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

[SugarMagnolia75]

I have to ask, do you think a child would be upset bc they are eating at CRT at 2pm instead of 6:45pm. Or on a Tuesday instead of a Monday?

Once the error was found they could- rearrange times for the 6:45 people, still get them in the restaurant, probably compensate with something, fastpasses etc..so it doesn't wreck their schedule. Personally call them or have a return call to iron out the details.
Or postpone a publicly announced event?

Taking emotion out of it, if you're faced with that decision, what would you do?

It might be a problem if that child is young and Gets tired. I remember trying to fit in early afternoon activities in the parks when my children were little and realizing that even though they didn't nap at home, they were exhausted. Those were not fun times. Taking the emotion out of it is difficult because our connection to the parks is emotional and that's what Disney is counting on.

 

[Laketravis]

That's not the same thing. You'd get the same car at an earlier or later date with the extended warranty and free oil changes.

But it's not the same car - perhaps the only difference is the color. It's different in much the same way dinner is different than lunch, Tuesday is different than Saturday, the first day of our WDW vacation is different than the last, etc.

 

[drizgirl]

If someone made that reservation 2 weeks ago, 1 month ago, 3 months ago, 7 weeks ago..do you think they chose 6:45 bc it was the
EXACT perfect time for them? Or more likely, as we've all probably experienced, they wanted CRT and took whatever time was available. As a result of this, they may not be livid or even disappointed if they have to change their time.
Again, as the OP (from the single example that we have) said, the new time actually worked out better for his family.


I sat on the phone for countless hours before my trip, having the phone rep check the restaurants I wanted for the entire trip..just hoping to find some availability. The ones I did choose were not all, or even most, bc they were exact time..it's bc they were my only choices. This will not be 100% of the "30", but I think it's a safe bet to say that it was a least some of them.

Or it could have been like my last trip to CRT. Perfect time was not available so I took what was there. And I watched. I found a time that was a little better so I changed. I kept the page open on my computer desktop and refreshed it several times a day until an even better time came along. I ended up changing times about 4 times until I found THE absolute perfect time, the time that still allowed me to see the afternoon parade and still keep the fastpass return times we had scheduled.

If after all of that work to ease my way into the best time possible I had been unceremonially dumped from that reservation, I would have been livid.

For you to imply in some way that maybe Disney was doing people a favor, maybe helping them into a better spot is absolutely absurd, and clearly indicative of someone grasping straws to try and put a positive spin on this.

 

[drizgirl]

And yet you have stated that Disney should be able to give them alternate times without recognizing that there may not have BEEN alternate times for 30 other families.

Well, that's ok. Once you decide it's ok to push times around, you really don't have a problem moving others around to accommodate the ones you moved around in the first place.

 

[Me 'Earties]

It might be a problem if that child is young and Gets tired. I remember trying to fit in early afternoon activities in the parks when my children were little and realizing that even though they didn't nap at home, they were exhausted. Those were not fun times. Taking the emotion out of it is difficult because our connection to the parks is emotional and that's what Disney is counting on.

Agreed. We learned this the hard way last trip. Sometimes, with little ones, you have a routine that you have to follow (eating, napping, etc.) or there may be meltdowns. So when lunch or dinner is scheduled at a particular time, there's a good reason for it-you want your family (and your fellow patrons) to enjoy it without issue lol.

 

[Me 'Earties]

What are our plans while at MK? Fast passes, BBB, pirate's league, restaurant reservations, right? Disney does have the power to change all of that. So throwing in anytime FPs, or adjusting the current ones, rescheduling another reservation if need be, getting someone in to BBB if need be..this would eliminate the "ruined" plans.

Well, if it were so simple to change all those plans, and have the stars fully aligned, I would say "great!" But, I'm not so entirely convinced that Disney will make those changes (maybe they have the power but perhaps not the will) for most folks. Do sometimes they just hand over some fast passes? Sure, they may do that. But, rearrange an entire day's worth of plans (BBB, pirates league, dining reservations, etc.)--that is probably a more difficult feat. I'm actually surprised that Disney even accommodated the person who's issue started this thread both a BBB and CRT, both for 1/30. So although I can't say it's impossible, my opinion is that it's unlikely based on my past experiences (again, maybe just my bad luck)

 

[21stamps]

Agreed. We learned this the hard way last trip. Sometimes, with little ones, you have a routine that you have to follow (eating, napping, etc.) or there may be meltdowns. So when lunch or dinner is scheduled at a particular time, there's a good reason for it-you want your family (and your fellow patrons) to enjoy it without issue lol.

