Guests uning quick service restaurant tables

[BoardWalkBelle]

I know this has been discussed before about guests sitting at quick service tables but not dining there. I was at island of Adventure yesterday. I was going to grab a bite to eat at one of the smaller counter service locations. It wasnt lunch time, it was around 2:30. The restaurants has only about 15 indoor tables and about as many outdoor tables. It is located near two major rides. I noticed guests just sitting at the out side tables, aparently waiting for members of their party to finsih one of the rides. My issue was, i was ordering food from the restraunt and needed a place to sit. Luckilt their were two empty tables inside so i grabbed one. While i was ordering my food, a family of five came to sit inside the restaurant without ordering anything,,they took up two tables which someone who was eating at the restaurant may have needed. JUst bothered me to see that.

 

[TexasErin]

Yeah, when someone's walking around with a tray and can't find anywhere to sit, it is very inconsiderate to take up a table when you're not eating.....

 

[ses1230]

OP, I agree that it is inappropriate in that situation.

However, at WDW I see nothing wrong with a parent and a child at the table while the other parent is in line for the food. But then again, we only go in the slow times where it isn't an issue.

 

[chmurf]

my story :

march 2012, we're at MK, and got some dogs from Casey's
Every table was taken, so we began our table hunt.

At some point we saw an elderly lady helping a younger lady with her daughter to clear a table.

We then walked up to that table, tray in hand, and waited for the 3 generations party to leave.

Huges smiles from the elderly lady as she saw us waiting there.

Turns out she was not the grandma at all, just an old (b word here) who just sat there and grinned at us like "gotcha"
We had to sit down on the ground (very hard on me as I'm disabled). By the time we were finished, went to the restrooms and started to resume our visit, she was still there, alone, obviously not waiting for anyone to bring her food, just sitting there enjoying being obnoxious.

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

I dont see anything wrong with people saving tables for their party if one member is ordering food, either..I have done that.. BUT during busy times Disney and Universal dont allow this.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

As a single parent who travels alone with my DD, this has always been a problem for us at Disney. We haven't traveled during the peak times when I hear CMs police this and prevent people from sitting down before they get their food. I would love it if they would make this a consistent policy all the time.

When we were at WDW about a month ago, we stopped in to Casey's to get some dinner. All the tables outside were full. We're fine sitting using the bleacher seats and we went into that room to find a seat. There was a teen boy sitting on one of the bleachers in the center. I asked if he could scoot down so DD and I could sit. He told me no, he was saving those seats for his family who was in line ordering. Someone else sitting on the other set of bleachers offered to move over to make room for us. Don't you know that DD and I were done eating and gathering up our stuff to leave before the boy's family finally got their food and joined him.

And this happens to us all the time. People are saving tables/seats when they don't have their food yet, and DD and I are wandering around with our food trying to find an open spot to eat. This past trip we were pleased when a couple that was seated at a table for 4 invite us to sit with them when we couldn't find an open table. I initially felt weird about it but they were really nice and I was appreciative to have a spot to eat.

 

[chartle]

OP, I agree that it is inappropriate in that situation.

However, at WDW I see nothing wrong with a parent and a child at the table while the other parent is in line for the food. But then again, we only go in the slow times where it isn't an issue.

I dont see anything wrong with people saving tables for their party if one member is ordering food, either..I have done that.. BUT during busy times Disney and Universal dont allow this.

This topic comes up every once and awhile and usually gets closed but.

The reason why it is an issue is lets say it takes 30 min to eat and 15 min to get food. If everyone did this they would need 50% more tables to handle crowds during certain times of the year because you are now using a table for 45 min not 30.

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

I dont understand why saving a table is an issue becasue these people are dining at the restaurant and they are entitled to a table..whats the difference if they save it for 10 mins while they are waiting for their food to arrive? They need a place to sit either way.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

my story :

march 2012, we're at MK, and got some dogs from Casey's
Every table was taken, so we began our table hunt.

At some point we saw an elderly lady helping a younger lady with her daughter to clear a table.

We then walked up to that table, tray in hand, and waited for the 3 generations party to leave.

Huges smiles from the elderly lady as she saw us waiting there.

Turns out she was not the grandma at all, just an old (b word here) who just sat there and grinned at us like "gotcha"

~LOL! This is just too funny! She sure was slick!

We had to sit down on the ground (very hard on me as I'm disabled). By the time we were finished, went to the restrooms and started to resume our visit, she was still there, alone, obviously not waiting for anyone to bring her food, just sitting there enjoying being obnoxious.

~Ugh... now this part is NOT funny. I'm starting to think it is a good idea to have CM's monitor the tables for all the CS restaurants, no one should have to sit on the ground after purchasing a meal, while others who aren't even dining there take up tables. How rude!

~Fortunately, we go when the crowds are much lower and our lunch time is at 11 AM, so this has never been a problem for us.

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

yes, I also try to have lunch around 11 or 1130 before the crowds get bad at the qs locations, or better yet, i will make a lunch ressie at one of the full service restaurants so i dont have to worry about it.

