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

[Mambo Junkie]

I always look for someone who has food to give the table to. We did this last time at the Earl of Sandwich.
We always order as a group, mostly because we have no idea what the menu is. We check out the menu before getting in line. Once ordered, especially if it is crowded and chaotic, we send the kids off with an adult to find a table. If just me and DH, we go together.

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!

When we go as a group, we often split up, but when we meet for dinner, we each tell a "people behaving badly" incident we witnessed, then vote on the best one. Happily, some days we have nothing to report. Sometimes, it's minor. Our criteria is both parents and the children have to exhibit poor behavior to have a perfect score. More often than not, it's the parents. It goes a long way toward not letting it ruin your day.

 

[Lilsia]

Whoa. Talk about entitled.
I guess it's a two way street.

I don't think so. If they are more then willing to sell you the food, there should be a table available to eat. That is a very reasonable expectation, this is not a picnic after all. If they have reached their maximum capacity, then they should stop the line until more space opens up. Other places control the amount of people that are allowed to enter when they are at maximum capacity. I don't see why Disney can't do it. I think people can be more courteous when eating at peak times by eating and then leaving when done if they see that others are walking around looking for tables with their tray in hand. If you are still tired, you can go and sit on a bench.

 

[cruisin5]

One of many reasons I LOVE Satu'li canteen. The staff will not let you grab a seat unless you have food. It prevents people from grabbing tables while waiting for people in line to eventually bring the food.
While I understand the idea of grabbing a table so you know you have somewhere to sit, ultimately it hinders the whole system.

Unfortunately, they were not doing this on Monday. Our group of 8 ordered then sent two of the teens to find a table.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't think so. If they are more then willing to sell you the food, there should be a table available to eat. That is a very reasonable expectation, this is not a picnic after all. If they have reached their maximum capacity, then they should stop the line until more space opens up. Other places control the amount of people that are allowed to enter when they are at maximum capacity. I don't see why Disney can't do it. I think people can be more courteous when eating at peak times by eating and then leaving when done if they see that others are walking around looking for tables with their tray in hand. If you are still tired, you can go and sit on a bench.

I agree regarding needing a place to sit and only a place to sit (meaning you're not getting food at the establishment) but I don't know how they could stop the line until more space opens up after they introduced Mobile Ordering unless you want them to give preferential treatment towards patrons needing a seat to those who have Mobile Ordered. The whole point of Mobile Ordering is to order in advance and then tap "I'm Here" when you get to the food establishment (or very very close to it) for them to prepare the food.

 

[TongaToast21]

What I really think would be interesting is if those in the "take a table without food" side get annoyed when they have their trays and can't find a table because other people are sitting and saving tables?

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't think so. If they are more then willing to sell you the food, there should be a table available to eat. That is a very reasonable expectation, this is not a picnic after all. If they have reached their maximum capacity, then they should stop the line until more space opens up. Other places control the amount of people that are allowed to enter when they are at maximum capacity. I don't see why Disney can't do it. I think people can be more courteous when eating at peak times by eating and then leaving when done if they see that others are walking around looking for tables with their tray in hand. If you are still tired, you can go and sit on a bench.

But they don't stop the lines. I wouldn't expect any counter service place to do that. Nor do they post signs that say no loitering, or no sitting before you get your food. So why take that out on people who arrived first and are waiting for their tray of food? Sorry. But I wouldn't expect a CM to refund my money or clear a table for me.

Why not be proactive and do a quick check? You know, personal responsibility. If there are no tables or it's really crowded why would you want to eat there? That seems stressful to me. Go to a different counter service place or go on MDE and make a reservation at TS if possible. You'd be surprised at how easy it is to do that at many table service restaurants day of.

As I said earlier in this thread, eat at non-peak times and you can avoid this issue.

 

[Lilsia]

I agree regarding needing a place to sit and only a place to sit (meaning you're not getting food at the establishment) but I don't know how they could stop the line until more space opens up after they introduced Mobile Ordering unless you want them to give preferential treatment towards patrons needing a seat to those who have Mobile Ordered. The whole point of Mobile Ordering is to order in advance and then tap "I'm Here" when you get to the food establishment (or very very close to it) for them to prepare the food.

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.

