$10 No Show Reservation Fee

[kathyclownfish]

Has anyone NOT been charged this fee for not cancelling a dinner reservation within the 24 hour required time frame? I understand Disney doing this, however, sometimes at lunch time you may want to change your evening plans based on everyone's energy level. I think 24 hours is too much.

 

[Alesia]

Well, of course you can change your plans, but you'll have to pay the fee. The situation you describe is exactly the situation that Disney is trying to discourage.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

I cancelleda a 7p for H&V around 4p. My kids were cranky all day and had just fallen asleep. I knew we wouldn't make it back in time for the reservation so I called dining and explained that my child was sleeping and not feeling well and we couldn't make the reservation, she put me on hold for maybe 2 minutes then came back and said her supervisor allowed her to waive the cancellation fee.

Now, we had 11 ADRs that trip and only cancelled 1. I think more than once a trip would be pushing your luck.

We decided to cut back on ADRs this upcoming trip so were not so stuck in a schedule.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The only way to get out of it on a same day cancellation is to call and ask for a fee waiver. That's it. They don't have to give it to you, but they might be able to. Not sure if "we are too tired" or "we don't want to eat there after all" would be accepted as a reason to waive the fee. I guess it depends on who you talk to.

 

[jimandami]

The only way to get out of it on a same day cancellation is to call and ask for a fee waiver. That's it. They don't have to give it to you, but they might be able to. Not sure if "we are too tired" or "we don't want to eat there after all" would be accepted as a reason to waive the fee. I guess it depends on who you talk to.

Technically, you can usually also call and ask to change your reservation to a different day. You can then cancel the new reservation. I would only do this in an emergency but I know that some use it to get around the policy.

 

[ACJT]

Is the no show fee per reservation, or per person on the reservation ?

 

[jimandami]

Is the no show fee per reservation, or per person on the reservation ?

Per person

 

[ACJT]

Per person

And is it charged if a large group has some no shows? I.e. 3 of 8 show for dinner the rest decide to go elsewhere

 

[jerseygal]

Has anyone NOT been charged this fee for not cancelling a dinner reservation within the 24 hour required time frame? I understand Disney doing this, however, sometimes at lunch time you may want to change your evening plans based on everyone's energy level. I think 24 hours is too much.

If guests decided on "energy level" to NO SHOW, then the dining system would be more difficult than it already is to get IN DEMAND reservations!
IMO, fair! 24 hours regular cancellation, 48 hours, special shows/dinner packages!

Some guests can't make a decision that much in advance to keep an ADR and for those guests there is always the option of "walk up" reservations!

 

[jimandami]

And is it charged if a large group has some no shows? I.e. 3 of 8 show for dinner the rest decide to go elsewhere

No. As long as at least 1 person shows up for the ADR, there is no charge.

 

[cypresdog]

No. As long as at least 1 person shows up for the ADR, there is no charge.

Thank you for this information! I have a few related questions about this "partial no-show" situation.

1) If on the dining plan, will meals be deducted for the "no-shows?"

2) Do any of you know any TS restaurants that allow guests to take-out food for the few who couldn't make it to the dinner?

 

[CampbellzSoup]

24 hours is TOO fair.

Your reservation is taking away from someone else who wanted to eat there, but now can't. The very least is a day notice so that person scrambling on the APP may select it.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

In our last trip I had to cancel a lot of our adrs last minute. Half way through our trip my son got really sick with a stomach bug and he was running a fever of 102. I think I had to cancel about 3 or 4 adrs last minute bc I wasn't sure how he was going to be feeling. They waived the fee every time. But I think that's extenuating circumstances.

 

[Sam33]

My mom had a stomach bug last trip so we called to cancel explaining she was sick and that we understood we would be charged but we wanted to cancel and they waived it for us. But we weren't asking for it to be waived, just canceling it.

 

[hsmamato2]

what is the policy regarding reservation changes? Or is the fee charged for calling and trying to change it also? And if one can change,I am assuming it's only for the same restaurant,right? where do I find that info?

