Buffet Etiquette

[Nienor]

This made me laugh:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/yum/Content?oid=oid:65312

This made me ROFL.


*note to self, no picking at plate while in line*

 

[Orange Team]

Hmmm, sounds like they need FastPass distributors for buffet lines.
...Anyway, buffet lines are traps. I see so many people in buffet lines with empty plates just waiting for one or two things at the very end. I just say "excuse me," grab what I need from one station, and then back out. I do this process over and over until I gathered all the food I wanted for one plate.

 

[thunderbird1]

Oh honey, just go for it. It's absurd to think that everyone should wait through an entire line just to get one or two items. I'm a vegetarian, and I can scope out pretty quickly what I can and can't eat, and often it's just one item from each section. I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm going to wait in lines, especially at the carving stations (which take forever) while my food gets cold. I'm not rude about it (ie, I won't push people out of the way), but if there's a break in the line (and there's always a break) I have no qualms about zipping in to grab what I want.

Especially if you have little kids waiting back at the table. Not only should you not have to leave them alone just to wait and wait and wait, but they have limited attention spans, and you need to be able to feed them, eat, and get out before they melt down. Heck, that's one of the best reasons to take little kids to buffets--the fact that you can get in and out quickly.

 

[Docsknotinn]

As others mentioned it really depends on the set up of the buffet. If you are going to a seperate station such as a carving station then go get in that line. If there is one main line or two if its a double sided buffet I personaly would never cut in front of others but then to be honest the only time I attend a buffet is when I'm working or I get dragged.

 

[The Sweetness]

My family loves buffets. That way, we are not committed to an ap, an entree, and a dessert. I can have as much, or a s little, of as many things as I want. This helps my 14y old expand her horizons a little. She can take just a nibble of a new food, and not feel bad about wasting if she doesnt like it

 

[raidermatt]

Most people are not getting one of everything, or even half of the things. If everybody jumped in and out the lines just for what they wanted, things would be pretty hairy.

If there's a gap, its not a problem. But if there's a line, the considerate thing to do is to wait in the line. That said, I would never tell anybody "no" if they asked to squeeze in for one item.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Yeah, I'm guessing the rule/standard for the day is just to use common sense and common courtesy. Most people have these, to some degree.

I'm still haunted by the image of a little boy plucking a cherry tomato off a salad bar and popping it in his mouth. When his mamma said, "Johnny! You know better than that!", Johnny quickly retreived the tomato and put it back where it came from.

(these Gooooogle ads for potty training I'm seeing are just cracking me up. I guess I'm easily amused.)

 

[Anewman]

I must be old school but, what is the hurry?

There is not a single item in a buffet that I feel the need to bypass the line for(if it is obviously a line). If 10 persons are in line and all I want is fried chicken, how exactly would I know that those 10 persons are not waiting for the fried chicken?

I also find it amusing that the ones that wait in line are the ones being called rude by the persons too inpatient to do the same. No matter how you rationalize cutting in line, it is simply self centered rudeness.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Most people are not getting one of everything, or even half of the things. If everybody jumped in and out the lines just for what they wanted, things would be pretty hairy.

If there's a gap, its not a problem. But if there's a line, the considerate thing to do is to wait in the line. That said, I would never tell anybody "no" if they asked to squeeze in for one item.

I completely agree!! I've never gone to any buffet and taken one of everything (or even half). And the other people I've seen waiting generally do not get everything on the buffet. Although my Dad tends to get two of everything . I generally don't do this myself even if I'm only getting one or two things (which I usually do even on my first trip up to the buffet). Almost every Disney buffet I've ever been to the line moves pretty fast (unless you get behind a lady with five kids doing the following conversation five different times "Do you want Mac & cheese?" "No, I hate Mac & cheese!!" "No you don't it's your favorite. Here just take a scoop" "Nooo!!!!!!" "Ok what about fried shrimp? You love fried shrimp!" "I hate fried shrimp!"..... ).

That being said as long as I don't have to wait on the person grabbing the one item, I have no problem with it. Like others have said, it is irritating when you've waited through the entire line for a couple of things and someone gets in front of you and then you have to wait on them to finish. Most of the time I like waiting because I get performance anxiety if someone is rushing me through the buffet and I just start scooping whatever on my plate to keep the old man behind me from glaring at me. Usually my Dad is that old man.

