Reservation cancellation policy?

[las3888]

Hi all,

Sorry, I'm sure this has been discussed, but I don't see it in any recent threads, nor can I find this info on MDE....what is the current cancellation policy for dining reservations? I know we need to use a credit card to secure the reservation and without making a reservation, all it says is that you will be charged if you don't show. It doesn't say if you can cancel or within how much time with no penalty (if that's possible). Does anybody know? It says your cancellation information will be in your confirmation but I don't want to pull the trigger without knowing. Thanks!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Generally you can cancel up to midnight the day before your reservation. The wording says 24 hours but it is not exact. So you could cancel a 9am breakfast reservation at 11:30pm the night before. I'd recommend canceling as soon as you make the decision because sometimes the app is glitchy.

 

[las3888]

Thank you, that is with no penalty right?

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Thank you, that is with no penalty right?

Correct. Note, I'm not sure if some of the special pre-paid dining experiences like Cinderella Royal Table have different cancellation policies. But for the majority, the above is true. Have fun!

 

[las3888]

Thank you! Does anybody know what happens if we reserve a table for 4 and only 3 show up? Our nephew may or may not make this trip....

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Thank you! Does anybody know what happens if we reserve a table for 4 and only 3 show up? Our nephew may or may not make this trip....

No penalty as long as someone shows up.

 

[Pumbaa_]

As far as I know nothing has changed via the cancelation policy.

 

[supersnoop]

The wording says 24 hours but it is not exact.

No it doesn't. The wording is "the day prior" which means before midnight. Nothing says "24 hours."

 

[Fangorn]

No it doesn't. The wording is "the day prior" which means before midnight. Nothing says "24 hours."

Exactly. The wording never said 24 hours. It was always the "day prior". A lot of people took that to mean 24 hours (a day) before, and Disney has never bothered to correct that assumption, as they'd much prefer earlier cancelations or an increase in the number of cancelation fees that could result because of the 24 hour assumption.

Steve

 

[Eastern]

I had ADRs last week and I cancelled two the day before at around 8pm with no problems.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Just a little tip. If for some reason you feel you cannot make it to the restaurant for a reservation on the day of the reservation simply choose the option to change the reservation. Pick a date with availability for the new time. Once this is done you can then cancel it with no charge since it is outside the same-day restriction.

 

[gharter]

Agree with above that you just need to cancel before midnight the night before.
rarely, we have had things come up and needed to cancel the day of. we have been fortunate enough, that when we called, they didn't charge us, but I wouldn't count on that.

 

[jemtx]

I cancelled one last week the night before around 11pm and no penalty. I also cancelled a breakfast around the same time for the next morning with no penalty b

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

Just a little tip. If for some reason you feel you cannot make it to the restaurant for a reservation on the day of the reservation simply choose the option to change the reservation. Pick a date with availability for the new time. Once this is done you can then cancel it with no charge since it is outside the same-day restriction.

Just be wary-- about 5 hours before it will lock you out of modifications.

 

[dis444me]

WARNING RE: CANCELLATION POLICY, CONFLICTING POLICY INFORMATION IN RESERVATION CONFIRMATION EMAIL: On my CAN Biergarten confirmation issued 10/28: Under the "Guest Policies" section the cancellation policy is: "You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel timely and are a no show, the credit card provided at the time of reservation will be charged $10.00 per person. " Then under "Reminders" toward the end of the email confirmation it states "Reservation must be cancelled at least two days prior to avoid FULL per person cancellation and/or no show fee." Do any of you have a confirmation which does not have the conflicting policy statement, and if so - which one is included in your confirmation? For reference, my Spice Road Fireworks confirmation states a 1 day, full pre-payment charge penalty (although, just to make things interesting, the reservation page states the policy is 48 hours advance notice). Of course, I qill cancel known "will not be used" reservations well before 2 days prior to the date of our trip. However, plans can change quickly for many reasons, and trip insurance only covers certain situations (such as flight cancellations or delays which impact ability to honor dining reservations), and 1 day $10 each person vs 2 days full charge is a material difference. Your thoughts and experience on this topic are welcome.​

