Behavior in Restaurants?

[PamMulan]

With the dining plans that now offer "free" meals to people who include it in there vacation plans, has anyone noticed a decline in people's behavior in the nicer restaurants?

This is one of the reasons we think about when choosing where to eat. We love LeCellier, but once we had a family of about 8 (only 2 or 3 children) and the adults acted like they had never been out to eat! Table manner were poor, they were loud and demanding and complaining about everything. Now, we are not going to cross LeCellier off our list, but I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this?

 

[Ted and Holly]

I don't think I have noticed that, but I have seen a fair amount of wasted food. But this is to be expected when the food is already paid for (or in some cases free).

Ted

 

[luvpooh]

you know, sometimes $ doesn't have anything to do with table manners - I'm sure there are millionaires that chew with their mouths open, talk loudly, or are demanding to servers...
to say that people who are getting 'free' food are going to be less refined, and infer that they wouldn't be able to afford to eat at the 'nicer' restaurants otherwise is kind of judgemental, JMHO

 

[QueenOfCelts]

With the dining plans that now offer "free" meals to people who include it in there vacation plans, has anyone noticed a decline in people's behavior in the nicer restaurants?

This is one of the reasons we think about when choosing where to eat. We love LeCellier, but once we had a family of about 8 (only 2 or 3 children) and the adults acted like they had never been out to eat! Table manner were poor, they were loud and demanding and complaining about everything. Now, we are not going to cross LeCellier off our list, but I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this?

I don't worry about things like that normally. I see people behaving in ways I would never behave like all the time. Born in a barn or snotty and pretentious...doesn't matter to me....I ignore them all.

 

[jann1033]

boy you must have watching them really closely to see what their table manners were like which could be considered impolite by some,,i guess i usually just mmob

 

[DeirdreTours]

I have never noticed much of correlation between class/income and restaurant behavior. I waitressed at a Waffle House (working my way through college) and although the clothing, speech and total check was different that what I observe at most "upscale" dining places, the general table manners, noise level and treatment of the staff appears about the same.

 

[jj1403]

Wow. That's kind of harsh to assume someone who is on the "free" dinning plan must be ill mannered. I take offense to that as I will be using my free dinning in 21 days! To assume that I could not possible afford to eat at certain places is crazy and judgemental. Anyone can have horrible table manners regardless of "class". I prefer to not judge people I don't know.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I was going to be polite, but now that it's free, I'll just throw food at other guests, eat with my hands, and just spit out anything I don't like right in the middle of the buffet line. After all. It's free. Why behave?

 

[RachaelRol]

jj1403, I couldn't agree with you more. We too will be enjoying our free dining, but in 27 days instead and we have GREAT table manners and my DS4 is also well behaved!!!

 

[RachaelRol]

I have never noticed much of correlation between class/income and restaurant behavior. I waitressed at a Waffle House (working my way through college) and although the clothing, speech and total check was different that what I observe at most "upscale" dining places, the general table manners, noise level and treatment of the staff appears about the same.

OMG- Too funny, I nearly spit out the water I was drinking... Oops I guess that would be expected since I have the free dining...

 

[RachaelRol]

I was going to be polite, but now that it's free, I'll just throw food at other guests, eat with my hands, and just spit out anything I don't like right in the middle of the buffet line. After all. It's free. Why behave?

This is the one that was too funny. Really almost spit out my water!!!

 

[RachaelRol]

I have never noticed much of correlation between class/income and restaurant behavior. I waitressed at a Waffle House (working my way through college) and although the clothing, speech and total check was different that what I observe at most "upscale" dining places, the general table manners, noise level and treatment of the staff appears about the same.

oops, Soory Diedre Tours, hope you don't think I was mocking you...

 

[Cmadsen]

Bring on the flames! This is just an opinion, but it seemed to me, on our last trip, many restaurants are squeezing in more tables to accomodate dining requests. Sometimes I felt I was "seated" with other groups of people and I confess I did become more aware of loud and sometimes obnoxious behavior that I otherwise would have ignored. We were also seated in one restaurant where we could (without trying for those of you thinking I can't MYOB see directly into the bathrooms. I don't think the behavior or situation had anything to do with the free dining plan, nor do I think people's manners coincide with their level of wealth. However, there are a couple of WDW restaurants we have decided not to patronize and I'm sorry to say that Le Cellier is one of them. I don't disagree with the OP or you other posters, just think the restaurants themselves have to take a bit of the blame.

 

[PamMulan]

I am sorry if it sounded like I was being judgemental, I wasn't. I meant that more people would be eating in otherwise quieter restaurants, and we would be more likely to experience people with bad manners.

I wasn't watching them so closely, it was just that they were loud and obnoxious and calling attention to themselves.

I didn't mean to offend anyone.

 

[lovethattink]

I was going to be polite, but now that it's free, I'll just throw food at other guests, eat with my hands, and just spit out anything I don't like right in the middle of the buffet line. After all. It's free. Why behave?

ROTL

 

[RachaelRol]

What does ROTL mean? New to the DIS and boards in general?

 

[Kaycee]

ROFL = rolling on the floor laughing.

And I'd like to remind everyone that personal insults aren't tolerated on the DIS Boards. Nothing too bad here yet, so this is just a friendly reminder.

 

[RachaelRol]

Thanks for the info!!

 

[kathi]

Hi Kaycee!!!!



kathi

 

[patsal]

While I know manners know no income level, I have been embarassed when going out with another family on a few occasions--we no longer vacation together. They were far wealthier than we were but really had no manners--always left the table and floor a huge mess, let their children run around unsupervised,etc.
To answer the OP's ? I had one occurance at Flying Fish and one at 'Ohana's in July (it was not free, but still I think the dining plan is a way to get those staying on site to really try the restaurants, and maybe these people really do not know what to expect). At 'Ohana there was a family in dripping wet bathing suits, and at Flying fish there was the barefoot kid who didn't know you should cut your lettuce up but was instead eating thee whole piece of romaine lettuce with her hands--to be fair to the child the mother was doing the same thing. I though the sight of them eating like this was amusing, but I found the bare feet dangling in the air a bit gross. (she was sitting on her knees so she could dip her "head of lettuce" and her feet were swaying) Both ofhtese were things that really looked out of the ordinary, so I'm not really watching everyone around me per se, but some things are hard not to notice!