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

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Both Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron are perpetually packed, but I've never had to stand around with a tray full of food due to no available seating. And it's because they don't allow folks to occupy tables while not eating.

Three Broomsticks also depends on how busy it is inside in regards to having a TM be stationed there regarding tables.

Leaky Cauldron is a bit different though because you ordered at the counter, then get a table card and were sat down and then someone brought you your food. You wouldn't be standing with a tray there anyways (least not to my knowledge).

 

[DisBuckMan]

Three Broomsticks also depends on how busy it is inside in regards to having a TM be stationed there regarding tables.

Leaky Cauldron is a bit different though because you ordered at the counter, then get a table card and were sat down and then someone brought you your food. You wouldn't be standing with a tray there anyways (least not to my knowledge).

Yes, you are correct on LC...they bring you your food.

But, neither of those restaurants allow you into the seating area without having ordered first.

Point is, when those restaurants are busy, folks aren't having to wait on a table, because they don't allow folks to occupy tables without food. Therefore, it operates smoothly, as it should.

 

[DisLiss]

I think it makes perfect sense for the majority of a party to go to a table and wait. 1.) You cut down on the number of people in the food line. 2.) You specifically reduce the number of possibly hungry, cranky kids in line. 3.) You cut down on instances of people stopped dead in the middle of the walking area, laden down with food as they search for an open table that may not exist. It never would have occurred to me that someone sitting at a table without food (yet) was in any way being rude.

We have a different way of ordering than many people in that we tend to order from a few different places and then meet up at a designated place to actually eat. So we don't have a reason to hold a table, but I don't care if anyone else does---especially if they have younger, older people with them or people with mobility issues, etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes, you are correct on LC...they bring you your food.

But, neither of those restaurants allow you into the seating area without having ordered first.

Point is, when those restaurants are busy, folks aren't having to wait on a table, because they don't allow folks to occupy tables without food. Therefore, it operates smoothly, as it should.

I agree with the point of saying when it's busy.

Three Broomsticks does allow you to sit wherever as in there's no TM there at all to 'escort' you if you will depending on how busy they are. There was a thread some time back about that and I swear the poster didn't believe me when I said there was absolutely no one to police when we went to Three Broomsticks until other posters chimed in sharing their experience where they also had no TM there to escort you in Three Broomsticks.

My point is to both companies they only care one way or another when it's busy otherwise they don't typically employ the manpower for something like this. Exception for Universal at the moment is Leaky Cauldron. I suspect that if there was another CS place to eat that overtook the popularity that procedures at Leaky Cauldron could change.

 

[DisBuckMan]

I agree with the point of saying when it's busy.

Three Broomsticks does allow you to sit wherever as in there's no TM there at all to 'escort' you if you will depending on how busy they are. There was a thread some time back about that and I swear the poster didn't believe me when I said there was absolutely no one to police when we went to Three Broomsticks until other posters chimed in sharing their experience where they also had no TM there to escort you in Three Broomsticks.

My point is to both companies they only care one way or another when it's busy otherwise they don't typically employ the manpower for something like this. Exception for Universal at the moment is Leaky Cauldron. I suspect that if there was another CS place to eat that overtook the popularity that procedures at Leaky Cauldron could change.

To be clear, I didn't say they escort you all the time at Three Broomsticks. We go to UO 3-4 times a year, and eat there every time, and there's only been once or twice that we've actually been escorted to a table. But, they do control the flow of traffic into the eating area WHEN THEY ARE BUSY...which is most of the time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

To be clear, I didn't say they escort you all the time at Three Broomsticks. We go to UO 3-4 times a year, and eat there every time, and there's only been once or twice that we've actually been escorted to a table. But, they do control the flow of traffic into the eating area WHEN THEY ARE BUSY...which is most of the time.

For sure.

I was just responding to your comment of "But, neither of those restaurants allow you into the seating area without having ordered first." If you meant that statement to mean when they are busy vs not busy (well speaking towards Three Broomsticks really) you have my apologies for misunderstanding you.

 

[Disneylover99]

Counter service restaurants are cranking out orders faster than ever as more and more people use mobile ordering. No matter what side of the debate you’re on, finding a table is getting harder to do during busy times.

 

[kappyfamily]

If there’s a sign saying not to, I will respect that. If not....it’s on!

 

[Dug720]

I think it makes perfect sense for the majority of a party to go to a table and wait. 1.) You cut down on the number of people in the food line. 2.) You specifically reduce the number of possibly hungry, cranky kids in line. 3.) You cut down on instances of people stopped dead in the middle of the walking area, laden down with food as they search for an open table that may not exist. It never would have occurred to me that someone sitting at a table without food (yet) was in any way being rude.

We have a different way of ordering than many people in that we tend to order from a few different places and then meet up at a designated place to actually eat. So we don't have a reason to hold a table, but I don't care if anyone else does---especially if they have younger, older people with them or people with mobility issues, etc.

Actually you don't. Because your party without food is occupying a table that the party with food could sit at - so they are having to look for a table.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

We usually walk up as a group and order, then once the order is placed, we tell the majority to go ahead and find a table. I am not as annoyed by those who find a table prior to their food arriving as I am by people who hang out and occupy a table long after they're finished, or using it as a place to sit while the rest of the party shops or rides a nearby attraction.
ETA: the area in front of Casey's is especially bad about this.

