Make Sure You’re Aware of This Important Disney Dining Policy Update!
Wait! Before you go ahead and secure those all-important dining reservations for your next Walt Disney World trip, make sure you stop and read this important update Disney have released to the reservation policy.
Nobody wants to be hit with fees they didn’t ask for, so keep reading to make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest changes!
What’s Changed?
As highlighted by reporter Scott Gustin on Twitter, the existing Walt Disney World dining reservation system has had an important change you’re going to want to know about.
According to the new rules, any guest with an existing Advance Dining Reservation is now not permitted to make modifications to their booking within two hours of the allotted reservation time.
Walt Disney World made a change to its dining reservation policy to no longer allow modifications online inside 2 hours.
The new policy states: “Restaurants offering advance reservations do not allow modifications within 2 hours of the reservation time.” pic.twitter.com/oWtTEZ7gbd
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 6, 2023
Separate to cancellations, modifications would involve adding or removing guests to bookings, changing the time or date of the meal or, in some cases, the type of dining experience booked.
Now, any guest wanting to make these changes within two hours of their time slot will be unable to do so.
Cast Members in front of Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Cancellations
If a guest has a booking that cannot be modified and they are unable to attend as originally booked, their other alternative would be to cancel the experience, and try to re-book for a more suitable time.
The main issue here is that, as previously, Disney do charge a $10 fee per person for dining reservations cancelled within that two hour window. This is also the same for no-shows, as payment details are taken when guests secure bookings.
Also, there’s never a guarantee that you’ll be able to nab a reservation at your required time, with many restaurants around the resort booking up quickly.
So, if you’ve decided to accept the $10 fee to cancel your booking and find an alternative, we’d always recommend checking the My Disney Experience app for availability beforehand.
Exceptions
As before, there are a handful of restaurants that do not accept modifications to bookings at all once a reservation is confirmed, regardless of date.
The full list of these restaurants are listed on the Walt Disney World website here, and include:
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
- Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties
- Other select fireworks dining and dessert packages.
Similarly, many experiences also have different cancellation fees and windows associated with their reservations.
For instance, the cancellation fee at Victoria & Albert’s is $100 per person, unless cancelled at least five days prior to the reservation time.
Conclusion
To conclude, the main change is that guests are now not permitted to make modifications to existing bookings within two hours of the reservation’s time slot.
The full terms and conditions to dining reservation modifications and cancellations can be found on the Walt Disney World website here.
Photo: The App Store
Of course, plans change, and things can get in the way of your schedule. It happens! So, we’d always encourage you to read the terms of any bookings you make carefully, to make sure you’re never caught out.
You can read more of our MickeyBlog tips and tricks about making advance reservations here too – we’re always her to support you and make sure your vacation goes as smoothly as possible!
Featured Image Credit: Disney
