WDW is canceling Jan. 31st reservations at CRT to hold event for more $

SorcererMC

Well-Known Member
Oh I agree that creating a situation where you are cancelling reservations is a fail.
I think in the end all was good. Not every guest plans every moment of every day at WDW. I'm sure quite a few scheduled that dinner because it was the only time available when booking, and some of those people probably don't care what time of the day they go- as long as they get it. I think my second post on this thread said "I'd like to see the result". IMO the result was good. Can't change a time that is no longer available, but making sure you are accommodating the guests at another time is what I would expect...and it appears to be what happened..starting with the initial phone call...without demands or yelling. When the original offer wouldn't work, the guy explained his situation, and then shortly after a solution for that was found.

I see from the other site that Disney contacted them on 1/14; chef series announced on the 4th. Of course I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but it looks like someone at Disney made an honest but awful mistake in planning the chef event, ie allowing enough time for 7pm dinner reservations that night and then the event set-up before 9pm.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
I see from the other site that Disney contacted them on 1/14; chef series announced on the 4th. Of course I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but it looks like someone at Disney made an honest but awful mistake in planning the chef event, ie allowing enough time for 7pm dinner reservations that night and then the event set-up before 9pm.
Agree. A mistake was definitely made.
Once realized Disney did do what they could to make it right. Mistakes can happen, definitely annoying when they do, but it's how they're dealt with that matters the most to me.
Yikes, that's a lot of people. I knew you could get breakfast before park opening, but didn't realize you could stay that long after closing.

Hopefully adequate accommodations were made for the inconvenience.
I think it was a 7:45 reservation or something. Don't quote me on that.
 

NearTheEars

Well-Known Member
Agree. A mistake was definitely made.
Once realized Disney did do what they could to make it right. Mistakes can happen, definitely annoying when they do, but it's how they're dealt with that matters the most to me.

I think it was a 7:45 reservation or something. Don't quote me on that.

Gotcha. They probably needed some setup time then.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
I'm normally fine with defending Disney, including the all the planning that goes into the trips. But I'd agree with others this is a total screw up on their part. If you are going to allow (and, essentially, for high demand things, expect) people to make reservations for dining potentially 6 months out and make ride reservations 2 months out then your organization needs to be on the ball when it comes to making sure those things are available when reservations are made. That means park hours need to be published and be mostly accurate, entertainment needs to be announced, and reservations should not be cancelled beyond completely unexpected and uncontrollable events.

If you want to plan a new money making event that would impinge on "normal" reservations, then that needs to be planned and announced 6 months out. Period. That's just appropriate business. Give the customers the respect they deserve when they are planning their vacations so far out.

I don't have a problem with up charge events, but they shouldn't all the sudden start and mess up the plans for those who did their due diligence and worked with the system in place.

To me, the appropriate response for Disney in this situation would be to get alternative dining to replace the CRT dinner and find another time for guests to go to CRT and provide compensation (gift card or substantial discount at one of the previously mentioned meals or at least a bunch of extra FP+) for those they are inconveniencing. Simply letting them know only a few weeks in advance and giving them another dinner option is not enough, not when so many people make it a point to reserve CRT far in advance and make overall vacation plans around that reservation.
 

rob0519

Well-Known Member
Do you think Universal could get away with that sort of pricing for a similar experience?

Unlikely. Universal, to my knowledge, does not have a restaurant in any of their signature buildings. I suppose it might be possible if the dinner was somehow held in one of the Harry Potter buildings, but certainly not $499.

Keep in mind that the $499 price tag is only for the Castle. Be Our Guest is $399 (again in the MK) and all the rest are priced at $249. So what someone will really be paying for is location, location, location.
 

World_Showcase_Lover007

Well-Known Member
This situation sucks, I'm not denying that.

And the situation could have been avoided entirely if Disney management was the least bit concerned with overall guest satisfaction instead of a few more bits in the coffers at the end of the day. I feel that that Disney is forsaking a dollar down the road to secure 10 cents today.

No not pre paid. I was charged $20 on our last trip bc we were a no show to SciFi.

This reminds me of Disney's reservation policy of charging $10/individual for no-show's. Being that Disney couldn't uphold their end of the bargain, I feel that reservation holders should at least get some form of compensation according to their own logic

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tigger1968

Well-Known Member
So the part of all of this that still has me baffled is why on earth someone at TDO thought this event was even a good idea. Assuming you had 30 parties displaced for this, and assuming 2 adults and 2 kids per table (brace yourself, whole lot of assumptions in play here), you would have generated around $7000 in gross revenue that night, only to displace that guaranteed revenue with a hopefully full 60 person event at $499 each, around $30,000. That's if you can convince 60 people to pay that insane price. But even if you can, you don't walk out with $30K on the bottom line, as an event like this incurs higher food costs, higher labor costs, and higher beverage costs. With the sheer volume of money generated at WDW in a day, even doing the straight math of a $23,000 uptick in profit seems not really worth all the effort. And the other events drop to $249 per person, so that's only $15,000 per event. IF you have 60 guests at each one. The BOG is $399 per person. So even if they could sell 60 seats to each event, this whole event brings in around $160,000 total while cannibalizing revenue from the other venues. (ok, maybe not the tree farm so much....lol) I think the odds of these events selling out is low, meaning you stand to gain even less revenue from this little adventure. I know that someone somewhere in the vast TDO structure thinks that any new revenue is good revenue, but it seems like a lot of effort for little return. Between realistic attendance and cannibalizing sales from the host restaurants, this has the potential to put very little to the bottom line for Disney, which seems to be what they care most about these days.
 

