Didn't like your table guests?

[MickeyNicki]

Yeah that has happened to us a few times at Beirgarten...we had a mom and dad and a daughter having a preteen snit fit and the father was just ripping her a new one right in front of us..it went on the entire time we were eating...I swear the indigestion I had from woofing down my food fast to get the heck out of there was just awful!

 

[arielmomma]

Same here. Never had an issue with anyone at our table.

I also have been very fortunate. We have met some very nice families.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

We had a similar experience with Biergarten as a PP. We (party of 3) were seated with an awesome older couple. We immediately clicked with them and had a blast. 4 out of 5 of us ordered beer. The party of 3 that was later seated with us were not as friendly. You could tell that the beer drinking bothered them (not that we were out of hand in anyway), mainly because they kept making little comments. We just spoke, smiled, and returned to our conversations and the show. They ate their meal and left. It totally didn't ruin our good time, but I can see how it would bother some people.

LOL you should've lit up a cigarette just to see what their response would be

 

[MeLaNie9]

I'm often stuck at a table with people who are either grumpy, picking on eachother, have way too laxed table manners or just complain about everything....oh wait, those are my in-laws.

Sounds like my last 2 trips with MIL and SIL!!!!

 

[BriarRosie]

I haven't been to Biergarten in over 10 years, probably just as long between visits at the restaurant currently known as Teppan Edo.

I don't recall having any issues there, but then again, I'm the stranger that other strangers want to talk to. I must have a vibe that says, "Tell my your life story!" because they do. I should probably revisit these places just for the entertainment value alone.

But ElizabethB did bring up a good point about the food and wine festival. I don't know if I'd consider myself a high class clientele, but I do know my way around the cutlery placement. Even though the signature and reserve dinners were a thing of the past in 2008, I still had found meals where I was seated with strangers.

One was a French Regional Lunch event at Bistro de Paris, and the other was one of the monthly wine dinners that Jiko held. I knew one couple going, but the rest of the table were all strangers. Nobody stood on ceremony, and all of them talked with me as if they'd known me for months.

The people at these specialty meals know what to expect, so it comes as no surprise to us that we'll be seated with strangers. I'm guessing the average theme park visitor would not know that they'd be seated with others at Biergarten and find the situation extremely uncomfortable.

 

[fla4fun]

The people at these specialty meals know what to expect, so it comes as no surprise to us that we'll be seated with strangers. I'm guessing the average theme park visitor would not know that they'd be seated with others at Biergarten and find the situation extremely uncomfortable.

I think some of it has to do with your "personal space" comfort level as well. Each person needs "x" amount of personal space in a restaurant. This could mean that I would feel uncomfortable seated at the same table with strangers, or it could mean I would feel uncomfortable seated at my own table in a banquette row of close tables, or it could mean I would feel uncomfortable if the tables on the main floor were two feet apart instead of three. Everyone's comfort level is different. If someone has personal space issues if the tables are too close in a regular restaurant, and they don't realize they will actually be sitting at the same table as total strangers, I can see why they would be uncomfortable.

The only time I would have a serious problem is if the people were really drunk, or abusive (verbally or physically), or if they didn't discipline unruly children (I am not your babysitter).

 

[Madhatter266]

Bad experience at Teppan Edo - or rather what is was called before now. The three of us were seated and a rather large family arrived. They had too many people for one table/grill seating so they were split between our table and the next one. The kids constantly ran back and forth between the tables, not wanting to "roost at any one seat." The family members were yelling at each other, and it was a mess. DH has never wanted to go back and I can't talk him into it.

 

[Pixiedust34]

It blows my mind that people get offended when someone orders a beer in a restaurant--especially a restaurant called Biergarten!

We did OK at the Biergarten. We were seated to a couple who did polite nods and made it clear that they didn't want to talk to us. The woman was German and maybe she's used to sharing a table. They were polite and there was no tension whatsoever--we enjoyed our meal and they seemed to enjoy theirs.

For our next Biergarten lunch, our family of 4 is meeting up with 2 friends to share the meal. I kind of feel sorry for who will be the odd couple out at our table becuase we'll be reuniting and chatting up a storm with each other, but we're all friendly so it should be OK if they are friendly too.

 

[5boyz]

I didnt even know tables were shared at Disney....is it only certain restaurants?

 

[crisi]

We've always had pleasant enough table guests. We've had times when they haven't been kindered spirits, and times when we've been more amused by them than we should, but they've never been outright rude. (There was the conservative religious homeschooling family - pretty much the polar opposite of us - we chatted about where else they had eaten for a few minutes, what attractions they enjoyed, and went back to our own meals - avoiding politics and religion as topics of conversation. And there were the young women on a Food and Wine mission - slightly tipsy and in good spirits, who chatted with us for a long time in that way only very cute 24 year old slightly drunk girls can.)

