Who thinks they should ask for cc for all popular meals?

[chrisann]

I ask because I've been trying for almost 2 months to get anything at Chef Mickey's and while I realize it is popular and I should have booked sooner. I still think there should be a way that people who are truly going to show up, should be able to get a reservation. Not everyone knows 6 months out they're even going to WDW. It just takes the fun out of a spontaneous trip if you're not sure where you'll be having meals. If people had to put their cc# on popular meals, I think there would be a lot less people booking things "just in case". I bet 1/4 of reservations don't even show up to a lot of these meals. What does everyone else think? Thanks for letting me vent!

 

[arielmomma]

You have the right to vent. Getting reservations can be frustrating.

I respect where you are coming from, but I disagree with the cc reqiurement . I disagree with anyone asking any type of private information unless it is necessary, and while I love DW Resraurants, dining reservations aren't necessary. I am a private person and like to be cautious.

Nonetheless, I hope you get the reservation you want. Good luck!

 

[Colleen27]

Since there's no cancellation penalty as long as you cancel more than a day or two in advance, I really don't think it would make much difference. It wouldn't stop people from holding multiple times/days so they can decide later which to keep. And Disney does account for the no-show rate in the number of ADRs they accept, which sometimes results in REALLY long waits even with ADRs at times when there are fewer no-shows than the system predicts.

 

[GreyStr0ke]

Just keep trying. I leave tonight and kept checking for the last 2 weeks (no where near the 180 day window), several times a day and was able to get exactly what I wanted for Chef Mickey's.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Well, Disney has done this in the past with popular places so it wouldn't surprise me if other restaurants are added to the list of those requiring a credit card. They will capitalize on whatever revenue is available.

I think online booking has made it easier for people to book multiple reservations, but finding how to cancel a reservation online is hard. That can be improved.

Also, Disney could make cancelling reservations a lot easier by creating a cancellation line (800#) or cancellation option for dining reservations. I know it doesn't help people that are trying to make reservations at 180 days, but I think it could help create more last minute opportunities.

If I find that I can't make it to a reservation I call the 407-wdw-dine #. I am told that my call will be answered in 10-15 minutes. Am I really going to stay on the line to cancel? Probably not.

 

[disneyfan2]

we rescheduled a winter trip for Dec about 2 weeks after they opend the 90 day window in Sept. I am still trying, Chef Mickeys, LTT and Tusker house.
You would think that mose considerate ppl will cancel a previous reservation once they get a new one
I do it immediately after the new ADR is made, i go into cancel and don't hold onto it. Wish more ppl did.

 

[Tricia1972]

Since there's no cancellation penalty as long as you cancel more than a day or two in advance, I really don't think it would make much difference. It wouldn't stop people from holding multiple times/days so they can decide later which to keep. And Disney does account for the no-show rate in the number of ADRs they accept, which sometimes results in REALLY long waits even with ADRs at times when there are fewer no-shows than the system predicts.

I agree completely with you Colleen.

My other thought is that I wonder if people would be more likely to double book, justifying it because they felt that they were 'paying' for the service?

(Not that I agree with it, just going off of posts that I've seen from others before)

 

[Colleen27]

You would think that mose considerate ppl will cancel a previous reservation once they get a new one
I do it immediately after the new ADR is made, i go into cancel and don't hold onto it. Wish more ppl did.

I think the CC hold actually makes timely cancellations less likely because they're more difficult to cancel. For the ones that don't require a CC, I can go in and cancel them as I make changes, and that's what I do. Those that require a CC for booking also require calling to cancel, which can't be done immediately in many cases.

When I found a better time for Chef Mickeys, it took me about 2min after booking the new ADR to cancel the old. When I changed our park days and switched my Akershus reservation, it was a completely different story - couldn't cancel immediately because CRO was closed when I was making changes, called in the morning but didn't have 25min to hold, called in the afternoon to find the system was down, called the next morning but didn't have 20min to hold, finally got through to someone to cancel around noon. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, when I was going through the mess of unsorted ADR confirmation e-mails in my inbox - both the old and new Akershus reservations came up as active in the online system, so that CM that it took me 4 tries to get didn't actually cancel it, leaving me holding an ADR I didn't want for almost 2 months!

More CC holds means more ADRs that are a hassle to cancel. Personally, I think Disney should be working on making it easier to cancel, not harder!

 

[disneyfan2]

i did not realize the CC ADR's could not be cancelled on line. i will keep that in mind