Guests uning quick service restaurant tables

[khertz]

It's discussions like this that make me happy we are early eaters by nature. On WDW vacations, we are up early eating breakfast before getting to the parks before rope drop, so we are hungry for lunch by 11-11:30. An early lunch makes us hungry for dinner by 5-5:30. Eating early keeps this from being an issue, especially since we now have DS with us. It is a lot easier to take him to the table, clean his hands, get his sippy cup ready, put his little placemat down, etc. while DH orders the food. We are able to do this easily and without taking a table from anyone wandering around with their food because there is hardly anyone else in the restaurant and dozens of empty tables!

On our honeymoon, we were those people wandering around with our tray of food through Pizzafari looking for an open table only to find tons of tables being taken up by people "saving" them for their party who was ordering the food, and it was so frustrating! Our food was steadily getting cold while other people were sitting there with no food. We could have eaten and left in the time it took for the rest of their party to show up with the food! I don't contribute to that situation because I think it's very rude.

 

[Cherinva]

In all the trips I've had to WDW, there was only 1 time (at Casey's) where we had our food in hand and no where to sit.....I simply asked a father and son if they minded if we sat with them....they were happy to share the table and we wound up having a nice lunch conversation with them.

 

[CireEdorelkrah]

I have no problem letting strangers sit with us if we have space. I will also go to a table with people just waiting and ask to sit in an empty seat. If they say they do mind, I sit there anyway. I get a lot of dirty looks and I know it is rude but at least I am eating and taking up wasted space to give others a chance at another possible table.

 

[North of Mouse]

We never have an issue finding tables at any of the CS's places for two reasons. We almost never go June-August, and we never eat at "normal" lunch times at home, so tend to eat at off times at Disney also. One time dh and I has a few hours apart and I grabbed some french fries at Pecos Bill. It was crowded but I finally found a table, then 3 ladies came up and asked if they could share - of course I said yes, found out they lived not far from my hometown, and we had a nice conversation - they were not eating though (just sitting, but wasn't my problem). I did my part

 

[North of Mouse]

I have no problem letting strangers sit with us if we have space. I will also go to a table with people just waiting and ask to sit in an empty seat. If they say they do mind, I sit there anyway. I get a lot of dirty looks and I know it is rude but at least I am eating and taking up wasted space to give others a chance at another possible table.

Sorry. but I could never do that

 

[Ceila]

I've been during slow and busy (Easter during regular lunch hour) times. DH and DS usually go to the counter to order while DD and I look for a table. During slow times, there are plenty of tables, so it doesn't matter, and during busy times, by the time they have the food I've usually just found a table, so again, it all works out. I do remember once having to have everyone wait in line together before being allowed to enter the seating area. No problem, we followed Disney's rules.

 

[HookedOnDiz]

How is saving a table at a counter service restaurant any different than what happens at a sit down restaurant. They don't make you wait until your food is ready beofre they seat you at Liberty Tree Tavern do they?

 

[Suellen]

I've been flamed for this before ~ but I think sitting at a table where you aren't eating OR don't have any food yet ~ while people who have their food are either eating on the floor or walking around with their food getting cold is extremely rude!

Give your seat to those WITH food.

Sure if there are 20 empty tables no big deal... but come on people... use common sense and common courtesy.

When I see people waiting for our table and they have no food ~ we sit and watch for someone with food and wave them over then get up. I've wandered with two small children and a tray full of rapidly cooling food before and it is NOT fun!!

 

[srferson]

How is saving a table at a counter service restaurant any different than what happens at a sit down restaurant. They don't make you wait until your food is ready beofre they seat you at Liberty Tree Tavern do they?

There's a reason there is a reservation system for sit down restaurants. You have a table the entire time. Everyone has someone else to go get their food for them. And the meals take longer. This limits the number of people who are able to eat at that restaurant.

Counter service is not supposed to be the same as a sit down restaurant. It's supposed to be quicker and serve far more people than a sit down restaurant.

 

[minnie mum]

How is saving a table at a counter service restaurant any different than what happens at a sit down restaurant. They don't make you wait until your food is ready beofre they seat you at Liberty Tree Tavern do they?

TS restaurants take only those guests that they can accommodate with the number of tables available. There are a finite number of seatings available at any given TS restaurant. Once that number is reached, people are turned away. The number of guests in a restaurant at any given time is regulated by the number of ADRs available. They (generally) do not book more guests than they can accommodate at any given time.

TS restaurants are not self-seating either. You can't just walk in and plop yourself down whenever you want.

 

[toutons]

Had this happen at the Mexican Pavilion last week. It started raining so we went to get some food. There were 3 tables full of people just sitting there, waiting out the rain, not eating. I thought it was pretty rude. I have no problem with saving a table but this was not the case.

