Restaurants while masked

[bigfatdan]

How did restaurants work during the mask mandate before? Did they just not have indoor seating? Thanks for any answers!

 

[Kestryl]

The “ideal” scenario before was that you would wear a mask to your table. You would order. Once you got your drinks and food, you could remove your mask. Once you were finished (like waiting around for the bill and you’re not still taking bites), you were expected to put it back on. If you left your table to go to the restroom, mask on. When leaving the restaurant, mask on.

There were some reports of CMs telling guests they could take their masks off when seated. There were a few people claiming that people would be expected to put masks on between bites. (I do not think there was much of an validity to that scenario.)

 

[wdwnut]

Masks were required except when seated and eating/drinking.

 

[GoingSince1990]

When we went the vast majority of people would wear a mask until they got to their table, then remove it when seated, and only put it back on when getting up to go to the restroom or leaving when finished.

 

[henry72]

We went over Thanksgiving. Masks on until we got to the table and then we took them off. When you left or went to restaurant, masks on.

 

[bigfatdan]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[I_love_Cruising]

Are tables still physically distanced or will they have to redo that?

 

[Wandering Oaken]

When we went the vast majority of people would wear a mask until they got to their table, then remove it when seated, and only put it back on when getting up to go to the restroom or leaving when finished.

And I think that will be the best you can expect this society to do these days. I don't see a problem with it since the mask is off while eating in that spot anyway but if the rules say that I have to have it on while I am not actually eating then I will have it on.

 

[Jaydee51]

worked very smoothly. masks while waiting for table and walking through restaurant. no mask while eating and/or drinking. masks on after dessert while chatting about great meal.
No issues for our family and Disney Cast members have always handled with absolute class and kindness, even when others have pushed back.

If you are going to Disney soon, i would highly suggest packing many disposable light weight masks b/c it's HOT and Humid down here. The kind of heat and humidity where you can barely breath with face fully exposed and fanning yourself.

 

[Wandering Oaken]

I am just betting (hoping) that the masks are not there in November next year.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Are tables still physically distanced or will they have to redo that?

As of Tuesday, all restaurants we dined at over the trip had gone back to normal/pre-pandemic state in terms of seating - adding back any tables that had been removed to allow for distancing as well as seating every table. Plexi did still remain between booths in some restaurants. I'm also wondering if they will go back to the prior state. I'm torn b/c with rising cases, I'd prefer more distance (heck, I preferred more distance between tables before the pandemic, LOL) but ADRs are hard enough to come by right now, if they reduce capacity it's going to be crazy. And if it continues through the 50th it's going to be a competitive sport to get a dining reservation! Also imagine that servers will have to go back to wearing masks and face shields.

 

[disny_luvr]

As of Tuesday, all restaurants we dined at over the trip had gone back to normal/pre-pandemic state in terms of seating - adding back any tables that had been removed to allow for distancing as well as seating every table. Plexi did still remain between booths in some restaurants. I'm also wondering if they will go back to the prior state. I'm torn b/c with rising cases, I'd prefer more distance (heck, I preferred more distance between tables before the pandemic, LOL) but ADRs are hard enough to come by right now, if they reduce capacity it's going to be crazy. And if it continues through the 50th it's going to be a competitive sport to get a dining reservation! Also imagine that servers will have to go back to wearing masks and face shields.

How would they go back to reduced capacity? People have ADRs booked for the next 60 days. Do they just cancel people randomly?

 

[2xcited2sleep]

How would they go back to reduced capacity? People have ADRs booked for the next 60 days. Do they just cancel people randomly?

I have no idea if they will ... I'm sure they don't want to. My guess is that IF they did have to, they'd wipe the slate clean and cancel everything and anyone with an upcoming trip would have to rebook. Again, that's pure speculation on my part.

 

[sponica]

I imagine it works the same way as it did at the restaurants up here. Masks until you were seated (or had a drink in front of you), then masking up when you go to the restroom. I still to some degree do that, because I got used to it.

 

[jpakstis]

We went in April when the mandate was still in effect and most of the time, the servers said we could take our masks off when they greeted us. It was nice to get the affirmative OK rather than waiting and gauging when we could take them off. It was pretty clear that you could take your masks off once were seated and settled at a table. Masks on after the meal and if you needed to leave the table.

 

[Kmk2]

I went in April. In practice it was masks until seated (and if you got up to go to the restroom etc). I think the rule was wait till drinks hit the table, but nobody was doing that.

 

[loves to dive]

I was there in April, some of the places I ate told me as soon as I sat down I was free to remove my mask if I was comfortable doing so, some did not say it. Half the time, I would forget I even had it on and not take it off until my food got there.

 

[Marvin1968]

Are tables still physically distanced or will they have to redo that?

I don’t think they will.

 

[I_love_Cruising]

I don’t think they will.

That's what I'm fearing too.
We'll have to wait and see how tomorrow goes.

 

[Dug720]

There were a few people claiming that people would be expected to put masks on between bites. (I do not think there was much of an validity to that scenario.)

That was mostly the antis (anti-masker/anti-vaxxer...that Venn diagram is mostly a solid circle) who were being extreme about the "while actively eating and drinking" phrase. I never saw any report of a CM in a restaurant telling someone they had to put their mask on between bites.