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View Full Version : Should Disney Impose Penalties for missed ADR's



JPL
03-26-2007, 11:16 AM
I was talking to a friend today who booked their trip to WDW through a travel agent. They are on the DDP. The agent suggested they make atleast 2 Dinner ADRs per day so they have flexibility in their planning. She went on to explain that there was no penalty for simply not showing up but if they remembered they should call and cancel but if they didn't it was no big deal. Now my question is how travel agents are giving this suggestion to their clients on the plan. I would be interested to see exactly how many shows Disney gets. I would really like to see Disney impose the policy the use for the dinner shows and Fantasmic Package. I fyou fail to show up and don't cancel they have your credit card on file and charge you $10 a person.

Goofeygal
03-26-2007, 11:36 AM
I agree. They should put a penalty on no show's. Some ADR are to hard to get so people I assume do reserve early and then do a no show if time does not permit. So I do agree with you 110%.

tinkerbelle75
03-26-2007, 11:41 AM
I absolutely think they should charge for no-shows.It's no wonder people can't get the times they want if people are "leaving themselves a choice" by making multiple ADRs. Maybe even a drop in commission for those travel agents who suggest it? $10 per person sounds good to me, for EVERY restaurant that takes ADRs.

wi_kel66
03-26-2007, 11:51 AM
I agree, but not exactly sure how it should be handled?? :confused: It is easy to loose track of time, etc..... and not make an ADR, but having numerous ADR's and blowing them off is very inconsiderate to other guests!
Also for the record.....not all travel agents give out this sort of BAD advice!
Being a travel agent myself and a frequent WDW visitor, I know all too well how hard it is to get some of the most popular ADR's!
:mickey:

BMan62
03-26-2007, 11:52 AM
Personally, I don't like penalties or fines for that kind of thing, but if it would get people to be a little more courteous about their ADR's, it would be a good thing.

Any agent who would suggest scheduling multiple ADR's and NOT specify that the person should call and cancel the one(s) they are not using should lose their right/ability to book Disney trips!!

I brought up, in another thread, the fact that people are making multiple ADR's and taking those opportunities away from other guests, but I did not realize that travel agents would suggest such a thing.

One other possibility is to set up the reservation system to check if someone has already scheduled an ADR an not to let them schedule another within a certain time frame - 1 hour or so. This would not be extremely difficult as you need to leave information for scheduling the ADR anyway.

KylesMom
03-26-2007, 11:59 AM
I could be mistaken since I've never tried to do it myself, but I thought it was posted here on Intercot quite some time ago that Disney Dining was not allowing guests to book two conflicting ADRs within the same timeframe?

Figment!
03-26-2007, 12:17 PM
I could be mistaken since I've never tried to do it myself, but I thought it was posted here on Intercot quite some time ago that Disney Dining was not allowing guests to book two conflicting ADRs within the same timeframe?This was my understanding as well.

There had been several reports that the reservation system has been upgraded to no-longer allow this.

tinkerbell04
03-26-2007, 12:20 PM
I also thought that they, the ADR CM's, were trying to stop guests from doing this now when booking. With the DDP in place and with it being more popular then ever, people need to stop this practice and really just book where you want to eat :mickey:

Sharon1026
03-26-2007, 12:55 PM
People who make multiple reservations for the same night/time are RUDE and SELFISH. Me, me, me. What is wrong with people?! :mad:

I think they should nick people a few bucks for doing that.

As for people who don't want to make ADR's and like to walk up - I understand not wanting to have to plan out what time you'll eat and where you'll eat 6 months in advance - I don't like it either. However, that's how disney is going - it helps to level the crowds at the restaurants which helps the kitchen and waitstaff run things smoother. They can get people to come in at 4pm for dinner with an ADR instead of turning them away at 6pm, etc.

Maybe disney needs to keep some walk up tables open, but obviously it works better for the park to go with the ADR system.

SurferStitch
03-26-2007, 12:57 PM
ADR's are tracked via the phone number you give when you book them. So, theoretically, you could book a couple ADR's for the same time if you do one under one number, and one under the other. This DOES NOT mean it's allowed.....just possible.

I know when I was moving a couple ADR's around for our last trip, the CM on the phone couldn't book another dinner ADR for the same time I already had one booked. I wasn't trying to do that....he was just trying to book the new ADR before cancelling the old one. He simply cancelled the first one, then booked the new one.

