouldn't. These games are the reason policies such as this are implemented. It's those who play the games that scream the loudest, when the game changes & they can no longer easily win.

 

[Mkrop]

We've offered an alternative (less advanced cancellation time) time and time again that resolves everything you've just posted. If Disney can't resolve fill their tables with a 3 hour cancellation window (please don't mention breakfast again - we've covered that too), they are just poor managers of the business.

I don't know where you are getting that idea from. I actually just booked a Free Dining trip for next March. I have, and had no problem in the past, booking meals where they charge a cancellation fee.

I never felt Disney was trying to gouge me, or get one over me because of the fee, and I don't feel that way now that they have added more restaurants to the fee list. I think it is pretty despicable that so many tables were sitting empty, when it was obvious people would have liked to be at those tables, but were being turned away because the restaurant was booked. It would simply not be a smart business move for Disney to continue to turn a blind eye to it. And we can all debate how large the window of time should be for cancelling an ADR, but Disney has set it at one day, and that is the reality of it. You can't control it or change it, you can just control how you react to it. If you react by not booking those restaurants, that is your choice. Maybe enough people will do that that Disney will change their new policy, but as of right now, it is what it is.

Sure we can, if enough people complain, things can change. Or if it is a complete diaster, like the no monorail service, WDW will make the change.

Do you always sit back in life and accept changes so easily, do you ever ask for things to be changed to C instead of B, or ask for it to be changed back to A.

My goodness others are posting...dont you ever take a gamble...well I ask back dont you ever see a change and say hey that wont work let my voice my concerns!

I don't think anyone is suggesting a guest has to keep an eye on their cell phone. Rather those guests interested in knowing about same day availability of dining, and who are will to check their cell phone for text messages, might benefit if such a system was put in place.

I don't see how the change is good for anyone. People who make multiple ADRs and ADRs on spec will continue to do so. They'll just cancel at the deadline. I don't see how that benefits us.

I think people need to take a good look around at the parks...people are connected! Playing with phones in line etc. So if WDW was truly serious about filling those tables, there is a whole market in their parks that they could access in a heartbeat...but no instead let's make it a pain in the butt to eat and if you need to cancel here is an archiac way (phone line) for you to cancel.


Friends do things like this all the time via email or FB...Eagles tickets to the first person to respond for $200. WDW could totally use the technolgy to their advantage instead they are nickeling and diming us

 

[mom2rtk]

Personally, I don't think 3 hours is enough to help those planning same day.

But is the point in changing the system to 1) help same day planners get what they want or 2) to get paying guests at those tables.

If Disney REALLY cared about same-day planners, they'd just save some tables for walk-ups. It's ALL within their control.

 

[Mom of 2 Wife of 1]

Like the pp poste said, I am being punished for others who have either hoarded or been no shows. I have done neither.

You're not being punished for anything unless you cancel or no-show. Why are people already predicting the end of the known universe occurring within the 24 hours of their ADR? If you don't think you can make it to a particular ADR, don't make the ADR. It's that simple. Disney isn't taking anything from you unless you re-neg on your promise to show up. Nobody spoiled anything for anyone and Disney is not being greedy. In fact, it appears to be the other way around.

 

[mom2rtk]

You're not being punished for anything unless you cancel or no-show. Why are people already predicting the end of the known universe occurring within the 24 hours of their ADR? If you don't think you can make it to a particular ADR, don't make the ADR. It's that simple. Disney isn't taking anything from you unless you re-neg on your promise to show up. Nobody spoiled anything for anyone and Disney is not being greedy. In fact, it appears to be the other way around.

Sure they're being punished. They no longer have the luxury of making a mistake or having someone get ill last minute without penalty. It's just another level of worry on a vacation when they should be relaxing.

 

[MELSMICE]

They may. And the game will just continue.

I don't Disney views this as a game.

If, in fact, they did start having a minimun for a TS restaurant because people were abusing the system, then once again, I would be in favor of it.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

But is the point in changing the system to 1) help same day planners get what they want or 2) to get paying guests at those tables.

If Disney REALLY cared about same-day planners, they'd just save some tables for walk-ups. It's ALL within their control.

I think the point is to help WDW fill the tables, & help all guests that are definitely interested in dining in the restaurant. If I owned a business, I wouldn't be too concerned about keeping those who abused my system happy. Those who operate within the system would be the ones I'd try to make things easier for. That's just me.

Sure they're being punished. They no longer have the luxury of making a mistake or having someone get ill last minute without penalty. It's just another level of worry on a vacation when they should be relaxing.

Many people make & keep all their ADRs. We do, & I don't spend my vacation worrying. We plan to assure we're where we're supposed to be. If I wanted flexibility, I wouldn't make ADRs. It's just that simple to me. There's not need to worry.

 

[pinkerbell]

I think a read (maybe in this thread) that these are not reservations, but priority seating for the next available table.
Can someone tell me exactly what calling ahead entitles one to?
I know I get an email saying "WDW Dining Reservation Confirmed" And it lists my rights and responsibilities. I am sure this will be updated to include the fee, but what about when they DO NOT meet their responsibility. As posters have mentioned, some have (myself included) had VERY long waits even when arriving 20 minutes prior for check-in. I think many people just find themselves shaking their head thinking "what next?"
When a vaction feels more like a chore than a respite.people start making other choices.
No smaller destinations in our area have such complicated ticket or reservation system's. Have they gotten too big for themselves?

 

[Cafeen]

You all do realize that if a lot of people start doing this they will just find a way to crack down more to shop it right? They're not forcing you to go to order anything. You have a choice of canceling 24 hrs. in advance or not making an ADR in the first place, if you so choose. As I've said before, people really do need to stop shooting themselves in the foot. If you do feel impelled to do it, go for it. Please, don't complain when they enact a more restrictive policy to put a stop to it though. Disney isn't going to continue to let guests "get one over on them" for long, w/o doing something about it.

Totally agree with the bolded... just not in the same way

And totally agree with the inverse of the 2nd bolded.

I'm getting pretty disillusioned right now, between this and other recent debacles. Disney is losing its luster in my eyes, and it seems to only be a shell of what it once was. The CMs on the ground are not part of this, as most of them do their best with what's given them, I feel that the company is giving them far, far less to spread around though, and that's being seen by the guests. I do feel that they're on the wrong path, and this is just another step forward along it. I could be wrong, and, in fact, I hope I am. I just don't think so.

When a service driven company, who always prides itself on the highest level of guest service and satisfaction, starts implementing policies that are only halfway thought out and seem to have no real logic behind them, I start to question whether or not they have lost touch with their base. I don't begrudge them the ability to make money, after all, without it there'd be no parks. I do begrudge them making more money by offering less, at lower quality, with less satisfaction.

This is a little long and a bit off scope for the thread, but this policy is just another in a longer chain. The policies and decisions that are not fully thought out, especially in the realm of guest reaction. Just slapping "to improve guest experience" on it doesn't mean it will actually improve guest experience.