 

[Lilsia]

But they don't stop the lines. I wouldn't expect any counter service place to do that. Nor do they post signs that say no loitering, or no sitting before you get your food. So why take that out on people who arrived first and are waiting for their tray of food? Sorry. But I wouldn't expect a CM to refund my money or clear a table for me.

Why not be proactive and do a quick check? You know, personal responsibility. If there are no tables or it's really crowded why would you want to eat there? That seems stressful to me. Go to a different counter service place or go on MDE and make a reservation at TS if possible. You'd be surprised at how easy it is to do that at many table service restaurants day of.

As I said earlier in this thread, eat at non-peak times and you can avoid this issue.

Even if you go and do a "quick check" anyone can come in the time that you are ordering your food and take up the tables. I am all for personal responsibility, probably more then most people on this site. But when you, as the customer, do the right thing, you should not be punished because others choose to be inconsiderate. I think that when you eat at peak times, then you do run the risk of the tables being full. But Casey's is a whole different ball game. People will just sit there and rest or watch the stage show, without actually being a customer. Disney definitely needs to police that better.

 

[Disneylover99]

What I really think would be interesting is if those in the "take a table without food" side get annoyed when they have their trays and can't find a table because other people are sitting and saving tables?

I say this as a person who can see both sides and have been on both sides.
Probably not. Why would they? They more then likely wouldn't get food if they couldn't find a table.

I've been in the situation on a few occasions with food and no seat. It would never occur to me to be mad at Disney or others that had tables.

 

[Disneylover99]

Even if you go and do a "quick check" anyone can come in the time that you are ordering your food and take up the tables. I am all for personal responsibility, probably more then most people on this site. But when you, as the customer, do the right thing, you should not be punished because others choose to be inconsiderate. I think that when you eat at peak times, then you do run the risk of the tables being full. But Casey's is a whole different ball game. People will just sit there and rest or watch the stage show, without actually being a customer. Disney definitely needs to police that better.

The thing to remember is that you and other people on this thread *think* that you are doing the right thing. But are you? As I mentioned earlier if Disney is not policing the tables or telling/advertising that you can't sit at a table before you get your food, common sense dictates to me that you should probably grab a table first if the place is getting busy or there are lines to order.

Caseys is one of those places that seems full to me all the time. Tables are almost always taken no matter what time of day it is. We take our hotdogs to go at this place. I just don't worry or even look to see who is eating and who is not.

 

[Lilsia]

The thing to remember is that you and other people on this thread *think* that you are doing the right thing. But are you? As I mentioned earlier if Disney is not policing the tables or telling/advertising that you can't sit at a table before you get your food, common sense dictates to me that you should probably grab a table first if the place is getting busy or there are lines to order.

Caseys is one of those places that seems full to me all the time. Tables are almost always taken no matter what time of day it is. We take our hotdogs to go at this place. I just don't worry or even look to see who is eating and who is not.

I don't know what you consider "wrong" about going into a restaurant, ordering food, and wanting to sit at that restaurant to eat. I just can't see how that is so odd to you. The people that "Think" that they are right, are the ones who take up a table when they are not even eating, or even planning on eating there. They are just sitting there to rest and watch the fireworks. And how do you grab a table first if you are solo, or with a young child?

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't know what you consider "wrong" about going into a restaurant, ordering food, and wanting to sit at that restaurant to eat. I just can't see how that is so odd to you. The people that "Think" that they are right, are the ones who take up a table when they are not even eating, or even planning on eating there. They are just sitting there to rest and watch the fireworks. And how do you grab a table first if you are solo, or with a young child?

Odd? Wrong? Those are your words. Not mine. I totally understand ordering and wanting to eat at a restaurant and I'm not suggesting that people should sit at tables and not order anything.

As I've said repeatedly. Eat at off times or avoid a super busy place like Caseys. I recommend that to everyone, no matter what their party make up is, solo, large family, or with a young child.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

At Pecos Bills in January we walked around with food on our trays looking for a table. Many, many tables were taken up by people holding tables. My brother and his little boys actually starting to sit on the floor around their tray to eat. Luckily a table opened up and they were able to sit. Also saw two women going at it over a table. They both sat down in chairs at the table and refused to move. Don’t know how that ended. Luckily they weren’t close to the Fixins’ Bar Or it could have gotten nasty Disney doesn’t care. I spoke with several cast members who told me they couldn’t do anything about it. At one time years ago, a cast member would only allow people with trays to enter the dining area. They don’t do that anymore. So while I have always thought it was rude to hold tables while others stand there holding trays of food with no where to sit, I know realize that this is how the operation works and I will start holding a table. It beats the stress that occurs when I have to walk around looking for a place to sit while my food gets cold. Meanwhile, cast members rope off areas in the dining room for people on guided tours. In January, they roped off an area with quite a few tables and most of them were empty.