I don't know if I agree with a penalty for no shows....Like mentioned ealier, they are not reservations, just priority seatings. Besides, more than once I've heard CM's at the front desk saying things like, "Thank goodness we've have some no shows tonight...it's crazy here". I don't think the restaurants really care about a few no shows here and there, even though many people here do.

mjaclyn
03-26-2007, 02:41 PM
I definitely agree that there should be some penalty for not showing up. I don't believe they should penalize you if you call in advance to cancel though. It kind of irritates me that even if I call to cancel certain places within 48 hours they still charge my credit card. What would happen if DD got sick the day of our ADR and we couldn't go? It irks me that I would still be charged between $10 and $20pp depending on where we were supposed to go.

merlinmagic4
03-26-2007, 02:52 PM
I agree 110% too! I think a penalty for not showing up at all is reasonable but not for canceling. If you call ahead, even that day, you should not be penalized. I can't imagine who would book two meals at once; seems very selfish to me :confused:

Jasper
03-26-2007, 03:00 PM
I do not like the idea of a penalty because things change too often once you get there.

However, I would like to see them change their computer system to catch people with more than one ressie for a given meal period. For example, right now I can call for one at 5:00 and another one at 6:00 at two different restaurants and it won't flag them. I think the computer system should be set up to take into account any time that falls into dinner lets say. Of course, if you give a fake name or reserve under different members of your party there is still no way to prevent multiple bookings.

bicker
03-26-2007, 04:09 PM
There are good arguments both ways. I don't really care -- either way is okay with me. I think, though, that a far greater number of guests would be upset about penalties for missed reservations than are upset about how hard it is to get reservations now.

Marilyn Michetti
03-26-2007, 06:47 PM
I'm not sure that the ADR's are as simple as priority seatings - not anymore. They're reservations if you have virtually no chance of being seated without them.

Yes, I think there should be a time line for cancelling without penalties, but that there should be a monetary penalty. It's a given with rooms that you have to cancel within a reasonable time or lose your nights deposit. Even not showing up at the dentist cost's $25, and that keeps me from missing it, so why not $5 a person for blowing off a seat that someone else couldn't get at a Disney restaurant?

This is a touch subject, but a valid one.:(

Rick Blaine
03-26-2007, 07:00 PM
...I think, though, that a far greater number of guests would be upset about penalties for missed reservations than are upset about how hard it is to get reservations now.

I think you hit the nail on the head. The upside of this is that Disney will free up a few tables. The downside is that people will get really mad if they forget to cancel reservations. You also know that some people will complain they were on their way to the restaurant when their child or whatever got ill and they did not have time to cancel, etc, etc.
In a related subject there was a thread here a few months ago where someone said they had ADRs and they were canceled due to someone reserving the whole restaurant for a special function. I wonder if Disney would be willing to monetarily compensate all people who have ADRs cancelled due to Disney greed. I won’t hold my breath.

Tinkermom
03-26-2007, 07:21 PM
We have missed an ADR on occasion due to issues with trying to get out of a park and waiting longer than we should have to for a bus. The transportation system is not very reliable when you are trying to get somewhere at a certain time. We know to leave plenty of time (I usually allow 1 hour) but even that does not work all of the time. This happened to us while at Animal Kingdom. We were trying to get out of the park and get to Epcot for our ADR and it was just so crowded we could barely move. By the time we got our bus and then change buses to get to Epcot we realized we were just not going to make it. I did not have a way to cancel our ADR. I am sure this has happened to others besides us. I do not think it would be fair to charge people in this type of situation. I do not think it is fair for people to make multiple ADR's and Disney needs to make sure their system does not allow this. I do not think the answer is charging for no-show though.

I had a reservation for my DD5 at the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique last week. Luckily, I left the Beach Club 1 1/2 hour prior to my ressie as I thought my daughter and I could walk around a bit at DTD before her appointment. I did NOT think it would take an hour to get there but it did! I waited 30 minutes for the bus and then we had another stop so it took another 30 minutes to get there. We got to BBB just in time. You just never know when relying on Disney transportation...

cgriff
03-26-2007, 08:02 PM
I could be mistaken since I've never tried to do it myself, but I thought it was posted here on Intercot quite some time ago that Disney Dining was not allowing guests to book two conflicting ADRs within the same timeframe?


This was my understanding as well.

There had been several reports that the reservation system has been upgraded to no-longer allow this.