The least of my concern at buffets is the lines. I think it's more rude when parents let their kids treat the buffets like playgrounds with food. But that's a whole different thread...

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

Wait a minute, Disney has lines at its buffets? Both of the local buffets, there are just stations with certain kind of food and you walk right up to the ones you want. (Walk up to seafood station for example, take a shrimp or two, then walk to asian food station and get rice, and go for dessert then.)

I hate buffets that are set up with lines. D'oh!

 

[The Sweetness]

At my local buffets, there are several stations of foods. I grab a plate, go to the area that has what I want, and wait for the propper utensil to take that item with. The only line really comes up with something thats just been put out (people go into a frenzy over a fresh tray of potatoes!) or the carving station, which I understand. Other than that, if I am eating at a busy time, there may be 3 ppl waiting to get a piece of chicken or a few ribs. I wouldnt even notice if someone had been in front of me, or if they were *cutting in* unless someone pushed me aside, grabbed a scoop or tongs from my hand, or sneezed next to me or started picking at the food with their fingers (whether it was on their plate or not) while still filling their plate

 

[madison66]

.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Stupid double post.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Of course, the pet peeve I have about the buffets (and in general, not just Disney properties) are the folks in line who are using the tongs to go through an entire pan/plate/assortment to find the ‘chosen’ one…so as to indicate that there is a single Mickey waffle that is more perfect than all the rest.

I just envisioned a light from heaven coming down upon the "chosen" Mickey waffle. And the angels singing as the person holds the waffle in the air with the tongs screaming "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"

 

[Laura]

Oh honey, just go for it. It's absurd to think that everyone should wait through an entire line just to get one or two items. I'm a vegetarian, and I can scope out pretty quickly what I can and can't eat, and often it's just one item from each section. I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm going to wait in lines, especially at the carving stations (which take forever) while my food gets cold. I'm not rude about it (ie, I won't push people out of the way), but if there's a break in the line (and there's always a break) I have no qualms about zipping in to grab what I want.

I agree with you there! I had to wait once to get to some of the veggie food in the hot pods in Boma because there was a line there and no "break", but the rest of the buffet was pretty open most of the time. I grabbed the veggie stuff and hopped on down to the next pod. It keeps the line behind me moving, too, with me out of the way. I certainly wouldn't go shoving people!

 

[cavepig]

If I'm going through the buffet for the first time I'll get in line for that section, salad or hot stuff. If I'm going up for 2nds (or whatever trip) I'll wait for a gap, say "pardon me while I get ....", and then move on.

At Crystal Palace a couple weeks ago the line for lunch was crazy. The line started before the kiddie station and everyone got in it. I'm not going to get in the start of the line because I didn't need kiddie stuff and no one was getting salad or hot stuff. It was like one person would go down and everyone waited. Luckily by the time we left the line seemed to die down. I'm a vegetarian too so I'm not going to wait through all the meaty stuff, it seems silly too if no one is at what I want.

What I get tired of is finding ham or bacon chunks in the salad stuff from messy tong users.

 

[Gillian]

Boma often has a long line, but it's mainly for the carving station and other meats, so I don't feel bad skipping ahead to the fruit or desserts.

If you were the person who asked if they could "just grab some fruit" who got a less than pleased "sure" from me, it's because I had been waiting to get (just) some fruit for quite a while. First there were two young kids getting strawberries very very slowly (but carefully), and one other adult before me. So when it was finally my turn and someone asked if they could jump in front, I wasn't too happy. I said yes, but might have sounded mean.

Please, before you ask to be allowed into the line, try to figure out what the other people are waiting for! I had an empty plate, why else was I standing there? We were all waiting for the fruit!

 

[Micca]

Jiminy H Freakin Christmas...what is this, a state dinner at the White House?
As long as people are nice, what's the problem with someone taking 5 whole seconds to get another scoop of mashed potatoes? Anyone who is vaguely pleasant may jump in front of me in line for food at any time. Some day I may ask the same in return. If I am curt or roll my eyes at them, shame on me.