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

[chloelovesdisney]

We are not table savers and are very happy with the BOG set up.

 

[disneybride96]

What works is when everyone is doing the SAME thing. What doesn't work is when some people wait with family while ordering, and others sit at tables before eating. So when the CMs make everyone do the same thing, that's when you find it works best.

Exactly! We love a very popular, busy counter service type place in Hilton Head. They don't allow table saving. I have seen several reviews online where people get totally bent because they were told they can't save seats. Amazingly the system works and the seating equals the pace the food comes out. Sounds like a great system at BOG.

 

[North of Mouse]

Because they are not set up the same way, I am assuming since I have not been in BOG, that there is plenty of room for everyone to wait, not so in other CSs.

When my kids were younger, DH would go and ordered the food, I would take the kids, the bags, the stroller and get out of the way at a table. I would have the tired, overheated kids out of line instead of whining in a line which I would never have them in a ride line if they were that meltdowned bc they needed air and food. I would get all the condiments, napkins, and straws. Have all the kids wipe their hands, clean the table off. By the time I was done this, DH would be back with the food and we would not be crowding up the line.

There was also a time when I would sit at the table and if time allowed I would give younger DS a bottle or a jar of baby food so that by the time the other food arrived I could actually eat my food warm.


If they seat you and than bring the food, we can have all the same stuff accomplished by the time the food arrives

There is no more room to wait in line at BOG than any other CS. There are kiosk lines as well as CM lines, but the waiting for families is just as crowded.

But, you do not have to wait for a table, there are always some available - we ate there twice last week and this week.

 

[SmileEar2Ear]

It's not the wait, it is the navigating with trays of food that is difficult. That is the main difference between BOG and other CS locations.

We actually go through the line twice at CS places. It is too hard to juggle all of the food for our group, so I get the kids food and mine while DH gets napkins, etc and sits with the kids. I bring the food and while he goes up for his, I get the kids situated, opening grapes, cutting food, etc. then DH gets back and we all pretty much eat together. We wouldn't be able to manage all of our food, plus the kids, while getting condiments and searching for a table. If it was just a matter of ordering we could easily all stand in line and then go sit and wait for our food to be delivered.

 

[tiffjoy]

I don't see the point in this one. At BOG, you are still sitting at a table without food.

You order, pay, find a seat, and your food is delivered to you. You are not waiting for your food before you get the seat.

People are still, in either situation, placing their order then sitting then getting the food delivered. In the case if BOG, it is delivered by a CM. in the case of other CS, it is delivered by the family member who stood in line.

The only part that changes is the small amount of time the person spends waiting in line to order. And at most existing CS restaurants, there's no room to wait with children and a stroller until you are handed your food. You would back up the line. That's the major difference with BOG and why it works- the CM delivering the food is a game changer.

 

[gtpoohbear]

I still don't see your point. If there is an empty table, I'm going to sit there with my young children while DH and older children get food. When they are done getting food, they join us, we eat, we go on with our day. It has nothing to do with the kids being in line or not. It has to do with the lines at the counter being too crowded.

I'm happy to hear that Disney has worked out some of the existing CS kinks with BOG. But until they change the configuration at the current CS restaurants, we will continue to hold a table.

FWIW, I return the cart when grocery shopping too.

My point is exactly what you are saying. You save the table simply because you can, and you perceive that it makes your life easier for a few minutes. Not because its more efficient, or fair, or the right thing to do. It just helps YOU. But at the expense of others who are trying to do it the right way and have no place to sit now, while their food gets cold.

Personally, I've never had an issue taking a large group through the line, don't see why it's a big deal. All if WDW is crowded, the lines at CS no exception, you just deal with it for a few minutes and move on. If you absolutely can't handle it, fine, have the others wait somewhere else. But there is NO good reason to be taking up a table that you don't need yet, at least none that isn't selfish. It's no different than not returning the cart. And clogs up the whole system, I always strive to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

 

[tiffjoy]

My point is exactly what you are saying. You save the table simply because you can, and you perceive that it makes your life easier for a few minutes. Not because its more efficient, or fair, or the right thing to do. It just helps YOU. But at the expense of others who are trying to do it the right way and have no place to sit now, while their food gets cold.

Personally, I've never had an issue taking a large group through the line, don't see why it's a big deal. All if WDW is crowded, the lines at CS no exception, you just deal with it for a few minutes and move on. If you absolutely can't handle it, fine, have the others wait somewhere else. But there is NO good reason to be taking up a table that you don't need yet, at least none that isn't selfish. It's no different than not returning the cart. And clogs up the whole system, I always strive to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

I don't save tables.

But I still don't see much of a difference at all. And it still is a huge difference to have someone bring food to you.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I admit it. I get a table while my husband gets food because my feet really hurt. I had not thought about how it effects other people but will now.

I had only thought about how my party would have to take more time outs if I didn't have that extra 10-15 minutes at mid-day.

I could wait outside the restaurant...but cell service tends to be awful inside the restaurants so we would have a hard time re-connecting.

I have also been at Pinnochio's while they were not allowing people to save seats and the wait was not as bad as when people are saving seats.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

I definitely see the point about how nice it is to have the food delivered, but don't think it really applies to the issue of seat-saving. If somebody didn't want the kids in the line, why do they need to wait at a table? Couldn't they wait off to the side or on a bench? If the restaurant isn't crowded, go anywhere, but if it is crowded, why take seats from people who already have food?

Because it is not a safe world, and you can't just leave your small children sitting of to the side somewhere in a crowd of 200 people all jostling for their meals. With people trying to balance trays while fighting their way past the lines of people trying to get up to pick up their food, it is just too hard - especially with toddlers and babies.

Having someone bring you the food and sitting after you have ordered would make it easy to wait in line with your kids, no matter what age they are.

