Interesting Experience w/ ADR Change Issue

[focusondisney]

Some people have alerts set up to notify them when openings come up, and I doubt they stop coming 2 hours in advance if they come up.

You don’t have to act even if you get the alert. You just ignore it coz now you have other set plans.

 

[musicguy856]

The ability to modify was removed all of a sudden with little to no advance notice. You’ve been able to modify inside 2 hours for years, so many people would be used to it.

 

[DLgal]

The ability to modify was removed all of a sudden with little to no advance notice. You’ve been able to modify inside 2 hours for years, so many people would be used to it.

But OP said they knew about the new policy. If they didn't know, I can see calling to find out why they couldn't modify, and I can see a CM doing it "just this once" as a courtesy. But that's not how it went down.

 

[fbb]

$10/pp not to have to eat at Chef Mickey’s is money well spent.

 

[HopperFan]

I don’t look at it like that. As far as I know, each restaurant is considered a separate “business” with their own expenses, profits & budgets. There is no swapping of business dollars between restaurants. So Chef Mickey’s lost money that they were planning for at that point. Their staffing is set, planned amount food is being prepared. I have no idea how many last minute ADRs or walk ups happen at any restaurant, so no idea if the OP’s 8 seats are able to be refilled within 90 minutes of their time. Because it would probably be people who have no ADRs already but are looking for CM that would fill it. I have no idea if there are enough of those at any given time. Restaurants do send servers home if the place is slow, so enough last minute cancellations may leave them overstaffed or cause servers to lose hours & pay, to say nothing of lost gratuities even if they’re not sent home.

Sure, OP is only 1 party, but a big party. Multiply it by many times a meal period, because, why should the OP be the only one cancelling last minute. And I can see why Disney felt the need for a drop dead cut off for cancelling/ changing. How quick people are to go from “what a great advantage to be able to cancel/ make changes until 2 hours before” to complaining that they have to actually make their decisions by 2 hours.

YES. Each restaurant is it's own profit center. Given she only released it 1.5 hours out - unless you were in the Contemporary or MK prepared to run - no one was going to make that ADR time. Sure folks who arrive early will get pushed to seated earlier and maybe an opening could be created later if the system allows, but imagine if multiple families did this. Multiply the losses. Chef Mickey was going to be under projected income for that day. Honestly overrides should only come from specific restaurants managers, no call center CMs.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Disney has made so many rules and then changed them and then has different policy depending on the restaurant …
They have to have last minute flexibility in case of illness, traffic delay.
Have you relied on the monorail or the SkyLiner lately?
Disney has this built in to their system . The castmember was wrong for blaming the guest for empty restaurants? That’s ridiculous.

I do think the request would be a problem because of the travel time from the Contemporary to Wilderness Lodge. That would have been a better reason to say Sorry we can not allow this request.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

then has different policy depending on the restaurant …

Not all restaurants are operated by Disney.

Certain restaurants even if operated by Disney may need different policies based on factors like Cinderella's Royal Table a highly sought after does not allow modifications once booked. In addition it will charge the full cost if cancelled within 2 hours. But being that it's Cinderella's Royal Table most could understand why a different policy is more apt.

But if anyone needs a tad more information

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/dining-reservations/restaurant-reservation-cancellation/

 

[wegotodisney]

Disney has made so many rules and then changed them and then has different policy depending on the restaurant …
They have to have last minute flexibility in case of illness, traffic delay.
Have you relied on the monorail or the SkyLiner lately?
Disney has this built in to their system . The castmember was wrong for blaming the guest for empty restaurants? That’s ridiculous.

I do think the request would be a problem because of the travel time from the Contemporary to Wilderness Lodge. That would have been a better reason to say Sorry we can not allow this request.

I'm not entirely sure what you're saying here, but...
Disney officially recommends that you give yourself 90 minutes to travel between WDW destinations. It's on every ADR confirmation email, and it's part of what you're supposed to read before checking the little box during the online ADR booking process.

 

[nw6675]

I posted this on a similar thread recently, but we had a Homecomin' ADR when it started storming. I called and cancelled within the 2 hours and we ended up at SH71.

Was I hopeful not to get charged? Yes. Was I upset when I did? No, because the policy is cancellations and modifications within 2 hours result in a charge.

I suspect many of us at some point had "modified" within 2 hours to a future date in order to bypass the cancelation fee. They simply closed the loophole that was never supposed to exist.

 

[HopperFan]

Not all restaurants are operated by Disney.

