[ADVISORY] Cancellation Policy at All Table-Service Restaurants Beginning 11/19/13

I made ADRs a few weeks ago, so only a few needed the CC. I asked the CM what happens if only 4 or 5 out of the party of 6 shows up. Would we still be charged the $10? She said yes. That's the first time I heard that rule. I thought if any in the party showed up, it waved the fee.

Anyone know which rule is valid?

This is incorrect. The charge applies only if the entire party does not show up. Might be different for the prepaid reservations (dinner shows and CRT).
 
Don't know if this helps, but I'm a big reader of trip reports, and in that scenario, it's always been reported (so far as I've read) that the restaurant is very understanding and waives the fee. :)

Not true. We were still charged at Ohana when we woke up sick. My mom actually was running a high fever and lost her voice.

Also, we were charged for a member of our party who did not show up too. It's in their policy, so while it was annoying I understood why.
 
....I'm not pleased because we have had a negative experience with the existing policy - checking in at a restaurant that was running over an hour behind, so backed up that it took 15-20min in line just to get to the check-in desk, only to be be told that if we left we'd be penalized - ....

This ^^!

I have no problem being held responsible for my part of the "contract" of making an ADR, but I believe Disney should also be held responsible for upholding theirs. If the wait exceeds 15 minutes past your ADR time, I believe you should be offered the option to cancel on the spot without penalty. How would that hurt anyone? As far as I can see, it can only benefit.
 
I wish they had done this months ago. Before the ADR booking window opened up for the holidays.

As it is, I am missing one (normally easy to get) thing, and so I am hovering the ADR page searching for it daily. Waiting for the 30 day resort cancellation window to arrive, too, as I expect some ADRs will get cancelled along with the rooms.
 


Thanks for all the replies.

In our case, I'm not sure if my brother will be going. He is always a last min person.


Once he decides, I can call and change the number, but If he doesn't come, that changes the number from 6 to 5, so we'd need the same size table anyway.

But also concerned about the illness thing, our last trip my DH and I spent most of the last three days in our room with flu type illness.
 
Not true. We were still charged at Ohana when we woke up sick. My mom actually was running a high fever and lost her voice.

Also, we were charged for a member of our party who did not show up too. It's in their policy, so while it was annoying I understood why.

Out of curiosity, when was this?

I know any exception to the fee is at CM discretion and yours isn't the first report I've read of being told "Sorry, but that's the policy" when cancelling at the last minute due to illness. But you are the first person I've seen report being charged for a partial party, and that's a shift in policy/enforcement that would have much more impact on my family because often the only way to get an ADR for my family of 5 is to round up to 6. Since the odd number "glitch" is a known problem and rounding up to the next even number is a workaround suggested by many CMs, I really hope what you experienced was a one-off misinterpretation rather than an actual across the board change.
 
Thank god. Now maybe people won't "horde" reservations and there will actually be reservations available for everybody.

Won't change a thing. The in demand ADRs already had this guarantee. Inconsiderate selfish people will still hoard the ADRs and then cancel them at the last minute to avoid the charge. If they were serious about preventing abuse they'd limit you to so many ADRs for certain places, limit how many ADRs per days in your stay or even charge the $10 fee up front as a hold and then return it once you show up for your ADR. But as it sits right now and this new policy, not one thing will change to open up ADRs.
 


At the restaurants where this is in place already a sick kid or other issues that effect a single party tend to get an exception. Large-scale events that effect many people, like foul weather, don't. It is up to CM discretion so there's a bit of the usual "cast member roulette" factor involved as well.

I'm not pleased because we have had a negative experience with the existing policy - checking in at a restaurant that was running over an hour behind, so backed up that it took 15-20min in line just to get to the check-in desk, only to be be told that if we left we'd be penalized - but at this point at least they are making limited exceptions in certain circumstances. Of course, if/how long that continues remains to be seen - abuse of the sick kid "loophole" could mean we end up with "no exceptions" rules eventually.
Great information........To me if we make a reservation and they fail to provide a table within a reasonable time (not sure exactly what that is). Then the restaurant has broke the contract. If I really did not want to wait that long (hopefully they would be honest about telling me how long the wait was); they had better be willing to let us walk with no charge.

There is a Seinfeld episode in this situation somewhere.....you know how to take the reservation, your just don't..........
 
Won't change a thing. The in demand ADRs already had this guarantee. Inconsiderate selfish people will still hoard the ADRs and then cancel them at the last minute to avoid the charge. If they were serious about preventing abuse they'd limit you to so many ADRs for certain places, limit how many ADRs per days in your stay or even charge the $10 fee up front as a hold and then return it once you show up for your ADR. But as it sits right now and this new policy, not one thing will change to open up ADRs.

What will change is the no-show rate at the restaurants.

Heard somewhere that no-shows at Le Cellier alone were down about 80% after this policy was enacted there.
 
OK, I am confused about the policy.

I look up a restaurant on the Disney web site.

Reservations
Advance reservations are highly recommended.

Please book online or call (407) WDW-DVNA or (939-3862) up to 180 days prior to your visit.

A cancellation policy applies and will result in charges if you cancel with insufficient notice. Specific policies related to this facility will be detailed at time of reservation booking.

On my confirmation is says this:

Credit Card Guarantee
Your credit card charge is being held to guarantee your reservation. Your card will only be charged in the event that your party does not show up for the reservation.
Guest Policies
Payment and Cancellation Policies
- If applicable, a gratuity of 18% will be automatically added for parties of 6 or more.

So where do they state one day cancellation required?
 

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