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One of the great things about visiting a Disney Resort is that the food is so much better than your average theme park food. While guests can always enjoy pizza, cheeseburgers, and chicken tenders, Disney Parks offer so much more than that. Guests can have particularly memorable meals if they experience sit-down restaurants, especially those that include character dining.
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Over at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, Guests can dine at Goofy’s Kitchen, located at the Disneyland Hotel. Goofy’s Kitchen is open for breakfast and dinner and features a menu full of delightful dishes like Mickey Mouse Pancakes, Goofy’s Famous Peanut Butter Pizza, Fried Shrimp, a carving station, and a fresh catch of the day.
Unfortunately for one guest, their experience with Goofy’s Kitchen was the opposite of what they expected.
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According to Redditor u/KoalaWorking, they had booked a reservation at Goofy’s Kitchen. However, they reportedly experienced a medical emergency and were unable to make it. Sometime after, they realized that Disney had charged them $135 for not showing up for their booking.
I had made a booking for my partner and I to do brunch at Goofy Kitchen (the special holiday one) however we had a medical emergency and were not able to visit. With everything happening so fast, I totally forgot to cancel the dining for Goofy Kitchen. Looking at my bank statement- it appears they have charged me the full price for 2 people! Over $135!!! Has anyone had any luck disputing this charge with Disney? I don’t want to have to fight my back for this.
Help! Charged no show fee for dining. Full cost of meal (Goofy Kitchen)
byu/KoalaWorking inDisneyland
While the Redditor may have been looking for answers, commenters said they didn’t think there was much that could be done. Disney has strict rules on cancelations, and typically, cast members must follow the rules set forth by the company. Commenters also pointed out that many people lie about why they missed a reservation, so Disney has to be strict:
They won’t because than everyone will just say that when they cancel.
We got COVID really bad and forgot to cancel a park reservation on our AP and there was no exception
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Related: A Guest-Favorite Character Dining Experience Returns to Disney World
Although, there were other people who thought that maybe Disney could work with the Redditor. They suggested calling guest services and providing them with proof of their medical emergency:
I’d call guest services and also send an email and include any proof you have that you were in the middle of a medical emergency and unable to cancel in time. It doesn’t hurt to try.
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Related: The Best Character Dining in Walt Disney World
Typically, Disney’s policy is that guests who are a no-show for their dining reservations will be charged $10 per person. However, there are different policies when reservations are booked for special holiday events. The Redditor specified that they had booked a special holiday event, which most likely had the caveat that those who did not show would be charged the full price of the event.
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If you find yourself unable to make a Disney dining reservation that you have booked, it is important to cancel as soon as possible. If you are unable to cancel, due to an emergency, we suggest reaching out to Disney as soon as possible. Many cast members will do what they can to help.
Do you think the Redditor should get her money back? Let us know in the comments.
This post is originally appeared on Disney Dining.
Rules need to be followed. Too many liars try to get out of paying. Sorry there was an issue. If humans were better, maybe there could be less restriction. One day perhaps.
I think that policies are in place for a reason and need to be followed. No one expects an emergency and she should be more grateful that things worked out and they are okay with the loss of the cost of dinner. Often, restaurants have a waiting list and by not canceling, they are taking up a spot that could have gone to someone else. Special events that are at a higher cost would loose that revenue, therefore build cancellation policies in for a reason. Be grateful you are both okay and live to visit Disney again some day.