Biergarten Long Wait Times To Be Seated

[piccolopat]

I think the communal tables contributes to the problem. Personally, I would prefer to not be seated with strangers and wish we had the option to choose. DH won't go to Biergarten anymore because the last time we were sat at a table with a man who had an attitude problem and it just made the experience less than magical. Perhaps in the future if we go with extended family he will reconsider. I think some of the delay is also caused by people lingering at their tables to catch the show. Last, Disney has a habit of only staffing for partial use of the space and when they judge wrong, you can wait a long time and find the restaurant with plenty of seats when you finally get in.

 

[disnut8]

I think the communal tables contributes to the problem. Personally, I would prefer to not be seated with strangers and wish we had the option to choose. DH won't go to Biergarten anymore because the last time we were sat at a table with a man who had an attitude problem and it just made the experience less than magical. Perhaps in the future if we go with extended family he will reconsider. I think some of the delay is also caused by people lingering at their tables to catch the show. Last, Disney has a habit of only staffing for partial use of the space and when they judge wrong, you can wait a long time and find the restaurant with plenty of seats when you finally get in.

But that's how true Biergartens in Germany work and it's worse. My husband traveled there while in the military and he and a friend sat down across from each other and the benches were the entire length of the table which was quite long. He said in the end, his friend ended up about ten people from my husband and both had been shifted because people just came and sat on the ends of the benches and everyone was expected (and did) to just slide down. And if someone finished their meal and left, people slid down to make room for others coming. My husband said it was strange at first but people were talking and having a good time and he met some nice new friends.

We did have a less than magical experience once at Biergarten when there was a married couple who sat next to each other, snarled (literally snarled) when beers were ordered, didn't speak to each other or anyone else, ate half a plate of food each and then left without even getting their check. Once they left, the other five of us started talking to each other and had such a great time that we almost missed Illuminations!

 

[piccolopat]

But that's how true Biergartens in Germany work and it's worse. My husband traveled there while in the military and he and a friend sat down across from each other and the benches were the entire length of the table which was quite long. He said in the end, his friend ended up about ten people from my husband and both had been shifted because people just came and sat on the ends of the benches and everyone was expected (and did) to just slide down. And if someone finished their meal and left, people slid down to make room for others coming. My husband said it was strange at first but people were talking and having a good time and he met some nice new friends.

We did have a less than magical experience once at Biergarten when there was a married couple who sat next to each other, snarled (literally snarled) when beers were ordered, didn't speak to each other or anyone else, ate half a plate of food each and then left without even getting their check. Once they left, the other five of us started talking to each other and had such a great time that we almost missed Illuminations!

I understand and we might enjoy it in that setting. The way that Biergartens work as you describe is different than being seated with another couple or family that has absolutely no intention of conversing with you. It just makes things very awkward. In our case, we were seated with an older couple from Germany and the man spent the entire time complaining about how inauthentic things were. I wanted to ask him why he traveled to America to eat what he could at home but didn't because I know people that went to Europe and had McDonald's.

 

[jess20k]

We have been going to Biergarten for years, and never had more than I would say a 10 min wait. We usually have ADR's anywhere btw 5:30-6:00pm.

 

[disnut8]

I understand and we might enjoy it in that setting. The way that Biergartens work as you describe is different than being seated with another couple or family that has absolutely no intention of conversing with you. It just makes things very awkward. In our case, we were seated with an older couple from Germany and the man spent the entire time complaining about how inauthentic things were. I wanted to ask him why he traveled to America to eat what he could at home but didn't because I know people that went to Europe and had McDonald's.

I would have smiled and replied along the lines of "this is Epcot Germany, not real Germany and they do what they can to make the majority of the people eating here happy. If you don't like it, you might want to ask to speak to a manager so the rest of us can eat in peace."