Bad Etiquette to save a CS table??

[Peter Pirate 2]

I see lots of rationalizations as to why hogging tables are acceptable.

Just imagine yourself sitting at a table while an average family of two adults and two kids walk around and around, trays in hand looking for a place to eat while you think it's Ok to sit at "your" table even though it may be a good 20 minutes before your food actually arrives...Yeah, those schmucks with their food in hand were just stupid for not knowing they wouldn't get to sit at a table to eat...Enjoy your vacation.

 

[Freyja]

I see lots of rationalizations as to why hogging tables are acceptable.

Just imagine yourself sitting at a table while an average family of two adults and two kids walk around and around, trays in hand looking for a place to eat while you think it's Ok to sit at "your" table even though it may be a good 20 minutes before your food actually arrives...Yeah, those schmucks with their food in hand were just stupid for not knowing they wouldn't get to sit at a table to eat...Enjoy your vacation.

Huh?!?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If you and your family are planning to eat at that certin location it's not like your causing another family to miss out on a table, just because you were smart enough to save the table when you arrived. Whenever my family and I go to the Earl of Sandwich I always save a table while my parents stand in line to order, because they are always busy and we will keep doing this everytime we go there.

 

[emmabemmainc]

Huh?!?

My thoughts exactly.

The practice of holding a table while someone else in your party is in line for food is just common sense to me. Like the pp's said--if everyone in your party was in line with you, there'd be such a back up, it would take even longer for everyone to get their food. Plus, then you wouldn't have to worry about little kids running in and out of line, people crowding around the counter, etc...

I have noticed that there are certain posters on this board, who are not happy about much at WDW--and a few are on this thread. It makes me wonder how they can be obsessed with the "happiest place on earth", but sound so unhappy whenever they post on here.

I have been in both situations when it comes to CS restaurants and I have never been upset when I've seen someone holding a table for the rest of their party. I just keep walking around until I find a table. One becomes available sooner or later--and usually sooner. It's really NOT a big deal.

 

[bucky1023]

I don't think it is rude to split up. I'd rather have the rest of my group go find a table than have all 6 of us stand in line taking up space.

I sometimes think that the lines get so long because instead of just 1 or 2 of a large group going up to order and get the food, everyone stands there waiting to order.

 

[Island Mouse]

I was just about to say the same thing!!!! There is no reason for the entire family to wait in the food line. Usually it's just DH and I, but I can totally appreciate families sitting down and sending only one or two members for food.
We took my elderly parents to WDW last Oct......Mom was having a hard time in Epcot, with the extreme heat. We stopped in America to sit at a table in the shade....and DH went inside to get her a drink. We took a 15min break for her to re-coop, and never even ordered food.......Was this wrong????

Perhaps someone else will chime in, but I think the tables are available for anyone to sit at. I don't think there is any official policy that says you have to be eating at the restaurant or have your food before you can sit down at a table. Making your whole family stand in line would just create more congestion in line and make the wait longer.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

Well, put me on the "rude" list. I always look for a table and sit with the kids while DH gets the food. Call it "common sense"

Ditto ditto ditto!

 

[TiggerDad3]

I don't consider it saving a table.
If you are a customer of a location, no matter where it is, then you should be able to utilize the tables. If you are in line then you are a customer, and your family who is sitting at the table are customers as well.

 

[Freyja]

If you go to a TS restaurant you are offered a table while you read the menu, decide what to order and wait for your meal. You´re holding up seats the whole time you do this, but it still considered o.k.

They could make you read the menu at the enterance and then seat you somewhere on a stool at the bar or in the corner until your meal is ready.

 

[Tricia1972]

We always split up. Generally the family will give me and my sister their order, and we'll order. Two adults go for condiments, napkins, etc as one adult sits down with the kids. The two with the condiments meets up with the adult and kids about 2 minutes before we arrive with everyone's food. Ketchup, napkins and straws are set at each place so the moment we sit down we're eating.

I believe that if all 7 of us stood in line, there'd be a lot more congestion at the registers, not to mention two-three children who really need to sit and de-stress that would be annoying all of you as they fidgeted and whined in line. Also, when we sit we're eating immediately. We're not running for our condiments and holding the table for minutes longer (even with our food that we're not eating yet) - we're already working on clearing for the next group.

Please don't suggest that we take everyone to the condiments bar once we get our food, I can't imagine the looks of indignation we'd get with all 7 of us crowded around there with various adults admonishing "Austin no" "Connor - Don't TOUCH that!!!"

(And we've never been sitting and holding while people are circling with trays full of food looking for tables, maybe because we eat at 11-11:30 versus 12-12:30.)

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If you go to a TS restaurant you are offered a table while you read the menu, decide what to order and wait for your meal. You´re holding up seats the whole time you do this, but it still considered o.k.

They could make you read the menu at the enterance and then seat you somewhere on a stool at the bar or in the corner until your meal is ready.

Very good observation and a different way to look at the topic. Of course that only matters if the restaurant is busy and there are people waiting for tables, but we know the servers won't rush you out so others can take your table.

