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

[WDW1974]

Interesting position '74. You and I agree on most things over the past couple years here. I do see your side of this, and agree that you should at least always be able to have dinner at a restaurant in the hotel you are staying in when it comes to the Deluxe category. If I'm staying at the WL and I want to eat at Whispering Canyon or Artist Pointe that night, it shouldn't be an issue.

I also see how you see this as another money grabbing move by TDO, and how it might screw the average guest. But wouldn't you agree that most of those average guests deserve to be screwed anyway??

I also see how it's a staffing issue as well, TDO wants to run as lean as possible to make sure they don't have more servers or food than they need, and would rather operate to that bottom line than to a full restaurant.

All kidding aside, if this makes it slightly easier to get a same day/walk up reservation...even if it's for subpar overpriced food, I do think it's a positive step for those of us who can plan ahead and not freak out if we can't book 3 dinner reservations for the same night since we're too indecisive.

This will in no way make it easier for walk-ups. Disney doesn't want them at all if possible.

 

[Scooter]

This new rule doesn't bother me because it won't affect me. The only ressies we ever make are for breakfast and the only reason we make those is because I know I'll be hungry when I wake up. I never understood making reservations six months in advance. I don't know where I'll be in 6 months and I sure as heck don't know what time I'll be hungry six months from today. My wife and I always try and do walk ups when we get hungry. You'ld be surprised how many times we've gotten in doing them. Anyway...we walk up...we ask...if they say no then we just do a counter service place. It's really not that big of a deal to us. Disney's counter service places have evolved over the years and there so much more to choose from now. I remember years ago (30 years ago) the choices were pretty much burgers and fries and chicken fingers but thank goodness that has changed.

 

[pluto77]

I'm honestly surprised that this hasn't always been the policy. I assumed that it was the first time I ever made an ADR. That's why whenever I made multiple reservations (the first time I ever used the system), I cancelled one of them within a couple days. So to me this is no surprise and no big deal.

So how will that work when the whole restaurant is already full of people staying at that resort and then another guest wants to eat there and they cannot get a table? They can only realistically set a side a few tables and once they have gone you are back to the original problem of not being able to get a table.

Exactly. For the people who think that if you are staying in a hotel you should automatically get a table at a restaurant in that hotel, what happens when everybody in the hotel shows up for breakfast and expects to be seated right away but can't because a lot of people wake up at the same time and the restaurant is full? Other hotels may be able to get away with it because they are not vacation destinations, they are just a place for people to sleep in for the night. Disney is a vacation destination, therefore, a lot of the guests are never going to leave the Disney grounds for their whole vacation. Their choices are to eat in the park, eat at the hotel, or cook it in their room (if staying in a villa or some place with a microwave). If they stop accepting ADR's, and tell people staying in their hotel that the restaurant is open to walk ups, they are going to fill up very fast during busy times (especially breakfast), and nobody is going to want to wait 2 hours at Disney to sit. They are still turning people away. If Disney gives the expectation to people that they are going to automatically have a seat at a restaurant in their hotel, they are going to disappoint even more people than they are now. Also, because of the fact that Disney World is a vacation destination, I don't think it's uncommon or unexpected for people to want to try different restaurants within the resort. So yes, they will fill up faster than an average hotel restaurant.

 

[draybook]

We've only been to BoG once, but we loved our food. I will agree with @WDW1974 that the restrooms are a joke and not even adequate for a quick service location or walking path, much less a "grand" table service location. It was a bit noisy but we're okay with that.

 

[Victor Kelly]

I think it is more to keep people from making 7 ADRs and only showing to just one. They can see everything in the computer when they pull up your file. That probably plays into a waiving of the fee.

If it is to stop multiple ADRs I am in agreement with it. 24 hours, is a bit steep for vacations as many are fluid, and sometimes things happen after that 24 hour window closes. Illness, plans changing, switching to a different restaurant, etc.

 

[PhotoDave219]

This will in no way make it easier for walk-ups. Disney doesn't want them at all if possible.

That has been my observation over the past Nine years.

 

[Runmyhorse]

I think its a great idea. To many people will book adrs and never show up or they will book 2 at the same time and decide that day which one to eat at. It keeps someone else from getting the adr.

 

[COProgressFan]

We've only been to BoG once, but we loved our food. I will agree with @WDW1974 that the restrooms are a joke and not even adequate for a quick service location or walking path, much less a "grand" table service location. It was a bit noisy but we're okay with that.

We dined at BoG but never used the restrooms there. What's the deal? Are they small? Ugly? Just wondering.

 

[BuddyThomas]

They can do whatever they want to, but of they do this, they need to fix their awful reservations website. For my recent trip, every single time there was a restaurant that required a credit card, no matter what computer I used, (work, home, friends), as soon as I entered the required info, I got the dreaded angry Donald page saying the server is busy. And then when I called, the requested time was no longer available. Just fix the website, Disney, and then charge whatever you want for no shows!

