Terrible New Reservation Policy at California Grill

[bicker]

For the same reason that I can't get an HDTV yet.

 

[tlbwriter]

Perfectly reasonable if you're a concierge guest but why can't the regular park Joe just get the chance first???

And who says we regular Joes wouldn't have a chance? I can pick up a phone in the morning too.

 

[kittenkatt]

Perfectly reasonable if you're a concierge guest but why can't the regular park Joe just get the chance first???

Each Disney resort has Lobby Concierge staff that are there from 7am till 10pm every day and can make ADRs. The regular park Joe can visit them on their way out the door, or they can call, or they can stop by Guest Services in any of the parks.... Seems like a lot of chances to me

 

[tlbwriter]

For the same reason that I can't get an HDTV yet.

But don't you know you're entitled to one?

 

[bicker]

Lol!!!!!

 

[TammyJ]

Just as a note, I don't think I read in here anywhere that people were entitled to anything. But if I have paid to eat my desert and the restaurant offers free refills on coffee as part of their service then it seems I would be entitled to drink coffee until a float away.

 

[undertheradar]

Great policy change that should be used throughout the table service eateries. Simple logic would apply, if you don't like the policy....don't patronize the establishment! The advent of a 24 hour cancellation policy is fine, most hotels and resorts are changing to 72 hour policies. If you cancel at the doctor or dentist within 24 hours there is a fee. At least this way, fewer people will risk multiple bookings. There will still be those who try and "beat the system" by holding multiple ADRs, but the number of those doing it will be reduced. If people plan on honoring these ADRs, they will have no problem securing them with a credit card and having to cancel 24 hours before seating.

 

[KerriL]

Would someone please clarify if Disney does actually charge your cc the $20.00 at the time you make the ADR or do they take your card to guarantee it and charge you the $20.00 when you cancel or are a no-show?
I can't see how this matters much..Disney has this policy for most holiday ADR's.
Thanks,
Kerri

 

[tlbwriter]

But if I have paid to eat my desert and the restaurant offers free refills on coffee as part of their service then it seems I would be entitled to drink coffee until a float away.

Sure, but if lots of people do that, the restaurant is entitled to say "since people are taking up a table for an hour or so drinking their free coffee, from now on we will allow dinner guests only."

You could replace that with the American sense of entitlement..."I've got more money than you so I deserve it."

Since Disney is a business and if they are interesting in making a profit, then they are indeed entitled to make high-demand experiences available to those who are willing to pay more for them. It's not a matter of "deserving it," it's a matter of supply and demand. And it's certainly not limited to America.

 

[DMRick]

The $20/person charge at CG will discourage dessert only reservations. The next step would be implementing a fixed price menu or having a minimum..

Is it a charge, or a no show price? I was told that if we didn't show, our card would be charged. If we showed, the price would still be whatever we ordered. So how would that stop anyone getting dessert only? It's not like they will be charged the $20, unless they don't show up.

 

[DMRick]

I agree, but so many posts end up with someone saying posters think they are entitled. I never see anyone ever say they are entitled to anything, unless it's something they have paid for that is included. I agree that if the restaurant offers dessert and has no rules against it, you are entitled to sit and eat it. Some people spend more on dessert and drinks than we do our meal (we just drink water), so does that mean I'm not entitled to stay at my table and take my time, since they wouldn't make much money? I think some people think that just because a few Diser's may have heard they can sit and have dessert, the entire restaurant will be taken over with non meal people. We are such a small amount of people (us Diser's) that to WDW..and most people I would venture to say, go to a nice restaurant and plan on a nice meal. Sometimes, we go to a nice place and only have soup (and water)..for shame!!
As far as the dress policy..I did not know it changed and we went to one of the restaurants on the list in tshirts and jeans in October...I'd just spent the day in the parks, and that's how I was dressed. I was staying off Dis property for a change, and no way would I go back to change. No one said anything to me. Glad there is no photo album to show pics people have taken of people who didn't follow the "rule".

Just as a note, I don't think I read in here anywhere that people were entitled to anything. But if I have paid to eat my desert and the restaurant offers free refills on coffee as part of their service then it seems I would be entitled to drink coffee until a float away.

 

[BCV23]

After reading this thread and especially the one about ADRs, I've changed my mind. If there is a $20 no show fee for all restaurants it's fine with me. I can't believe the people who think it's fine to have multiple ARs and cancel once they've made up their mind.

I still wonder why the change at the CG though. If course it is to minimize no shows but I would think that no shows is a rather consistent animal whether it is 5% or 20%. When the resort changed it's policy to 2nd floor checkin, I can imagine there may have been a change in number of no shows one way or the other. But that occurred a year and a half ago.

Tammy, do you really think sitting and drinking cup after cup of coffee while just ordering dessert is OK? Just being sarcasstic I hope.

Although I can see the idea of a pris fixe menu, I would hate to see that happen. One of my favorite thing about CG is the flexibility of the menu. Between appetizers, flatbreads, entrees and sushi, there are so many different combinations at the table when our whole family is there. I would really miss that.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

In the same vein, I'd love to see a $50 prix fixe meal at Rose & Crown, complete with the non-refundable deposit, for the outside tables with a view of the show. Perhaps even an extra fiver for the front row tables and a $10 less for the tables around the side of the building.

TammyJ, you're post immediately followed the one above. The Fantasmic! package is the same thing and, yes, it does discourage the dessert and coffee people. But it does not prevent them from seeing Fantasmic.

