WARNING: few minutes late to ADR where they charge a no-show fee you may be charged

[aubriee]

This policy is looking more and more like a big ol' money grab to me.

Unless something changes, January is the end of signature and character dining for my family and that's a shame... Dining is a big part of our Disney vacation experience and when you take that away other destinations start looking better and better. But no meal is worth having to keep an eye on my CC for fraudulent charges or paying $50+ for nothing if one of my kids happens to get sick on our trip.

I agree! As an AP holder, I go to WDW 4-5 times a year and since I don't care for most CS, I do most TS (including a Signature restaurant most nights). I'm taking my GS down there in Feb and will be doing alot of character meals (like 1-2 a day). Thankfully I made those ADRs just prior to the policy change. Feb will be the end of signature and character dining for me too. For my May trip I purposely made ADRs for restaurants that did not require the cc guarantee. Since I have the TiW card I also made a point of making ADRs at places like Bistro de Paris and the Swan/Dolphin restaurants. Once I get down there I'll try for walkups at my favorite Signatures and then cancel my other ADR if I get in.

 

[Mkrop]

1) As long as you go up and check-in, you should be fine.
2) If you didn't/don't check-in on time, then it should be your fault.

My point is:

So it is ok for the restaurant to be running late, but myself as a guest cant be Things happen, I dont mind a cutoff time frame, like 15-20 minutes, but FIVE minutes is ridiculous.

 

[n2mm]

OP, thanks for the heads up. Nothing like a little more stress to add to that relaxing vacation now. As always, I'm glad I rent a car! Money well spent!

 

[Mkrop]

1) Tell them to be on time.
2) People need to be responsible.


1) Get in line earlier?
2) Take a taxi?

I am the Queen of people taking personal responsibility but I also think there should be Corportae responsibility as well.

I have gone down to the buses or to the monorail PLENTY of times only to have it be extremely late,missing rope drop etc, WDW "claims" they run every 20 minutes and we all know this is not the case. I was on time for my end of the deal, the buses were late. And I know we were late last year for Tutto Italia CP Package bc the monorail doors would not close due to the cold. We had it timed originally that we were going to go on one ride and then to dinner, we were so late, that we were even late for dinner.

Take a taxi...I pay to stay onsite and therefore use WDW transportation, so if I am at the bus/monorail/boat on time and through not fault of mine own, I am then late for my ADR, I am not shelling out addl money for a taxi. Now if WE are running late, then yes a taxi is in order. But if I go to said transportation and give myself the time that WDW RECOMMENDS for traveling to my ADR, then I should not be charged if I am late. Plus I could be 5 minutes late bc of people trying to enter the park, people whose tickets dont work, a new CM who doesnt know what they are doing. I dont think people should be cutting it that close, we do our best to arrive 15 mintues or so before our time, but things happen, sometime our fault, sometimes things beyond our control.

If WDW wants to appear to have good customer service for their guests, they better fix the glitches and not charge people for being FIVE MINUTES late! I would be livid! And I too will most likely adapt my dining plans if/when we go next time.

 

[bloodonthesaddle]

Been using the dining plan with Disney transportation for years with ADR's for parties ranging from 3 to 9 people and never been late to an ADR. Have certainly waited more than 30 minutes at certain restaurants, O'hana and Le Cellier are usually running late. It is about time Disney has instituted a policy to make those that have no concern for others or make multiple ADR's for the same time with no intention of cancelling those that they chose not to attend pay a penalty. I'm all for this new policy! Bravo!

 

[Mkrop]

Been using the dining plan with Disney transportation for years with ADR's for parties ranging from 3 to 9 people and never been late to an ADR. Have certainly waited more than 30 minutes at certain restaurants, O'hana and Le Cellier are usually running late. It is about time Disney has instituted a policy to make those that have no concern for others or make multiple ADR's for the same time with no intention of cancelling those that they chose not to attend pay a penalty. I'm all for this new policy! Bravo!

Here is a flower for never being late I find that hard to believe though. Having multiple trips under our belt as well, we have encountered the planes, trains and automobiles craziness that is WDW transportation. We have missed many a rope drop through no fault of our own. We are not usually late for ADRs either as I usually make them for the park we are going to be in for lunch or dinner. But like I said we were stuck on a monorail and they would not let us off, it wasnt safe. We have been stuck in rides that broke down that was a 5 minute walk to the restaurant.

MOST people (there is another thread going about this topic) are ok for with the policy if it discourages double booking but some have pointed out ways around this, and people can still double book, they will just cancel earlier than before, so it doent solve that issue.