If the new ADR system works per Figment's and KylesMom's understanding, then the point of this thread is now moot. I would hope that technology could be used to solve the problem in this way, because the idea of Disney imposing fines on guests seems wrong to me.

JPL
03-26-2007, 08:35 PM
I don't know if I agree with a penalty for no shows....Like mentioned ealier, they are not reservations, just priority seatings. Besides, more than once I've heard CM's at the front desk saying things like, "Thank goodness we've have some no shows tonight...it's crazy here". I don't think the restaurants really care about a few no shows here and there, even though many people here do.

It's not so much the restaurants it's other guests that are getting blocked out by no shows. I walk up they say sorry we are booked for the night. A party of 5 doesn't show and noone else gets that table. They are giving all available seats to ADRs now so it is more than just priority seating.

BellewanaB
03-26-2007, 08:51 PM
What if they just imposed small "no show" fees for the more difficult to book places? Dinner shows do it. My sky diving reservations did it.

It would be interesting to run the numbers of limiting the # of ADR seats and leaving some open, "walk up" seats. Would this then make the ADR problem worse with less seats available or would they start bluring the line between which side is which to accomdate overwhelming numbers on either side anyway?

What if the parks put confirmation numbers on guest passes? You need those numbers to make an ADR? No, that's like phone numbers, if you have two guests that's two numbers to make two reservations at the same time...

What if we hooked up lie detector tests to phone lines for when people call in? Or may be we can bail Ms. Cleo out and have her "predict" who's made multiple same night ADRs...
I don't know, tough call, guys.

JPL
03-26-2007, 09:15 PM
What if the parks put confirmation numbers on guest passes? You need those numbers to make an ADR? No, that's like phone numbers, if you have two guests that's two numbers to make two reservations at the same time...



Actually a reservation number for people on the Dining Plan wouldn't be a bad idea. Even if you have 2 different names and phone numbers staying in the same room you still would only have one Reservation:thumbsup:

disneymom2000
03-26-2007, 09:28 PM
Those really hard to get ressies at Cinderella's Castle are a bit easier to get since you have to cough up the payment up front. If they did this for the other hard to get restaurants it might cut down on people making more than one reservation. You can always reverse the cost if you have the dining plan once you get there. Or if you book two in hopes of making it to one of them, your dining plan would be cut for a table service each time you skipped your reservation. Of course, if any of this happens you know Disney will take the hit for being the corporate bully and only wanting to make more money and of course it will be the selfish people trying to make them look bad.

dtootsie42
03-26-2007, 10:18 PM
I personally feel that some type of penalty should be imposed. I think with the dining plan alot of people want to eat at places they have never eaten at before and having people book multiple ADRs just because they are not sure of their plans is kind of silly. If your plans change cancel your ADR and then try to get another....you may have to do some extra planning but whats the big deal?

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SurferStitch
03-26-2007, 10:28 PM
It's not so much the restaurants it's other guests that are getting blocked out by no shows. I walk up they say sorry we are booked for the night. A party of 5 doesn't show and noone else gets that table. They are giving all available seats to ADRs now so it is more than just priority seating.


Trust me....someone else is getting that table. It's not sitting empty for an hour until the next party shows up. The next equal (or not so equal sized) party to show up gets the table that the no-show party gave up. And, they would rather a party of two takes that table rather than let it sit empty with no revenue being collected. I know...DH and I have gotten big tables at places like Le Cellier and 'Ohana before.

Besides, the restaurants don't really care if someone can't walk up and get a table, or wasn't able to make an ADR. Most restaurants are at capacity or very near capacity all the time, even with some no shows. Sounds harsh, but it's true. They are making money hand over fist, and that's what matters.

bradk
03-28-2007, 12:39 AM
okay, for some reason this hasn't been mentioned. DISNEY ALREADY DOES THIS. when they feel it's warranted.

take CRT for example. now you need to pay in full at time of booking, like any other dinner show (yes, I quantify CRT as a dinner show on the dining plan). but back in the day, what would happen was that people would make bookings for CRT for every day they could 90 days out. so if they didn't go to MK one day, they'd have another reservation to fall back on another day.

So Disney implements a deposit system. It now (then) costs you to book ADRs at CRT. I think it was like $10 per person? The idea, let people continue to do what they were doing, but let them be accountable for not showing. Either they have to cancel in time, or they lose their deposit.

