Has an "unfriendly" communal table ever put a damper on the experience ?

[BrianL]

I have mostly had good experiences at Biergarten and enjoy getting to meet new people. Usually though because the tables are long, those on one side tend to group, so usually the other side of the table is like their own group, but it's usually not like they don't want us there.

Now, the last time I ate there, they seated a couple at the very end of the table, and I don't know what was going on, but the guy just wasn't having it. He apparently didn't want to eat there, he did not get food and sat there huffy the whole time. The waiter even offered to bring him a drink on the house, but he refused, arms folded. The woman was just going about eating there as if it was totally normal. She seemed to enjoy eating there, but she wasn't enjoying his company. I really don't know. They left rather quickly. Still though, everyone else at the table had a good time chatting.

 

[Jennasis]

We have no issue with communal seating. Biergarten is one of our favorites. We've had chatty tablemates and some who kept to themselves. We are game for either. Now if someone was rude or disruptive I have no problem asking to be moved to a new table.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Like @ronandannette there seem to be more and more of these places all the time. My DH could talk to a wall and he knows sometimes I just can’t deal with the chit chat. Sometimes I can. I let him know I’m leaving and he plays it from there. There are more instances when I’m not in the mood for fandoms, so exchange pleasantries and enjoy each other/the family. Nothing personal, sometimes I’m just not interested in a stranger. Occasionally I’m open to it.

You put your finger on it exactly!

 

[diznygirl]

Twice on cruises. The first time in our honeymoon at a table for 8 and literally no one talked to each other. Weird.

Second time we were with our children. Another table for 8. We hadn’t even sat down yet when an old lady pointed to my kids and asked “what are they doing here?” We made the best of it, but turns out the young woman sitting next to my husband was hitting on him the entire dinner! He went to guest services the next morning and we got our own table for the rest of the cruise. Turns out that had gotten a complaint about her at breakfast. Lol Now we always request a private table. It’s just not worth the aggravation.

 

[BingoJoe]

My boyfriend and I were at a table at Biergarten with 2 other couples who were not together. One couple was average sized; the other Pooh sized. The average couple was making snarky remarks and laughing behind the backs of the Pooh sized couple each time they went to the buffet. My boyfriend and I ignored them, but I’m ashamed to say we didn’t say anything either. Maybe it was best to just stay out of it. We found the Pooh sized couple delightful and their love for Disney was infectious!

Does Pooh sized mean very short (for example dwarfism) or does it mean fat? Is it a common way of referring to people in the USA now? If that is what short people prefer then who am I to judge I suppose but I am pretty fat myself and I would hate to be called Pooh sized! Talk about patronising!!!!!

Either way the average couple you mention were clearly absolute arseholes and deserved a slap.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

So, we did FEA tonight - our first time - we really enjoyed it, but given the choice of only one, I would still do with SWAGS or JBJB first , with MK a close 2nd

You know I went into this thread thinking it had to do with communion at church. Then I started reading this and was totally confused about what type of churches FEA, SWAGS, JBIB, and MK are.

 

[Searc]

Does Pooh sized mean very short (for example dwarfism) or does it mean fat? Is it a common way of referring to people in the USA now? If that is what short people prefer then who am I to judge I suppose but I am pretty fat myself and I would hate to be called Pooh sized! Talk about patronising!!!!!

Either way the average couple you mention were clearly absolute arseholes and deserved a slap.

It's a snide way of calling people fat.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Does Pooh sized mean very short (for example dwarfism) or does it mean fat? Is it a common way of referring to people in the USA now?

It's a DIS-ism, specifically.

 

[BingoJoe]

It's a DIS-ism, specifically.

Is it supposed to be insulting or is it people trying to be nice? Maybe a bit of both!

 

[okeydokey]

More people use the term to describe themselves than others I think.

 

[Disneylover99]

It's a snide way of calling people fat.

I don’t think it’s snide on these boards. Lots of people refer to themselves as being Pooh sized on the dis, but probably not in real life.

 

[okeydokey]

I can be pretty friendly and can strike up a conversation with others at a communal table, but I know others can be very uncomfortable in that setting.

My son is an introvert and if he has to spend time in crowded and noisy places, he does, but at some point his social battery is running low an he just needs some time to decompress. In a crowd he does this by readying on his phone. We don't use phones at the dinner table in our house or on a family dinner but i have no problem with it if we are on vacation and he needs that time.

 

[Hikergirl]

The only communal places we go are to hibachi restaurants and other than a smile and "hello" I don't chit chat with the strangers I'm sharing the table with. I'm not there to make sure they have a great time, or for "their" social event. I go to be out with my family so I spend my time talking to them.
If other people feel that is unfriendly and puts a damper on their experience that is their issue.

