Ever Seen A 'Table Buzzard'? And How Do You Handle Them?

[bethymouse]

I thought "table buzzards" were the wonderful Disney ducks, and other creatures that hang around outside looking for a crumb too eat!
My DH just ignores them. When we're ready to leave, we offer the people "looking around" for a seat our table ( especially Pecos Bills).

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I hate to sound spoiled, but my family does sitdown dinners so I am never hungry for lunch. Therefore, I don't see the lunch rush. Also, if I DO eat lunch, I eat at off times. Should I have a light breakfast or no breakfast at all, I am ready for lunch at 11 so the crowds are minimal.

However, I was a table buzzard one time. And it was embarrassing. Not my choice, believe me. But it wasn't at Disney, it was at Sea World. Due to some unexpected circumstances, we gained a day in Florida and instead of buying another day at Disney, we opted to go to Sea World. Well, we had no dining plan, no reservations for lunch no nothing so we got to experience the buzzard experience first hand. First, I would have chose to eat at 11 but my cousin wasn't hungry so waited to 12pm. Yea... So of course, the little quick service place we found had a very small amount of tables so not enough to accommodate the lunch crowd. We couldn't find ANYWHERE to sit. While walking around with our trays a few minutes, we ran into a really nice CM...er...employee? and he found a nice empty table to clean. He cleaned it and waved us over. We were so appreciative of this guy because he didn't have to do that. We went to sit down and BOOM another family just slid past us and took our seats! I mean, I was half bent down to sit in the chair! The employee even tried to say something to the family but they weren't having it. We told the worker, thank you, but we will find something eventually.

It finally came down to us having to wait under the tents and wait for someone to finish their lunch. I don't think we were being rude, we hung out waiting but it just seemed like everyone at the tables knew we were waiting for tables and so took their jolly good time to sit there. Even when they were done eating. It was ridiculous. It's like "table rage!" I mean...we're not trying to steal your first born. It would just be nice to not have to eat standing up! lol

Finally a family saw us waiting patiently and told us we could have their seat when they were done (which was only going to be a few minutes). They were so nice we actually stood and talked to them a few minutes. I mean, we had no where else to go, lol

After that my cousin pretty much swore off haveing QS ever again, lol I still eat QS but I eat at 11. No problems then.

I could never understand how some could be at the Happiest Place on Earth and be a Grinch. I can't even get mad. I just feel sorry for those that do this and have kids with them. Nice example.

It's like" Ok, we just cut off people that were first and took their table, now let's all finish lunch and celebrate people and togetherness at It's a Small World!


I don't think I could even look up and face someone if I did this without feeling like a jerk and turning beet red.

 

[Monkee Girl]

I could never understand how some could be at the Happiest Place on Earth and be a Grinch. I can't even get mad. I just feel sorry for those that do this and have kids with them. Nice example.

It's like" Ok, we just cut off people that were first and took their table, now let's all finish lunch and celebrate people and togetherness at It's a Small World!


I don't think I could even look up and face someone if I did this without feeling like a jerk and turning beet red.

Same here. I just don't understand it. What's worse is if you stay patient or say to your family 'I'm not going to sweat it" they call you a sissy or a push over. Am I really a push over because I choose not to participate in hand to hand combat over a chair? Am I really a push over because I just don't feel like dealing with those kind of people while I am supposed to be on vacation?


What I think it is: People feel they need to assert themselves.

They give in to people at work and to other family members and when they get on vacation it's like their time to be the boss and they are not going to let any other little peons ruing their fun. 'Ok dude, you're the big man on campus. Ok lady...you are SOOOOO much better than me because you snagged a table at prime dining time. I am just going to go enjoy watching some little girls meet the princesses while you choke down that cheeseburger.'

As for me? I can't do it. If I am sitting at a table, no I am not going to rush through my meal to make room for others. But I am not going to be purposefully slow because 'this is my chair and I can stay there as long as I want.' If I see someone waiting, I will let them know. Heck, if it is only 1 or 2 people, I'll invite them to sit with me. There are open chairs. I also don't mind giving up my chairs if no one is sitting in them. It's just me but you have 5 people at your table. Sure, take a chair. What am I going to do with it?

