Disney Restaurants and CLOSE SEATING!!

[Micca]

I like a little space too, but when we're crammed in together, I just start making stuff up to talk to DW about. Gives the neighbors something to talk about later.

 

[lizanne]

My husband is the same way. If you're staying on site you might want to consider eating an early dinner in one of the resort restuarants, not in a Park restaurant. We make a PS for the time they open. We've been able to do this in the morning before leaving the room.

 

[j's m]

I thought it was just me that thought Alfredo's was too jammed together, but that seems to be the most mentioned place. I also hated their food.

 

[lillygator]

Le Celliar - horribly close..............

 

[lajones81]

Not sure if someone has posted this, but Deb has some pictures on here site. Feel free to check 'em out.

http://allearsnet.com/din/gall_res.htm

 

[cmm]

We were fairly close to the family next to us at LeCellier. In fact, it was kinda hard to get out of the chair to go to the restroom. But I don't think that all of the tables are like that. I thought Boma was fine. We had a good table at Crystal Palace and weren't too close to anyone.

1972 - Disneyland
Sept 1992 - CBR
June 2005 - POFQ

 

[DebbieB]

The only time I remember feeling uncomfortable was the Rain Forest in DtD.

 

[jl3614]

Our most current trip we had very close seating at Hollywood and Vine. Also for a previous trip, I agree with other posters about the tight seating at San Angel.

 

[epcotfan]

San Angel Inn in Mexico has extremely close seating. I felt very claustrophobic in there. It is also very dark.

 

[disneyholic family]

actually the worst time we experienced this at any disney restaurant was at Disneyland, not WDW......i forgot the name of the restaurant, but it was my favorite when i visited DL when i was a little girl....but when we went back 2 years ago, they'd packed so many tables in, we were practically sitting in the laps of the people around us....it's that restaurant that's inside POC in DL...

as for WDW.......we've never experienced this, but we only tend to eat in a few restaurants.....the Brown Derby was not at all crowded when we were there...quite the opposite...tons of space....the prime time cafe was more crowded than the brown derby, but not super bad.....
the restauant at the end of main street in the MK....i think it's called the plaza restaurant.....it's pretty crowded but not unbearably and we really enjoy eating there for some reason...

those are the only table service restaurants we've eaten at...
oh....the cape may cafe.....that's pretty crowded, but we don't go anymore anyway....it was for the character breakfasts and my kids refuse to go now..

 

[Darcy]

and then there are CLOSETALKERS...

 

[jugglinfish]

Well, I think that there are certain restaurants/styles of eating where you are expecting to be in a group with people you may not know (a Japanese steakhouse, or many pubs, for example). If you go into these nights expecting this it can be fun to eat socially. It's all about your mindset at places like this. If you don't want a more social dining experience some evening, these are not the places to go.

I do agree that it can be akward to sit too close to a neighboring party at other restaurants. As a city dweller, all the restaurants are pretty much like this, and so it's all about your ability to be polite. If you focus on the people at your table and everyone else does the same, it doesn't bother me. But yes, after being hot and sweaty out in the parks, and just wanting some down time, if only one table out of a row were removed it would make a huge difference to your elbow room!

We have not had to deal with this that much because we keep a relatively unusual eating schedule. We eat breakfast on the go (pop tarts or pick something up), snack in the midday, and then have an early sit-down dinner in the evening before the crowds, and usually end up in a restaurant with a bunch of empty tables, so we have a nice quiet dining experience.

 

[Dancind]

Well, don't go on a cruise! They make you sit at the same table as other people!

We've noticed this more at the Epcot restaurants too, though not at Le Chefs. Alfredos' was the worst. Oddly, we experienced this at Jiko a couple of weeks ago. The tables there look like they are far apart. The three of us (DD is 14) were seated at a table along a rail, and on the other side of the rail, maybe a foot down, was a large group of about 12 people, small children, strollers and all. They weren't that noisy, but we could hear every word of their conversation which inhibited ours. I felt like I was at a counter service restaurant. Thankfully, they left about halfway through our meal. There were other tables available, I should have asked to be moved. I mean, when you spend that much money on a meal, there should be a little ambience, right?

 

[cjsmith]

Le Cellier is another place where it can seem like the table next to you is part of your table, I can't stand it.