 

[okeydokey]

At Busch Gardens there are a bunch of tables outside a restaurant (maybe a take out window? Can't remember) and we have sat there and waited for the other half of the family to finish riding a nearby ride. There were many empty tables in that area and I did not feel badly sitting at one.

If it had been a meal time and there were people who had purchased food looking for a table to sit it, I would certainly have got up and offered them the table.

 

[wcpamotm]

I dont understand why saving a table is an issue becasue these people are dining at the restaurant and they are entitled to a table..whats the difference if they save it for 10 mins while they are waiting for their food to arrive? They need a place to sit either way.

This is one of my worst pet peeves.

No, there is nothing wrong with occupying a table while waiting for someone else in your party to order and bring food... so long as there are tables available to accomodate anyone who already has their food.

Single parents and solo travelers do not have the luxury of having somebody reserve their table for them as they order their food.

I can't disagree that anybody dining at a restaurant is entitled to a table, but do you truly feel that while waiting you are as equally entitled as someone you already has their food?

It's been previously said in other threads that such travelers have other advantages that larger families do not. While that is not entirely inaccurate, I feel that is more rationalization than justification.

Please, all I would ask for is a little consideration and courtesy.

 

[chartle]

I dont understand why saving a table is an issue becasue these people are dining at the restaurant and they are entitled to a table..whats the difference if they save it for 10 mins while they are waiting for their food to arrive? They need a place to sit either way.

Because as I posted above.

During busy times tables at meal times are a limited resource. Using a table for 10 minutes more means one less table available. In your example if everyone did that and only take 30 minutes to eat, 33% of the time the table is wasted. It all adds up to people walking around with food looking for a table.

Think of this way you have a restaurant with 1 table. If your guests use the table for 30 minutes you can seat 2 groups in an hour. If they use it for 60 minutes its 1 group per so you make half as much money.

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

but if these people wait until they have their food to sit, there may not BE a table..unless of clourse there are CMs directing people to tables, that would be different. Plus, say you have a party of mam, dad and three kids...everyone doesnt need to stand in line(that would make the line longer) so the obvious thing to do would be to go get a table, anyway.

 

[Senator Tressel]

I don't see any problem with people who are not eating at a CS restaurant using up one of their tables to rest if they are plenty of empty tables for the people who are eating there.

 

[RachaelA]

I'm assuming why during busy times, Disney has someone at the entrance and exits of the quick service locations making sure you don't sit at tables before you have your food.

It really does stink to be standing there with an entire tray of food looking for a table while the tables are full of people that have no food.

 

[WDSearcher]

my story :

march 2012, we're at MK, and got some dogs from Casey's
Every table was taken, so we began our table hunt.

At some point we saw an elderly lady helping a younger lady with her daughter to clear a table.

We then walked up to that table, tray in hand, and waited for the 3 generations party to leave.

Huges smiles from the elderly lady as she saw us waiting there.

Turns out she was not the grandma at all, just an old (b word here) who just sat there and grinned at us like "gotcha"
We had to sit down on the ground (very hard on me as I'm disabled). By the time we were finished, went to the restrooms and started to resume our visit, she was still there, alone, obviously not waiting for anyone to bring her food, just sitting there enjoying being obnoxious.

In this situation, I don't understand why you didn't say, "May we join you?" and just sit down at the table. Could be that she didn't speak English and her "huge smile" was her way of inviting you to sit.

That's how I'd have taken it. If you had asked her and she had said "no" and continued to sit alone, that's one thing. But sounds to me like she was sitting there because she was an elderly woman who needed a break. IMO, this one's on you, not her.

I will never understand why people will wander and get upset and internally curse people taking up room and never approach and ask. I ask all the time -- "May I join you?" A few times, I've had people ignore me or say no because other family members were coming. More often than not, though, the response is, "Of course!" and my family and I get to sit AND make a new friend in the bargain.

 

[minnie mum]

but if these people wait until they have their food to sit, there may not BE a table..unless of clourse there are CMs directing people to tables, that would be different. Plus, say you have a party of mam, dad and three kids...everyone doesnt need to stand in line(that would make the line longer) so the obvious thing to do would be to go get a table, anyway.

Respectfully, no. The obvious thing to do would be to stand off to the side and wait for the person in line to get the food. And then proceed to get a table. That is fair for EVERYONE. And that is exactly what you are expected to do during the busy periods when CMs have to regulate entrance into the table areas. If there is no table available when you get your trays of food it is because everyone in the dining room is eating. Not just taking up needed space. You would have to wait your turn, just like everyone else.

As the parks become more and more crowded I predict that we will see this kind of restriction on table access more frequently. I don't think it's a bad thing.

 

[WillAustin]

As the parks become more and more crowded I predict that we will see this kind of restriction on table access more frequently. I don't think it's a bad thing.

We just got back from WDW. I saw signs at several CS locations that said something like "our tables are only for our guests with food."

 

[BoardWalkBelle]

That happened to me once..I was dining alone at Cosmic rays, there were not any tables available, and a family of three asked if the could join me..I was taaken aback for a moment but i said yes, they could. And it was a great experience, i made three new friends