Buffet Lines - Is It Really a Line?

[DisneyFamily123]

If there's an open spot at the buffet, I'm going in and putting food on my plate... and don't give me any dirty looks!!! If the buffet is mobbed (no open spaces) and a line is forming, I'll get in line or just wait at my table. What really gets on my nerves (much more than "butting in line") is when people stare at the buffet for minutes unsure about what to get...instead of putting something on their plate and moving on...

Do the buffet restaurants really have lines? Or are people just brainwashed from standing in lines all day at the parks and for reservations? Are some buffets different? I have not seen ANY buffet that has a one-way only buffet line with a start to finish.... The buffet organization at Disney restaurants falls into 3 categories. How do you handle each one?

• The Great Divide -- There is 1 big buffet, split in the middle, same food items on both sides. Examples: Crystal Palace, Hollywood and Vine, Crystal Palace, Biergarten.
• PODS -- There are a few pods or stations with different food. Examples: Tusker House, 1900 Park Fare.
• The Round-A-Bout -- The buffet just does on and on with multiple sides. Examples: Cape May Cafe. Never been to Chef Mickey's but looks like this too.

Places that use the Great Divide seem to have lines more than the others. But what if there's a long line at Crystal Palace, and I just want some of the carved meat that's in the middle of the 2 sections. What's the big deal if I just walk up there? What if there's no one scooping green beans, and that's all I want? Sometimes, I'll go back to the buffet to get more of 1 thing for DS. I'm not waiting in a pretend line for 1 thing. But I'm not going to knock anyone over either.

At Tusker House breakfast, I actually saw a long line forming at the first station (bread, rolls, muffins, etc.) but no one was at the next 2 stations. Sorry folks, I'm skipping the muffins and moving on with my plate. Plates are at all the stations, so that's a sign to me that there is not 1 single line.

The Round-A-Bout. This is a free for all. There is so much food at the Cape May Cafe buffet and each side has different things. If there was supposed to be just 1 line, there's no way you could get past 1 side (yet all 4) and still have room on your plate. I think Chef Mickey's looks like this.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Is there a question in there somewhere?

We have never been at WDW at any of the buffet restraunts that the line was so long and I was so hungry and impatient that I needed to get ahead of it, but maybe we are just lucky and havn't hit those kinds of lines.

To each thier own and you feel you need to scoot in an open spot and get X food then go ahead if I'm behind you and if I bother to notice I will probably smile and think well that pot of green beans must be good if they are that intent on getting them and I'll try to make room for a few on my plate.

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

From my observations from dining at several buffets it goes like this. YMMV:

Boma/Tusker House/Crystal Palace-Pods. You go to each section at will. You don't/shouldn't start at one side and follow all the way down.

Biergarten/Chef Mickey--line. Choose one side and follow it down to the middle. Dessert--walk up to it.

Cape May--breakfast--I tend to see the line formation at the beginning. Then it turns more to a pod.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Is there a question in there somewhere? ..........

I just wonder if people have different views on this. And if there are some unwritten rules for different types of buffets. I just let common sense rule... but maybe my sense is different from others.

Now, we go when it's not crowded so most of the time, there are no big lines at the buffet so maybe it's not an issue. But, take a place like Tusker House... it's just not set up for lines... It has several different stations. A different line at each station, OK... but I saw a line of about 20 people at 1 station while there was only 1 person or no one at the other stations. Did those people think there was only 1 line?

If the buffet had a rope or something along the buffet, then I'd understand there's a starting and ending point. But I have not seen that at any of the buffets.

 

[MikeOhio]

I agree. I will wait in a line my first time through but if I'm going back to just get one or two items I will jump in a gap to grab what I want (lord knows there are many of them because people are so slow deciding what they want).

 

[DisneySarah80]

Sorry, but who really cares? If you want to go to to a buffet, then go, and get your food the way you want. If I feel your being rude, I'll give you a dirty look. I can live with that. Can you?

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Sorry, but who really cares? If you want to go to to a buffet, then go, and get your food the way you want. If I feel your being rude, I'll give you a dirty look. I can live with that. Can you?

I was just kidding about dirty looks, I'm not that easily offended. I thought it would be an interesting thread because people seem to approach buffets differently. All in all, I've never had a major problem. If you don't care, why bother posting? Don't be so grouchy! Now, I have my popcorn....

 

[everythingALICE]

From my observations from dining at several buffets it goes like this. YMMV:

Boma/Tusker House/Crystal Palace-Pods. You go to each section at will. You don't/shouldn't start at one side and follow all the way down.

Biergarten/Chef Mickey--line. Choose one side and follow it down to the middle. Dessert--walk up to it.

Cape May--breakfast--I tend to see the line formation at the beginning. Then it turns more to a pod.

If I saw a clear line with no open spaces, I would obviously wait my turn. But I was at Boma and (being a vegetarian) I passed by the carvery/meat heavy section at the far right hand side and went to the part a little further down that was more veggie friendly. This lady totally called me out on it rather rudely, even though there was no one even at the "pod" that I jumped to. I was taken aback as my actions clearly hadn't delayed her, or anyone else's, food consumption...but to each their own I suppose.

 

[prttynpnk]

I think this is sort of interesting. I usually go thru the line 1st time thru then turn into a 'darter' for return trips- I haven't had a problem as long as I'm courteous. I will say the traffice circle pattern at Cape May has led to some dancing at times- there is always at least one family going against the tide!

