Disney to expand cancellation fees to all table service restaurants at Walt Disney World

[lebeau]

All this 'greed' talk and evil mud slinging...

Has anyone considered maybe it's as simple as Disney has found the $10 fee effective in reducing no-shows so now they simply expand the program to other locations.. to again.. reduce no-shows?

I'm sure people with legit reasons, who can demostrate good faith would be accommodated. If you've been rejected, less we forget maybe Disney was looking at your past no-shows they DIDN'T charge you for?

You would be mistaken. But assume away.

 

[CDavid]

Yes, you can book an ADR from multiple emails, but do you have that many credit cards/debit cards to make those ADR's? Do you want to risk forgetting and getting hit with that many cancellation fees?

Anyone can have access to an unlimited number of e-mail addresses and an unlimited number of debit cards. If people want to still cheat the system, there are ways to do it. The new policy - flawed as it is - may well prevent the vast majority of no-shows, but there will likely remain a small number who attempt to game the system. Regardless, there is no defensible reason for the absurd 24-hour cancellation deadline.

 

[flynnibus]

You would be mistaken. But assume away.

You know.. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. But your one experience does not define all of Disney for all of time. Maybe Disney saw something in your story you didn't.

 

[lebeau]

Yes. They do. The people that would go to the extreme you are talking about are idiots, and far and few between. These people will need multiple cards to book these ADR's and then run the risk of forgetting some and getting nailed for it. Your scenario isn't going to happen but maybe once in a blue moon, and you know it. You're still bitter because Disney found a reason to not give you a pass on the cancellation fee. Again, you're in the minority there as well since apparently many others have had the cancellation fees dropped.

If it wasn't going to happen but once in a blue moon, it wouldn't be a problem.

I am bitter about my situation. It was bad customer service. The call center associate I spoke with apologized profusely and said he did not have the ability to cancel my reservation without charging me the fee. He talked to a manager and said he still couldn't figure out how to do it. He was either a really good actor or he legitimately wanted to void the fee and couldn't figure out how to do so.

From the feedback I got two years ago, I now realize I should have hung up and called back. Persistence would have avoided the fee. But in the middle of a bad situation, that didn't cross my mind. Shame on me for that.

But back to your point. You can't have it both ways. Double booking can't be running rampant and also be non-existant.

 

[lebeau]

You know.. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. But your one experience does not define all of Disney for all of time. Maybe Disney saw something in your story you didn't.

I realize that my experience is probably the exception and not the rule. I'm willing to bet Disney gets it right the majority of the time. But that still doesn't make this a guest-friendly policy in any way shape or form.

The argument in favor of this policy seems to hinge on people's belief that they will never find themselves in a situation where they are charged with the fee through circumstances beyond their control. I offer my experience as a counter point. It may not happen a lot. But it does happen.

 

[englanddg]

Forgive my ignorance, but why do people need multiple cards? Where is this statement coming from?

Can I not just call and make ADRs (even overlapping ones) with the same card?

 

[lebeau]

Anyone can have access to an unlimited number of e-mail addresses and an unlimited number of debit cards. If people want to still cheat the system, there are ways to do it. The new policy - flawed as it is - may well prevent the vast majority of no-shows, but there will likely remain a small number who attempt to game the system. Regardless, there is no defensible reason for the absurd 24-hour cancellation deadline.

Exactly. Change the window to a reasonable time frame.

 

[lebeau]

Forgive my ignorance, but why do people need multiple cards? Where is this statement coming from?

Can I not just call and make ADRs (even overlapping ones) with the same card?

Pretty sure you can. Someone's making an assumption.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

This will not create more free tables for guests that are walk-ups. It creates a higher capacity for early bookings of reservations, designed as a way to prevent guests from making reservations they know they can't keep, and allowing guests who will show up and pay to be there instead.

This is not a policy that is guest friendly by any way of looking at it, and those who are defending it aren't looking at the hard facts. Not to mention, they're not looking at the competition and the market overall.

This policy does nothing to please the locals, and once again shows that Disney doesn't give a rat's about day guests.

And by the way, for those of you that insist that Disney didn't create this problem:

When you have more people in the parks, you have to expand your restaurant facilities and selections. Disney hasn't even kept up with expanding the rides to meet capacity, let alone food options. This is what you get when you add thousands of DVC Units and very few additional restaurants in the places that actually need them. (Here's a hint for anyone from management reading this, it's the Magic Kingdom Stupid!) Be Our Guest doesn't cut it. The Magic Kingdom needs about 4 more restaurants and 8 more attractions (like, actual rides, not interactive games and meet and greets / shows) before the park will be where it needs to be.

 

[draybook]

Who's a sheep?



What about those without a package?

People that stay with ATT.

And I haven't thought of a solution for off site yet.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

If you would go to the trouble of making multiple reservations, how much more work is it to cancel the ones you don't want? Practically none at all.

Why would people do it? The same reason they make multiple reservations in the first place. To keep their options open. Disney added an extra hoop for people to jump through. But people who are keeping track of multiple reservations anyway aren't going to think twice about it.


People DO go to those extremes. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a double booking issue at all. And they will continue to do so.




This was your post:

The argument in favor of this stems from the notion that this is going to cut down on double booking. If I want to, I can book a reservation for every e-mail address I can think of. And I can think of quite a few e-mail addresses. All I have to do is make my mind the day before and remember to cancel the reservations I don't want.