 

[L&Lfan]

Absolutely, I see obese folks refer to themselves as Pooh sized on these boards all the time. That and calling themselves “fluffy”. I was just trying to be sensitive. My bad in forgetting everyone might not know that AND for forgetting that some people here immediately attribute nefarious intentions to anything being said which they might... just might, be misunderstanding. But that just the nature of the disboards!

 

[JaxDad]

You know I went into this thread thinking it had to do with communion at church. Then I started reading this and was totally confused about what type of churches FEA, SWAGS, JBIB, and MK are.

They are places of worship to many on these boards...

And as others have noted, I would not consider "Pooh-sized" insulting here. It's used throughout the DIS by posters to describe themselves for ride sizes and other things.

 

[okeydokey]

Twice on cruises. The first time in our honeymoon at a table for 8 and literally no one talked to each other. Weird.

Second time we were with our children. Another table for 8. We hadn’t even sat down yet when an old lady pointed to my kids and asked “what are they doing here?” We made the best of it, but turns out the young woman sitting next to my husband was hitting on him the entire dinner! He went to guest services the next morning and we got our own table for the rest of the cruise. Turns out that had gotten a complaint about her at breakfast. Lol Now we always request a private table. It’s just not worth the aggravation.

That lady, my goodness. What do you think they are doing here? Shoveling snow?

 

[aw14]

We ate at Biergarten several years ago...luckily my wife and our daughter were getting food and I was with a family from N. Carolina. I was chatting with the dad over a beer when he proceed with the following:

"there are a lot more black people here than in Germany". I sat with a befuddled look, and he followed with "a lot more Jews too". Now, we are Jewish, so I broke out into laughter and replied "did you actually say that outloud"? He got embarrassed and quiet. I continued laughing for quite a while.

He was lucky, had my wife been there, he would have been wearing his beer and dinner

 

[BingoJoe]

Absolutely, I see obese folks refer to themselves as Pooh sized on these boards. I was trying to be sensitive. My bad in forgetting everyone might not know that AND for forgetting that some people here immediately attribute nefarious purposes to anything being said. But that just the nature of the disboards!

I guessed it was supposed to be polite from your context, I was just surprised that it had caught on! But then someone else said it was snide so I was even more confused! Sorry I should have just googled!

I actually do find Disney fat politics a bit confusing. At home I am a fatso, no doubt about it, 6'2 230 lbs, but at Disney I don't stand out in the crowd because there are quite a lot of very big people. I assumed that because there were so many very very overweight people that everyone would be pleasant and accepting.

A couple of years ago we went to Florida with our friend who is about 5'6 and around 380 lbs. He is big enough that it has hurt his hips and really needs to use a scooter etc. I thought it would be a great holiday for him because it was all accessible and he wouldn't need to be self conscious (in England he really does stand out, would never use a scooter and so stays in). He did have a great time, but even though he wasn't the only overweight scooter user by a long shot people at the bus stops etc were still sometimes pretty snidey to him.

He was actually neglected and starved as a child, and has a mild learning disability, so I don't even hold him particularly responsible for his size, but even if he was I can't imagine being horrible to someone because they were really fat. Especially when it doesnt maker any difference to you and that category is about 20% of fellow park goers!

It is all so odd!

Anyway sorry for hijacking the thread. I will shut up now.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Communal tables have been around in certain places in my area for a while now though it's not that the whole place is that way but rather specific tables set up. Breakfast/brunch style places are common enough (like ones only open til 2pm) to either have a communal table or a bar style area depending on the place.

Sometimes that's all that is available and while you could always say no I understand if someone doesn't want to wait more and just wants to sit down and get their food.

I'm a chatty person by nature but I'm not always chatty. I have no issues striking up a conversation with peeps nor do I care if they strike up a conversation with me. That said I'm not always that way. And sometimes it's a brief few mins of chat and then nothing the rest of the time. Totally fine by me.

I wouldn't describe people as not talking to equate to unfriendly. Social cue-wise I would just take it as the other people near me don't want to talk---and that doesn't bother me in the least.

 

[fly girl]

Ugh, after our honeymoon cruise we will always chose a private table first.

We were given a bottle of wine from the cruise ship as a congratulations, and we asked others at the table if they would like a glass. We were sternly told, "We don't drink the Devil's Juice." Ummm...ok. *insert crickets chirping and awkward silence* Needless to say the rest of the cruise we at at the Windjammer.

Every time we now sit at a communal table we say "uh-oh the Devil's Juice" as a joke to each other. I guess they gave us a funny lasting memory.