 

[AlexisMaxMommy]

24 hours is TOO fair.

Your reservation is taking away from someone else who wanted to eat there, but now can't. The very least is a day notice so that person scrambling on the APP may select it.

I agree. There are some places that I would have liked to have eaten but no reservations were available. If people were allowed to just book without any consequences, you would never be able to get in.

 

[kaytieeldr]

what is the policy regarding reservation changes? Or is the fee charged for calling and trying to change it also? And if one can change,I am assuming it's only for the same restaurant,right? where do I find that info?

Just cancel or change any reservation at least the day before, and the policy won't be an issue.

 

[DVCinderella]

24 hours is TOO fair.

Your reservation is taking away from someone else who wanted to eat there, but now can't. The very least is a day notice so that person scrambling on the APP may select it.

I agree. There are some places that I would have liked to have eaten but no reservations were available. If people were allowed to just book without any consequences, you would never be able to get in.

That is absolutely not true. They used to call it "Priority Seating", which it is and always has been despite the addition of the penalty fee. Disney is not leaving empty tables with a "Reserved" table card on it for you. As people with Priority Seating ressies would check in at the podium, they took priority over walk-ups. But often even with a Priority Seating ressie you had a wait because you had to wait for the next available table to open up. Again, Disney was not holding a table waiting for you to show up.

The process has not changed at all. There are still no "Reserved" table cards. Disney is not losing any money if you don't show. They are still filling the tables as people show up (both those with ressies and walk-ups). Disney has only found a way to make more money by charging no show fees. It is truly a rip off, and quite frankly adds unnecessary stress during a time when you are supposed to be enjoying your vacation.

 

[maxiesmom]

It is truly a rip off, and quite frankly adds unnecessary stress during a time when you are supposed to be enjoying your vacation.

I don't agree at all. It only adds stress if you are ones who makes ADRs and then don't show up for them. For me the system has taken away the stress. You don't have to know exactly what ADRs you want at 180 days out--most ADRs are much easier to get now that people know they will have to pay a fee for not showing up. The amount of ADRs booked "just in case" appears to have dramatically dropped.

I'm glad they have started charging a fee!

 

[DVCinderella]

I don't agree at all. It only adds stress if you are ones who makes ADRs and then don't show up for them. For me the system has taken away the stress. You don't have to know exactly what ADRs you want at 180 days out--most ADRs are much easier to get now that people know they will have to pay a fee for not showing up. The amount of ADRs booked "just in case" appears to have dramatically dropped.

I'm glad they have started charging a fee!

I would say over the course of 20yrs of vacationing at WDW annually, on average, we made about 3/4 of our PS reservations per trip. I never doubled-up on ressies in the same day to cheat the system, and if I knew we weren't going either the night before or earlier on the day-of, I did call Disney Dining if time permitted (sometimes there was a long hold time).

I do like a planned vacation. But every vacation needs a little room for flexibility, whether that flexibility be a change of mind, or an illness, or something else that changes your plans. And those changes don't always happen 24hrs in advance.

Ever feel like staying at the MK instead of leaving to go make a dinner ressie at Epcot? Ever have a member of your party not feel well? Ever treat the family to a Mickey bar maybe a little too late in the afternoon and realize dropping $200 on a sit-down dinner at 6p is probably going to be a waste of money? Ever see the kids enjoying the afternoon poolside games and not want to spoil their fun by pulling them out? Ever want to have a little spontaneity in your vacation?

Perhaps you travel at less busy times of the year, or are dining at less competitive restaurants, but I have not found that the ADRs are easier to get now that a cancellation fee has been implemented. I have school-aged children, so we have to visit when the crowd levels are high. I have to book ADRs, and usually well in advance. The past 2 trips, with the new system in place, I can honestly say has reduced our flexibility, added stress, and in some ways detracted from the overall relaxation and enjoyment of the vacation.