Akershus does the same thing (I don't think they require a deposit up front, but they require a credit card which will be charged if it's a no-show). I believe California Grill does the same thing.

So Disney is well aware of what's going on and adjusts accordingly. You may feel it infringes upon your choices, but when it comes down to to it, everyone has the same chance when the clock strikes 7 am 180 days out.

and they don't expect people to cancel if they decide they don't want to show up at an ADR if there's no financial risk. and even if you do cancel, depending on the restaurant and scenario, that table may not go back into inventory.

as for people making bookings that overlap, i've heard of CMs forcing people to make choices, not the system forcing it. and they do keep track based on phone number. they also use caller ID, so if your number comes up on their system, they will automatically see who you are and what ADRs you have.

May524
03-28-2007, 12:44 AM
I feel some sort of penalty should be in play due to missed ADR's. However, I think booking 2 ADR's for the same day is even worse, and there should be a system to check this out.
The thing about phone numbers though can be sketcy..b/c think about it. My sister still lives at home with my parents, so one night my sister and her bf may go out to eat at cali grill, where my parents may go to O'hanas...2 different ADR's..but same number...hmm

Katiebell
03-28-2007, 02:52 AM
Rather than charging deposits or penalizing for missed ADR's, I think they could make it more full-proof to prevent multiple bookings.

When I first started trip planning, I was shocked to read some people saying they made dinner ADR's for every single park, because they didn't know where they'd be that day :shake: Or one lady said she got around the phone number thing by using her sister's cell phone number to book multiple ADR's.

They should tie every single ADR to a dining reservation number. All info that can be used to look up or book an ADR -- name, home or cell #'s, room #'s and dates of stay, package reservation #'s -- all should be cross referenced and kept under that master dining reservation #. If a new ADR is made that overlaps or conflicts with an existing ADR, the guest should be advised that the new ADR will cancel the previous one -- period. The only exception would be if the party is splitting up, and it could be noted (ie: party of 10, 6 are dining at Spoodles, and 4 are dining at O'hana).

Wait, that seems too simplistic. If it would work, Disney would have done it already. :huh: So...what am I missing?

bicker
03-28-2007, 04:56 AM
I am sure this has happened to others besides us. I do not think it would be fair to charge people in this type of situation.While I doubt that Disney will assess penalties for missing reservations, I don't think that it would "unfair" for them to do so, even in this circumstance. When you are aware that you're subject to a penalty if you aren't somewhere at a specific time, then it is your responsibility to get there, or accept the penalty.

Seasonscraps
03-28-2007, 07:18 AM
I think it would be a hard undertaking to control how many ADRs people make - not everyone that dines in disney restaurants are disney resort guests or on the dining plan that would have a unique reference code. And the average family of 4 could probably have 5-7 valid phone numbers to use for making ADRs.

Since we are making ADRs and not traditional reservations, the penalty-free cancellation window should be short which really wouldn't benefit people trying to make ADRs for future trips.

FWIW, I would agree to paying a penalty for missed ADRs if I could get penalize restaurants for waiting so long for tables with an ADR - we check in early and frequently wait 30+ minutes after our adr time for a table (a couple of times it was an hour).

Spaceship Tigger
03-28-2007, 07:49 AM
I think making people pay for missed ADRs would be a really bad idea. Having to plan an entire trip around ADRs in this day and age is bad enough, but then accidentally missing/being late for one and then being charged for it would be really upsetting. There's a lot of things that happen at WDW that a guest can't control - ride breakdowns, family emergency, etc that can cause a missed ADR. Now if someone misses a number of ADRs within a certain timeframe, then maybe WDW should have some system to cancel their remaining ADRs.

On a side note, I was on the phone with WDW Dining last night changing an ADR. The cast member added an ADR over the exact same time I already had one, then cancelled the old one. So the system definitely allows multiple ADRs at one time.

Snowwite
03-28-2007, 06:20 PM
I could be mistaken since I've never tried to do it myself, but I thought it was posted here on Intercot quite some time ago that Disney Dining was not allowing guests to book two conflicting ADRs within the same timeframe?

I called 1 407-WDW-DINE and the nice Cm confirmed the system will not allow them to enter duplicate reservations. It will kick it out but if someone books a 5pm one place and a 7pm elsewhere it would not necessarily catch that but the CM's try to. She reminded me these are not reservations.:thumbsup:

Marker
03-28-2007, 08:17 PM
I would imagine, that they've learned to overbook to a level that will mostly take care of no-shows.