And MOST people are ok with charging for true NO SHOWS, if you are that rude that you can not cancel your ADR, then you should be charged. Most people's issue is with the timeframe of cancelling...everything from 24 hours to two whole days, or that sickness and other issues do come up while on a trip and one should be able to cancel and not have to bring a sick family member to a meal or have a fee charged to you.

The example I gave a a child waking up sick at 8am and cancelling a 7pm ADR, gives WDW plenty of time to fill that seat with a walkup so me being charged is ridiculous and bad customer service.

Once WDW Dining starts running perfectly on time for everything, THEN and ONLY THEN should they expect my family to run perfectly on time for things while on VACATION!

 

[pattyw]

Here is a flower for never being late I find that hard to believe though. Having multiple trips under our belt as well, we have encountered the planes, trains and automobiles craziness that is WDW transportation. We have missed many a rope drop through no fault of our own. We are not usually late for ADRs either as I usually make them for the park we are going to be in for lunch or dinner. But like I said we were stuck on a monorail and they would not let us off, it wasnt safe. We have been stuck in rides that broke down that was a 5 minute walk to the restaurant.

MOST people (there is another thread going about this topic) are ok for with the policy if it discourages double booking but some have pointed out ways around this, and people can still double book, they will just cancel earlier than before, so it doent solve that issue.

And MOST people are ok with charging for true NO SHOWS, if you are that rude that you can not cancel your ADR, then you should be charged. Most people's issue is with the timeframe of cancelling...everything from 24 hours to two whole days, or that sickness and other issues do come up while on a trip and one should be able to cancel and not have to bring a sick family member to a meal or have a fee charged to you.

The example I gave a a child waking up sick at 8am and cancelling a 7pm ADR, gives WDW plenty of time to fill that seat with a walkup so me being charged is ridiculous and bad customer service.

Once WDW Dining starts running perfectly on time for everything, THEN and ONLY THEN should they expect my family to run perfectly on time for things while on VACATION!

Those who give no mercy get no mercy!!

 

[Pumbaa_]

the reports of lines to check in at ohana taking 20-30 minutes makes me wonder how often this happens and people don't notice?

Glad you caught it and good warning to others to double check their ressies

I personally hate this policy and will make very few if any adr's under this policy. Sorry, vacation is not about stressing about dining reservations

If you are in love with this policy, good for you , hope it all works out

If you are not, vote with your $$

be interesting to see how long this goes before changes come into play

 

[ccgirl]

Given that Mama Melrose made us wait and hour because they were backed up, I would be furious if WDW charged me for any ADR I was late for.

This policy is totally ridiculous.

Here's the thing. If people actually showed up when they were supposed to and were not late, or early and hoping to get a table early, they wouldn't be backed up.

 

[pattyw]

the reports of lines to check in at ohana taking 20-30 minutes makes me wonder how often this happens and people don't notice?

Glad you caught it and good warning to others to double check their ressies

I personally hate this policy and will make very few if any adr's under this policy. Sorry, vacation is not about stressing about dining reservations

If you are in love with this policy, good for you , hope it all works out

If you are not, vote with your $$

be interesting to see how long this goes before changes come into play

I totally agree with you!! We are AP holders and go to WDW several times each year. We do not double book ADR's and are usually early for all of them. But, we have had to change our plans within "24 hrs". We have always called to cancel. I refuse to add stress to my vacation by worrying about what could happen to have us charged at least $40 per reservation when I am not being a "no show". We changed our free dining Jan trip into a room-only at YC CL. We will eat QS and at a couple of non-signatures, and offsite restaurants even though all of our ADRs were made prior to this "policy". I plan to let management know why we did this when we get there. I am voting about my dislike of this policy with my $$ as PP stated.

 

[Tricia1972]

the reports of lines to check in at ohana taking 20-30 minutes makes me wonder how often this happens and people don't notice?

Glad you caught it and good warning to others to double check their ressies

I personally hate this policy and will make very few if any adr's under this policy. Sorry, vacation is not about stressing about dining reservations

If you are in love with this policy, good for you , hope it all works out

If you are not, vote with your $$

be interesting to see how long this goes before changes come into play

This sums up how I feel as well.

 

[TDC Nala]

exactly - I'm just not going to be making any reservations at restaurants subject to this policy. If they can't get it together enough to have accurate information on the policy and they made the mistake of programming the computers so that you're a no-show if you are late at all to your reservation, then no matter how beloved the restaurant it's not worth doing.

I'll be at World Showcase and DTD a lot I guess...

 

[Colleen27]

Here's the thing. If people actually showed up when they were supposed to and were not late, or early and hoping to get a table early, they wouldn't be backed up.