Certain restaurants even if operated by Disney may need different policies based on factors like Cinderella's Royal Table a highly sought after does not allow modifications once booked. In addition it will charge the full cost if cancelled within 2 hours. But being that it's Cinderella's Royal Table most could understand why a different policy is more apt.

Confirmation emails tell one exactly what one needs to know in event of cancel/modify etc. It is very clear for most TS that if you do not cancel before 2 hours or show up you have agreed to and committed $10 per person for your no show. It also states "Restaurants offering advance reservations do not allow modifications within 2 hours of the reservation time." As far as I'm concerned that means no bumping the time, no changing the restaurant along with no adding additional people = no changes.

But if anyone needs a tad more information

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/dining-reservations/restaurant-reservation-cancellation/

Great resource to bookmark when planning and traveling.

I'm not entirely sure what you're saying here, but...
Disney officially recommends that you give yourself 90 minutes to travel between WDW destinations. It's on every ADR confirmation email, and it's part of what you're supposed to read before checking the little box during the online ADR booking process.

If using only Disney transportation 90 minutes minimum is important. We once left POP, immediately got on a bus, arrived to MK within a short time and then went to the boat for FW to go to HDDR. Loaded, then they unloaded, waited for a bigger boat, then they loaded, then they went to WL and we finally arrived with minutes to spare. Took over 90 minutes all due to issues at MK. We were very lucky our POP bus was there immediately or we would have been late. I very much take location into consideration based on where I'll be when we need to head to ADR.

And it is on US to get to our ADR on time. Unless there is a legit breakdown of monorail or Skyliner for extended period of time, really not on Disney if you are late.

I posted this on a similar thread recently, but we had a Homecomin' ADR when it started storming. I called and cancelled within the 2 hours and we ended up at SH71.

Was I hopeful not to get charged? Yes. Was I upset when I did? No, because the policy is cancellations and modifications within 2 hours result in a charge.

I suspect many of us at some point had "modified" within 2 hours to a future date in order to bypass the cancelation fee. They simply closed the loophole that was never supposed to exist.

And I get that, if everyone cancelled their ADR because it was raining and they didn't want to travel to it ... imagine how many would be cancelling. I've been charged no show fees, and I realized I was fully in the wrong and took responsibility for it. You are right Disney is working towards closing all the loop holes, make it unattractive to book multiple reservations for the same time period and hold people to agreement they made when they booked. It is up to us to book ADRs we are confident we will arrive to OR cancel within the generous timeframes they now give.

 

[wegotodisney]

And I get that, if everyone cancelled their ADR because it was raining and they didn't want to travel to it ... imagine how many would be cancelling. I've been charged no show fees, and I realized I was fully in the wrong and took responsibility for it. You are right Disney is working towards closing all the loop holes, make it unattractive to book multiple reservations for the same time period and hold people to agreement they made when they booked. It is up to us to book ADRs we are confident we will arrive to OR cancel within the generous timeframes they now give.

Put this way, everyone who has ever struggled to find a sought after reservation should be glad for this new policy and the strict enforcement of it along with the closing of loopholes.
I say that as someone who has been charged the no show fee multiple times

 

[musicguy856]

YES. Each restaurant is it's own profit center. Given she only released it 1.5 hours out - unless you were in the Contemporary or MK prepared to run - no one was going to make that ADR time. Sure folks who arrive early will get pushed to seated earlier and maybe an opening could be created later if the system allows, but imagine if multiple families did this. Multiply the losses. Chef Mickey was going to be under projected income for that day. Honestly overrides should only come from specific restaurants managers, no call center CMs.

I picked up a 50s Prime Time reservation this morning about 30-45 minutes before the reservation time when I was at HS. Last minute pickups can happen.

 

[focusondisney]

I picked up a 50s Prime Time reservation this morning about 30-45 minutes before the reservation time when I was at HS. Last minute pickups can happen.

I think a restaurant in a park might be more likely to fill last minute ADRs. The restaurant OP was cancelling was in a hotel. I bet there’s less people at a hotel looking for a last minute adr, especially one for 8 people.

 

[HopperFan]

I picked up a 50s Prime Time reservation this morning about 30-45 minutes before the reservation time when I was at HS. Last minute pickups can happen.

Never said you can't, I've done it quite often. And in parks especially it is easier to get to if you are already there, and with their wait list system they can probably replace. For TS in resorts or Disney Springs their pool of guests looking for an ADR and being close enough to get there on time is much lower.

But it really doesn't change that the rule there is a 2 hour window across the board unless stated more. If you don't honor your ADR then you pay the fee. It helps offset losses the restaurant is likely to incur.

