Would ADRs be better if all restauraunts required a CC hold?

[kamik86]

I saw this on another forum and wanted to see if most people would prefer this.

Some Disney restaurants require a credit card to hold the reservation and will charge a fee (I think its $10) for no shows if not canceled 48 hours before. (not sure if that is per person or total though).

If all the places (that currently don't make you completely prepay that is) started doing this does anyone see any downside?

I know it would take Disney some extra call time with people making phone reservations to take the numbers and some extra computer processing.

Will those places that do this already take debit cards? Maybe its because some people don't have credit cards?

I'm just really curious as to why Disney hasn't done this yet!! I think it would be a lot better since it would make people more apt to cancel their reservations if they don't want them.

 

[Pakey]

While I hate to read about people making multiple ADRs for the same meal because they can't plan, I think credit card holds for all TS is wrong also. People with small children can't always predict how their children will be. If a child is too tired, I'd rather the parents have flexibility than making everyone endure a meal with a cranky child just because they'd lose a meal deposit.

Also people get sick. I don't want to be seated at a table next to them either.

 

[j&j620]

I think having to know where and when you want to eat 180 days in advance is bad enough. Taking away the ability to change plans without penalty would completely add to the stress that Disney dining already creates, in my opinion. What about all of those unforeseen situations that cause people to cancel their ADRs? Your little one gets sick and you can't make it to the restaurant, for example. You think that that family should deal with a financial penalty in addition to the unhappy disruption to their vacation?

 

[kamik86]

While I hate to read about people making multiple ADRs for the same meal because they can't plan, I think credit card holds for all TS is wrong also. People with small children can't always predict how their children will be. If a child is too tired, I'd rather the parents have flexibility than making everyone endure a meal with a cranky child just because they'd lose a meal deposit.

Also people get sick. I don't want to be seated at a table next to them either.

I that makes sense... I guess I haven't thought about it much since its always been just my DH and myself. We still have made last minute changes due to weather or just a change in plans before but since I only do it at most once a trip it wouldn't be too big of a deal to just lose the $10. (or even $20 if it is per person)

 

[LilyWDW]

I that makes sense... I guess I haven't thought about it much since its always been just my DH and myself. We still have made last minute changes due to weather or just a change in plans before but since I only do it at most once a trip it wouldn't be too big of a deal to just lose the $10. (or even $20 if it is per person)

I don't think CC holds for all restaurants should be started. However, I do think they could expand the number of locations that require the hold. There are some restaurants that seem to be more affected by those who just don't show up for their reservations. Places like Chef Mickeys or Ohana for example. These places are just SO popular that people not keeping their reservations can have an actual impact there.

 

[mcd2745]

I don't think CC holds for all restaurants should be started. However, I do think they could expand the number of locations that require the hold. There are some restaurants that seem to be more affected by those who just don't show up for their reservations. Places like Chef Mickeys or Ohana for example. These places are just SO popular that people not keeping their reservations can have an actual impact there.

I would have no problem with them requiring a CC hold for all ADRs. When I make a reservation, I keep it. But if they just wanted to require it for places like 'Ohana and Chef Mickey's that would be fine. I was in Chef Mickey's last year with a 5:30pm ADR - when the place should have been packed. There were so many empty tables I couldn't believe it. I doubt that would have been the case if no-shows got slapped with a fee.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would have no problem with them requiring a CC hold for all ADRs. When I make a reservation, I keep it. But if they just wanted to require it for places like 'Ohana and Chef Mickey's that would be fine. I was in Chef Mickey's last year with a 5:30pm ADR - when the place should have been packed. There were so many empty tables I couldn't believe it. I doubt that would have been the case if no-shows got slapped with a fee.

I tend to agree. While I understand that it sometimes kids get sick or are just too tired to be expected to behave in a restaurant, it is truly ridiculous how many tables are left empty in Disney restaurants. Especially given how hard ADRs can be to get.

Maybe charge $3 a person for whoever doesn't show up. Not a huge amount, but enough to give some people pause and have them be sure the ADR they make is really one they want and intend to use.

Or maybe something along the lines of you have to give your name and address, and you have to show your id with that exact info on it when you check in. That would help them get control of the people who double book. If you have to enter your name and address (and have to prove that when you check in) they could check for double bookings and make people pick one ADR to keep.