I agree with this, I've experienced it myself. As I said- a little rearranging will need to be done, but if CRT is the highlight of your day then you can plan accordingly to make sure everyone is rested if need be. Asking for anytime FPs would greatly assist in that becoming a reality.

Well, if it were so simple to change all those plans, and have the stars fully aligned, I would say "great!" But, I'm not so entirely convinced that Disney will make those changes (maybe they have the power but perhaps not the will) for most folks. Do sometimes they just hand over some fast passes? Sure, they may do that. But, rearrange an entire day's worth of plans (BBB, pirates league, dining reservations, etc.)--that is probably a more difficult feat. I'm actually surprised that Disney even accommodated the person who's issue started this thread both a BBB and CRT, both for 1/30. So although I can't say it's impossible, my opinion is that it's unlikely based on my past experiences (again, maybe just my bad luck)

I wasn't assuming that BBB, Pirate's League, and another ADR would all be before that 6:45 reservation, I guess that could be a possibility though.
Here's why I think they can rearrange, I don't think they book things that tight. A business is always going to leave themselves some wiggle room. I've experienced it, and that's what I've been told. Let's take my experience out of the equation though. What if a WISH family is coming? Or a celebrity? Or someone "important" within the Disney organization? Do you think they are told that BBB is all booked up? Or that they can't move around a dining reservation? Again, it's a possibility, but it's doubtful. I personally know people who just did a WISH trip 5 months ago. Their son has since passed, and it all happened quickly, from diagnosis, to Disney, to the sad passing of the child. He did everything that his parents wanted on the trip. Point being- there is availability.. it's just not available to "us", but Disney can and will fit it in if need be when a special situation arises.
I hope in this situation they would.

All of us, including myself, are completely speculating, based on our personal experience or of experiences of people we know. I guess it's just what you "think" they will do, we have no evidence one way or another of anyone's experience in this specific scenario..with the exception of 1...and that person was rescheduled to fit their needs.

 

[drizgirl]

I agree with this, I've experienced it myself. As I said- a little rearranging will need to be done, but if CRT is the highlight of your day then you can plan accordingly to make sure everyone is rested if need be. Asking for anytime FPs would greatly assist in that becoming a reality.


I wasn't assuming that BBB, Pirate's League, and another ADR would all be before that 6:45 reservation, I guess that could be a possibility though.
Here's why I think they can rearrange, I don't think they book things that tight. A business is always going to leave themselves some wiggle room. I've experienced it, and that's what I've been told. Let's take my experience out of the equation though. What if a WISH family is coming? Or a celebrity? Or someone "important" within the Disney organization? Do you think they are told that BBB is all booked up? Or that they can't move around a dining reservation? Again, it's a possibility, but it's doubtful. I personally know people who just did a WISH trip 5 months ago. Their son has since passed, and it all happened quickly, from diagnosis, to Disney, to the sad passing of the child. He did everything that his parents wanted on the trip. Point being- there is availability.. it's just not available to "us", but Disney can and will fit it in if need be when a special situation arises.
I hope in this situation they would.

All of us, including myself, are completely speculating, based on our personal experience or of experiences of people we know. I guess it's just what you "think" they will do, we have no evidence one way or another of anyone's experience in this specific scenario..with the exception of 1...and that person was rescheduled to fit their needs.

I think that's probably true in most venues. But CRT is their cash cow. I think they max it out every day of the year.

Perhaps you missed my comments earlier in the thread about how it operates and seats guests differently from other restaurants?

 

[L.C. Clench]

Considering the fact that ADRs are more recommended arrival times than seating times I doubt they have tons of tables just laying around just in case. I have no doubt they can work someone into Tony's or Skipper's Canteen but they aren't routinely leaving slots somewhere people plan trips around.

 

[drizgirl]

I didn't miss that. I also didn't miss the post by the 1 person in the situation who said that both breakfast or lunch at CRT were offered to him on his original phone call from a Disney rep...and then another post where they found him a dinner reservation to CRT on 1/30. The day before his original reservation.

I'm not arguing, I'm just going off of the facts that we have..or one person's retelling of the situation more accurately. Based on that it doesn't seem like rearranging would be an impossible feat. I don't think CRT is booked to the point where a little girl suffering from DIPG, or even Bob Iger's family member, or a few other scenarios, would not be able to get in. WISH recipients do not book at 180, celebrities don't book at 180, and I don't think Disney execs and their families book at 180.

