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Disney Charges for Reservations Not Kept

by on April 28, 2007

When making reservations with a few key Disney restaurants, you better be certain to pay attention to the fine details. Apparently, the company has implemented a rule stating that it will charge $20 per person included in a reservation – even if you don’t show up to eat. So, if you plan a reservation for your family of four and something happens to prevent you from keeping that reservation, you may find yourself paying an $80 tab for a meal you never had

Before you start getting upset by this Disney rule, the reasoning behind it is actually quite sound. Apparently, one of the restaurants that implements this rule is the California Grill. The California Grill quickly became a popular destination as it provides a great view of the fireworks that take place at the Magic Kingdom each night. In addition, the restaurant plays the same music inside as is played at the show. That way, you still get the same great experience, but from the comforts of the restaurant.

It seems that a number of Disney visitors figured this out and started traipsing through the restaurant even when they did not have reservations. For the enjoyment of diners, Disney then implemented a rule that you had to have a reservation in order to be in the restaurant. Those interested in seeing the fireworks show from the restaurant’s vantage point then begin making reservations with no intentions of dining. In fact, the restaurant was receiving 150 reservations per night that were not kept.

In my opinion, this is quite rude of those making these reservations. After all, when you make a reservation, the restaurant expects you to be there and has paid for the necessary staffing to take care of these reservations. Reservations that are not kept equates to a loss in money. In addition, this is not fair to those that actually wish to eat at the restaurant but cannot get a reservation.

As a result, Disney implemented the $20 per person rule. As a result, the number of reservations that are not kept each night has dwindled to just a couple. Whether or not Disney really follows through with the charges is not known for sure. After all, when making reservations, you never actually sign a receipt giving permission for making charges. You do, however, have to provide your credit card information in order to make your reservations in the first place. Therefore, Disney does have the information it needs to make the charge. Either way, if you make a reservation with Disney, be sure to keep it!

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