 

[Disneylover99]

At Pecos Bills in January we walked around with food on our trays looking for a table. Many, many tables were taken up by people holding tables. My brother and his little boys actually starting to sit on the floor around their tray to eat. Luckily a table opened up and they were able to sit. Also saw two women going at it over a table. They both sat down in chairs at the table and refused to move. Don’t know how that ended. Luckily they weren’t close to the Fixins’ Bar Or it could have gotten nasty Disney doesn’t care. I spoke with several cast members who told me they couldn’t do anything about it. At one time years ago, a cast member would only allow people with trays to enter the dining area. They don’t do that anymore. So while I have always thought it was rude to hold tables while others stand there holding trays of food with no where to sit, I know realize that this is how the operation works and I will start holding a table. It beats the stress that occurs when I have to walk around looking for a place to sit while my food gets cold. Meanwhile, cast members rope off areas in the dining room for people on guided tours. In January, they roped off an area with quite a few tables and most of them were empty.

Pecos Bill is notorious for getting super busy, super quickly. That was the place on two occasions over Christmas and New Years that was telling people who had mobile ordered and were standing around, to go and find a seat while they waited for their order.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

I don't know what you consider "wrong" about going into a restaurant, ordering food, and wanting to sit at that restaurant to eat. I just can't see how that is so odd to you. The people that "Think" that they are right, are the ones who take up a table when they are not even eating, or even planning on eating there. They are just sitting there to rest and watch the fireworks. And how do you grab a table first if you are solo, or with a young child?

One of many reasons I LOVE Satu'li canteen. The staff will not let you grab a seat unless you have food. It prevents people from grabbing tables while waiting for people in line to eventually bring the food.
While I understand the idea of grabbing a table so you know you have somewhere to sit, ultimately it hinders the whole system.

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.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

The thing to remember is that you and other people on this thread *think* that you are doing the right thing. But are you? As I mentioned earlier if Disney is not policing the tables or telling/advertising that you can't sit at a table before you get your food, common sense dictates to me that you should probably grab a table first if the place is getting busy or there are lines to order.

Caseys is one of those places that seems full to me all the time. Tables are almost always taken no matter what time of day it is. We take our hotdogs to go at this place. I just don't worry or even look to see who is eating and who is not.

Eating at Casey’s is such a stressful experience because it’s hard to stand and eat a hot dog smothered in Mac and cheese. At least a lady using s table to rest allowed us to sit with her. She didn’t look happy about it.

 

[Disneylover99]

Eating at Casey’s is such a stressful experience because it’s hard to stand and eat a hot dog smothered in Mac and cheese. At least a lady using s table to rest allowed us to sit with her. She didn’t look happy about it.

I think it would be very difficult to police the outside portion of Caseys with so many people just walking by. Outdoor seating areas can be tricky like that.

 

[AndreaA]

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

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. Now if it looks like the line is 45min, you may have a point (and I’d never, ever eat at such a place because I value my sanity), but not if the wait is ~15 or less.

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? Seems like a mistake in my opinion, and 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?

 

[Farro]

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. Now if it looks like the line is 45min, you may have a point (and I’d never, ever eat at such a place because I value my sanity), but not if the wait is ~15 or less.

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? Seems like a mistake in my opinion, and 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?

No, I don't think a single diner taking up a space meant for two is rude if they are eating.

If you have room at your table for more people, then I suppose you would also be rude?

Of course if people have extra room at their tables, hopefully they are offering to share with those poor souls wandering around with trays of food.

 

[Jennasis]

One of many reasons I LOVE Satu'li canteen. The staff will not let you grab a seat unless you have food. It prevents people from grabbing tables while waiting for people in line to eventually bring the food.
While I understand the idea of grabbing a table so you know you have somewhere to sit, ultimately it hinders the whole system.

This is not "standard operating procedure" at Satu'li Canteen. Not even during the busy season. In December it was a freaking free-for-all nightmare there. We will not be going back.