 

[BabsBunny]

Where's the thread about people who stand in line for 15 minutes and then hem and haw when they get to the cashier?

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Where's the thread about people who stand in line for 15 minutes and then hem and haw when they get to the cashier?

Or who crowd up to the front so far after ordering that the people actually getting their food can't turn around and exit to make room for the next person picking up. It's like the "gate lice" at the airport.

 

[BabsBunny]

Or who crowd up to the front so far after ordering that the people actually getting their food can't turn around and exit to make room for the next person picking up. It's like the "gate lice" at the airport.

"gate lice" -- I'm stealing that one.

Seriously though. What the heck are these people doing in line all that time? No reason you shouldn't have your room card/cc/cash ready to pay either.

 

[freshmanjs]

There is no more room to wait in line at BOG than any other CS. There are kiosk lines as well as CM lines, but the waiting for families is just as crowded.

But, you do not have to wait for a table, there are always some available - we ate there twice last week and this week.

Yes there is. TONS more room.

 

[freshmanjs]

Anyone who has been to Be Our Guest at lunchtime can tell you that no matter how crowded the restaurant, you can always find a place to eat for your party. No more trolling around with your tray of food, trying to guilt someone who is finished into getting up for you. No more rushing for a table as soon as someone stands up.

The system WORKS: nobody is allowed to save tables due to the way the traffic flow of the restaurant is set up. This proves what many on the DIS have been saying for a long time, that saving tables is a bad idea, and waiting to sit until you have your food makes more tables available for everyone. Yippee!

To those who complain that they don't want their kids waiting in the line, all the kids were waiting in the line with their families and present at ordering when we were there on Sunday, and nobody appeared too upset about it.

I am happy, and hope all CS restaurants implement this policy during peak use.

(Ready for flames. I understand there's a lot of difference of opinion on this subject.)

Vindication? hardly. why start out with a provocative statement like that.

The BOG system is nice. It would be great if WDW had more CS that delivered food to the table. Much better experience.

However, at places like CHH or PB or Cosmic, the atmosphere is much more chaotic. I will continue to seat-save at those places except during times when the staff is saying not to.

 

[Megsie1000]

Where's the thread about people who stand in line for 15 minutes and then hem and haw when they get to the cashier?

I know, right? Worst.thing.ever. LOL

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

My point is exactly what you are saying. You save the table simply because you can, and you perceive that it makes your life easier for a few minutes. Not because its more efficient, or fair, or the right thing to do. It just helps YOU. But at the expense of others who are trying to do it the right way and have no place to sit now, while their food gets cold.

Personally, I've never had an issue taking a large group through the line, don't see why it's a big deal. All if WDW is crowded, the lines at CS no exception, you just deal with it for a few minutes and move on. If you absolutely can't handle it, fine, have the others wait somewhere else. But there is NO good reason to be taking up a table that you don't need yet, at least none that isn't selfish. It's no different than not returning the cart. And clogs up the whole system, I always strive to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

This! Totally agree that saving a table is selfish. During crowded times lining up, ordering and paying for food and receiving said food can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. All this time a family is selfishly sitting at an empty table (for their own convenience) while another family juggling trays of food could easily take that table and probably be finished eating by the time first family is ready to eat.

 

[freshmanjs]

This! Totally agree that saving a table is selfish. During crowded times lining up, ordering and paying for food and receiving said food can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. All this time a family is selfishly sitting at an empty table (for their own convenience) while another family juggling trays of food could easily take that table and probably be finished eating by the time first family is ready to eat.

let's take it further. a truly selfless person would not eat at a CS at all, so as not to make the line longer for others or to take up table space that others could use.

in fact, all the people at WDW are being selfish, wasting their days and money on entertainment when they could be helping others.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Because they are not set up the same way, I am assuming since I have not been in BOG, that there is plenty of room for everyone to wait, not so in other CSs.

When my kids were younger, DH would go and ordered the food, I would take the kids, the bags, the stroller and get out of the way at a table. I would have the tired, overheated kids out of line instead of whining in a line which I would never have them in a ride line if they were that meltdowned bc they needed air and food. I would get all the condiments, napkins, and straws. Have all the kids wipe their hands, clean the table off. By the time I was done this, DH would be back with the food and we would not be crowding up the line.

There was also a time when I would sit at the table and if time allowed I would give younger DS a bottle or a jar of baby food so that by the time the other food arrived I could actually eat my food warm.


If they seat you and than bring the food, we can have all the same stuff accomplished by the time the food arrives

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.

 

[Bob NC]

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


Anyone who has been to Be Our Guest at lunchtime can tell you that no matter how crowded the restaurant, you can always find a place to eat for your party. No more trolling around with your tray of food, trying to guilt someone who is finished into getting up for you. No more rushing for a table as soon as someone stands up.

The system WORKS: nobody is allowed to save tables due to the way the traffic flow of the restaurant is set up. This proves what many on the DIS have been saying for a long time, that saving tables is a bad idea, and waiting to sit until you have your food makes more tables available for everyone. Yippee!

To those who complain that they don't want their kids waiting in the line, all the kids were waiting in the line with their families and present at ordering when we were there on Sunday, and nobody appeared too upset about it.

I am happy, and hope all CS restaurants implement this policy during peak use.

(Ready for flames. I understand there's a lot of difference of opinion on this subject.)

It sounds like you are expecting to win some type of award or prize.

Is there a competition I'm not aware of?

 

[freshmanjs]

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 hope you come up to me someday and give me grief for sitting at a table. that would be SO MUCH fun for me.

the tables are there for use of park guests. there are (usually) no rules about who can sit their.

when the park chooses to put rules in place (As they sometimes do during busy times) then people should respect those rules.

otherwise, these false rules of etiquette that DIS people have made up are worthless.