I just returned from a whirlwind 8 day trip to WDW/Universal and had a great time. We spent the first 2 days at Universal Resort and then the remaining 6 days at WDW. During our time at Universal we ate at both the 3 Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron and had great meals. The one thing I noticed in both restaurants is that they won't let people sit at any of the tables unless they have already purchased a meal from the establishment and have the food (or number) in hand. In both instances we didn't have to wait more than 2-4 minutes for a table to open up and when it did we were directed to the seat by the staff. Why doesn't Walt Disney World do these for their QS restaurants as well. I seem to remember them trying this out a few years ago but I'm not sure what happened. We ate at Pecos Bill's restaurant and had to wander around for close to 10 minutes until we finally found a seat outside. We went from room to room trying to find a seat only to encounter a person holding on to multiple tables while the rest of the family was getting their food. This was extremely frustrating and really came to a head when we at at the Canteen in Pandora. For a land that is trying to be fully immersive you would think that they would have some process in place to ensure people buying food in the canteen would be able to find a seat. This was another example of us spending almost 8 minutes trying to find a seat only to see tables being held by people who were not eating and waiting for their families to arrive. I can't believe I'm saying this but in this example Universal does it way better then WDW. WDW needs to do a better job of keeping tables available to those patrons that are eating in the specific establishment.
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Holding seats at QS restaurants
- Thread starter blizzbeachbum
- Start date
They do, but enforcement comes and goes.
If you search, you will find plenty of posts of Disney guests complaining that they could not save tables.
I don't know this officially, but from what I have seen, it would appear that Disney seems to enforce this policy just on days where they are predicting crowds past a certain level.
If you search, you will find plenty of posts of Disney guests complaining that they could not save tables.
I don't know this officially, but from what I have seen, it would appear that Disney seems to enforce this policy just on days where they are predicting crowds past a certain level.
TheJonesys
Active Member
Yes when we were at Moe’s in Universal, they had reserved signs on the tables and as you came through with your food, the staff member showed you to a table, it was a great system.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
We had that at the Canteen a couple weeks ago. If you didn't have your food, you didn't get a seat. I've had it at Cosmic Ray's, Columbia Harbor House, and also at Pecos Bill throughout the last few years. Honestly I don't like it and am glad we didn't see it as much our last trip. I actually like to find the table, get the condiments, sit the offspring down (and remind to wash hands as we wait) and then go help my spouse carry trays. We never look until after food is ordered and paid for, but I really don't like having to wait completely to get the food.
What I'd like to see is an area of the QS reserved for mobile orders.
You'd walk in - show your order to a CM - be escorted (or directed) to a table - and a runner would bring your tray to the table. It would increase adoption for the mobile system and be a more efficient way of handling this.
You'd walk in - show your order to a CM - be escorted (or directed) to a table - and a runner would bring your tray to the table. It would increase adoption for the mobile system and be a more efficient way of handling this.
Ricky Spanish
Well-Known Member
I know as recent as last Thanksgiving, Pecos would not let you sit in the dining area until you had your food.
We were there a week ago.
While I was waiting to order, a manager was yelling to customers to "send a person from your party to find a table, as the seating area is filling up fast"
Found that very odd, but my wife snatched a table quickly.
We were there a week ago.
While I was waiting to order, a manager was yelling to customers to "send a person from your party to find a table, as the seating area is filling up fast"
Found that very odd, but my wife snatched a table quickly.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
I'm always so torn on the solution to this one, but I will say that I hate trying to find a table after I've gotten food. I'm already worried about dropping all of our food on the ground, so adding in the challenge of securing seating (more like "hunting" for a table) just makes the experience even more frustrating.