 

[hildarumpole]

On the first pass, I follow a line. When I want more of something on a later trip, I check out the flow of the buffet. If it's busy and people are moving in a line, I get in line. If no one is there, I go straight to the spot of the food I want. It's silly to make an unneccesary parade of getting your food if you only want one thing.

A few years ago at H&V, I went up for seconds of some salads. There was a mother and young daughter over in the bread area, but no one else, so I went straight to the salads. As I'm scooping up salad, the woman and her daughter come next to me and she told her daughter people are supposed to go in line at buffets. The daughter started whining about wanting mac & cheese, but the mother insisted they wait behind me in line. I asked if they were waiting for the salad. No, they were going to get mac & cheese, which was at the end of the line. So I told her it was o.k., they could go around. Then the woman told me that buffets have lines and you always have to start at the beginning. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Suit yourself." and went back to my seat with my plateful of salad. Maybe she was trying to teach her child the importance of standing in line, but common sense also needs to come in to play. And who appointed her Buffet Boss, anyway?

 

[DisneyFamily123]

... And who appointed her Buffet Boss, anyway?

That's funny! I'm not trying to start a flame throwing thread here. I'm a people watcher and a social psychologist of sorts...and I think it's just interesting how people handle group experiences like buffets. Hey.... I'm as weird as the next guy.

I think it's funny at the character buffets when the characters start snooping around the buffet and trying to but in and get some food. They are not the best role models..... but funny!

 

[dandave]

And who appointed her Buffet Boss, anyway?

If there appears to be a line, of course I'll wait in it. If there are wide open gaps, then I'm going in!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

If I saw a clear line with no open spaces, I would obviously wait my turn. But I was at Boma and (being a vegetarian) I passed by the carvery/meat heavy section at the far right hand side and went to the part a little further down that was more veggie friendly. This lady totally called me out on it rather rudely, even though there was no one even at the "pod" that I jumped to. I was taken aback as my actions clearly hadn't delayed her, or anyone else's, food consumption...but to each their own I suppose.

I, too, want to bypass the line waiting for meat (and the lines at the desserts) to get to the veggies, salads, fruit. People get funny about it, acting like you're line jumping, when you are not at all. As you said, it clearly does not impede their progress in getting their meat or dessert. But they do seem to view it as line jumping. I do of course follow the line first time through, or first plate, but think it is silly to wait behind people for meat, bread, etc, when I want veggies.
I always seem to really crave veggies at WDW. They are the bulk of my diet at home, though I am not vegetarian, so at WDW, it seems like they are hard to get. Buffets are about the only place I am able to get enough.

 

[FozzieFan]

I always take the positioning of plates as an entry point. If the restaurant didn't want me to grab something midway through they wouldn't have a stack of plates there. I never cut right in front of people if there is a line for a section, I'll wait my turn, but I'll never wait for the carving station line if I have no intention of trying the food there.

I agree with you OP, I think people in general not just Disney are a bit too programmed into standing in line. Don't they even tell you at Boma (I think) that there is no one line for the buffet and they explain the pods?

 

[si-am]

I struggle with this, too. There are so many times I just want ONE thing from the buffet, and the spot in front of it is empty, but I feel weird butting in front of the line farther down.

My husband tried this once at Cape May. There was a huuuuge line waiting for the mussels and clams. He only wanted clam chowder, and no one was dipping soup, so he tried to squeeze in front someone standing in front of the soup (not getting soup) to get himself a bowl. The man actually fussed at him for it!!!!

 

[dismichael]

Well, I have no problem with line-skipping as long as the person in front of you is not moving at a decent pace. It is probably rude to try to cut them off if they are moving along, but if they are stopping or whatever- by all means just move ahead...

 

[Tink415]

I think the line starts where there is a stack of plates

At Boma I get salads, then soup, then meat and starch. I would not stand in the sometimes long meat line unless I wanted meat

Last time I was a Chef Mickeys it was setup like Crystal Palace, two sides with meat in the middle.
Just like at Crystal Palace sometimes there are different selections on the different sides, but not usually. I always check

 

[dansyr2514]

I'm sorry , Flame me if you want...but this is a huge pet peeve of mine.

If there is clearly a line and people are moving through at a normal pace, I wait in line.

However, if you are standing there and there is no one 15 feet in front of you and the one thing I want is in the middle of you and the 15 foot clearing between you and the next person....I'm going around you! Give me all the dirty looks you want...I'm ok with it.

 

[Celidh]

So, can I get a fast pass to the desserts?!?!

Seriously though, I think if there is an obvious line, then go wait your turn but if there are empty spots or it is not busy, I don't see it as a problem. Of course I haven't been to a buffet at Disney, just regular buffets. Maybe it's different there but I doubt it. I think there are just as many weird anal people at Disney who think their way is the only right way as there is in the rest of the world.

 

[Order66]

When eating at Tusker House about a month ago our server specifically told us there are "no lines" and we were free to serve as we wished. A few times when I walked directly to the food items I wanted, with nobody serving themselves at the specific item, but perhaps a few items away....I sure got some dirty looks. I don't let it bother me. Now if there is someone serving up that food and a person or 2 behind them, I'll go ahead and assume those folks may want some too....and wait. Otherwise, if what I want is available........I'm heading right to it.

Then again, I also get lots of dirty looks when a long line has formed to the right side of a CS CM and I walk to the left and order next. Those are the people who tend to really get mad. I just call it the "not my problem you don't know the lines form on both sides" technique.

regards