 

[RSoxNo1]

I don't object to this, I object to why they have to do this. This is a non-issue in Disneyland.

 

[draybook]

We dined at BoG but never used the restrooms there. What's the deal? Are they small? Ugly? Just wondering.

Yeah, I think there was one stall and two urinals if my memory serves me correctly. For a huge dining place like that it's pretty inadequate. It was about the size of your local Shell station restroom.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Do people really make several reservations??? Seems silly & selfish

Also - with the MME stuff you can't overlap reservations - it was incredibly hard to make two separate reservations when my group was going to split up one night - We couldn't do so on the computer - needed to call it in since the site insisted we couldn't do 2 reservations at the same time. We couldn't even overlap FP+'s with our dining reservations without it at least notifying us.

I absolutely make multiple reservations, but I have always cancelled them when I know what I'm doing. I have 7 days of identical breakfast and dinner reservations for January and that's the only reservation I've made. I don't have a hotel, car or plane tickets. I'm not even sure if we're going. However, this is the system that Disney has set up, and if I go in January I want to make sure I can eat at certain restaurants.

Comparatively, I'll book dining reservations a week out (or not at all) when I go to Disneyland. It's one of the biggest advantages California has over Florida.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

Actually, the new rule does bother me. I hate, Hate, HATE having to make ADRs. I made exactly 3 the last time (2010) that I went and made the time. Well with these conditions: only long enough to tell them that their menu was not what I expected (Liberty Tree) or their service sucked (Brown Derby...sat there for 26 minutes without being waited on) or they didn't have a two top for 30 minutes (San Angel). So, I have places I want to eat this trip. Now, will I (if seated but have to walk out because nobody bothers to show up at my table) be charged $20 for this "experience"?

Having never used the only 3 ADRs (but showing up on time) I have ever made, be charged $20 for having made a "reservations"?

I am pretty flexible for dining so ... we walked into resort restaurants for a better meal most of the time.

 

[alissafalco]

Yeah, I think there was one stall and two urinals if my memory serves me correctly. For a huge dining place like that it's pretty inadequate. It was about the size of your local Shell station restroom.

Seriously?? That's ridiculous!!!! WTH?

 

[Scuttle]

I absolutely make multiple reservations, but I have always cancelled them when I know what I'm doing. I have 7 days of identical breakfast and dinner reservations for January and that's the only reservation I've made. I don't have a hotel, car or plane tickets. I'm not even sure if we're going. However, this is the system that Disney has set up, and if I go in January I want to make sure I can eat at certain restaurants.

Comparatively, I'll book dining reservations a week out (or not at all) when I go to Disneyland. It's one of the biggest advantages California has over Florida.

Exactly they make us do this. I have 10 reservations minimum at all times. It sucks to have to start on top of it and make sure you cancel, but again that's the only way to eat at the popular restaurants.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

There is a much easier way to fix the reservation system, get rid of it. Make it same day only again. Or perhaps link with Open Table. Being able to make reservations 6 months in advance is downright insanity.

 

[draybook]

I make one reservation per day. I have no trouble getting what I'm looking for but I do go in September, so I guess that's one reason why. I don't agree with making multiple reservations but I can't control other people.

 

[Hot Lava]

First step toward tiered priority reservation system? Seems that Disney is looking to squeeze every last dollar out of people. If you will get priority FPs based on the resort (and room type) you are staying at, why not with dining reservations as well?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Yep. This will probably keep me from making further reservations. I have now been trained to not only go to a Disney World that is targeting itself to toddlers, but to be treated like one, as well.

People will always abuse systems and try to come up with ways to make things easier on vacation - which is essentially why people make multiple ADR's - they want more flexibility on their trips. Dining reservations 180 days out does not offer flexibility. Disney's answer to this problem is to force more rigorous vacation planning and punish those who do not do so. Now, it is right down to dining - and the punishment will be charged directly to your credit card. It's quite pitiful, but yet another example of how Disney truly is not concerned with the guest - they know most can be pacified with a seemingly sympathetic ear at Guest Relations and a FastPass of your choice. Totally worth the extra thousands of dollars they will make every day off this new cancellation policy/

And it is these people that feel its all about them and don't care how it effects other peoples vacation and ease of planning that has made this policy necessary.

This problem was not created by Disney, but they found they finally had to take action to stop the abuse.

This is proved by the folks who have come on many sites bragging how they had multiply reservations!

As to whether its 24 hours or 12 hours or the morning of.....etc....there can only be just so much flexibility. Since Disney has repeatedly demonstrated they are willing to be flexible in applying the policy, its seems very fair over all!

AKK

 

[DougK]

From now on if I arrive for my reservation at a Disney table service restaurant and they do not seat my party within 10 minutes of my reservation time I will consider my empty table a "no-show" and I will bill Disney $10 times the number of people in my party for our inconvenience.