Should fee be charged for not cancelling ADR's?

[kribit]

And why do they exist? Because the world is full of self-centred idiots who think the rules don't apply to them, and "!@&#$ everyone else, only I matter".

Sounds like you may need a vacation (and a sense of humor).

Just a note of warning, I received one last week because I posted on a thread with a similar "!@&#$."

 

[Conservative Hippie]

Since apparently people are still hung up on this, how about this? If I'm giving my CC# to hold a reservation, isn't it my right then to give my CC# to hold as many reservations as I want? Because then it is solely my responsibility to call to cancel to avoid getting charged. If I make two reservations at the same time and do not cancel the one I do not show for, that is money in Disney's pocket. Disney would have no incentive to keep people from making multiple ADRs for the same time frame.

No one has an opinion on this angle?



And BTW, I've been a walk-up at Le Cellier more than once, most recently in June.

 

[Paul in CT]

Tricia, after reading everyone's opinions I've changed some of my thinking. A place like LeCellier should definitely have a no show fee. Since they do not allow walkups ever, then the only way to eat there is to have an ADR. Some people don't know until a couple of months before if they can go to WDW and by that time LeCellier is totally booked. Why should they be penalized? If there were a fee, then all these people with life happens moments would magically be able to find a way to cancel their ADR. I believe at a LeCellier you give the party with an ADR a 15 minute grace period. If they are more than 15 minutes late without calling they get charged. LeCellier then needs to start allowing walkups also if they did this system.

Other places that allow walkups even when there aren't any ADR's available shouldn't hold the ADR with a CC.

Le Cellier used to allow walk-ups and I am not certain that they never do anymore, but I agree it seems they never do lately. My experience with trying to cancel an ADR there have been surprising to say the least. The first time when it was weeks before our trip, the CM suggested that I keep the ADR until I was absolutely sure that I did not want it. The second time we were running late and could not get there in time so we called to cancel and the CM said it was not worth bothering because it would be filled anyway.

BTW, with the changes in the Dining plan that I have heard about, it may not be as popular an option as previously and Le Cellier may become easier to get into.

 

[splashmountain31]

And why do they exist? Because the world is full of self-centred idiots who think the rules don't apply to them, and "!@&#$ everyone else, only I matter".

Are the idiots you speak of on this thread?

 

[PatriciaH]

-Disney is very short staffed. They need thousands of hourly people to fill positions.
-However, bus people were all laid off last year. Now servers bus their own tables.
-I have never had to take a CC to hold a reservation for Le Cellier for New Years Eve (I work concierge seasonally.)
-Hosts/hostesses are totally different positions than waitstaff. They are paid a higher hourly rate/it is not a tipped position. They may have been picking up a shift (if they worked as a seater before) but they do not rotate daily.

 

[asmit4]

Not sure if it was said but you missed 1 more POLICE group:

The "height/measuring police"....

2 days ago there was a huge thing about whether it was wrong for kids to be able to wear crocs for measuring or to wear tennis shoes over flip flops which typically have thinner soles.

You would have thought that a 1/4 inch meant death!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

Not sure if it was said but you missed 1 more POLICE group:

The "height/measuring police"....

2 days ago there was a huge thing about whether it was wrong for kids to be able to wear crocs for measuring or to wear tennis shoes over flip flops which typically have thinner soles.

You would have thought that a 1/4 inch meant death!

I haven't had this issue on the boards, but IRL I had a woman chastise me for going on the Safari pregnant (I was 7 months at the time). Now I am not an idiot and would never go on a coaster pregnant, but the Safari?? Unless you sit in the very back, it's no worse than driving down a country road. But there are a lot of pregnant police out there (Should you be drinking coffee? Did you know tuna could kill your baby? Are you really still using regular nail polish? etc...).

 

[pmiranda]

Not sure if it was said but you missed 1 more POLICE group:

The "height/measuring police"....

2 days ago there was a huge thing about whether it was wrong for kids to be able to wear crocs for measuring or to wear tennis shoes over flip flops which typically have thinner soles.

You would have thought that a 1/4 inch meant death!

No, it wasn't. It was only the people who wanted to make their kids taller who started saying this to try and make a point, and themselves look better for being irresponsible. Those that were against changing into extra tall shoes on the spot or putting lifts in the shoes said no such thing.

 

[JenGray]

They put hight restrictions on rides for a reason. Don't those parents want their kids to be safe?!?!
My kid wont be riding any rides until it is safe for him to do so.