You're in Disney. Chillax and be normal and then everyone has a good time.

 

[luv]

I hear you can get quite a bundle for the Table Buzzard Pelts.

I'm not sayin...I'm just sayin.

 

[ford91exploder]

So you're sitting at Epcot's Electric Umbrella, or MK's Tortuga Tavern enjoying a casual afternoon lunch. The place is packed. You are very fortunate to have a place to sit & enjoy your meal.

About 1/3 of the way into your meal, you get the sensation you're being watched...very closely! You can almost feel the breathing on the back of your neck. You turn around to find a family of table buzzards hovering over where you're currently sitting. Their eyes peer down at you like you're prime enemy #1. You can see it in their soul that they hunger so desperately for your spot. You're afraid to even adjust your sitting position in fear of them swooping in to snatch your seat from beneath your very buttocks. So you just continue to enjoy the meal which you payed for. You know they're still there right behind you. Sometimes they may walk around the table; circling their prey. You hope & pray you don't have to get up for extra napkins, condiments, or anything until your meal is complete. You know your seat is precious gold, and you will not give it up until you are rightfully finished. So you continue to feed...knowing your every move is being watched closely.

A "Table Buzzard", for those who don't know, is an individual or entire family of tourists who cannot find a seat at a WDW quick-service restaurant. Rather than standing aside politely & waiting for a table to come open...they zone-in on where they want to sit & just hover until said place becomes free from it's current occupants. Like buzzards, they may circle their prey; walking in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction around the table, in hopes their presence will intimidate the eaters to hurry up & exit. Their buzzard-like eyes usually remain fixed on the victims upon which they want to leave the premises. An attack may be provoked by simply taking a brief exit to grab another straw, napkin, or utensil...only to return & see your table (with your belongings still on it) snatched by these buzzards.

Your safest bet in handling table buzzards is to keep firmly glued to your seat, and show no indication of leaving your spot until your meal is finished. Showing false indications of leaving may provoke them to swoop in for the steal.

Have any of you ever dealt with a table buzzard when feeding at WDW? What tips do you use to make sure your seat is protected until you are ready to leave? Has your seat ever (heaven forbid) been a victim of a table buzzard?

Usually I give them the hairy eyeball - they leave quickly...

 

[kbelle]

I love this topic because this happens everywhere we go at WDW. Shame on Disney for not providing enough seating.

 

[draybook]

There's no rule that you have to eat your food where you buy it, is there?
Last time we got food at Pecos Bill's the dining area was packed, so we hiked around the bend to Tortuga Tavern in Adventureland.
When we got there we saw that we weren't the only ones there who had done the same thing.

We had to do this in September. It's a good thing that TT was closed or there might not have been any seats available at all.

 

[Scooter]

What if you're in your 70's, and it's hot and humid, and your knees aren't what they used to be, and you've been walking for 4 hours. Shouldn't it be ok (and I ask because I have done this) if the husband grabs a table and sits down while the wife waits in line to get the food? I mean no disrespect but I don't see the point in two people having to stand in line to order food when they are both older and exhausted. I'm just saying...cut us old people a little slack will ya?

 

[Ember]

Haven't had it happen at a QS restaurant, but we've had buzzards at TS restaurants such as Coral Reef and Sanaa. We were seated next to a window in both and both times we had families piled on top of our table trying to look through the windows. I appreciate that they wanted to catch a glimpse of the animals, but we were right in the middle of dinner and they were literally on top of our chairs and table pushing us out of the way to see things and giving us evil looks for having the audacity to sit and eat at OUR table. The moment we got up from the table at CR the one family immediately sat in our seats even though they had their own table! I wish I would have stuck around to see the waiter's reaction.

 

[rocknroller81]

Why is it that when I think of the term table buzzard, I picture a family of really fat tourists who are very rude?

 

[Jrn14]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but this reminds me of a hilarious episode of How I Met Your Mother.