That's not necessarily true. We know Disney overbooks to some degree to make up for no-shows. Now, we could assume that with the new policy in place there is no reason to continue to do so, but until the policy has been in effect for a full 180 days odds are the booking patterns will not reflect that reality. Long waits at certain popular restaurants are likely attributable to lower-than-expected no-show rates.

For example, my ridiculous "come back and check in in 45 min" experience at Le Cellier was in January, a time when no-show rates reportedly reach 33%. So they overbook by something close to that margin, but fewer people no-show for the ADR they got up at 6am 180 days in advance to get, and the restaurant is left with more people than they can serve in a timely fashion. But now we, the guests, will be charged if we don't check in on time or choose to go elsewhere because our kids can't wait an hour or more past our ADR time to be seated.

 

[Marshay]

If you are not, vote with your $$

be interesting to see how long this goes before changes come into play

yep, I am also voting with my dollars...since we are DVC, I actually planned 2 lunches and 1 dinner in our room...never did that before but would have just eaten in the parks/resorts.

Now I just don't feel like forking over my $$ to support a dining policy I don't agree with.

We do have 2 TS for the entire 9 days -- normally we would have 5-6 and made each of them. Not willing to chance it anymore.

We are adding new restaurants outside of Disney -- T-Rex and Garden Grove. The main reason -- b/c they are not part of this ridiculous dining policy but sound like fun!

 

[Eliza32]

I have mixed feelings about this policy...something needs to be done about the no-shows for sure, but as an ADR is not actually a guarantee of a timed reservation, I don't think they have the right to charge us if we are 5 minutes late. They could still change the system to charge if 15 or even 30 minutes late, but 5 minutes is just plain ole money grabbing...also, the OP wasn't a no-show, they were just late, so is it a no-show charge or a lateness charge?????

 

[Senator Tressel]

I won't be making any reservations at a restaurant with this policy either. I am the customer and they are in the hospitality business. I as the customer do not accept ANY sanctions being imposed upon me that could possibly cause me any trouble. I've never even been close to late for an ADR, but it's the principle. I will not be inconveniencing them with my business any longer.

 

[OrangeCat04]

One trip our Magical Express bus came ONE HOUR LATE. Yes, ONE hour. We were freaking out because even though we had a couple hours before our flight, you never know how long it might take to get through security, especially with 5 people.

The CM's were very apologetic, and we were ready to just take a cab, but they kept saying "thats not necessary, the ME is coming very soon".

Point is, we didn't ask for compensation of any type, because stuff happens. I understand people abuse the reservation system. There will always be people looking to abuse the system. I find it ridiculous that Disney is charging people for missing their ADR's like this. At least give people a free pass or two. Come on, they have your CC #, I am sure they can spot the people who have missed 5 ADR's during their vacation, against those who genuinely just couldn't get to a reservation on time.

Next trip, we are only making 1 or 2 reservations for places we really like. Otherwise, we decided to mostly eat offsite, unless we can get a walk up. We are on vacation and don't want to have to worry about the potential to have to pay Disney a large sum of $ for missing a dinner reservation.

 

[Mkrop]

Here's the thing. If people actually showed up when they were supposed to and were not late, or early and hoping to get a table early, they wouldn't be backed up.

That is not the excuse at Mama Melrose's they gave us...they told us they were backed up bc guests seem to be lingering at the tables longer,something people see in the restaurant business all the time. Maybe WDW should place a timer at your table, so it will ding and you can leave so the next diner wont be backed up We also wondered if it had something to do with Geena Davis and her family dining there. She had done the CP the day before and was touring the parks with her family. They were finishing up when we finally got seated an hour later. Also MM would not check us in...they refused, they actually encouraged us to shop or go see the Osbourne Lights and come back in a hour from your original ADR time, there were many ticked off people outside MM that evening. For some people the difference for eating at 6 or 7 can be huge. We went and saw the lights and came back so we were ok.

 

[elainesj]

The OP clearly stated this was a problem in the reservation system and she wasn't "supposed" to be charged. So no, they are NOT charging you if you are 5 mins late. I'm sure there's a pretty flexible policy in place for the charging. Since this is new, her tip is a good one - check your CC statements carefully as obviously there are some bugs.

I'm fine with this policy as long as they are flexible. If I call 4 hrs before saying my kids are sick, I would expect them to give me a pass.

like others said, maybe more walkups will be possible after this as people will likely be more careful with their planning.

 

[miprender]

I'm fine with this policy as long as they are flexible. If I call 4 hrs before saying my kids are sick, I would expect them to give me a pass.

like others said, maybe more walkups will be possible after this as people will likely be more careful with their planning.

But that is the problem they will not be flexible. One person posted that they had to call rescue and cancel their reservation and the CM said if they had used their credit card they would still have been charged.