 

[gator girl]

I was so disgusted with everyone around me the time I was at DHS (back when it was MGM!) & had to eat with my tray balanced on top of a trash can because that was the only flat surface around. Meanwhile, out of the approximately 20 tables in the immediate vicinity way less than half of them actually held people with food eating a meal. The rest of them were "squatters" and at least 7 or 8 of these groups with empty seats refused to let me share their tables after I asked politely. Because "someone's in line ordering so we'll need those seats" dontcha know. I even told them that I'd just use the seat until their family member returned & that I promised to get up at that point, but that didn't matter. So I just gave up. After I finished eating my meal on the trash can about half of the squatters STILL did not have their food at the table, including multiple parties who had refused to let me sit down while they waited for their food.

Ugh. And now I have that "people are gross" feeling again, just from talking about it. To this day, I will never never never eat CS at a peak mealtime again. It's just not worth it.

 

[Suellen]

LOL! I thought we were the only ones to use the trashcan as a table.... we did it at Cosmic Ray's though.... while the kids cried about eating there. I didn't blame them and wound up setting them up on the floor by the stage. People are so self absorbed.

 

[OurDogCisco]

My experience has been that during the busy times of the year table service takes the same amount of time as quick service. We normally travel during the summer, Thanksgiving week or the last two weeks of December. I timed it once we were at Sunshine Seasons and from the time we ordered to the time we found a table and ate it was 68 minutes. Normally, we can do a sitdown lunch within an hour. I never had trouble at sitdown restuarant being slow at lunch time. If it is buffet you can control your time spent eating. Granted, we aren't always super hungry at lunch time so, we'll just order a salad and call it a meal. We never feel that we have to order 3 courses just because you are in a sitdown. It is a little bit more expensive but not by much. I'm too old and cranky for quick service. I understand both sides of the issue and it is nice to hear that Disney is taking steps to help alleviate the problem but I just simply prefer sitdown.

 

[ols386]

no.

the line would have more *people* in it, but not more *orders* being placed... there would be no more actual *time* spent in line.

i don't understand why it's hard for people to grasp the simple math behind waiting til you've gotten your food resulting in more tables for everyone.

Yep.

 

[Geoff_M]

Had this happen at the Mexican Pavilion last week. It started raining so we went to get some food. There were 3 tables full of people just sitting there, waiting out the rain, not eating. I thought it was pretty rude. I have no problem with saving a table but this was not the case.

We had something similar to this happen at AK this month. We were in-line at the Y&Y CS restaurant when I saw on my smartphone that a typical short afternoon shower was about to hit the area. As they were prepping our order, it started raining. We took the two trays filled with food and drinks and headed for the shelter area nearby that used to be one of the loading/unloading areas for the defunct AK boat ride. It now contains three or four decent sized tables with chairs. Not surprisingly a number of people had sought cover from the rain under the shelter... and all of the tables and chairs were occupied with people waiting out the rain. There was still plenty of dry standing room under the shelter, however. We stood there beside one of the tables occupied by a family just sitting there. I hoped someone would offer us a table... but people just sat there. After a while, my hands started to tremble after holding the weighted tray for so long. It was about at this point that the wife sitting at the table nearest apparently heard me say out loud "I need to find someplace to set this tray down" and finally realized the situation and told her family to stand up and let us eat our food. I was grateful to them.

A while later, it was still raining a bit when a father with three small kids came out of the drizzle with a tray of food. I realized that most our group was done eating, so I had them get up and offered to share the table, much to the father's relief.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I don't mind people sitting at tables without food, as long as there are tables for people with food. Otherwise it's rude. I've had to eat standing up and sitting on the ground before, and I really wish Disney would do something to enforce those who aren't eating to move, so those with food can have a table.

Every time this has happened it's been an "off" dining time, but it's usually people waiting for a parade or show to start, and they just want a seat.

 

[acebatonfan]

And how do you know whether or not the people just finished eating and decided to spend a few minutes planning out the rest of their day? Yes, I'm strongly against people saving seats for their party (especially when it is one person for a group of 20+), but there are some circumstances that cannot be accounted for.

During my last trip with my family, my mom and I were taking an afternoon to tour MK together. The weather was looking a bit iffy while we were in Liberty Square, so we decided to get a funnel cake and use the time it might be raining to have a little snack to pull us over until our dinner ADR. It did start raining, and we did share our table with another group of two, but we were sitting there with a finished funnel cake for at least a half hour.

 

[icc2515]

I have to say that I am going to have to take the other side on this one. If guests want to occupie a table while not eating and there are no tables for other guests to eat at then this is Disney's fault. It is not other guests responsibility to make accommodations for me it is Disney's. I am not paying another guest almost a hundred dollars to go to the park I am paying that money to Disney. If more tables are needed then disney should provide those tables to their guests. Every guest sitting at a table is a guest not standing in line at tsm or btr etc. if people are tired and need a place to sit then It is Disney's responsibility to do something about it. Remember these people sitting at the tables have paid to be there just like you have. I do think it is rude to use a table if you don't need it, but then again if somebody wants to sit at a table shooting the breeze instead of taking up a seat on a ride that should be their option. If you cannot find a table complain to your host, Disney.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

LOL! I thought we were the only ones to use the trashcan as a table.... we did it at Cosmic Ray's though.... while the kids cried about eating there. I didn't blame them and wound up setting them up on the floor by the stage. People are so self absorbed.

I've used trashcans as tables as well. At least they're always clean in Disney.