 

[CaptainAmerica]

​ WARNING RE: CANCELLATION POLICY, CONFLICTING POLICY INFORMATION IN RESERVATION CONFIRMATION EMAIL: On my CAN Biergarten confirmation issued 10/28: Under the "Guest Policies" section the cancellation policy is: "You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel timely and are a no show, the credit card provided at the time of reservation will be charged $10.00 per person. " Then under "Reminders" toward the end of the email confirmation it states "Reservation must be cancelled at least two days prior to avoid FULL per person cancellation and/or no show fee." Do any of you have a confirmation which does not have the conflicting policy statement, and if so - which one is included in your confirmation? For reference, my Spice Road Fireworks confirmation states a 1 day, full pre-payment charge penalty (although, just to make things interesting, the reservation page states the policy is 48 hours advance notice). Of course, I qill cancel known "will not be used" reservations well before 2 days prior to the date of our trip. However, plans can change quickly for many reasons, and trip insurance only covers certain situations (such as flight cancellations or delays which impact ability to honor dining reservations), and 1 day $10 each person vs 2 days full charge is a material difference. Your thoughts and experience on this topic are welcome.​

I've cancelled same-day many times and never been charged. Don't abuse the system, and Disney will almost always waive the fee as a guest courtesy. Sometimes a kid gets sick, or the monorail breaks down, or a flight gets in late. They know and understand this. The policy is in place to prevent no-shows and minimize cancellations, not to eliminate them entirely. Of course none of this is a guarantee, but they've never given me trouble. Like I said, just don't abuse the courtesy.

 

[dis444me]

Good information - as you touched on the issue I am worried about, that our flight will be cancelled or delayed, and we will miss this reservation.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Good information - as you touched on the issue I am worried about, that our flight will be cancelled or delayed, and we will miss this reservation.

If something happens, call them as soon as you know and be honest. "Our flight was delayed and we won't be arriving until [whenever]. I know there is usually a cancellation fee but I was wondering if it would be possible to waive it."

 

[sndral]

​ WARNING RE: CANCELLATION POLICY, CONFLICTING POLICY INFORMATION IN RESERVATION CONFIRMATION EMAIL: On my CAN Biergarten confirmation issued 10/28: Under the "Guest Policies" section the cancellation policy is: "You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel timely and are a no show, the credit card provided at the time of reservation will be charged $10.00 per person. " Then under "Reminders" toward the end of the email confirmation it states "Reservation must be cancelled at least two days prior to avoid FULL per person cancellation and/or no show fee." Do any of you have a confirmation which does not have the conflicting policy statement, and if so - which one is included in your confirmation? For reference, my Spice Road Fireworks confirmation states a 1 day, full pre-payment charge penalty (although, just to make things interesting, the reservation page states the policy is 48 hours advance notice). Of course, I qill cancel known "will not be used" reservations well before 2 days prior to the date of our trip. However, plans can change quickly for many reasons, and trip insurance only covers certain situations (such as flight cancellations or delays which impact ability to honor dining reservations), and 1 day $10 each person vs 2 days full charge is a material difference. Your thoughts and experience on this topic are welcome.​

My understanding is that anything that is prepay the full amount such as your Spice Roads fireworks package is 48 hr.s cancellation whereas normal restaurant cancelations are day before.
I just checked my emails from 10/10/21 when we made our ADRs for this Dec. & they are all for regular restaurants & all say the cancellation time is one day.

 

[gharter]

I have not ever seen the 2 day cancellation policy. The 1 day has been the norm for years except for packages.
As others have said, if you are delayed due to flight reasons, just call when you can and shouldn't be charged.
On the rare occasion when we have had to cancel same day, calling to explain why, we have never been charged, but we don't abuse this either.