(There are a few restaurants that share tables - Teppan Edo sits eight to a grill, and they will try and fill all eight seats. Biergarten has large tables they will seat more than one party at - which is traditional in Germany. Cruises also seat multiple parties at a table - you keep your tablemates all cruise - which occasionally leads to wonderful stories on the cruise board - both of friendships being made and of trainwrecks to watch unfold over seven days.)

 

[Loobyloo]

Hi,

After reading this slightly worried about my Tempan Edo ADR. Any chance we can book another DIS family who does not mind beer and wine drinking to share our table.

xxx

 

[Racknack]

Yeah that has happened to us a few times at Beirgarten...we had a mom and dad and a daughter having a preteen snit fit and the father was just ripping her a new one right in front of us..it went on the entire time we were eating...I swear the indigestion I had from woofing down my food fast to get the heck out of there was just awful!

I would have simply walked out of the restaurant the minute the tiff between the daughter and her father began; I would not have made any comment. Then I would have had something at one of the many excellent counter service spots in Epcot. There is no rule at WDW that says you have to put up with such a group of people. Walk out! It's just that simple.

Karnak

 

[vamassey1]

After readingall this I'm a little worried. We have Biergarten booked for June, 4 of us. My sister, her daughter and my daughter. I was thinking it would be okay. I'm fairly nice and my sister would talk to the wall if she had too. Our daughters are 9 and 10. I'm hoping we're seated with nice people.

 

[kimberleeJohnston]

I'm often stuck at a table with people who are either grumpy, picking on eachother, have way too laxed table manners or just complain about everything....oh wait, those are my in-laws.

Bahahahhaha!!!!!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Not at Disney, per say.

It happened to me locally though. More or less. A group of 10 was seated close to me, and they were very obnoxious. It was a a birthday, and there were kids in the mix. The kids weren't the worst ones though. The adults were exceptionally loud, actually encouraging the kids in horseplay, and eveyone kept moving the chairs around. At one point a man and playing child almost hit me with their chair! I was at least 8ft from their table! They were all yelling. Several other guests left before their food arrived, but they didn't take a hint.

Another sort of related thing happened to me was once when I was trying to get a table for our family in Cosmic Ray's. WE had two sleeping kids in a double stroller, so we brought it inside, and I offered to get a tble while the rest of my family stood in line (Ther was no way to get the stroller in the food lines.). Normally, we'd leave it outside. I said I would find a seat in a certain section, as there were several open tables when the rest of my family got in line for food...but every time I tried to get over to a table - someone without a stroller would grab it faster! It was like a nightmare or bad video game. I couldn't get the stroller between the tables fast enough. Folks who were already sitting made no effort to push in their chairs or help. They went out of their way to avoid eye contact. Multiple folks who were vying for tables clearly saw me trying to get to a certain table - and when I was inches away - they'd grab the table faster. It must have happened at least four times! It was crazy! It was really frustrating. Finally after I'd bumped the stroller one too many times, one of the kids woke up and I made her her sit at a just-free table.
Even still, the table she occupied was blocked by folks who were totally ignoring me...Next to me another table opened up and a faster couple grabbed it - but I spoke up and they were willing to trade me for it, as our table had more chairs - and they had other folks in their group. It was a crazy experience!

Later the same day, I again was taking a turn pushing the stroller. I was coming off the monorail and a nice gentleman held the gate for me. I said thanks and told him he was the only person who had been so kind to me that day whenever I had been pushing the stroller. He was amazed as his gesture was pretty minimal (holding the gate so it didn't slam into me), but made a great comment. He said, "Well, I suppose when you treat folks like cattle and herd them, they start to act like they ARE cattle." A great quote!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I like that guys quote. I remember the double stroller days.

 

[DaveStroem]

While I didn't dislike the family that we ate with at Biergarten, we didn't share any conversation as they didn't speak a word of English. I don't think they said 5 words the entire meal. We are still going back in September.

At Teppan Edo, we met a great couple that were taking their parents out for her birthday dinner. They were local school teachers and very nice to share dinner with.

 

[ammo]

After readingall this I'm a little worried. We have Biergarten booked for June, 4 of us. My sister, her daughter and my daughter. I was thinking it would be okay. I'm fairly nice and my sister would talk to the wall if she had too. Our daughters are 9 and 10. I'm hoping we're seated with nice people.

I don't think it's anything to be worried about. These are rare experiences. And most of the comments that have been posted so far are not terrible encounters, although the fighting between family members would run me off.