We had a time a few years ago, that we cut time a little too close. We had ADRs for Tony's, and after going back to the room to "clean up", we found ourselves at the bus stop waiting as our time approached. I simply grabbed my cell phone, dialed 1 407-WDW-DINE to let them know, they gave me a time an hour later. No problem, no worries.

We all understand circumstances. But I don't think I'll ever understand (or excuse) the attitude that allows people to do it on purpose, because they "might" want to eat, but could care less about it if they don't. I hope I never have an attitude that allows me to be that self centered and uncaring. But that's just me.

allie_to_you
03-29-2007, 08:24 AM
I think the whole issue just boils down to courtesy and respect for others. If you make several reservations for the same time period (which is plausible if you are a big group) then you should either keep those or cancel them.

I do believe that there are times when you just can't cancel a reservation. I have heard so many stories of parents and children, on thier way to an ADR when the child got sick or the bus got delayed, whatever. It's just not always possible, but if you can cancel, then you should do it.

But whether people cancel or not, it just doesn't seem to matter too much to some people. Somebody is going to find somethign to complain about all the time whether the dining plan and ADR's works flawlessly or not.

bicker
03-29-2007, 09:19 AM
On a side note, I was on the phone with WDW Dining last night changing an ADR. The cast member added an ADR over the exact same time I already had one, then cancelled the old one. So the system definitely allows multiple ADRs at one time.Definitely. When the dual-booking cancellations started happening, it was very clear that it is an after-the-fact effect, i.e., they were running an overnight process to match phone number or hotel reservation numbers, and then canceling those that show dual-bookings. No idea if they're doing it differently now.

bicker
03-29-2007, 09:25 AM
I think the whole issue just boils down to courtesy and respect for others. Absolutely, and that's really the crux of a lot of issues: Disney does a lot of things the way they do them in response to the fact that some (or in some cases, many) guests don't behave with courtesy and respect, for other guests and/or for WDW itself. It's a real shame when that happens, and it would be far better if everyone did behave with courtesy and respect for others, so we wouldn't have to deal with a lot of the nuisances and annoyances we have to deal with.

Tinkerfreak
03-29-2007, 10:17 AM
I do believe that there are times when you just can't cancel a reservation. I have heard so many stories of parents and children, on thier way to an ADR when the child got sick or the bus got delayed, whatever. It's just not always possible, but if you can cancel, then you should do it.



We have missed an adr before because it took us an hour and a half to get from one resort to another. We had given ourselves over an hour to get there so I think we planned ahead but we could not control the bus system. We do call and cancel if we know we just don't want to go or there is a change of plans but sometimes things happen that are out of your control. The year before last my DH, DMIL and DD all ended up with the stomach flu just hours before our ressies for The Spirit of Aloha Show, we had no way of knowing they were going to get sick. I did call as soon as they got sick to let them know that they could not go and they did not charge me for their seats. As stated above if everyone was courteous enough to call ahead and cancel when they could then it would not happen as often and would not be such an issue.

rsumrall
03-29-2007, 12:47 PM
I know that this wouldn't alleviate the situation, but why couldn't Disney try this:

Issue a reservation ID # to people on the Disney Dining Plan. For example, My family of four would have four numbers. When you call to make ADRs, they always ask if you are on the DDP. If you are, they ask for your Reservation ID #. The system could be set to flag any duplicate Res. ID #s during one meal period. Still, if my wife and daughter wanted to go to Askerhaus while my son and I wanted to go to Chef Mickey's, we could do that because we would have separate Reservation ID #s.

I know this doesn't address those not on the DDP, but I have a hunch that most of the abuses to the system come from those who are on the DDP b/c of the affordability of TS Dining. Maybe this would help.

bicker
03-30-2007, 07:24 AM
This problem has existed before there was a Dining Plan to some extent, and I think it is presumptuous to think that Dining Plan participants are the ones who are transgressing, just because of some perception that it is a lower-priced way of dining. Besides, the financial advantage with the Dining Plan is mostly illusory. We saved about $120, for four adults, over five nights, over what we would have spent out-of-pocket (based on what we would have ordered if we were paying out-of-pocket), so we each saved just $6 a day on dining.

