Would you be willing to share your CS table??

[perla75]

The Biergarten thread got me wondering....

If you were seated in a very busy WDW CS restaurant & you had extra room at your table, would you agree to share your table with strangers who were desperately looking for a place to sit?

We usually travel to WDW, just the two of us. Personally, I would be willing to share our CS table with another party if it were so busy that seating was limited. We've offered room at our table in the past as well. It's only CS & it's a pretty casual environment so it really doesn't bother me. We don't necessarily chit chat with our "guests", but we are ok with sharing our space.

I wondered if others would do the same, if you had extra room, or would you feel uncomfortable?

 

[Miss Ang]

No. I'm a very private person about personal stuff, and spending my meal time with strangers would inhibit me from enjoying the time with my family. I would feel like we couldn't really "talk" and behave like we do when it's just "us". And that is what our vacation time is all about; us. I wouldn't even consider taking a vacation with other family members or friends either. When we go on vacation, it's really our only time that we slow down and separate ourselves from the rest of the world. We're a very busy family, we own a business, and our kids are involved in several extra curricular activities, and we volunteer at church too. Vacation is just our time to block out the rest of the world and just focus on being a family.

 

[Danauk]

I would share, I love talking to people of all nationalities at WDW, I have met many wonderful American families who usually ask us to tell them about our life in England!!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I would have no problem sharing my table with someone else.

Many places the tables are fairly close together and so you're sitting right next to someone and can hear their conversation anyways so I don't see it any different.

 

[perla75]

I would have no problem sharing my table with someone else.

Many places the tables are fairly close together and so you're sitting right next to someone and can hear their conversation anyways so I don't see it any different.

This is what I think too!

 

[Tricia1972]

You're missing 'other'

My answer is both. With my kids, I probably would opt not to share our table. At least at this stage in their lives. My oldest is 6, my middle is 3, and my youngest is just shy of 1. Dining is enough of an adventure for us, and I wouldn't want to chance having a couple sit with us who may not be appropriate for our kids. (bad language, rude, racist, or potentially other hot topics that I wouldn't want discussed around the kids right now) Not to mention that we're a minimum party size of 5, so I am not sure if anyone else would really fit at our table.

If I was with DH and it was just us, I sure would share our table. No issues, most people are nice. If we happened to hook up with a couple who wasn't very nice - well it's only a few minutes out of our lives and we did a nice thing.

 

[perla75]

You're missing 'other'

My answer is both. With my kids, I probably would opt not to share our table. At least at this stage in their lives. My oldest is 6, my middle is 3, and my youngest is just shy of 1. Dining is enough of an adventure for us, and I wouldn't want to chance having a couple sit with us who may not be appropriate for our kids. (bad language, rude, racist, or potentially other hot topics that I wouldn't want discussed around the kids right now) Not to mention that we're a minimum party size of 5, so I am not sure if anyone else would really fit at our table.

If I was with DH and it was just us, I sure would share our table. No issues, most people are nice. If we happened to hook up with a couple who wasn't very nice - well it's only a few minutes out of our lives and we did a nice thing.

I thought about adding the infamous "other" to the poll, but I think it ends up complicating the question!

That's what I think too-with CS, it's only a few minutes out of our lives to share the table & if the "guests" were horrendous, at least we did a nice thing

But I understand that others might feel uncomfortable doing so.

 

[DannysMom]

Yes! When searching (in vain) for a table outside near the Lunching Pad, (better yet having a table snatched away because an able bodied family ran in front of me ecorting my disabled son 4 years old at the time) we were offered a seat with a very nice man and his son. Which we gratefully accepted & ended up having a very nice conversation. So I would abolutely offer to have strangers sit with us, if we had room enough at our table.

 

[catne]

I answered No, but it really would depend on the circumstances. If the 2 of us we were at a table for 4 and there were just 2 people looking for a seat, then I probably would offer the extra seat. But I have seen this happen -- 2 people at a table offering the other two seats...and then "the rest of the family" shows up...grabbing empty chairs from nearby tables, pulling up a high chair or stroller, and basically squeezing the original two almost off the table. So, guess I'd have to be very, very sure I was offering to only 2 people.

I have made a point of giving someone walking by a "heads up" and telling them to wait just a minute for our table when we are about to leave...

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes, I would share a table, and I actually have. It is a great way to meet some very nice people.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Yes you are welcome to come and sit next to me and my family.....You won't be staying long

 

[Atchley]

I would be willing to share with others. I am usually the one looking for a table to sit at after the food.
Now that DD and DS are a little older, I find a table, find out what the kids want, and then sit them at the table with their cell phones (make sure to put the area code in for your phones or they won't work) and then go get the food. Most of the time I can see them and DH is with me so one of us is usually going back and forth to check on them. It sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't and you know that your kids have a place to sit when you get their food.
We are only a family of four, so if we had a large enough table to accommodate others, I would welcome them.

 

[figment814]

I am a not a people person, I don't generally strike up a conversation with strangers...however, if it's crowded and not a lot of tables, I would definitely offer up part of my table to others and I would hope others would do the same. It's no fun eating standing up or searching for a ledge to lean against!

Just good karma in my opinion.

 

[ShannonMB]

I am a not a people person, I don't generally strike up a conversation with strangers...however, if it's crowded and not a lot of tables, I would definitely offer up part of my table to others and I would hope others would do the same. It's no fun eating standing up or searching for a ledge to lean against!

Just good Karma in my opinion.

I agree. I wouldn't necessarily want to chat it up with them, but if there were extra seats at my table, I would feel bad watching others stand to eat!

 

[missycj96]

If there were no other tables and someone asked me, I'd definately say yes.

 

[Simba's Mom]

There've been several times when I've been traveling solo and I've offered to share my table. One time it was a very busy time in PVH, and I'd been fortunate enough to snag a window-side table where I could wave at the IASW boats. As often happens, although a family was standing nearby with their trays, they probably figured I was "holding" the table for the rest of my party-that is, until I offered for them to share my table. I love to offer to share my table with families-I always meet some real nice people that way. However, I am a little uncomfortable if, as has happened, people come up to me and ask to sit at my table. For some reason, their forwardness makes me a little uncomfortable. But I really enjoy sharing my table, as long as I'm offering.

 

[Pakey]

While I am also not a people person and prefer not to talk to strangers, I would absolutely sit with strangers rather than having to stand while eating. Our last 2 visits to Earl of Sandwich my husband and I offered up our 2 vacant seats to strangers.

Most of the tables at WDW are so close together, I can normally hear the conversations of the people at the next table so sharing a table doesn't seem much of a stretch to me.

 

[Mandychelle79]

I chose no only because we have 4 and most tables have 4 seats. If we had extra room. no problem.

 

[dawnbu40]

Two years ago DH,DD and I had lunch at Tusker House (when it was CS) and when we sat down the only table was one for 6. Well we were about halfway done with our meal and a father and son come over and without saying anything sit down with us. They didn't even take the end of the table they sat right next to DD like they were with us. It was very awkward. If they had asked we would have gladly given them the end of our table but that closeness without a word was strange!

 

[bavaria]

As I wrote on the Biergarten thread, in much of the rest of the world space is at a premium and we think nothing of sharing a table. A polite request to share, and a brief greeting is all that is required or expected. (In fact, in many places it is considered rude to engage in personal conversation)

Sadly, the few times I have even glanced towards an empty seat at WDW after circling endlessly with a tray, people act incredibly defensively to protect their seats. I see the same behaviour in airports - lots of empty seats covered with jackets, bags, etc and people looking to sit, but people don't seem to want a stranger next to them.

I no longer eat at counter service in WDW unless it is a very empty day.