New Reservations Cancellation Policy

[Cafeen]

I think it is a bit misleading to say that the cancellation policy was successful since a no show fee might have been just as successful and less traumatic had they decided to try it.

Of course WDW can decide on their policies, any profit driven company can. In this case it would be nice to see policies driven by customer accommodation and service levels in conjunction with needing to try to fix the current broken system.

I think this may touch upon my distaste for the policy being applied at all restaurants.

The dining system has had certain bugs (e.g. the odd number issue, missing tables, etc) and issues (overbooking, "VIP" overrides, consistently lengthy wait time beyond ADR time) for years. The fact that they're essentially blaming guests for all their problems is the largest factor leaving such a poor taste in my mouth.

I guess, since the fee is waived so long as someone shows up, we'll just have to suggest that one of their party shows up, orders a soda, and calls it a meal. After all, we wouldn't want those poor floundering restaurants to have to sit other people in that party's timeslot...

 

[5DisneyNuts]

I think this may touch upon my distaste for the policy being applied at all restaurants.

The dining system has had certain bugs (e.g. the odd number issue, missing tables, etc) and issues (overbooking, "VIP" overrides, consistently lengthy wait time beyond ADR time) for years. The fact that they're essentially blaming guests for all their problems is the largest factor leaving such a poor taste in my mouth.

Yep, exactly

 

[Colleen27]

I have noticed on this, and the other thread about the subject, a lot of cries of Why Disney? The only one who can say for sure why is Disney. I don't think anyone here can answer that question to anyone's satisfaction. Maybe someone should e-mail and ask them why. My guess? They want people to book ADRs who know they want them. Not people who may want them, but are not sure, and if it is too cold they won't show up. They want to guarantee as much as they can people will book and then actually show up.

I'm sure they do. And I'm sure those of us who e-mail will never get anything more than a form/auto-reply response. That's all I got to my previous e-mails about a specific application of the cancellation fee that my family had an issue with (restaurant running over an hour behind and us wanting to go elsewhere, but we were told if we left we'd be charged). I never did get an official response, though I did get an unofficial/off-the-record "exceptions can be made at management discretion but if a manager allows too many s/he can be disciplined" from a restaurant manager I was chatting with on another occasion. And that was a specific complaint about a specific service issue; I'm sure general complaints about a pending policy change get even less attention.

I think this may touch upon my distaste for the policy being applied at all restaurants.

The dining system has had certain bugs (e.g. the odd number issue, missing tables, etc) and issues (overbooking, "VIP" overrides, consistently lengthy wait time beyond ADR time) for years. The fact that they're essentially blaming guests for all their problems is the largest factor leaving such a poor taste in my mouth.

I think that's what gets me too. And I'm not arguing that some things aren't a consequence of guest behaviour - that late seating I complained about above, for example, was almost certainly a consequence of people who couldn't get the time they wanted booking for during the evening parade and Wishes and just checking in late. Our ADR was for an hour after Wishes and there were people in line with us checking in for pre-Wishes ADRs. But the CC policy did nothing to improve that situation - it only made it worse, because people who might have skipped their ADRs showed up late instead and because we couldn't just walk away from the ridiculous wait without getting hit with a $70 fee ourselves. The customer doesn't benefit - only Disney does, and I'm sure plenty of families paid the fee that night rather than waiting until 10pm for end-of-the-night buffet offerings.