"Go Find a Table and I'll wait in line"

[FCDub]

in fact if a single diner is taking up a space meant for 2 - or more likely, more - isn’t that even more rude if the place is crowded?

Where do you expect these people to sit, then? Absolutely absurd.

 

[elle21]

We generally split up because we have a bunch of young kids and lines are really stressful. If we can avoid standing in a long line with kids who are hungry, grumpy and trying to wrestle with a sibling, we do. Plus it’s hard to find a large enough place to sit together so we have to look/ wait longer. We begin that process right away in hopes we will find a large table in time to eat. Sometimes that might mean we are sitting before we get our food and I don’t consider it rude. I’ve never thought other families are rude for doing this either.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

This past NOV, my sister and I purposely looked for someone with a food tray to take our table when we were ready to get up and leave!

I'll add this: Mobile app ordering is fantastic!!

 

[jesskeys91]

I’m sorry but it’s survival of the quickest. The person who gets the table first gets the table. Same as anywhere else in the world with first come first served seating. If I don’t hold a table and there’s not a table when I have my food that’s on me for not planning ahead and getting there first. I’m not entitled to a table just because I now have food and the family at the table nearest me is just enjoying a break from the sun with their toddlers and has finished eating. Nor am I more entitled to said table than a family member/friend holding a table for their party while someone else orders. They got there first, they get the table. Just like people that arrive at the movie theater earlier than me may get better seats.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This is simply not true. If a place is that busy that people are searching for tables, they will be searching regardless of whether or not some are being held for a few minutes by people without food. Why? Because ordering takes a heck of a lot less time than ordering in most cases.

It is true. If it were false, Disney (and others, i.e. Universal) would not need or choose to reassign CMs to manage seating at busy times.
When everybody follows the same single procedure, everything works.
Small/solo parties typically cannot split up (that same physics thing about being in two places at once.
But every person/party can comply with the order/get food/sit/eat/\leave process.

I will absolutely split up and have someone hold a table with the kids. If you are a single traveler or unable to split up for some other reason, then why would you even attempt eating at a place that looks packed

Surely you are not saying that solo travelers and small parties are not allowed to eat at the places they like simply because larger parties can physically hog tables? That we're not allowed to eat at popular places we like, because larger parties pack consideration?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They would have to leave some wiggle room for the mobile ordering people. It is not an easy solution. They would probably just take longer to get the orders out to spread it out more. They can also have cast members monitor the dining rooms better and at peak time and try to move people along a bit. This whole thing is really not a big issue except for a couple hours a day at peak times. We always eat at off times to avoid these issues. If we see the place is packed, we just wait and maybe get a light snack to hold us over.

Yeah mobile ordering is something that I think greatly helps them move people along personally so I'm not sure they want to purposefully slow it down but that's just my thoughts.

They are quicker, typically speaking, to getting their food with mobile ordering. The faster you get your food the quicker you can begin eating it. Now how long you are at the table is not predictable though. But I have to imagine they saw it working enough at turning over tables when they decided to continue expanding to more and more places overtime that it was available at and expanding it to DLR.

I swear when I'm on vacation I rarely seem to eat on a "normal" schedule like I would back home lol so I get you on eating at off-peak times.

 

[Marlyn]

I am unable to stand for long periods of time. I leave my ECV outside of QS restaurant, then I sit at a table while my family gets food. Where else am I supposed to wait? Outside?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would love a list of QS restaurants that operate like this. Disney knows these places get packed at certain times of day. They can fix the problem.

I think Disney does and should look at ROI (Return on Investment).

You need to pay a CM or more than just 1 depending on the place and how it's laid out to man the seating areas which may include indoor and outdoor and multiple rooms. You have to be able to do that for multiple portions of the day OR if you want to treat every situation equal you'd have to have a CM for all hours of operation for a food establishment 365 days out of the year times that by how many QS/CS places Disney has. Even when it's not busy you know that for some people they see it as a principle issue (which is totally fine) where someone going to the table first to save it without food in hand is a problem not just when it's considered busy.

I don't think Disney sees this ROI working out for them at the present moment TBH (as always things change) for all places on property. Seems like they pick and choose which places, when and how often they do it at.

It's the question we ask for many changes Disney makes...is this a big enough deal to warrant the $$ spent? To you, to another poster, heck even to perhaps thousands of daily guests it might be one of the most frustrating things. But is it a large enough deal to the millions and millions of guests who visit WDW as a whole each year for Disney to have a good ROI to implement having a CM there to direct you to a table across their vast property? IDK only Disney knows on that.

 

[Magical2017]

There is an assumption that people take more time at tables if they hold them before they get their food. This is a reasonable assumption, but some people eat quickly. A family may hold a table, get their food, and be out in the same amount of time as another family that got their food first but then lingers because someone wants to hit refresh, read over a map, or post selfies on Facebook.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Sometimes that might mean we are sitting before we get our food and I don’t consider it rude. I’ve never thought other families are rude for doing this either.