I personally think, they should make all kids take their shoes off before measuring.

 

[JenGray]

No one has an opinion on this angle?



And BTW, I've been a walk-up at Le Cellier more than once, most recently in June.

I agree with you. Some people may not care if they are charged a no-show, but others will.

Disney should try it for a year to see what happens.

DH and I have the phone number programed in our cell phones to call for ADR's. Any time we think we wont make it, or want to change resturants we can do it at any time during our stay. We both work in customer service, so it is in our nature to cancel before not showing up. But... most of the time we keep our original reservations.

 

[Snookies]

I'll agree with the no charge for not cancelling group on this one, but I do understand that some feel strongly on both sides. A one size fits all solution is probably not necessary, but I will concede that gurantees and penalties may be a good idea at the most popular venues. For example, I remember the day (not too many years ago) when the Once Upon A Time Character Breakfast in Cinderella's Castle did not even require a credit card guarantee. And then, for those veteran Disboarders who are still reading, we had the "Cinderella's Royal Table controversy," resulting in 1st a CC guarantee and then advance payment.

Before we wish for all ADRs to require guarantees and no show penalties, I think we should remember that the ADR system was created so that no shows wouldn't affect how people are seated in the park restaurants. If you don't check in for your ADR, you will not be put into the queue and the next available party will take your place. Hence, walk-ups may be turned away even if there are no-shows because there are so many ADRs in the queue that walk-ups can't be seated in a reasonable period of time, given the average time it takes to turn a table in that particular restaurant. Note that calling to cancel an ADR may not affect the ability of a walk-up party to obtain a table because there may be so many ADRs in the queue that a walk-up party could not be seated in a reasonable period of time. In this regard, replacing the ADR system with confirmed reservations requiring CC gurantees and no-show penalities could actually make it more difficult for walk-ups to obtain a table. Why? Because if the no-show percentage drops, there will be many more parties in the queue ahead of parties that try to be seated as walk-ups.

To summarize: no-shows don't affect the ability of walk-ups to be seated because they are not put in the seating queue. Walk-ups will have a more difficult team being seated if you significantly reduce the no-show percentage which I'm assuming a no-show penalty would do. An earlier poster mentioned a desire to replace ADRs with the old Priority Seating system. The only thing that changed when Disney Dining started calling them ADRs rather than PSs is the name. The system operates as it did before.

BTW, you can also put me in the group that doesn't really "get" the attraction of Le Cellier.

 

[JCornell]

I disagree with charging a fee for not cancelling. If the restaurant has patrons walking up that can fill those cancellations then no revenue has been lost.

I agree with this comment. I don't think the problem was the ADRs but the way that management handled them. I'm sure Disney is fully capable of determining the rate of no-shows they have and could seat people based on those parameters. And if they have empty tables, they don't need a policy change to poke their head in the restaurant and maybe decide to seat some walk-ins.

 

[Disneynut71]

I agree with this comment. I don't think the problem was the ADRs but the way that management handled them. I'm sure Disney is fully capable of determining the rate of no-shows they have and could seat people based on those parameters. And if they have empty tables, they don't need a policy change to poke their head in the restaurant and maybe decide to seat some walk-ins.

Disagree. Disney holds those ADR's for up to 30 mins after the time held.

Why is it so hard to just pick up the phone? If Disney has gone through the trouble of helping guests eat without long waits why can't we let them know when we can't make it?

Maybe not charging a fee is not the way to go but please take a minute and call to let them your not coming so maybe someone else can go there.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Disagree. Disney holds those ADR's for up to 30 mins after the time held.

Why is it so hard to just pick up the phone? If Disney has gone through the trouble of helping guests eat without long waits why can't we let them know when we can't make it?

Maybe not charging a fee is not the way to go but please take a minute and call to let them your not coming so maybe someone else can go there.

None of us really knows how many no-shows affect the inability to seat walk-ups. Have you or anyone else actually seen the numbers? There are a lot of people with ressies who are seated, and just because there are no walk-ups being allowed, it does not necessarily mean it is because of no-shows.

I know for a fact that my ressie was not holding up a line at Chef Mickeys when I was 30 minutes late. They just moved on to the next person with a ressie. However, when we arrived and explained the situation we were seated at the next available table. If we had not shown up it would not have meant empty tables - so please explain why so many people are upset and crying out, no begging, for a fee for no-shows.