Regardless, any solution must affect all patron's equally. One of the big selling points of the Dining Plan is that you get treated just like any other guest. If they take that away, they might as well stop offering the Dining Plan: No one wants to be a second-class citizen while only saving $6 per day.

vamaggie
03-30-2007, 08:09 AM
Is it possible to book 2 separate ADRs for the same meal if your party is separated? I was thinking of booking a princess meal for me and DD and another character meal for DH & DS (both for breakfast and hopefully around the same time) Is this possible with the system? Not trying to "beat the system" just trying to keep both kids happy and not force DS to sit through princesses (he's in that pre-tween phase that all girls are gross!:blush: )

merlinmagic4
03-30-2007, 09:02 AM
Is it possible to book 2 separate ADRs for the same meal if your party is separated? I was thinking of booking a princess meal for me and DD and another character meal for DH & DS (both for breakfast and hopefully around the same time) Is this possible with the system? Not trying to "beat the system" just trying to keep both kids happy and not force DS to sit through princesses (he's in that pre-tween phase that all girls are gross!:blush: )

I would think you could explain that you are a party of four and you are making 2 different ADRs for two. I think you'll be fine!

DisneyGiant
03-30-2007, 09:56 AM
I called 1 407-WDW-DINE and the nice Cm confirmed the system will not allow them to enter duplicate reservations. It will kick it out but if someone books a 5pm one place and a 7pm elsewhere it would not necessarily catch that but the CM's try to. She reminded me these are not reservations.:thumbsup:

Well, recently - I wanted to change my ADRs - but before I cancel the existing one - I make the new one, in case the new one doesn't exist - I still have the original one - if that makes any sense? ;)

I have been able to do this twice without the system saying that I couldn't. I think the new times were like 5 minutes off of the original ones.

We have only stood up an ADR once - dear nephew was having a melt down after a long day at the park - and rather than disturb the other diners - we chose to take him back to the resort to eat. If its within my power - I try to call to alert them if we won't be there.

I think Disney does a good job of keeping track of all their guests' requests!

animalkingdomguy
03-30-2007, 11:09 AM
Yes. Yes. Yes. The practice of booking multiple ADRs for the same day at the same times is reprehensible. Disney should first stop this practice and second punish those would block up tables with no intention of using an ADR.

:mad:

Granny Jill A
03-30-2007, 02:14 PM
Yes, I think people should be charged for not showing up at the restaurant.

And, doctors should do the same thing when folks don't show up on time for their appointments. ;)

bicker
03-30-2007, 02:40 PM
I would think you could explain that you are a party of four and you are making 2 different ADRs for two. I think you'll be fine!That seems rational, but I wouldn't make the assumption, quite frankly. Disney may or may not check to see that there are four people on the hotel reservation and that the restaurant reservations are two-and-two; there's no way to know for sure because Disney has never really revealed under what circumstances they will cancel dual dining reservations in the first place. :doh:

merlinmagic4
03-30-2007, 03:44 PM
That seems rational, but I wouldn't make the assumption, quite frankly. Disney may or may not check to see that there are four people on the hotel reservation and that the restaurant reservations are two-and-two; there's no way to know for sure because Disney has never really revealed under what circumstances they will cancel dual dining reservations in the first place. :doh:

I guess I was thinking that she would be on the phone with a CM and make them both at the same time. I would just explain the situation to the CM I was on the phone with. I would hope that would work but, you're right, you shouldn't make assumptions :blush:

hope23
03-30-2007, 03:51 PM
When I called to book some ADR's recently, the CM told me that the restaurants sometimes go through the reservation lists and remove a party's reservation if it is double booked with another restaurant. I was trying to decide between two places and she said to decide quickly so my desired reservation wasn't potentially deleted.

Sharon1026
03-30-2007, 08:23 PM
Trust me....someone else is getting that table. It's not sitting empty for an hour until the next party shows up. The next equal (or not so equal sized) party to show up gets the table that the no-show party gave up. And, they would rather a party of two takes that table rather than let it sit empty with no revenue being collected. I know...DH and I have gotten big tables at places like Le Cellier and 'Ohana before.

Besides, the restaurants don't really care if someone can't walk up and get a table, or wasn't able to make an ADR. Most restaurants are at capacity or very near capacity all the time, even with some no shows. Sounds harsh, but it's true. They are making money hand over fist, and that's what matters.