Not rude. 100% inconsiderate, though, in that diners who do this are not considering others with different circumstances in any way.

If I don’t hold a table and there’s not a table when I have my food that’s on me for not planning ahead and getting there first.

Let me try this again.
When QS restaurants are especially busy, Disney frequently redeploys CMs to control seating access.
This successfully prevents foodless but potential diners from sitting at a table until they have the food and are ready to sit and eat.
There has never been a report of anyone at these locations at these times NOT having a table or even multiple tables available when they have their food and are ready to sit and eat.
Therefore, order>obtain>sit>eat works.

Conversely, there have been and continue to be reports of people circling with trays of food, unable to find a table because they are all occupied by people without food.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

When we were there last November we used mobile ordering. When we were messaged that our food was ready we went to the restaurant. We sent 2 adults with the 2 kids to find a table while we picked up the food. It might have looked like we were holding a table but we were merely waiting to get our food. Even with the ease of mobile ordering, there are always those who can make a simple process difficult.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I am unable to stand for long periods of time. I leave my ECV outside of QS restaurant, then I sit at a table while my family gets food. Where else am I supposed to wait? Outside?

Yes? Groups, too, if they opt not to all wait in the line. If the wait for food is longer than someone can stand without support, there is a good chance the wait for food is long enough that another party could have sat, eaten, and left before this next order is received.

 

[Zozobear]

My apologies, but I do this. My husband and small kids find a table while I get food. I’d rather not risk having my kids in the teeny tiny pick up areas where they might knock over someone’s tray. Heck I’ve almost spilled trays in those ridiculously small areas! To be fair, we go off season but I could see your point of being annoyed during very busy times. That would be frustrating. I would never do this if my kids weren’t with us regardless of time of year.

 

[elle21]

Conversely, there have been and continue to be reports of people circling with trays of food, unable to find a table because they are all occupied by people without food.

Goodness...I can’t imagine people are circling and all the tables are occupied by people without food. Maybe a handful of tables at any given time have people sitting, waiting for a member of their party to bring their tray of food. But surely not an entire restaurant full of patrons who have no food on their table.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Goodness...I can’t imagine people are circling and all the tables are occupied by people without food.

I not only can imagine it, I have experienced it multiple times.

No, of course not every table is occupied without food. People come and go. But when the restaurants are busy, yes, enough of the occupied tables are foodless that it is noticeable. And aggravating.

 

[tcufrog]

Totally agree with this to me finding a table is a pre requisite for ordering food. Its up to the restaurant to make sure they have enough seating not the customers

Is this another instance of Disney not stepping up and providing proper customer service because their customers aren't expecting enough from them?

My apologies, but I do this. My husband and small kids find a table while I get food. I’d rather not risk having my kids in the teeny tiny pick up areas where they might knock over someone’s tray. Heck I’ve almost spilled trays in those ridiculously small areas! To be fair, we go off season but I could see your point of being annoyed during very busy times. That would be frustrating. I would never do this if my kids weren’t with us regardless of time of year.

The last time we went to WDW mobile ordering didn't exist. My kids are indecisive so I didn't want them in line with me when I went up to the order counter. I knew having them there would just slow the whole ordering process down by quite a bit. A lot of quick-service restaurants have limited waiting space that isn't by the pickup counter. Where would you like parents like me to park our kids where they won't inconvenience other guests?

 

[cmwade77]

For me, it depends, if at somewhere like Woodys lunchbox, you almost have to do this because there is so little seating (I have no idea who thought it was a good idea to be seating for about 100 people max into a popular new area).

Also, if it isn't too busy we will do so and if it is busy, it is going to depend on if I can find a seat while waiting if my knees are hurting or vice versa for the wife. Sorry, but they keep removing more and more benches, making it hard not to take a table while waiting.

 

[cmwade77]

I am unable to stand for long periods of time. I leave my ECV outside of QS restaurant, then I sit at a table while my family gets food. Where else am I supposed to wait? Outside?

Exactly, although at some locations there are sections for disabled access on the busier days, so that may be an option if you bring the ECV in.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

Goodness...I can’t imagine people are circling and all the tables are occupied by people without food. Maybe a handful of tables at any given time have people sitting, waiting for a member of their party to bring their tray of food. But surely not an entire restaurant full of patrons who have no food on their table.

It’s a significant number of tables. On our last trip when we were at Pecos Bills I would estimate it to be about 25% of the tables were being held by people without food. Several were still being “held” without food arriving by the same people after we were done and cleaning up.

 

[Disneypro1]

when we order at a counter serve..Restaurant. YES, i sit the kids and the wife and i order. My son 13 and daughter 11..hold a table for 4. nothing at all wrong with that.
Never been an issue...as just about everyone does it. We choose to eat at 1 pm and about 7. Never any fuss or anything.