Then perhaps you missed the conversation where some people said breakfast and lunch weren't the same to them as dinner? Or the other discussion about people having additional time commitments (fastpasses, days at other parks, other ADRs) that could complicate things?

I'm sure they could fit Iger's daughter in somehow on a given day. But I doubt Iger would have 30 daughters trying to get in on a given day.

 

[Grimley1968]

It is not speculation to see that WDW announced a hastily scheduled upsell event at CRT, and then see confirmation that indeed several parties who had existing reservations had those reservations cancelled. It's also not speculation that Disney put a higher priority on the upsell event going forward, because we know that the existing reservations were cancelled, and not the upsell event. It may well be an innocent scheduling problem, but the problem for me lies in how it was resolved, in favor of the higher priced and more recently scheduled upsell event and at the expense of those who booked CRT for that time in good faith long ago. If Disney had recognized the unfairness of the scheduling conflict, they could have more easily solved the problem by simply moving the upsell event to another date and moving those people. But they sided with those who were willing to pay more for the same space and time and inconvenience those who made the reservations in good faith. That's what bothers me.

It is speculation to debate whether the affected parties were dealt with satisfactorily. But, to me, that is beside the point, and an exercise in futility.

 

[Me 'Earties]

I agree with this, I've experienced it myself. As I said- a little rearranging will need to be done, but if CRT is the highlight of your day then you can plan accordingly to make sure everyone is rested if need be. Asking for anytime FPs would greatly assist in that becoming a reality.


I wasn't assuming that BBB, Pirate's League, and another ADR would all be before that 6:45 reservation, I guess that could be a possibility though.
Here's why I think they can rearrange, I don't think they book things that tight. A business is always going to leave themselves some wiggle room. I've experienced it, and that's what I've been told. Let's take my experience out of the equation though. What if a WISH family is coming? Or a celebrity? Or someone "important" within the Disney organization? Do you think they are told that BBB is all booked up? Or that they can't move around a dining reservation? Again, it's a possibility, but it's doubtful. I personally know people who just did a WISH trip 5 months ago. Their son has since passed, and it all happened quickly, from diagnosis, to Disney, to the sad passing of the child. He did everything that his parents wanted on the trip. Point being- there is availability.. it's just not available to "us", but Disney can and will fit it in if need be when a special situation arises.
I hope in this situation they would.

All of us, including myself, are completely speculating, based on our personal experience or of experiences of people we know. I guess it's just what you "think" they will do, we have no evidence one way or another of anyone's experience in this specific scenario..with the exception of 1...and that person was rescheduled to fit their needs.

Don't get me wrong-I agree with you that there is wiggle room, but it's probably very tight and I just don't expect it, especially for the masses. I definitely don't expect for Disney to bend over backwards for me-I am the average Joe Schmoe, and more importantly/fortunately, healthy. I would definitely want Disney to accommodate a WISH child and family before all else. I'm just trying to say that in most scenarios, you (and I mean the proverbial you) can't expect Disney to rearrange everything for you, as scheduling for every aspect of a Disney trip is planned months in advance and most people are scheduling so far in advance due to the difficulty of finding time-appropriate slots. Every time slot of the most popular rides, dining, etc. are taken up almost immediately upon availability that making changes are difficult, especially two weeks away from a trip. Gosh, I wish I didn't have to plan it all-i just want to wing my Disney trips-but the popularity of all things Disney makes that almost impossible, and I feel forced to lay out fast passes, lunch, dinners, etc. for every single day I'm there. So when Disney decides to add an event by sacrificing a group's (no matter how large or small) well-in-advance CRT reservation, I find it hard to swallow. Not trying to crap on you or others-I just don't like it, and I think it can make things difficult for some but certainly not all.

 

[21stamps]

Don't get me wrong-I agree with you that there is wiggle room, but it's probably very tight and I just don't expect it, especially for the masses. I definitely don't expect for Disney to bend over backwards for me-I am the average Joe Schmoe, and more importantly/fortunately, healthy. I would definitely want Disney to accommodate a WISH child and family before all else. I'm just trying to say that in most scenarios, you (and I mean the proverbial you) can't expect Disney to rearrange everything for you, as scheduling for every aspect of a Disney trip is planned months in advance and most people are scheduling so far in advance due to the difficulty of finding time-appropriate slots. Every time slot of the most popular rides, dining, etc. are taken up almost immediately upon availability that making changes are difficult, especially two weeks away from a trip. Gosh, I wish I didn't have to plan it all-i just want to wing my Disney trips-but the popularity of all things Disney makes that almost impossible, and I feel forced to lay out fast passes, lunch, dinners, etc. for every single day I'm there. So when Disney decides to add an event by sacrificing a group's (no matter how large or small) well-in-advance CRT reservation, I find it hard to swallow. Not trying to crap on you or others-I just don't like it, and I think it can make things difficult for some but certainly not all.

