My horrible Biergarten table mates experience

[disneysnowflake]

I just had to share this. I couldn't believe the behavior of the man who was seated with us at Biergarten.

We arrived and were seated with a family from NJ. It was a young man, his pretty and thin wife, their baby, and his parents.

As soon as we were seated the young man threw a fit not wanting us there. The server explained we had to sit there and the restaurant was booked solid.
After about 3 minutes of his whining he finally realized we were staying. I asked to be reseated, but we were told that we couldn't.

We hadn't even started eating. During this young man's fit his wife went to get salad from the buffet. As soon as she came back this guy grabbed her arm and started threatening her for getting food before he did. He called her fat, ugly, etc. He said she was going to get hers when they got back to their room. She just kept saying he was hurting her arm. This moron's parents just sat there watching. DH told this guy to knock it off. They both sat down.

The baby started fussing. The young man refused to eat until we left. He then picked up his baby and started pretending the baby was making fun of her mother. Again the parents said nothing. I know they were his parents because the parents said hello to DH and said that jerk was their son.

I had enough. I told the guy to shut up. He then started saying things to me.
DH was at the buffet. My son and I went to speak with our server. She got the manager. I explained what happened and what this man was doing to his wife. I was told we couldn't be moved, but if we left we wouldn't be charged (even though we didn't eat).

DH stayed. I just couldn't stay there with that young husband. He said one other time to this man to shut up. After we left he said this guy was calm. No one from their party ate until after DH left. Little did they know another couple was going to be seated next with them.

DH was charged for his meal, but we weren't charged for ours even though we didn't eat.

That pretty much ruined the rest of my day. I couldn't stop thinking of this about that young wife. Why wouldn't his parents tell their own son to shut up? Why would they allow him to theaten his wife like that in public?

The rest of our dining was great. DH said Biergarten's food was awesome. He said the band was good.. it drowned out the mouth of that guy at our table.

DS and I had some Food and Wine Festival food instead.

I hope that young wife is okay. I couldn't believe someone could do that to their own family.

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

Kind of makes you wonder, if he treats her like that in public, how does he treat her at home? That is truly a disturbing experience. I would have left as well. Sorry your time was ruined.

 

[DVCconvert]

Unreal. You can put a pig in a palace -- but they're still a pig.

Little did they know another couple was going to be seated next with them.

With any luck, a member of that party had uncontrollable Turrets syndrome!

 

[tikkipoo]

What a freak show! It makes you wonder why people allow themselves to be treated like that. I've always told DH, you're bigger and stronger, but you have to sleep sometime! Couldn't imagine having a child that acted like that. Sorry you couldn't have a wonderful time there like you should have. It's one of our favorites.

 

[liquid]

How dreadful!! It's terrible that your meal was ruined, but that poor woman....

I wonder what my husband would have done?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

WOW!

That is horrible! I am sorry your meal was ruined! I can't believe your DH elected to stay there - he must have been really hungry!

I wonder if that guy learned the behavior from his dad, and that's why his parents weren't doing anything. Either that or the parents are afraid of him, too.

Makes me glad we don't care for German food! I'll eat where we have one family per table!

 

[bicker]

I would have threatened the manager that if he didn't have WDW security immediately handle the situation, I'd call the Orange County Police.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I am sure the reason the parents didn't have anything to say is that they act the same way. He probably learned it from his Dad! Evidently he has gotten the impression from them it is okay because they don't tell him it is wrong.

 

[crisi]

So sorry your meal was ruined. I agree with bicker, I would have also put up a stink with the manager...they should have been the ones leaving.

 

[lyncruiser]

Why did your husband stay and eat after you and your son left. Didn't he realize how upset you were?

 

[Kaycee]

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I was apprehensive about the seating arrangements before we went to Biergarten last December, but we were seating with a wonderful family from Iowa. We had a great conversation with this family throughout our meal - something that we would not have had the pleasure of experiencing if it hadn't been for the seating arrangement. Your story shows the flip side. Of course, having someone act like that much of a jerk would've ruined the meal even if they were seated at a separate table. It seems that the management could've done something to keep your meal from being ruined. Yours is the first bad experience I've read about the seating at Biergarten, other than people who were just uncomfortable with the concept. Even so, it seems that the management would be prepared for a situation such as this.