Something really needs to be done. I gotta believe that double booking causes a good number of the empty tables I have recently seen at WDW.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I don't think it really is mattering to Disney. They obviously are making more than enough in those restaurants or they would have changed the policy to reflect their loss of revenue. Disney doesn't let things like that slip through the cracks.
I also find it amusing that we are talking about empty tables on one thread and all the other threads are telling people that they shouldn't try to walk up because it's very unlikely! I guess I don't understand how one can say that there are no walk ups possible and another thread saying we need to do something to eliminate empty tables. I'm thinking here specifically of Ohana. I have NEVER seen empty tables there!

 

[maxiesmom]

I also find it amusing that we are talking about empty tables on one thread and all the other threads are telling people that they shouldn't try to walk up because it's very unlikely! I guess I don't understand how one can say that there are no walk ups possible and another thread saying we need to do something to eliminate empty tables.

Simple. Disney doesn't know that people are not going to show, so they do hold their table for a while. I've heard people turned away from restaurants, yet there were empty tables sitting there.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

They don't hold tables for people they move on to the next person in line. In fact that is one of the problems with Ohana... they overbook. They have a "great" formula that figures out how many people "normally" are no shows and they work off of that. The problem is that sometimes the norm doesn't happen. And then they are overbooked and have vERY long waits. The waits are not a result of no shows... the waits are a result of Disney assuming no shows and compensating for them.

 

[lesabrowning]

I would be fine if they charged a penalty for ADR no shows. I don't think it should be per person and I think guests should be able to cancel up until the day of, specifically because of sick kiddos. I hate that we have to wake up at 3 am or 6 am on the exact 180 day mark to make certain ADRs. Heck, I would be fine if we went back to making them 90 days out : )

 

[kamik86]

I would be fine if they charged a penalty for ADR no shows. I don't think it should be per person and I think guests should be able to cancel up until the day of, specifically because of sick kiddos. I hate that we have to wake up at 3 am or 6 am on the exact 180 day mark to make certain ADRs. Heck, I would be fine if we went back to making them 90 days out : )

I'm not sure this would do what you want as much though. It may stop people from not bothering to cancel when they changed their minds weeks in advance but those that double book and decide what they feel like the day of (and the travel agency's that advertise doing this!) would still happen as they could cancel the double that day still.

 

[FOCUS]

Well I don't know if a fee would do what people think it would do....I have a feeling that a lot of people would still be willing to pay a "premium" to be able to double/triple book. It may eliminate some of it, but I think there would still be a lot of it. When you consider that most people are paying several thousand dollars for their vacation, an extra $70 for an entire week to be able to double book isn't a huge deterrent.

I would prefer to see a non-monetary system in place to prevent double bookings. Something like maxiesmom proposed with the name/address.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I see both sides of this. I think the reservation system should be able to detect whether the same reservation has been booked that day though. The cancellation charge would suck. We were on our way to Chef Mickey last year, our FAVORITE dinner all week, when my daughter got sick- all over me, and the monorail station. We only had 15 minutes to get there, so I cried as I called to cancel. I would have been even more upset had I got a charge for it. Something does need to be done about the ADR's though, there was 2 times we were going to plan a last minute trip- but didn't because we couldn't get any ADR's.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

As it's been previously pointed out in other threads, there are times when people legitimately need to book more than one ressie at the same time. What about when mom and DD want to go to CRT and the boys would rather do something else? There needs to be a way to book both reservations without one getting cancelled on them. Or what about large groups? There are times when large groups need to split down to 4 and 4 to book at a restaurant at the same time and they should be able to do that too. Fees for no shows make more sense than cancelling duplicate ressies. Even a system that allows for the person inputting the information to pick a name on the ressie along with other identifying info really doesn't fix it either because if you've got 5 in your party you could hold up to 5 reservations with 5 different names and addresses. There is no way to totally eliminate holding multiple ressies without sticking it to people who have legitimate reasons to do so. I think Disney does the best they can. There will always be those who take advantage of the system to benefit themselves because they feel they are more important than the next person, more deserving of being able to be flexible or get what they want. If everyone thought about the next person as much as themselves then we'd have a lot less problems.

 

[TDC Nala]

No, it wouldn't. Disney's a tough place to keep a schedule sometimes.

I booked a place in Vegas once that had a $50 per person no show fee.

 

[mcd2745]

As it's been previously pointed out in other threads, there are times when people legitimately need to book more than one ressie at the same time. What about when mom and DD want to go to CRT and the boys would rather do something else?

Well, for starters, in that scenario, Mom's name shouldn't be on both reservations. She can't be in two places at once. I may be wrong, but I truly believe the "split parties" excuse always brought up happens in reality a lot more infrequently than you would think given how quick people are to bring it up. Seems like they're just trying to justify Disney allowing people to double-book.