No offense, but I think you are missing the point. If someone makes an ADR, then they are taking up a dinner reservation spot. If I call and request that same time and can't get it because someone else (who doesn't really intend on using it) blows it off, well, they've messed up MY plans. I wanted to eat there, they took a spot they don't care that much about, I have to make different dinner reservations when in reality I could have eaten at my restaurant of choice if the duel ADR maker wasn't so selfish. This conversation isn't about Disney getting diners, it's about diners getting restaurants of choice.

JikoMarie
03-30-2007, 10:32 PM
Ok. First of all, we are talking about two different things on this thread.

1. People making multiple ADRs for one meal

2. People not showing up for an ADR

As far as people making multiple ADRs for one meal, Disney is obviously dealing with so, as another poster pointed out, that discussion is moot.

As far as people not showing up for ADRs, that's an entirely different kettle of fish. I think first it has to be clear that Disney's ADRs aren't really reservations but are most definitely still priority seatings - and they will tell you that. BIG DIFFERENCE! When you make an ADR, they are not reserving a table for you. They are just saying that when you show up that you will be placed above walk-ups. Whether or not the person is charged a penalty does not change the fact that they did not show up. So this penalty strategy does not free up a reservation for you. So, no shows really don't affect the system at all. When it is worth their while to charge a penalty, they do. Therefore, I don't think they should impose penalties because there's lots of valid reasons for not showing up AND the no shows are not affecting the system for other guests AND Disney is still filling the restaurant seats and making $.

SurferStitch
03-30-2007, 10:43 PM
No offense, but I think you are missing the point. If someone makes an ADR, then they are taking up a dinner reservation spot. If I call and request that same time and can't get it because someone else (who doesn't really intend on using it) blows it off, well, they've messed up MY plans. I wanted to eat there, they took a spot they don't care that much about, I have to make different dinner reservations when in reality I could have eaten at my restaurant of choice if the duel ADR maker wasn't so selfish. This conversation isn't about Disney getting diners, it's about diners getting restaurants of choice.

I totally get the point. I realize it messes up YOUR plans. No offense, but it seems you missed my point. Disney isn't going to change the way they do ADR's because it works for them. They don't care if you don't get your desired place/time. They don't care if a small percentage of ADR's are no shows. The restaurants are full, and they are making money. I was simply pointing out a flaw in someone's rationale. Obviously, if Disney thought they could make a lot of money by charging for no shows, then they would do it already. Apparently it isn't an issue with them. It's more like people just want to know that someone else got their proverbial hand slapped for not showing up.

And, nobody is taking up a dinner reservation. ADR's are not reservations, and the CM's over the phone make that clear when you schedule your ADR's. It's a priority seating system.

You're dealing with tens of thousands of other guests who all want to dine at WDW the same time you're there.....you're bound to be disappointed once in a while when you can't get a meal you want at the time you want, but with careful planning (like I do), you can get everything you want at the times you want. Honestly, I'm yet to NOT get a meal I wanted to book.

Until they are actual real reservations where they are holding a specific table until a party arrives, then WDW should not charge for no shows. I think many people have gotten way too uptight over a system that seems to work very well for most people.

JikoMarie - you nailed it right on the head!! You said exactly what I was thinking, but did a better job at putting it in writing.

JPL
03-30-2007, 11:23 PM
And, nobody is taking up a dinner reservation. ADR's are not reservations, and the CM's over the phone make that clear when you schedule your ADR's. It's a priority seating system.



Actually here is where you are wrong they are taking up an ADR spot in the restaurant. The reason they say it is priority seating is because people would complain if the got there at their time and the table was not ready so they changed the wording and called it priority seating. So what they have done is said it's not a reservation when in all actuality it is. This is actually how most restaurants work in a sense since it is impossible to predict how long it will take people to finish their meals and leave the restaurant. I have had reservations at many restaurants outside of WDW and still had to wait for a table.
What brought up my idea of charging for no shows is a precident already set by Disney.
They call it an ADR for the Princess Breakfast in Norway and treat it the same way as other ADRs yet if you are a no show they charge you. The call it an ADR for CRT but you have to pay in advance.