I too would pay extra to guarantee an outside seat. If they have to do prix fixe, like they do with the Fantasmic! package then I'd love it.

If they had a cancellation, by 6AM, which would leave enough time to delete the cancellations by 7AM I'd like to see a tougher policy on more restaurants, like LTT, The Brown Derby, Le Cellier.

 

[DMRick]

TammyJ, you're post immediately followed the one above. The Fantasmic! package is the same thing and, yes, it does discourage the dessert and coffee people. But it does not prevent them from seeing Fantasmic..

It doesn't discourage people from eating dessert and drinking coffee in the Famtasmic restaurants (are you saying a person can't still get dessert and coffee at Mama Melroses?). Those dessert eating people don't get "special" seats at Fantasmic, but can still go to the restaurant and Fantasmic. What is it the same as?

 

[Peter Pirate]

Boy this has turned into a big brouhaha over something that, from reading the posts, very few people, other than the OP disagree with. It seems the main disagreements we love to disparage each other over are either semantical or the implementation of said policy and perhaps intent.

I know that the recent changes over the past two years at CG are centered on the problems caused by Wishes. Hopefully they'll get it straigtend out in a manner equitable to all.

But the 24 hour cancellation policy is too long!

 

[MaryKatesMom]

It doesn't discourage people from eating dessert and drinking coffee in the Famtasmic restaurants (are you saying a person can't still get dessert and coffee at Mama Melroses?). Those dessert eating people don't get "special" seats at Fantasmic, but can still go to the restaurant and Fantasmic. What is it the same as?

The Fantasmic is a prix fixe with special seating which is what bicker is talking about. A prix fixe with special seating.:

Quote:
Originally Posted by bicker

"In the same vein, I'd love to see a $50 prix fixe meal at Rose & Crown, complete with the non-refundable deposit, for the outside tables with a view of the show. Perhaps even an extra fiver for the front row tables and a $10 less for the tables around the side of the building."

We do the package and I would love for some Epcot restaurants to do the same for Illuminations. I would be willing to pay extra to not have to wait for a good seat for Illuminations. I don't expect to sit in the reserved section if I haven't paid for it.

 

[tlbwriter]

We do the package and I would love for some Epcot restaurants to do the same for Illuminations. I would be willing to pay extra to not have to wait for a good seat for Illuminations. I don't expect to sit in the reserved section if I haven't paid for it.

I agree - we did the Fantasmic package last year and it was very nice. I'd love to have the same opportunity to reserve a good seat for Illuminations.

 

[raidermatt]

Does anyone have any first-hand knowledge of somebody actually being charged the $20?

As others have pointed out, I would think this could be a very difficult policy to actually follow through on, given that a guest is given no "proof of cancellation", and that apparently the gremlins do get into the reservation system and cause errors.

This isn't like a single restaurant that handles all of its own reservations, though even they would have some issues actually administering the policy.

WDW is going to have more no shows just due to the nature of the entertainment offerings all around. Maybe your plan was to spend the day at BB, go back to the hotel, change and go eat at CG, then go to MK for Spectro and Wishes tomorrow. But it rained all day, or BB was closed due to lightning, so you decided to go to MK that day instead to catch Spectro and Wishes. Or the baby was ill and you decided it would be best for everybody to stay in the hotel room.

There are plenty of perfectly reasonable reasons to call CG and cancel your ADR for that night, yet they're going to charge you $20 because you didn't call early enough?

C'mon. I'm as cynical as just about anybody with respect to how Disney has changed the way it operates and services guests, but I can't buy into them really following through on this.

Then when you figure that saying you cancelled turns into a "he said, she said" thing no matter when you called, I really can't see them pushing this.

Not that I agree with it, but my best guess is that just the threat of the charge is being used as a deterrent.

As for paying extra for specific viewing locations for things like Illuminations and Wishes, its not as simple as saying "Disney is a business and some want to pay, so why not charge?"

Clearly, there are valid business reasons for not charging as evidenced by those guests who don't like the idea, and by the fact that, for the most part, Disney has not adopted this policy. Even with Fantasmic, the dinner package guests are not given the "prime" locations.

I'm sure Disney has been tempted to implement something like this in many more areas than they already do. At the same time, even my cynical side says they also realize there are significant drawbacks to doing something like this. (Certainly they haven't refrained just because they haven't thought of it...)

They have to balance what may seem logically or economically "fair" with the practical implications it has on their overall business.

 

[TDC Nala]

But if I have paid to eat my desert and the restaurant offers free refills on coffee as part of their service then it seems I would be entitled to drink coffee until a float away.

Great, if you like coffee, but if you're drinking it to hold the table for 2 hours until the fireworks start, that's different. If you're going to be sitting there that long, pay up and buy some food. If that's what you're doing, you came for the view, not the dessert.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I think one reason why Disney does not require deposits on more meals is the extra work and guest issues it creates.
Disney is there to create magical moments and keep guests HAPPY. Not to hassle them at every turn.
There will always be a gray area or always be the guest who has a "good excuse" (or if they don't, make one up or exaggerate).
Sadly, I would think the deposits would have to be no exception. And I don't think 24 hours is quite fair either, esp out of town guests traveling with others as most of Disney's guests do.
There will be times when Disney transportation fails to get guests to an appointed spot in a timely manner. weather issues, health situations, etc. Where will Disney draw a line and determine who gets refunded a deposit and who does not? And once word gets out what excuse works, and what does not, then they will hear it a lot.
I see their point. But it will be interesting if it creates more headaches than helps.