 

[byoung]

I couln't stay if my DW wanted to leave. Guest there are jerks anywhere you go.

 

[bicker]

Uh, that's not a nice thing to say about a DIS member's husband, eh? (Is that what you really meant to say?)

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Uh, that's not a nice thing to say about a DIS member's husband, eh? (Is that what you really meant to say?)

I thought the same thing...but I think it is two separate comments -- one about not staying if DW left and the other about the horrible family they sat with.

Sorry your experience was so bad. That would upset me very much, too.

As for the table sharing, I know it's it's different to Americans, but it is how you would be seated in a German beer hall so I enjoyed the authenticity of the experience. But, it is a downer if you get sat with nasty people!

I wish Disney could have done more to accomodate you and your family. I guess there isn't much they could do for the wife if she wasn't making a complaint. Sadly, those types domestic issues are always so complicated for authorities to address.

 

[hifidigital]

I'm with Bicker, I would have made the manager get security involved.

 

[Alice Sr.]

I had a similar experience at the AKL pool. The guy was off the charts. I really wanted to slap the stuff out of him but I knew his wife (and possibly their 2 cute little girls) would pay when they got in the hotel room. It was probably better not to push it for the wife's sake. Since they weren't at home, if things came to a violent head it would be difficult for her to get away/stand up to him without the familiarness of home. I think his actions go beyond jerk to downright psycho. She is obviously someone who has difficulty standing up for herself. I really feel for her and you guys. I know the experience I had has bothered me many, many times and it was years ago!

 

[Minerva]

That pretty much ruined the rest of my day. I couldn't stop thinking of this about that young wife. Why wouldn't his parents tell their own son to shut up? Why would they allow him to theaten his wife like that in public?

As others have said it could be that the cycle of violence was started with his father towards his mother. Unfortunately abusive relationships also span generations and another possibility is that the young man is also abusive to his parents and the reason nothing was said was because they were afraid of what would happen to them when they got back to the room also.

A quick PSA for anyone who recognizes themselves in this story, there is help out there. Nearly every town now has a shelter or at the very least free counseling and advocacy services available. No one has to stay in a relationship like that and there are people who are willing to help you get out. You can find help by looking under Social Service Agencies or Domestic Violence Shelters in your yellow pages.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I am afraid that we inherit many things from our parents including this type of behavior. There ARE many who are determined NOT to replicate bad behavior they saw as children though.

I wish that other people at other tables would have also joined in to tell the 'husband' he was wrong also.

However, I know (from experience) that the husband would have just taken it out on the wife when they got home. "See what YOU made happen?"

Been there, done that.

It was wrong of the restaurant to have allowed one jerk to disturb everyone else. They should have tossed the jerk.

Slightly Goofy
who has usually enjoyed sharing a table at the Biergarten, some more than others though.

 

[diznyfanatic]

Wow. So sorry to hear of your experience. Especially given the seating arrangements there, you would think situations like this would be addressed quickly and firmly by management so that 1) it doesn't escalate and endanger anyone and 2) every guest around them doesn't walk out.

Without the management addressing it and saying to this jerk that due to the number of complaints, his behavior will not be tolerated or security will be called, he is free to terrorize his family and ruin many more other guests meals.

Management really dropped the ball on this one, in my opinion.

 

[bicker]

I thought the same thing...but I think it is two separate comments -- one about not staying if DW left and the other about the horrible family they sat with.

Oh! Okay, well that would be different. I hope you're right about that.

It was wrong of the restaurant to have allowed one jerk to disturb everyone else. They should have tossed the jerk.

Well, let's not go too far, there. It isn't restaurant management's place to eject a guest -- that's security's job (or their job to call Orange County Police, if they don't feel that they can eject the guest without being injured). I wouldn't want anyone not sworn to serve and protect to risk messing around with "tossing" anyone.