 

[lrab1126]

I'd rather people send all but one member of their family off to a table then have them all standing in line. If everyone was standing there in the line area it would only make the line longer and cause me to have to head back through them with my food watching out for their crazy children so that I don't end up doing a belly flop onto the floor.

could not agree more. just think of cosmic rays when it is busy with those crazy lines and with kids running in circles, kids whining b/c their hungry and parents trying to corral them and order and people trying to carry trays of food. last time we were there we did all stand in line at cosmic's for about 2 minutes before i insisted dh take the kids to find a table before they caused someone to drop their food or make me crazy and even then he had to walk around for a while to find one, but never did i think anyone who had a table who was waiting was rude...i thought they were lucky !

honestly if we want to talk about rudeness at CS...how about people who leave their trays of food on the tables or who have spills etc and do not even try to clean it up as a courtesy to the next people.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

honestly if we want to talk about rudeness at CS...how about people who leave their trays of food on the tables or who have spills etc and do not even try to clean it up as a courtesy to the next people.

I agree 100% because it's un fair to the Cast Members who then have to clean up those tables, when it's not that hard to pick up everything on the tray and put it in the garbage can.

 

[stellablue]

I'd rather people send all but one member of their family off to a table then have them all standing in line. If everyone was standing there in the line area it would only make the line longer and cause me to have to head back through them with my food watching out for their crazy children so that I don't end up doing a belly flop onto the floor.

Yes I agree!! I would much rather the line be shortened to just the people who are paying/carrying the food and have the others sit and wait. Lines tend to take twice as long with extra group members changing their order a million times, crowding around the menu, chatting & bumping into you, kids running around, etc... Just makes for a more manageable environment when just the orderers are in line.

 

[stellablue]

Grew up with my mom saving a table and DH doing the ordering, 36 years and I know nothing different. DH and I do that sometimes too but when it is just the 2 of us and there are plenty of seats open.....and it is really busy I think nothing of asking someone to share their table with us if they are not using all of it.

We were in Epcot, Morocco last week at the Tangeriene Cafe, the only table left was a long booth one by the entrance. There was 6 teens at the opposite one finishing their meals. They were about to leave and a woman with 2 kids were going to sit down UNTIL this one one just about bulldozed her over for the table. I felt so bad for her and the kids so I told her to sit with us, we were just about done anyways. She didnt even give us a thanks or a smile, nothing! Oh well, some people are just that way I guess.

When we were at Ohana there was a big wait so we wanted to sit on the chairs or sofas in the waiting area. We go to sit down in 2 empty chairs and this woman came up and screamed at us THOSE ARE FOR MY FAMILY, MOVE. So we sat on the sofa, she said that was being used too. Well excuse me you freak but there isnt anyone currently occupying the seats and you cannot hold them all for crying out loud! I made a comment to her and she just snorted. There was no one around her for a while, I watched...her family was too busy throwing pennies into the waterfall. So we found a bench, I watched her shoo away many people that wanted to sit. The kicker is her family never came back to sit down, their pager went off and away they went.

We sat for a long time, I went up to go the bathroom and when I came back this woman was demanding that my DH move to the end of the bench so her family can sit...now mind you we are occupying the last 2 spots on the bench, it wasnt like we are spread out or anything. He told her I was coming right back but she wasnt having it, UNTIL I SHOWED UP. Then she backed the heck off.

Common courtesy people, we are taught this in grade school!

Oh my! What a rude woman she was!!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Oh my! What a rude woman she was!!!

I agree with you, however from time to time you will run into those types of people at WDW and I am sure it happens at a lot of other places.

 

[DLBDS]

I was just reading that people think it's in poor taste to save a CS table while others are in line waiting for the food-is this really true?

I thought this was just common sense and we do it all the time outside of WDW. Never had anyone complain to us for doing it. Are the "etiquette rules" different with this at WDW???

I consider it rude IF the restaurant is full. Imagine yourself walking around with a tray full of food for your small family and pass table after table after table after table (get it?) occupied by folks with NO FOOD. My mind will not be changed on this issue. It's rude. This is my main WDW pet peeve. I've learned to deal with it by eating EARLIER than the rude folks. Problem solved.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I consider it rude IF the restaurant is full. Imagine yourself walking around with a tray full of food for your small family and pass table after table after table after table (get it?) occupied by folks with NO FOOD. My mind will not be changed on this issue. It's rude. This is my main WDW pet peeve. I've learned to deal with it by eating EARLIER than the rude folks. Problem solved.

While you make some valid points it's not like those families are sitting there and not eating anything the whole time, because they are waiting for their other family members to bring the food over to their table.

 

[DaisyD]

I used to wait and get a table after we got our food. We do this at home at CS places so figured it was the same at WDW. Boy were we wrong. I couldn't believe all the tables taken up by those that didn't even have their food yet. I don't know how many times we ate standing up while the tables had non eaters at them. Now, we have taken to being rude too unfortunately. It seems the only way to get a table for my 70 y/o mom to eat at is to save one like the rest. I really wish it was some kind of line where everyone would have to go through to get their food first then find a seat.

 

[disneywith4boys]

I see lots of rationalizations as to why hogging tables are acceptable.

Just imagine yourself sitting at a table while an average family of two adults and two kids walk around and around, trays in hand looking for a place to eat while you think it's Ok to sit at "your" table even though it may be a good 20 minutes before your food actually arrives...Yeah, those schmucks with their food in hand were just stupid for not knowing they wouldn't get to sit at a table to eat...Enjoy your vacation.

Well, calling them stupid may be a bit harsh, but possibly lacking common sense. Common sense would tell them 4 people are not needed to stand in a 20 min line, just makes the line longer. "Oh, wouldn't it be a good idea if, say, 2 of us go and look for a seat?