They wanted to know why I was cancelling?!!

[Disney8704]

While in Disney I cancelled 2 ADRs. The 1st I cancelled Boma (dinner) about 10 mins before our ADR time and the 2nd time I cancelled almost 11 hrs before our ADR for Grand Floridian Cafe breakfast ADR for 9am. I called and cancelled about 9:50pm the night before our ADR.

When I called to cancel our ADR for GFC they asked why I was cancelling. I told them no specific reason I just wanted to cancel. And then the CM went on and asked again! I was like - I said, no specific reason and then she finally went on and cancelled it.

I dont get it, why did she need to know? When I have cancelled my other ADRs before the trip and when I cancelled Boma 10 mins before our ADR I wasnt asked that question. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Probably just trying to get some customer feedback to see why people cancel - is it because they book a bunch and then try to see what they want to do? or because they heard bad things about the restaurant? or they already spent enough money on the trip? Disney is probably just trying to get information so they can turn that information into a new way of doing things. They likely want to eliminate cancellations so that they can get profit because you really can't make money off an empty table.

 

[marvin12]

I have done the same thing you have done and I have never been asked that question.

 

[shane&jakesmom]

Maybe they are nosy(sp). I have never had any reservationist(sp) ask me that before.

 

[crisi]

They use the data for marketing and analysis. If people start cancelling because they've decided to cut down on table service meals this trip - that tells them something about spending and the economy. If people start saying "we've heard that the food's gone downhill" that tells them they need to address quality. If people tell them they are going to eat offsite, they need a different competitive position, if people tell them they've decided to eat in the parks rather than the resort, that tells them something about anticipated park usage.

If they ask this question over a period of time to thousands of people, patterns start to emerge and diviations from the pattern become noticable - only 5% of people were cancelling last month because of the economy, now its 30% of people cancelling for that reason! Or since we changed the chef at ________ the number of people cancelling because they've heard it isn't very good anymore has gone from 4% to 23%!

It isn't a personal thing - they aren't interested in why YOU cancelled, they are interested in why PEOPLE cancel. It gives them more data to make decisions on.

 

[TPCShauna]

I have been asked this when I've cancelled onsite. I cancelled a Spoodles dinner and Prime Time lunch and they asked me why for both. For us, it was just that our plans had changed and the ADRs didn't fit into our new schedule.

 

[patsal]

When I cancelled in July they asked and I told them the menus had been so stripped that I didn't see a reason to spend Disney prices for Applebees quality. No real response, just a thank you for your honest feedback.
I figured it didn't hurt to tell the truth.

 

[budbeerlady]

I have been asked, it was because a dish I wanted to eat was off the menu. I didn't care for the new vegetarian entree they had replaced it with. She said she had never heard of anyone canceling because they changed the menu, I told her she has now!

 

[secretpantssam]

I'm sure they just want to see why people cancel so they can improve their dining experiences.

 

[ransom]

Last December, I went to City Hall in MK on Tuesday evening to cancel my Friday evening reservation for Jiko. The CM not only asked me why I was canceling, but he almost wouldn't let me do it! He was just kidding around, but he kept saying he thought I was crazy to cancel that. So I told him he was more than welcome to the space we were freeing up at Jiko.

 

[PlainJane]

I've been asked that every time I've cancelled within the past year. The only exception is when I have cancelled in person at my resort's concierge desk.

I just assume Disney wants the info for marketing reasons.

 

[Quacktatty]

I had a CM try to talk me out of cancelling Raglan Road this morning. I just explained that the menu for another place sounded more appealing. She still tried to convince me that it would be a fun place. I almost wanted her to just take the dang thing haha

 

[JUJU814]

I tried to cancel a chef mickey's the other day and the CM wouldn't cancel it for me. She was adamant "you really don't want to do that..it's so far away and you might regret it..if you call back I can almost guarantee you it'll be gone". I tried to tell her I really don't like their food and I had the Princess tea party I just booked from 10:30-12. Our chef mickeys I wanted to cancel is at 12:45 and she didn't want to cancel it. I was really sort of taken aback. It's still more than a week away. Hubby and ds will not have eaten and I highly doubt my 4 year old will eat the food at the tea, so maybe we'll go from the tea, hop on the monorail and meet dh and ds at Chef Mickey's so at least they can eat. Sure it'll be a used credit for all of us, but oh well.

It was just funny that she really did not want to cancel that ressie. She was like "you have NO idea how hard this is to get" I said "no, really, I DO..trust me!" LOL

Maybe in your case they were just trying to get feedback as they don't need a reason. Maybe they were just curious, or surprised you'd cancel that restaurant as my CM was horrified at the notion of cancelling Chef Mickey's. LOL

Julie

 

[racefanof88]

I had the same thing happen in April for our May trip. We wanted to cancel Mama Melroses and go to Tony's as there were more options for my DD. The CM tried to talk me out of it and asked why I wanted to change. I explained the reason for the change and she changed it without anymore questions.

 

[lilybrooke14]

I called recently with the intention of cancelling my reservation for Raglan Rd. Then CM asked why, and I told them it was because I didn't think we'd have time to go after our flight. (I still really wanted to go though) He talked me into just taking a slightly later reservation. What can I say? I buckle easily under pressure. Dinner reservations....a brownie....it doesn't take much. Oh well. Here's to a good dinner and a pint of Guinness.

 

[ajsmommy1129]

I was asked, too, when I cancelled Maya Grill last year...I told the CM I didn't want to go from WL to Maya, then back to the MK for MNSSHP. She asked where we were going to eat,and I told her we were just going to grab CS. She called, and I mean she called WCC to se if they could squeeze us in, and they did! Boy, I was glad she was nosey...much better at WCC than any CS.

 

[Disney8704]

I dunno, I dont know like how they are asking. Whats the difference why your cancelling? Its none of their business. I dont get...it was never like this before. And I have cancelled, changed, added, re-added ADRs for the past 6 months and not once was I asked. And now that Im reading all of your experiences, I dont do good under pressure. I dont wanna feel like Im being pressured into keeping something I dont wanna keep. I can now only hope that the ADR system online DOES happen. That way I can make, change and cancel ADRs online without having to talk to someone and feel like im being pressured.

Trust me, it shocked the heck out of me when she asked why I wanted to cancel. I just told her no specific reason. When really there really wasnt one. We just decided not to go to GFC the next morning. No real reason behind it.

 

[LisaInNc]

They asked me the same thing why was I cancelling and I told them because they took the Filet off the menu!

 

[GC&S]

I don't think it's a big deal that they ask - we've been asked and I was never shocked by it. It's not like they are charging you when you cancel so not sure why it would upset people if they ask why you cancel.

 

[Chedstro]

Actually, it is their business - in the sense that they are in the business of Food Service. I think it is important for them to know why people cancel.

If it is because of menu changes, well they should know that. If it is because of scheduling - I totally applaud the CM who got a poster into WCC!

If all of the info is used to make all of our dining experiences better - good for them.