Whatever you do, dont change a reservation date at CRT (even 4 months in advance!)

[Kidnurse]

I apparently unknowingly made a huge mistake today. We are coming to WDW for the week of Christmas and purchased the package with the Deluxe Dining plan. Therefore we can go to dinner at Cinderellas Royal Table using 2 table services. That's all fine and dandy. I made the reservation a few weeks ago and decided that we'd go on a different day. The reservationist said "No problem" and proceeded to cancel the first one and rebook the new date, not telling me that my credit card would be charged. (I was under the impression that if you cancel less than 24 hours from your reservation date then you'd get charged.)

Anyways I come to check my bank balance to find that I was charged a whopping $149.15!!!!!!!! I called and all the CM could tell me is that "You cancelled so we charged you." "But I am on the deluxe dining plan! We are using 2 table services and I didnt cancel less than 24 hours of the date?!" And she says "Oh... well we will refund you then." "When will it hit my account?" I say. "Oh in about 2-3 weeks." she states.

I'm sorry but almost $150 is no drop in the bucket! What is wrong with these people?!?!?!

Sorry for the vent. Any suggestions?!?!! Please help me because this makes no sense!

 

[Claire L]

I thought CRT always took full payment at time of booking regardless of how you would pay on the day, if on DDP then they credit you the money back when you arrive. I guess it is to stop people just booking and not turning up as it is the most popular meal at WDW.

Claire

 

[Claire L]

CRT full details.

Claire

 

[momto2inKC]

I thought CRT always took full payment at time of booking regardless of how you would pay on the day, if on DDP then they credit you the money back when you arrive. I guess it is to stop people just booking and not turning up as it is the most popular meal at WDW.

Claire

If you are on a dining plan, they are not *supposed to charge your card. It's used as a hold for the reservation, then charged if you do not cancel/show up.

 

[Claire L]

If you are on a dining plan, they are not *supposed to charge your card. It's used as a hold for the reservation, then charged if you do not cancel/show up.

But how do they know you will have DDP to cover the cost on the day? That means everyone could call and say they were going to use DDP just so their CC did not charged in advance. If the CC is only to hold the reservation why do they not do that if paying on the night with cash/DDE?

Claire

 

[momto2inKC]

But how do they know you will have DDP to cover the cost on the day? That means everyone could call and say they were going to use DDP just so their CC did not charged in advance. If the CC is only to hold the reservation why do they not do that if paying on the night with cash/DDE?

Claire

Don't know But it's true. Each time we've been to CRT on the dining plan this is how it's been done. I'm sure others will chime in. We're actually paying cash for CRT once we get there. But because we are on the dining plan, we did not have to pay at the time of booking.

 

[Kidnurse]

It was my understanding that the credit card would only be charged in the event that we were "no shows" or cancelled the day of/day before the reservation. The guy on the phone who changed my reservation for me even said "Your card won't be charged unless you are a no show and/or cancel less than 24 hours prior." I told both reservationists (both the first one making the initial reservation and the second one who changed the date for me) that I was doing the deluxe dining plan and gave them my reservation number for the entire 'Magic your way' package. I am so tempted to call Bank of America and just have them cancel the transaction since it's pending. ARGH Sorry to be so negative, but I was having a great day planning our trip until all this happened.....

 

[momto2inKC]

It was my understanding that the credit card would only be charged in the event that we were "no shows" or cancelled the day of/day before the reservation. The guy on the phone who changed my reservation for me even said "Your card won't be charged unless you are a no show and/or cancel less than 24 hours prior." I told both reservationists (both the first one making the initial reservation and the second one who changed the date for me) that I was doing the deluxe dining plan and gave them my reservation number for the entire 'Magic your way' package. I am so tempted to call Bank of America and just have them cancel the transaction since it's pending. ARGH Sorry to be so negative, but I was having a great day planning our trip until all this happened.....

It totally stinks that it happend! Definitely a mistake on the CM's part. Good luck with getting it all straightened out!

 

[DznyDreamz]

We have an ADR for CRT, am on the dining plan and did leave a CC to hold the reservation in case of a no show. No charges hit my account though.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

It seems you got an inexperienced CM who charged your CC. They shouldn't have. It wasn't an issue so much with you changing your ADR date as much as it was getting a CM who didn't know the policy.

