BOG: Vindication for those of us against table-saving!

[catherines_mama]

Originally Posted by party-of-five

This is the big difference... they bring the food to you. At other CS restaurants, that is not the case. It is much easier, for us, to have DH (and maybe an older child to help) go get the food while I sit with the little guys. If food was brought to us, I would have no problem with the whole family waiting in line. The kids are in line with us for the rides. . The problem is trying to juggle food, drinks, toddlers, strollers, etc. and many times there is a crowd at the counter waiting for the food.

The only reason my family sits while myself and one kid order is always because there are 5 of us and us all waiting for food clogs the area and our food always takes longer than those behind us. I love that they bring the food to you- that keeps is all from having to wait. I can't wait to see how it works.

[Mkrop]

Originally Posted by mom to minnie&mickey

IMHO this is so wrong! If someone needs to feed their baby then use the Baby Centers. That is what they are there for. You can be sure that if I was carrying trays of food and could not find a place to sit while I saw you hogging a table feeding your baby so that you can later on eat your food warm (food that you did not yet have in front of you, while my own actual food was getting colder by the second) you would be hearing from me!

People need to be considerate of others but sadly so many are not.

My days of doing this are long over but I did do this when my guys were little. It is not selfish to sit at a table and feed a child who needs to eat whether it is food from the counter or from a jar! No one would chase the BFing mom away. And you would rather have a child screaming in the place needing to eat than allow a mom to get things started at the table

I am not going to separate my family eating just so you wont be inconvience for a moment. I am not going to have one child eating in the baby care center while the rest of my family will me eating mometarily in CS place.

Believe I have waited my turn for a table to open up, I have patience something that seems to be lacking in this all about me society. Instant gratification.

And if you had ever came up and said word one to me, I would be calling over the nearest CM to deal with you. There is no way my child and I would be moving when we are not doing anything wrong or against policy and in fact the child is actually eating!!!!

[tiffjoy]

Originally Posted by Mkrop

My days of doing this are long over but I did do this when my guys were little. It is not selfish to sit at a table and feed a child who needs to eat whether it is food from the counter or from a jar! No one would chase the BFing mom away. And you would rather have a child screaming in the place needing to eat than allow a mom to get things started at the table

I am not going to separate my family eating just so you wont be inconvience for a moment. I am not going to have one child eating in the baby care center while the rest of my family will me eating mometarily in CS place.

Exactly. Why should a family separate to eat to suit the momentary needs of another? I would say the person advocating a family must split up at meal time if feeding a baby is the selfish one.

I've waited for tables many a time. Frankly, I just don't understand the fuss about it. At Disney, I wait to have my bags checked, get into the park, go on a ride, get into a show, buy food. And yes, sometimes you also have to wait for a table

The number of posts on this subject always amuses me. It's such a little thing to worry and argue so much about.

[aaarcher86]

Originally Posted by mom to minnie&mickey

IMHO this is so wrong! If someone needs to feed their baby then use the Baby Centers. That is what they are there for. You can be sure that if I was carrying trays of food and could not find a place to sit while I saw you hogging a table feeding your baby so that you can later on eat your food warm (food that you did not yet have in front of you, while my own actual food was getting colder by the second) you would be hearing from me!

People need to be considerate of others but sadly so many are not.

I am no advocate of sitting and holding a table and waiting while someone comes with food. However, if someone was sitting/holding a table there is no excuse for ANYONE other than a CM to say something to them about it.

And if you or anyone else gave a mother feeding her child grief within ear shot of me, then you would most definitely be "hearing it from me." Starting a scene in front of a child with their parent is ridiculous.

It's not your place to say or try and enforce anything with anyone whether you agree with what they are doing or not. If you have a problem with anything, grab a CM and allow them to handle it as they see fit.

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Originally Posted by aaarcher86

I am no advocate of sitting and holding a table and waiting while someone comes with food. However, if someone was sitting/holding a table there is no excuse for ANYONE other than a CM to say something to them about it.