 

[Nancyg56]

We usually walk up as a group and order, then once the order is placed, we tell the majority to go ahead and find a table. I am not as annoyed by those who find a table prior to their food arriving as I am by people who hang out and occupy a table long after they're finished, or using it as a place to sit while the rest of the party shops or rides a nearby attraction.
ETA: the area in front of Casey's is especially bad about this.

We do the same thing. We all order together and then my DGD heads out to find a table and gather the "supplies" we use for lunch. AS far as i know there is no "rule" regarding this practice so I see no reason to wait until we are all carrying trays searching for a table, getting soft drinks and condiments. I think that takes way longer and by the time we all get settled the food is usually cold.

If any restaurant implements a policy we will adhere to it, however unless and until there is one in place my family will continue to send someone out to get us started and settled. IMO this makes things go way faster in the long run.

 

[handinpocket]

mainly saying this cause this mother that I watched was all over CM who told her she could not sit in handicapped area with no one handicapped. she was like she was just finding a table and this was the first one she found and she did not care what he said all in front of her 3 small kids. not saying it was her but this person was just that it was her right to hold the table any way. this person was like you are not changing my mind no matter what you say and just reminded of other person

You should just stop now. That is the most ridiculous thing posted today.......to accuse someone of acting like this woman and being like this woman, because they don't agree with YOU, is beyond the pale.

 

[kaytieeldr]

On our last trip we learned pretty quickly to do just that! With 4 kids in tow holding some kind of food walking in circles, naw......after day 1 usually my wife did the sitting and "holding" it worked out much better......

When everybody used the same process, the process works for everyone.

Small/solo parties cannot both hold a table and be in line to order at the same time.
Therefore, the process that works 100% of the time is

• Wait in line
• Order food
• Get food
• Proceed to table
• Eat food
• Clean up after yourself and depart

 

[robinb]

People who occupy tables in advance to ordering when it is busy are part of the problem and not the solution. People save tables because they are afraid they won't have one when they need it, but they may not have a table when they need it because there are so many people saving tables. They take and occupy tables selfishly so they can have a place to eat when their food is ready while taking away a table from someone else who already has food. In addition, the table that they occupy is "out of commission" for nearly twice as long because they sit and wait 20 minutes or more for their food and then sit for another 20 minutes or more while they eat. In the amount of time it takes two "table saver" families to save and eat (say, 40 minutes total each family). 3-4 "non table saver" families could have used that same table. This not a problem when there are plenty of available tables, but when tables are at a premium. We often got to WDW when it is super busy and the proof is in the pudding. When there are no CMs to direct table traffic we will often have to circle with our food trying to find someplace to sit while many, many tables are filled with "savers". When CMs are stationed to direct table traffic we are able to sit immediately. Oh ... and in those busy times without CMs you won't get my table if you're a "table saver". I don't just get up and leave. I specifically look for people walking with food and flag them down and give them my table. It's the least I can do for someone like me circling with their food.

 

[DisLiss]

I specifically look for people walking with food and flag them down and give them my table. It's the least I can do for someone like me circling with their food.

I love this idea. As we prep for our upcoming trip, we have 4 mantras that we keep repeating. #1. We are in no rush. #2. No one ride/attraction makes or breaks a trip. #3. We will not allow other people's bad behavior/complaining/etc. to change our happiness. #4. If we can do something nice for others, we will do it. And this fits in perfectly with #4. So I will mention this to my family as a possible mini kindness to extend to others while we are there. Thanks!

 

[Minsc]

I specifically look for people walking with food and flag them down and give them my table. It's the least I can do for someone like me circling with their food.

We do this, as well. I send my boys back towards the ordering line to look for families, especially with younger children, to flag them down and bring them to our table. Someone did this for us many years ago when my teenagers were much younger, and we've payed it forward since.

 

[mlayman7]

We mobile order so nowhere else to go except a table when we enter. Within 5 minutes of sitting down we have our food. It's the way things are going. It's worked great for us so far.

 

[Upatnoon]

We were just one of the families standing with our trays full of food outside Casey's as people nearby sat at empty tables.

Luckily, a family who had just finished gave us their table to the chagrin of a trayless family that was looming nearby.

This situation is Psychology 101. The perceived scarcity of tables leads to hoarding. Instead of using a table for 30 minutes to eat, a family is using a table for 45 minutes to wait and eat. To compensate, Disney would have to add 50 percent more tables during busy times so people wouldn't sit early in fear of missing out.

The best solution would be for Disney to manage the tables and add more, especially with mobile dining further speeding up ordering. Serving more people per hour during a rush will only make the table hoarding worse. All these solutions are hated by Disney. Hiring more people, spending more money on tables AND telling guests, NO you can't sit down without food.

While I do think that table hoarding is selfish behavior, it is understandable and human nature.

As someone earlier in this thread said, when you get up to leave, look for a family with trays of food and give them your table.

 

[Magical2017]

I always feel pretty foolish when we fail to scout for a table first. If I am left standing with a tray of food and no place to sit when I have others who could have scouted, that's on me.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I guess I don’t see the problem with part of a group finding a table while another part of the group orders and picks up. I have a bigger bone to pick with people who pack a picnic lunch and take up table space while people who purchased food at that QS restaurant can’t find a seat.

I agree 100%. When we made our first trip, we packed our lunches. We found random places to sit (walls, benches,etc) but never at a table we didn't pay to eat at.