Crazy Dining Plan Question!

[stevehousse]

Ok so as of right now I have a package including the dining plan for our trip in Nov. Now we r thinking of changing our plans and canceling that package, and renting DVC points instead, adding on the dining and just buying tickets off the Disney website.

Here's my dilemma! If I ADR Cinderella's Royal Table with my dining plan credits, but end up canceling that package and going the DVC route, will they make me automatically pay upfront for CRT? I am confused as what this would entail? Would they cancel my ADR there?

I basically just need to cancel and rebook the credits? If anyone has any help or suggestions, please let me know and help!

 

[dreamfinder]

I believe you need to give them the CC either way. Having credits or not doesn't matter as people with dining credits can just as easily skip their reservation as someone paying cash. I'm not 100% on that, but I believe its the case.

 

[slappy magoo]

CRT is a restaurant where you have to pay up front regardless of whether or not you get the dining plan. You are reimbursed if you use the dining plan but they keep the money until your reservation passes. I believe it's the only restaurant with this policy. So if you book CRT, you'll pay now. What I would do is just not link that meal reservation to your room reservation. After all, in the 180-day window anyone can book CRT. You could live in Alaska and opt to fly to WDW JUST to eat at CRT and then fly back if you want (not a good use of your tourism dollar, but hey, it's your money ). So book at the 180-day mark or as soon after as you can. Don't link it to your room reservation, pay up front, and then once you know what your room plan is going to be, link the reservation to the room via My Disney Experience if you choose.

 

[TheMouseFan]

CRT is a restaurant where you have to pay up front regardless of whether or not you get the dining plan. You are reimbursed if you use the dining plan but they keep the money until your reservation passes. I believe it's the only restaurant with this policy. So if you book CRT, you'll pay now. What I would do is just not link that meal reservation to your room reservation. After all, in the 180-day window anyone can book CRT. You could live in Alaska and opt to fly to WDW JUST to eat at CRT and then fly back if you want (not a good use of your tourism dollar, but hey, it's your money ). So book at the 180-day mark or as soon after as you can. Don't link it to your room reservation, pay up front, and then once you know what your room plan is going to be, link the reservation to the room via My Disney Experience if you choose.

I have reserved CRT with our dining plan and not had to pay up front. You still have to give a cc number, but they don't charge you unless you don't show up.

 

[slappy magoo]

I have reserved CRT with our dining plan and not had to pay up front. You still have to give a cc number, but they don't charge you unless you don't show up.

Per allears.net's Advance Reservations FAQ:
NOTE: Payment in full with a credit card is required at the time of booking for all meals at Cinderella's Royal Table. If you do not have a credit card, the reservation cannot be made.

---also, on my itinerary, all reservations have a "credit card guarantee" in the details, except Cinderella's Royal Table. That reservation indicates that the reservation is "Pre-paid" for the total amount of the meal.

FWIW, I believe this is a relatively new policy, like January-1st new. It's also now policy that every reservation requires a deposit of $10 per person, which is forfeited if you cancel within 24 hours or are a no-show when your time comes. Unlike CRT, however, this is not paid up front, but will be taken from the credit card you place on hold, should the need arie.

 

[stevehousse]

I've booked shows that are pay up front, but had my dining plan credits applied to it, so I didn't hve to pay, just use the cc to reserve in case of a no show.This will be our first time dining here.

So if I pay up front right when I get the ADR, I can call them back and tell them I want to use my dining plan credits instead and they will just credit my card?

 

[slappy magoo]

So if I pay up front right when I get the ADR, I can call them back and tell them I want to use my dining plan credits instead and they will just credit my card?

I could be wrong, admittedly, but I suspect they keep the charge on the card until the day of your reservation, then credit it back to you if you use your dining plan credits. But this is the case only for CRT.

EDIT: This info per mousesavers

These locations require full prepayment in advance, using a credit card:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Hoop Dee Doo Revue
• Spirit of Aloha Luau
• Mickey’s Backyard BBQ

New!As of 10/31/13, all table service dining locations require a credit card to hold a reservation. Your credit card will be charged $10 per person ($25 per person for Victoria & Albert’s) if a cancellation isn’t made at least one day in advance. (Note that this seems to be interpreted as “by midnight Eastern Time the day before your reservation,” rather than exactly 24 hours in advance.) Call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) or (407) WDW-CNCL to cancel.

If you miss your reservation but you are able to get to the restaurant within an hour or two afterward, it may be worth explaining your circumstances to the Cast Members at the check-in desk. They might waive the fee if you have a really good excuse (sick kid, bus broke down). This can happen only in person at the restaurant, and it’s entirely at the management’s discretion.

 

[TheMouseFan]

Per allears.net's Advance Reservations FAQ:
NOTE: Payment in full with a credit card is required at the time of booking for all meals at Cinderella's Royal Table. If you do not have a credit card, the reservation cannot be made.

---also, on my itinerary, all reservations have a "credit card guarantee" in the details, except Cinderella's Royal Table. That reservation indicates that the reservation is "Pre-paid" for the total amount of the meal.

FWIW, I believe this is a relatively new policy, like January-1st new. It's also now policy that every reservation requires a deposit of $10 per person, which is forfeited if you cancel within 24 hours or are a no-show when your time comes. Unlike CRT, however, this is not paid up front, but will be taken from the credit card you place on hold, should the need arie.

If this is really true, it is definitely a new policy. I made our June ADRs in December, and the CM asked if it would be pre-pay or dining plan. In fact, I have two ressies, one is room only for 1 night, then we go on a cruise and come back for a 5 night stay. I was making the ressies at 180 + 10 from the room only, and she explained that I would need to call back at the 180 day mark from the second ressie if I wanted to reserve it with the dining plan. That was on December 20, so it could have gone into effect this year. I certainly don't like it if that is the case! What is the point of having the dining plan if you have to pay for the meal 6 months out and wait for a week after your meal for it to be credited back to your card (because we all know it is never credited back as quickly as it is taken out!!)?

Edit: I just got on MDE and tried an ADR for dinner for a night we will be there in June. It gives you the option to use the Disney Dining Plan Guarantee or to pay the full amount with a credit card. And then it gives you the spiel about needing a cc guarantee and says it will use my cc on file, but the full amount will only be charged if we don't show up.

 

[stevehousse]

Thank u!

 

[slappy magoo]

Edit: I just got on MDE and tried an ADR for dinner for a night we will be there in June. It gives you the option to use the Disney Dining Plan Guarantee or to pay the full amount with a credit card. And then it gives you the spiel about needing a cc guarantee and says it will use my cc on file, but the full amount will only be charged if we don't show up.

That seems reasonable, or at least more reasonable. I hadn't yet picked out which dining plan we intend to use, so maybe by virtue of the fact that I didn't have a dining plan, I had to pay the total up front. Therefore, if we do wind up picking a plan, maybe the deposit will bounce back at that point versus after my reservation...

 

[stevehousse]

I figured it worked just like the dinner shows. U still need a credit card to guarantee the ADR, but as long as u have the dining plan attached to your package, they just use ur credits and don't charge the card unless u don't show. I just wasn't sure if I had to cancel my current package and create a new one if they would automatically make me pay oOp until I added the dining plan back on?