And if you or anyone else gave a mother feeding her child grief within ear shot of me, then you would most definitely be "hearing it from me." Starting a scene in front of a child with their parent is ridiculous.

It's not your place to say or try and enforce anything with anyone whether you agree with what they are doing or not. If you have a problem with anything, grab a CM and allow them to handle it as they see fit.

Point well taken. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I absolutely have nothing against kids, love them to bits. It was not too long ago when mine were little. I was responding to the poster who said she took a table and waited for her food so that she could eat while her food was hot while other people's food was getting cold while they searched for a place to sit. See the irony? That is what got me upset. I do not advocate separating families or denying anyone the chance to feed their child. It is amazing how much people read into other people's posts.

I know that so far Disney allows table saving but my stance is that I wish they did not.

[freshmanjs]

Originally Posted by mom to minnie&mickey

I was responding to the poster who said she took a table and waited for her food so that she could eat while her food was hot while other people's food was getting cold while they searched for a place to sit. See the irony?

No, I don't see the irony. that person did something smart to make sure their family had a place to sit. good for them.

as for BOG, you could look at the flow differently. it actually allows everyone to do table saving (i.e., selecting a table and sitting down before you have your food).

[aaarcher86]

Originally Posted by mom to minnie&mickey

Point well taken. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I absolutely have nothing against kids, love them to bits. It was not too long ago when mine were little. I was responding to the poster who said she took a table and waited for her food so that she could eat while her food was hot while other people's food was getting cold while they searched for a place to sit. See the irony? That is what got me upset. I do not advocate separating families or denying anyone the chance to feed their child. It is amazing how much people read into other people's posts.

I know that so far Disney allows table saving but my stance is that I wish they did not.

Understandable.

[Mkrop]

Originally Posted by mom to minnie&mickey

Point well taken. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I absolutely have nothing against kids, love them to bits. It was not too long ago when mine were little. I was responding to the poster who said she took a table and waited for her food so that she could eat while her food was hot while other people's food was getting cold while they searched for a place to sit. See the irony? That is what got me upset. I do not advocate separating families or denying anyone the chance to feed their child. It is amazing how much people read into other people's posts.

I know that so far Disney allows table saving but my stance is that I wish they did not.

Frankly I dont see the irony. You totally told me I should have separated my family by telling me you would give me an earful and that me and my child should in the Baby Care Center. I wasnt sitting there twiddling my thumbs, I was accomplishing an important task feeding my child so then I could actually eat and maybe we would not be at the table any longer than need be.

[Angebee]

We always used CS meals when at the parks when I was younger and every time gauged whether or not to 'save' based on the crowds. If it was slow then we saved a table (or used the restroom) while Dad took up the only spot in line. If it was crowded then Mom took baby sister outside to sit on a bench while I watched Dad from a safe spot off to the side and fetched them when he was done. The one time another family came with us, Mom took the four cranky/fighting/exhausted kids to 'sit down and shut up' at a table despite the large crowds while the other two adults got the food. After a couple of minutes we vacated to find a spot outside once we realized how many families were having trouble finding a table. Maybe we should have done that in the first place, but at those moments when you are hungry and tired you may not be thinking clearly. In our minds, taking up the limited space in line was much less courteous than finding a place to sit. I'm looking forward to trying the new BoG system.

[ttintagel]

Originally Posted by freshmanjs

that person did something smart to make sure their family had a place to sit.

...at the expense of another, just as worthy family who used the system at it was designed. Yeah, bravo for them.

[mad madam mim78]

Originally Posted by ttintagel

...at the expense of another, just as worthy family who used the system at it was designed. Yeah, bravo for them.

Seems like the system was designed to allow people to save tables. It's the system that's messed up. The masses need systems in place to keep order. When there is no system in place...chaos ensues. Take a broken traffic light for example. The aggressive people almost cause wrecks while the passive people sit there waiting for someone to be polite. It's a tough world. Disney is no exception.