When I've made ADRs at CRT, I've always been asked if I was on the DDP and then asked for my resort reservation number. I assumed that was to check my reservation to verify that I had the DDP. At that point, they take my cc info to guarantee the reservation, but they don't charge it.

 

[eeyoresnr]

I thought CRT always took full payment at time of booking regardless of how you would pay on the day, if on DDP then they credit you the money back when you arrive. I guess it is to stop people just booking and not turning up as it is the most popular meal at WDW.

Claire

no, if you are on the DP they don't charge your card unless you don't show up or cancel inside the 24 hour timetable

 

[Claire L]

no, if you are on the DP they don't charge your card unless you don't show up or cancel inside the 24 hour timetable

But that is farsical and makes no sense to me, why should someone be able to say they are on DDP and not be asked to pay in full, when later they decide to pay OOP?? Just seems a huge loop hole that could be exploited by those not wanting to pay upfront.

Claire

 

[momto2inKC]

But that is farsical and makes no sense to me, why should someone be able to say they are on DDP and not be asked to pay in full, when later they decide to pay OOP?? Just seems a huge loop hole that could be exploited by those not wanting to pay upfront.

Claire

It's been that way for years. The aparently don't care or they would make everyone pay up front.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

It was my understanding that the credit card would only be charged in the event that we were "no shows" or cancelled the day of/day before the reservation. The guy on the phone who changed my reservation for me even said "Your card won't be charged unless you are a no show and/or cancel less than 24 hours prior." I told both reservationists (both the first one making the initial reservation and the second one who changed the date for me) that I was doing the deluxe dining plan and gave them my reservation number for the entire 'Magic your way' package. I am so tempted to call Bank of America and just have them cancel the transaction since it's pending. ARGH Sorry to be so negative, but I was having a great day planning our trip until all this happened.....

If it says pending, it may just drop off your online statement w/o being deducted from your balance. Sometimes they (all businesses, not just WDW) run the card to make sure it's valid & the money is there, but don't actually charge you. It shows as a pending charge, until it drops off/disappears a couple days later. I don't know about BofA, but Wachovia says they can't do anything with a charge that is "pending". They have to wait until it is processed & deducted. It may never be deducted & they would be fighting the applicable company for money you never spent.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

But that is farsical and makes no sense to me, why should someone be able to say they are on DDP and not be asked to pay in full, when later they decide to pay OOP?? Just seems a huge loop hole that could be exploited by those not wanting to pay upfront.

Claire

We've never used DDP, but do they make you give your resort reservation # (not just a phone number) to access the info & assure you do indeed have a package? That could stop most people from gaming the system.

 

[Kidnurse]

They've already deducted it from my balance even though it's a "pending" transaction. I sent WDW an email to the customer service department. We'll see what happens...

 

[ajsmommy1129]

My DH works for BofA, in disputes, no less. You can not dispute a "pending" charge. It should drop off your account in 2-3 weeks, tops. I know, it stinks, but that is how it is done. The only way to change this would be to have Disney pull the charge earlier. If you call and get a supervisor, they may be able to do that for you.

 

[eeyoresnr]

We've never used DDP, but do they make you give your resort reservation # (not just a phone number) to access the info & assure you do indeed have a package? That could stop most people from gaming the system.

in our case we are staying at OKW by renting points for 5 days of our stay...we are going to be on the dining plan, but it won't actually be added (paid for) until we check in...when we made our ADR's for Dec the first 2 days are not on DP, the next 5 are, then the following 3 are not...we just told the CM which days we would be paying out of pocket and which meals would be on the DP. but they did verify each reservation # for our resorts before making the ADR's...our ADR at CRT is OOP and that was by choice (we could have booked it during the DP days) and so it is paid in full which is great for us as that is one less thing to pay after we return

 

[Kimann]

We've never used DDP, but do they make you give your resort reservation # (not just a phone number) to access the info & assure you do indeed have a package? That could stop most people from gaming the system.

I have only been asked where we are staying when I booked all of our ressies this year. I have not been asked our confirmation number once in all of the times I have called. We are on Dxdp and I gave my CC for CRT and CG, but no charges or authorizations ever showed up.

Kim

 

[catne]

we were charged full amount of 4 adults at CRT dinner in Feb 2008 for a May 2008 dinner...and yes we were on the DDP. We were told that if we planned to use DDP credits to tell the check in people and our waiter at the time of the meal, and the amount would be credited back to our credit card. But we were told everyone pays in advance for the meal, no matter what plan they're on.