GhostHost1000

Premium Member
Original Poster
So the part of all of this that still has me baffled is why on earth someone at TDO thought this event was even a good idea. Assuming you had 30 parties displaced for this, and assuming 2 adults and 2 kids per table (brace yourself, whole lot of assumptions in play here), you would have generated around $7000 in gross revenue that night, only to displace that guaranteed revenue with a hopefully full 60 person event at $499 each, around $30,000. That's if you can convince 60 people to pay that insane price. But even if you can, you don't walk out with $30K on the bottom line, as an event like this incurs higher food costs, higher labor costs, and higher beverage costs. With the sheer volume of money generated at WDW in a day, even doing the straight math of a $23,000 uptick in profit seems not really worth all the effort. And the other events drop to $249 per person, so that's only $15,000 per event. IF you have 60 guests at each one. The BOG is $399 per person. So even if they could sell 60 seats to each event, this whole event brings in around $160,000 total while cannibalizing revenue from the other venues. (ok, maybe not the tree farm so much....lol) I think the odds of these events selling out is low, meaning you stand to gain even less revenue from this little adventure. I know that someone somewhere in the vast TDO structure thinks that any new revenue is good revenue, but it seems like a lot of effort for little return. Between realistic attendance and cannibalizing sales from the host restaurants, this has the potential to put very little to the bottom line for Disney, which seems to be what they care most about these days.

I hate to say it but I believe many will attend that event...sure it'll be the uber rich folks with pixie dust in their veins but still there is a market for it and they know it so they are gonna milk that utter at the expense of and push aside the lower class guests - ya know like some of the families who may only get to visit Disney once in their lifetime and have been saving for years so they can give their kids the best vacation ever and see their smiling faces and how excited they are when they are told they get to eat inside the castle with lots of princesses.

Is it just more or are a lot of stories these day involving upcharges for events and money grab opportunities?

The new Di$ney
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
So the part of all of this that still has me baffled is why on earth someone at TDO thought this event was even a good idea. Assuming you had 30 parties displaced for this, and assuming 2 adults and 2 kids per table (brace yourself, whole lot of assumptions in play here), you would have generated around $7000 in gross revenue that night, only to displace that guaranteed revenue with a hopefully full 60 person event at $499 each, around $30,000. That's if you can convince 60 people to pay that insane price. But even if you can, you don't walk out with $30K on the bottom line, as an event like this incurs higher food costs, higher labor costs, and higher beverage costs. With the sheer volume of money generated at WDW in a day, even doing the straight math of a $23,000 uptick in profit seems not really worth all the effort. And the other events drop to $249 per person, so that's only $15,000 per event. IF you have 60 guests at each one. The BOG is $399 per person. So even if they could sell 60 seats to each event, this whole event brings in around $160,000 total while cannibalizing revenue from the other venues. (ok, maybe not the tree farm so much....lol) I think the odds of these events selling out is low, meaning you stand to gain even less revenue from this little adventure. I know that someone somewhere in the vast TDO structure thinks that any new revenue is good revenue, but it seems like a lot of effort for little return. Between realistic attendance and cannibalizing sales from the host restaurants, this has the potential to put very little to the bottom line for Disney, which seems to be what they care most about these days.


Except Disney thinks they will still get the revenue from other guests. They'll just "squeeze them in" on a different day.

And remember, a fair number of those guests are on the Disney dining plan. Disney ALREADY got paid for those guests.
 
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drizgirl

Well-Known Member
Not in several years. I can't remember entering into an empty dining room. That's crazy, so you have to wait to leave until every person in the restaurant is finished?
I don't know if they did that when I was younger, but feel like I would remember it. It's actually really good to know. I don't want want to be in that scenario.lol

Why would you assume that means you enter an empty room? They aren't all seated simultaneously. Some will enter a nearly empty dining room. Some will enter a nearly full dining room.

Nor do they hold you hostage until the final diner has finished. Once they have your money, you are free to leave at any time.
 

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
Except Disney thinks they will still get the revenue from other guests. They'll just "squeeze them in" on a different day.

And remember, a fair number of those guests are on the Disney dining plan. Disney ALREADY got paid for those guests.
Interesting point.

Seeing that a reservation has been made (a promise of service) and money has been exchanged (payment for service), it looks like a contract exists.

Wonder what UCC law has to say in such circumstance?
 

Bandini

Well-Known Member
I have to say the most fascinating part of all of this is watching how far a few people will contort themselves in defending the indefensible.
It is amazing. I just can't imagine planning a trip to BBB and CRT and then being told that your CRT was cancelled because of greed.
I wonder how many of these guests have 5 year old girls in their parties. You know, the ones who light up when they see a princess because they still believe in magic?
Those are the customers Disney should have thought about before they made this bone headed decision. Especially since they are the ones who will return as parents with their own little girls.
 
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SorcererMC

Well-Known Member
Interesting point.

Seeing that a reservation has been made (a promise of service) and money has been exchanged (payment for service), it looks like a contract exists.

Wonder what UCC law has to say in such circumstance?

It's very unlikely that any contract wouldn't have this covered (maybe why it was said to be the result of 'operational issues'). Does anyone else remember a few years a go when Disney was changing couples' wedding venues due to construction (or some such)? Their wedding.
 

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