I completely agree with that. I just hope, and think, that Disney considers the alleged (I keep using this word bc we don't really know) 30 as VIP guests , not as regular old "us", when trying to find new times for them to dine..and doing whatever necessary with any other previously scheduled plans to make that happen. Disney made the mistake, and they need to do what it takes to fix it. My thoughts on that company is that they will.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Did you read any of the post that you quoted 5 minutes ago? The FP other ADRs, etc were all part of that. They can easily be adjusted by anytime FPs. The other potential ADRs can be swapped.

You either aren't reading or have no interest in listening. You want to say this is Evil and Impossible go ahead. Continue to bash away bc you have 0 interest in looking at anything or any possibility other than the "Disney is Evil" scenario.

I think the issue many of us have is not with whether or not they COULD or WOULD accommodate the displaced diners it's with the fact that they needed to in the first place - and the choice they made to honor the "contract" made with those attending an upcharge event announced 3 weeks before the event over those who potentially booked their dining 6 months ago.

 

[wdisney9000]

I completely agree with that. I just hope, and think, that Disney considers the alleged (I keep using this word bc we don't really know) 30 as VIP guests , not as regular old "us", when trying to find new times for them to dine..and doing whatever necessary with any other previously scheduled plans to make that happen. Disney made the mistake, and they need to do what it takes to fix it. My thoughts on that company is that they will.

By your logic, it would be acceptable for a business to completely AND knowingly inconvenience their customers, as long as they offered them compensation.

Is that not a slippery slope? Does it not condone bad ethics? What is the limit? How badly would people have to be inconvenienced before it was a problem for you?

 

[I am Timmy]

This assumes they were able to find acceptable alternatives for all the guests effected. Considering how much Disney wants people to pre-plan, one change like this can really mess up your plans for an entire visit. If this was something unforeseen I would be a little more accepting of it, but since this appears to be something that Disney had control over, I think it's a much bigger issue.

I would be happy if they offered, say, a gift card for the inconvenience? I like money. Who doesn't?

 

[L.C. Clench]

By your logic, it would be acceptable for a business to completely AND knowingly inconvenience their customers, as long as they offered them compensation.

Is that not a slippery slope? Does it not condone bad ethics? What is the limit? How badly would people have to be inconvenienced before it was a problem for you?

This implies there is a concern for what is ethical which probably isn't an issue for some.

 

[I am Timmy]

I remember a time when you didn't have to make dinner reservations 180 days in advance. It was a lovely time. It was a a carefree time, when you could wake up in the morning and decide where what park to go to based on your mood that day.

When was that? There was a time you could relax? When we first started going, even our first trip (years ago), I had anxiety planning because I wanted to eat certain places and do certain things (shocking, I know). I've never not experienced Disney trip planning anxiety, although it starts earlier and lasts longer than it used to. I must be addicted, I'm still doing it!

 

[draybook]

If they changed your dining time, gave you three fastpasses that you can use at any attraction at any given moment (literally just walk up and scan your band), you kept your original three to modify however you please....you'd be unhappy? If you're paying out of pocket and they have you a gift card, would you be unhappy? Or instead of a gift card they hooked you up with a dessert party free of charge...would you be unhappy? From a customer stance what would it take to make the situation okay?

I'm curious because I have a different outlook on the upcharge events. They don't bother me. I encourage people to spend their money on those so Disney can hopefully put new stuff in the parks. Yes I know they don't always but here's to dreaming...

Hold on, you're really comparing Fastpasses to gift cards? Fastpasses cost nothing and you can get those on your own. Gift cards have monetary value.

And what's this fixation about "only one person coming forward"? There's 7.5 BILLION people on this planet. It's against pretty good odds that even one of those who were affected ended up with their story on the boards. Plus, you're assuming that all of those who were displaced have access to the Internet or even have any idea what fan forums are.

 

[larryz]

But to compare the scale of the Walt Disney World Resort to any other theme park operation is disingenuous.

You're right -- it's not fair to the other parks. They can't afford to treat their customers like Disney treats theirs.