[scojos]

Originally Posted by ttintagel

...at the expense of another, just as worthy family who used the system at it was designed. Yeah, bravo for them.

but she got their first, and who says she is not using the system as it was designed.... nowhere at disney does it say you cant sit at a table/use a chair.

if the tables/chairs are for patrons only...shes doing what it says...

i think the argument here is wrong. i have 3 kids, dh stands in line with eldest, then i go back and get mine... only once we were asked to move, and quite frankly i refused... flame me if you like, but my kids were calm and 2 mins later my lunch arrived.... so should i have then gone back to my original table and said...i need it now??? (ps a cm was informed and she refused to make me move as i was doing nothing wrong, she even came over and apologised i had been asked....
we always eat early in parks (before 11.30 or before 6.30) i have a child with autism who struggles with crowds and this allows us a reletaively quiet meal despite being there in aug.

i think the idea of telling a mother who is feeding her kid to move is awful.

[Colleen27]

Originally Posted by party-of-five

This is the big difference... they bring the food to you. At other CS restaurants, that is not the case. It is much easier, for us, to have DH (and maybe an older child to help) go get the food while I sit with the little guys. If food was brought to us, I would have no problem with the whole family waiting in line. The kids are in line with us for the rides. . The problem is trying to juggle food, drinks, toddlers, strollers, etc. and many times there is a crowd at the counter waiting for the food.

This. It works at BoG because you aren't juggling kids, trays, drinks, bags, cameras, etc, navigating through self-serve topping/utensil stations, and then trying to find a table. I love the idea of BoG lunch specifically because it has none of the downsides I associate with counter service dining - namely, having to keep track of the kids and everything we take along for touring the parks while carrying overloaded trays to our table.

[gr8tdame]

I am so happy to hear that a system is in place at BOG. It has been impossible to get a dinner reservation at BOG for our 10 day trip in January and we were thinking of foregoing lunch at BOG. Firstly, the thought of it being insanely busy and having no where to sit after ordering our meal is a real turnoff. This has happened numerous times at WPE where we wander around with our number while waiting for a table that is not being saved. In most instances we only eat TS meals at Disney as we hate to stand around balancing trays while we look for an empty table. We rarely eat fast food at home and never eat in the car.my family is accustomed to eating all of our meals sitting at a table....even pizza. We also try to avoid buffets. My family usually avoids the stress of busy CS restaurants where we see all the tables being saved or occupied. We are on vacation and expect our mealtimes to be as relaxed as we are.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

[JimmyV]

First of all, a parent who goes to a table with children and:

• cleans the table
• wipes down the chairs
• wipes the kids' hands with cleansing wipes
• gets condiments, napkins and straws, and
• feeds a younger child who will not be eating the CS food

is not "saving" the table. That parent is "using" the table in every way that Disney intends, unless and until they feel the need to implement a rule prohibiting such conduct (which is a rare occurrence).

It was mentioned earlier that the system works best if everyone is doing the same thing. Well, there are two options. Do the above, or, wait around in long lines with your kids clogging up the pathways and don't begin to hunt for a table until you have your food. But if the system really does work best if everyone does the same thing, wouldn't the problem be solved if everyone did what is described above? It isn't "wrong", "against the rules" or "inconsiderate" if Disney specifically allows it. And it is efficient if everyone does it. (Or so say those who believe that the system works best when everyone is doing the same thing. Personally, I have not tested the theory.)

In any event, I think that people need to divorce themselves from thinking that a parent who is preparing the family to eat is "saving a table". We should reserve that term, (and our collective scorn) for people who really are camping out, doing nothing, waiting for 20 minutes at table while others with food are truly at a loss for somewhere to sit. In reality, I don't think this happens all that often.

And it is a truly hard-hearted person who thinks that a mom should go into the Baby Center to feed one child while the other children wait elsewhere, unaccompanied. Not every family that goes to WDW has two adults to supervise the children, and separating the family is the absoulte worst suggestion I have ever heard.