I think a restaurant in a park might be more likely to fill last minute ADRs. The restaurant OP was cancelling was in a hotel. I bet there’s less people at a hotel looking for a last minute adr, especially one for 8 people.

YES, this! Hotel restaurants will have a much harder time replacing the income lost within a 2 hour window. Transportation alone may make it prohibitive for 95% of guests.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

But how many times we have read, with tickets, return times with rides, etc, The rules say no, but ask anyway you may get pixie dusted.

I like rules and yes I get upset when I don’t even bother to ask, but others say this and that happened and I ask and we got XYZ . And we’re all so happy they got pixie dusted.

This isn’t how pixie dust works. Pixie dust isn’t something you ask for. Exceptions by definition aren’t something everyone gets either. This isn’t a situation where transportation was late or weather was bad or even where someone didn’t know about the updated rules.

Asking for something and a CM using their discretion does happen, but part of that discretion is the CM’s ability to say “no,” and when that happens that should be the end of it.

The more people seek out exceptions (especially ones that cost Disney money) the more likely everyone is to continue getting a “no,” and the more likely Disney is to change the policies again and not for the better. There’s a better than zero chance that they move the window back to 24 hours like it used to be, or that they charge a fee up front for all reservations.

 

[The Iron Giant]

I’m not really seeing that the OP didn’t anything improper here other than use the word “petty” in her post to describe Disney’s policy. The policy isn’t petty, but it certainly seems like the original CM she spoke to was being petty. Are restaurants at Disney really “1/2 full?” It seems like the original CM was taking the OP’s request personally and was responding like it annoyed him. Customer service might not be the right job for that person. Disney is certainly within their rights to decline to waive the ADR fee. But there’s nothing wrong with calling and asking for it to be waived. And if the OP had a bad experience with the first CM it’s sounds pretty logical to call back and try to explain their situation to a less frustrated CM. Discretion works both ways.

 

[Miffy]

For anyone reading this thread who wonders what the ADR change/cancellation policies currently are, here's the link to the WDW website.

 

[Moliphino]

I’m not really seeing that the OP didn’t anything improper here other than use the word “petty” in her post to describe Disney’s policy. The policy isn’t petty, but it certainly seems like the original CM she spoke to was being petty. Are restaurants at Disney really “1/2 full?” It seems like the original CM was taking the OP’s request personally and was responding like it annoyed him. Customer service might not be the right job for that person. Disney is certainly within their rights to decline to waive the ADR fee. But there’s nothing wrong with calling and asking for it to be waived. And if the OP had a bad experience with the first CM it’s sounds pretty logical to call back and try to explain their situation to a less frustrated CM. Discretion works both ways.

You're only getting the OPs side of the story, though. The original CM was correctly following Disney's policy, OP just didn't like it when it applied to them.

 

[The Iron Giant]

You're only getting the OPs side of the story, though. The original CM was correctly following Disney's policy, OP just didn't like it when it applied to them.

Totally agree that we don’t have both sides of the story. I’m only commenting on what was posted.

We also don’t know what latitude Disney gives CM’s for waiving the ADR fee. Disney internal policy may allow for waiving the fee if someone is modifying an ADR to another restaurant at the same time. Since the second CM waived the fee and modified the ADR immediately it’s reasonable to assume the OP’s request was within the CM’s discretion.

Or it’s possible Disney has given little guidance to the CM’s about when to waive the fee and it’s left to their own internal decision making. Which would explain why two different calls got two different results.

Either way I’m just not seeing what the OP did that was so terrible.

 

[DLgal]

I’m not really seeing that the OP didn’t anything improper here other than use the word “petty” in her post to describe Disney’s policy. The policy isn’t petty, but it certainly seems like the original CM she spoke to was being petty. Are restaurants at Disney really “1/2 full?” It seems like the original CM was taking the OP’s request personally and was responding like it annoyed him. Customer service might not be the right job for that person. Disney is certainly within their rights to decline to waive the ADR fee. But there’s nothing wrong with calling and asking for it to be waived. And if the OP had a bad experience with the first CM it’s sounds pretty logical to call back and try to explain their situation to a less frustrated CM. Discretion works both ways.

Using the word "petty" to describe a reasonable policy implies that the OP feels the policy is beneath them.

And I'm guessing the first CM flagged the account, so when the second CM got a call mere minutes later, it had already been labeled as a "problem guest." People love to post about how if you don't like the answer the first CM gives you, hang up and keep calling back until you get what you want. But Disney tracks EVERY CALL. They know who you are. And they will label you internally as a difficult guest. Eventually, the favors will stop.

I worked in customer service long enough to know what goes on behind the scenes.