My response was your point was a extreme and I don't believe anyone would book a extreme number of reservations just because they can and have email addys and then spend good WDW time sitting in their resort room checking each and every email addy and cancelling reservations.



True, those tables will become available 24 hours in advance. That's helpful to Disney who now has a chance to rebook the table. It may be helpful to locals looking for last minute reservations. But to most people, it's not helpful at all.

Wrong...............a lot of people at WDW are looking to make reservations for the same day........so is helpful to many people and fairer.

What Disney really wants is to be able to hit people for the $10 fee ($40 for a family of four which is pure profit - no product or service delivered). And maybe they get lucky and fill the table anyway.

So with all due respect, no they don't.

Again why would they be so willing to cancel the $10.00 as has been reported here and other forums and so many times??........you point does not add up!


So you points still do not make sense.


The bottom line here and even in your points support it, is that the rude folks who are doing the over booking are the ones causing the problems.


AKK

 

[lebeau]

Again why would they be so willing to cancel the $10.00 as has been reported here and other forums and so many times??........you point does not add up!


So you points still do not make sense.


The bottom line here and even in your points support it, is that the rude folks who are doing the over booking are the ones causing the problems.


AKK

I have no idea what point you just tried to make.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Again why would they be so willing to cancel the $10.00 as has been reported here and other forums and so many times??........you point does not add up!


So you points still do not make sense.


The bottom line here and even in your points support it, is that the rude folks who are doing the over booking are the ones causing the problems.


AKK

Rude, in your not-at-all-humble opinion. For clarity, your own post makes you seem rude. What do they say about people in glass houses?

 

[COProgressFan]

When you have more people in the parks, you have to expand your restaurant facilities and selections. Disney hasn't even kept up with expanding the rides to meet capacity, let alone food options. This is what you get when you add thousands of DVC Units and very few additional restaurants in the places that actually need them. (Here's a hint for anyone from management reading this, it's the Magic Kingdom Stupid!) Be Our Guest doesn't cut it. The Magic Kingdom needs about 4 more restaurants and 8 more attractions (like, actual rides, not interactive games and meet and greets / shows) before the park will be where it needs to be.

What's ironic about about this is that Disney has lots more restaurant capacity at the MK, they just choose not to utilize it. (Adventureland Veranda, Tomorrowland Terrace, Aunt Polly's, Diamond Horseshoe, Tortuga Tavern open only occasionally, etc.)

 

[lebeau]

What's ironic about about this is that Disney has lots more restaurant capacity at the MK, they just choose not to utilize it. (Adventureland Veranda, Tomorrowland Terrace, Aunt Polly's, Diamond Horseshoe, Tortuga Tavern open only occasionally, etc.)

I was going to say the same thing. They don't use what they have. It's there. But they would rather not spend money staffing it.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Seems straight forward, if Disney was using this as a revenue source they would not be so willing to not charge the $10.00 fee as has been reported here and in other sites so often.

AKK

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Rude, in your not-at-all-humble opinion. For clarity, your own post makes you seem rude. What do they say about people in glass houses?

Indeed!........glad you had a opinion!

AKK

 

[minninedaisy74]

This will not create more free tables for guests that are walk-ups. It creates a higher capacity for early bookings of reservations, designed as a way to prevent guests from making reservations they know they can't keep, and allowing guests who will show up and pay to be there instead.

This is not a policy that is guest friendly by any way of looking at it, and those who are defending it aren't looking at the hard facts. Not to mention, they're not looking at the competition and the market overall.

This policy does nothing to please the locals, and once again shows that Disney doesn't give a rat's about day guests.

And by the way, for those of you that insist that Disney didn't create this problem:

When you have more people in the parks, you have to expand your restaurant facilities and selections. Disney hasn't even kept up with expanding the rides to meet capacity, let alone food options. This is what you get when you add thousands of DVC Units and very few additional restaurants in the places that actually need them. (Here's a hint for anyone from management reading this, it's the Magic Kingdom Stupid!) Be Our Guest doesn't cut it. The Magic Kingdom needs about 4 more restaurants and 8 more attractions (like, actual rides, not interactive games and meet and greets / shows) before the park will be where it needs to be.

How is it not guest friendly?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Seems straight forward, if Disney was using this as a revenue source they would not be so willing to not charge the $10.00 fee as has been reported here and in other sites so often.

AKK

LOL. The bean counters who make policies do not intend for there to be exceptions to the rule. The exceptions come from CMs who haven't had their hearts destroyed by WDW management. If you get one of the CMs on the line who drinks the upper management kool-aid (e.g. someone who says "How can I make your day more MAGICAL?"), you are going to pay the fine.

 

[menamechris]

Seems straight forward, if Disney was using this as a revenue source they would not be so willing to not charge the $10.00 fee as has been reported here and in other sites so often.

You seem to have A LOT of unreasonable defense for Disney. Excited new cast member? George's husband? Mommy blogger? Just askin'. These are the only reasons why I can imagine you so passionate and "facts" obsessed about something like this. It's an incredible amount of energy on your part. You are defending a company and a system with which many people you are interacting with have had unpleasant, real experiences with. And that system is now being spread throughout the entire resort.