Disney instituting Credit Card guarantee for ADRs after 10/26/2011

[brivers222]

Just saw this on facebook from another site....

looks like this is going to be interesting...

main resturants will require a 24hour cancellation or a $10 per guest on ressie fee will be charged to credit card on file.

i kinda like this idea... but i have come across several times where Disney online reservations can not find my records to post online so that I can cancel them. Makes me wonder just how many are floating around out there that I am un aware of because online doesn't list them...

[Strmchsr]

This policy won't be for all restaurants, but it will be for 1900 Park Fare, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Artist Point, California Grill, Cape May Café, Chef Mickey’s, Cítricos, The Crystal Palace, Flying Fish Café, The Garden Grill, Hollywood & Vine, Jiko – The Cooking Place, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Narcoossee’s, ‘Ohana, Tusker House Restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby, Victoria & Albert’s - $25 per person, Yachtsman Steakhouse.

I'm thrilled by this. I know some folks like to make multiple ADRs so they can have their pick later, but it's really not fair to book an ADR and then decide not to use it, which keeps someone else from getting in who might really have wanted to dine there. Hopefully this will help.

Oh, and if you can't see your reservations online, click on the right side the button that says "update reservations." They will usually bring them up for you. Sometimes it's a little glitch in the system that causes them to not all appear but that always fixes it for me.

[brivers222]

i am a fan of this too...

hopefully using that update will display all possible ressies... i don't want any surprises on my card lol

[AgentC]

I think this is an okay plan to prevent double (and triple) booking but I am wondering how it will be handled.

For example, I normally travel with my mom, my two kids and husband. If I know my mom isn't interested in a specific meal, I don't book it, but there have been times she decides at the last minute not to come. So, if I show up with 4 instead of 5, will I be charged $10 for her?

I also wonder if they are going to improve their mobile site to take the credit card info. I use my phone to book meals all the time. I often use it same day in the parks. The mobile site does not take credit card info and refers you to calling, so it appears if you want to book at any of these places you will have to call or use your computer. Just seems silly to not be able to book some of the most popular spots using the mobile site.

[c&d]

Hopefully this will open up more tables at the restaurants. I'm all for it.

[DizneyRox]

So... If you don't have a credit card, you're not able to make a reservation? There are TONS of people who don't have them. I don't understand it, but I know there are a lot.

And, they just take the number and hold it, or do they actually charge the card and you get a refund later. I know they charge HDD, and whatnot at the time of reservation, even though for the longest time they said they didn't.

People planning 180+ days in advance, I can see a lot of instances where the card used for the hold wouldn't be valid at the time of the reservation. For example, I don't get a replacement card for one that's expiring until like the month before. Many people change cards like their underwear to avoid fees, etc. This seems like it could be a nightmare...

Which is why I'm thinking they will charge up front, but then you have the whole problem with refunding money. That $10 guarantee actually turns out to be less than $10 to Disney once you take into account transaction fees, etc. But, as the customer, I want $10 back on my card, not $9.28... This could end up costing Disney money.

Interesting solution for sure...

[starryeyes21]

I guess I will be in the minority when I say that I don't like this policy. I think Disney should do a better job of making sure people aren't making mulitple reservations for the same day and time. I agree that it's not fair to allow people to do that, but I feel that this is the wrong way to go about fixing the problem.

Here's my question, what about people who are not trying to intentionally cheat the system? There are times when things come up and it is not possible to get to a reservation. For example, when my son was six months old my family had reservations for Ohana. On the way to the restaurant he had a diaper accident of unthinkable proportions. There was nothing to do but take him back to the room for a bath, missing the reservation. Under this new rule I would have been charged forty dollars for the adults that were unable to show up.

Just to me, this new rule seems to penalize those of us who have very small children. Life is slightly more unpredictable when your child is two as opposed to when your child is ten. I think that twenty four hours notice is crazy. My doctor doesn't even ask for that!

It just feels like Disney is picking my pocket again. Find a solution to the real problem, multiple reservations. Why add more stress to my vacations? Isn't it bad anough that I have to make reservations 180 days in advance in order to eat. Now, I have to worry about losing money if my family can not, legitimately, make it to a restaurant.

[Ms. Mode]

I like it! One ressie per meal should be enough, even in the planning stage.

[disneyfan328]

I am curious - I booked an ADR for 1900 Park fare and I did not give a cc (for a January 2012 ADR) so how does that work? should I have given a card? they didn't ask for one so I knew nothing about it......

[Strmchsr]

I am curious - I booked an ADR for 1900 Park fare and I did not give a cc (for a January 2012 ADR) so how does that work? should I have given a card? they didn't ask for one so I knew nothing about it......

I believe this policy is only for ADRs made on or after Oct 26. I am assuming it will not apply to ADRs already made.

[amy853]

Strmchsr: where did you see this press release? I've been looking for it online and can't find it. Thanks!

[brivers222]

i got it as a facebook update from another site... (not able to name names here)

But yeah it only applies to ressies MADE after 10/26.... so if you don't make any changes after that point you basically just stay as you are.


25th is my 45 mark so i am "hoping" some cancellations open up and i can book some places I have been waiting for!

[buddie]

It is official.

[Wolf]

I don't like this at all..Not that we've ever cheated the system but what if you run late? Will they charge you right at 7pm if your a few minutes late? Its not like these resturants are notorious for taking the "Opps my bad" approach to things...I think this will reduce our sit down meals by alot. Things like that happen ALOT when you don't have a car because Disney so awesomely provides transportation but that doesn't guarantee you can get there on time...I just dont like this idea...one more huge reduction to the magic...

[faberj]

I have all my resis's booked for our trip in March, do I need to call and give them my card??? I don't want any of them canceled and I have a bunch of them at the places listed.

[crltkcagle]

I think its a good idea but don't they already have something like this established in order to prevent people from making multiple ADR's ? I know when I was booking my ADR's online it wouldn't allow me to double book anywhere. For example I had a reservation at Cape May on September 11th for 5:00 pm. I was searching for a table at Ohana's for the same time but didn't want to lose my Cape May reservation if I couldn't find a table at Ohana's. When I did find a table at Ohana's I booked it and a little window popped up and said I was already booked for that time and day at Cape May. It gave me the option to either cancel cape may and book Ohana's or vice versa. So I don't know if this new rule will help with the double booking thing. Hopefully it will get the wait time moving along quicker though.

[Wright46]

I think its a great idea to deter SOME people from double boking reservations. However, like most efforts to stop certain unwante dbehavior, some poeple will find ways around it. One simple way around that I can think of is simply supplying a bogus credit card number. In addition, if you were to be hit witht he charge, I'm guessing any reasonable excuse would suffice for you to have the charges reversed given Disney's goal of providing superior customer service. Nonetheless, like I said, I think its a great scrae tactic and will likely help the problem a little bit.

[AmandaChan]

I can see where this will benefit a lot of people but $10 a person seems a bit outrageous. What about families who really can't make an ADR because of their children losing their everloving minds? We had to cancel an 8 person reservation at the last sort of minute for Crystal Palace and that would have cost us $80 for something that we really couldn't have controlled. I could see a standard $25 fee and that's it.

[disneynarula]

I think it is a great idea. I know quite a few people who "double dip" (DHs term for it).

If you have a group where two or more resort rooms are involved it's pretty easy. I know people who did this and they had three rooms. They had three ressies for each night they were there. (Triple Dippers)!

So rude!

I admit it's hard to decide where you are going to eat six months in advance but that's just how it is now.

[disneynarula]

At least now there might be a chance to get into a nice place last minute.