Now the reason I asked the question in the first place because the travel agent in question was from a major national chain and if this becomes the norm and let's say there are 30,000 available ADR for dinner and you have 5,000 people who use this travel company and the 5,000 people each make a minimum of 2 ADRs a night they are using up a 1/3 of the available ADRs. The idea here isn't to get satisfaction knowing people are being are punished it is to discourage people from making multiple ADRs and then not showing up for them.

bicker
03-31-2007, 07:30 AM
This conversation isn't about Disney getting diners, it's about diners getting restaurants of choice.I think this conversation is about whatever posters make it about. We aren't necessarily all addressing the same issues. :thumbsup:

bicker
03-31-2007, 07:35 AM
So, no shows really don't affect the system at all. Sorry, but I see that as a bit of circular logic, your own assertions are used to prove each other. No-shows are either forecast (in which case the effect of no-shows is a higher variability of wait time, because if there are fewer no-shows then wait times increase), or no-show are used to service walk-ups (in which case no-shows are creating the scenario where the latest of patrons, the walk-ups, are being given priority over folks who asked for accommodation earlier, by calling for an advance reservation). Either way, there is a rational basis for guests to be dissatisfied, and therefore a rational basis, once the dissatisfaction gets high enough that it begins to affect Disney's bottom-line, they should take some sort of action, such as penalties.

SurferStitch
03-31-2007, 10:05 AM
Either way, there is a rational basis for guests to be dissatisfied, and therefore a rational basis, once the dissatisfaction gets high enough that it begins to affect Disney's bottom-line, they should take some sort of action, such as penalties.

I would wager that the majority of guests are not dissatisfied with the current ADR system, or else the ADR's would not be as filled up as they are. I think the majority of the dissatisfaction is from people on Intercot because we seem to analyze everything to death here (and also those who are unaware of how the dining system works and don't plan a thing and think they can just walk up anywhere and get a table).

Also, the few no shows are not affecting the bottom line since the restaurants are so full most of the time anyway. Therefore, Disney is not imposing penalties. I will say again, that Disney does NOT care if a small percentage of guests are unhappy that they weren't able to get a meal they wanted. It's not like you can't get ANY meals if you plan ahead of time. You may have to move one to another day/time, or miss it completely, but for the most part you can get what you want. I'm yet to not get a meal I wanted, on the time/day I wanted.

5fromabove
03-31-2007, 10:38 AM
I think that is very rude to hog two spots like that...no wonder people are having trouble getting ADR's. I think if you are courteous enough to cancel, there shouldn't be a penalty...but otherwise, yeah...maybe it would keep people from being inconsiderate.

That Travel Agent shouldn't be allowed to book Disney if she's teaching people to cheat. Just my 2 c

Tinkermom
03-31-2007, 11:46 AM
I would wager that the majority of guests are not dissatisfied with the current ADR system, or else the ADR's would not be as filled up as they are. I think the majority of the dissatisfaction is from people on Intercot because we seem to analyze everything to death here (and also those who are unaware of how the dining system works and don't plan a thing and think they can just walk up anywhere and get a table).

Also, the few no shows are not affecting the bottom line since the restaurants are so full most of the time anyway. Therefore, Disney is not imposing penalties. I will say again, that Disney does NOT care if a small percentage of guests are unhappy that they weren't able to get a meal they wanted. It's not like you can't get ANY meals if you plan ahead of time. You may have to move one to another day/time, or miss it completely, but for the most part you can get what you want. I'm yet to not get a meal I wanted, on the time/day I wanted.

Well said!!:thumbsup:

allie_to_you
03-31-2007, 05:31 PM
I think that is very rude to hog two spots like that...no wonder people are having trouble getting ADR's.

What I think is rude is for people to assume that just because you have 2 adr's at the same time, you are hogging up the reservations from other people. You don't know other people's situations. They could easily have a big group in their party that wants to eat as a couple different places at the same time. This isn't being rude, it's just called having differerent tastes in food.

But, then again, it's like i said before, even if the adr system worked perfectly, people are going to find something to gripe and complain about, even at some place as great as Disney. Can't we all just get along and find something to be grateful for rather than always finding something to complain about?

marlyn
03-31-2007, 05:54 PM
IThe agent suggested they make atleast 2 Dinner ADRs per day so they have flexibility in their planning.

Perhaps this is why I am unable to get an ADR for Liberty Tree for my entire 2 week stay. :rolleyes:

I think it is unfair for people to make 2 ADRs like that. I have cancelled ADR's in past or changed to another venue while at WDW...but I always call disney dining to let them know...and I call by at least the day before if I want to change while there. That way someone else can benefit by my not being able to go. That is the decent thing to do.

I am hoping to get to Liberty Tree when there. I will check every morning to see if someone cancelled.