Inside four quick-service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom, Disney has begun restricting access -- but guaranteeing seating -- during particularly busy lunch rushes. Managers say the approach helps smooth out traffic in part by eliminating the need for groups to split up and send someone to order food while another person holds an open table -- something that can clog up as much as one-third of a restaurant's capacity at any given time.
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Under the controlled-access and -seating program, guests in certain Magic Kingdom counter-service restaurants are steered through a single entrance so workers can keep tabs on how many people are inside.
A greeter hands menus and steers the entire group to cash registers to place their orders. After they get their food, they are guided by another employee to an empty table.
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Disney began testing the concept in the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. But it has since been rolled out to three other busy counter-service restaurants: Columbia Harbour House, Pinocchio Village Haus and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe...
The controlled access is used only when that day's park attendance warrants.