It's usually not a big deal if you're at a spot where they're enforcing the whole ordering before sitting policy, but you're probably better off finding seating in advance if this policy is not in effect. I know some people seem to be shocked by this, but the problem also isn't unique to theme parks and in the real world, finding a table ahead of ordering is pretty normal in a lot of places. I know we do it sometimes when we go out to eat at work. While this is a "real world" scenario (vs being in the bubble), but we have some local counter service spots that get so packed that you really need to have a person in your group scout out seating before you ever order or else you might as well just walk out. i.e. it's very likely you won't have a place to eat and should probably just find another place to get food if you can't find a table before ordering. All of this stress is part of why I tend to shy away from a lot of quick service/counter service food spots.
It's usually not a big deal if you're at a spot where they're enforcing the whole ordering before sitting policy, but you're probably better off finding seating in advance if this policy is not in effect. I know some people seem to be shocked by this, but the problem also isn't unique to theme parks and in the real world, finding a table ahead of ordering is pretty normal in a lot of places. I know we do it sometimes when we go out to eat at work. While this is a "real world" scenario (vs being in the bubble), but we have some local counter service spots that get so packed that you really need to have a person in your group scout out seating before you ever order or else you might as well just walk out. i.e. it's very likely you won't have a place to eat and should probably just find another place to get food if you can't find a table before ordering. All of this stress is part of why I tend to shy away from a lot of quick service/counter service food spots.
Mickey shaped world
Active Member
People holding tables is very inconsiderate (and entitled). At the end of the day even if its busy, when a poor sole who has waited to get a table repeatedly walks around with their tray of food and passes all the saved tables, it isn't fair. If everyone saved tables, QS just wouldn't work. The only people that should be allowed to save tables is for groups with very young children or the elderly, everyone else should wait their turn.
Ricky Spanish
Well-Known Member
So holding tables is inconsiderate and entitled?
unless you have small kids or are elderly?
Make up your mind.
unless you have small kids or are elderly?
Make up your mind.
Mickey shaped world
Active Member
Exceptions for those who need it (kind of obvious moral decency
), who would find it more difficult standing in a line for 30 minutes.
TheGuyThatMakesSwords
Well-Known Member
BEST term, from someone else, on this issue...
"Table Vultures". Not tossing that at anyone.... just love the term .
"Table Vultures"
. Not tossing that at anyone.... just love the term .
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
I always find it interesting to see people refer to it as rude to send part of your group off to get a table. Yet, this is nothing new and people on the other side of this argument would say that the person who waits to find a table until they've ordered/has food in hand is failing to plan ahead. I remember seeing this a lot with my grandparents and their friends (Depression Era generation). They wanted to be prepared, and thought it was poor planning to not ensure you had a place to sit down and eat. On top of that, I've met a number of counter service restaurant owners/managers who prefer that you not all stand in line together and wait. It makes the line look longer and is a turn off to customers coming in the door to see a long line.
Kristopher Rannells
Active Member
Not to be indecisive because that is not me at all, but I see both sides of this. My main frustration comes from WDW's inconsistency in whether they allow this or not. Also, I do see people away from WDW do the same thing at fast food places when they are busy too. I will admit that we do it when the table police aren't out and it's busy.
Lirael
Well-Known Member
The "send part of the group to save a table" is especially bad for solo or single parents with small children, who end up in an unfair disadvantage when it comes to being able to save. But on the other hand you have people who can't handle staying in lines for too long and need to stip down.
Personally I find it not as bad as when people leave one person in line to save for a large group (a thing I am sincerely against).
Personally I find it not as bad as when people leave one person in line to save for a large group (a thing I am sincerely against).
the horned king
Member
I see both sides also and have held a table. when you sometimes have a party of 16 you’ve got to act fast. The problem is if they enforce it at WDW everyone will follow. How many of us speed until you a see a cop car and realize you might get pulled over, if you think nothing is going to happen to 50 in a 35 here I come! Also there are some places we eat that isn’t our favorite but know we can get a table pizza planet (pizzarizzo), abc commissary, and electric umbrella I’m looking at you
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
Actually I think solo diners have it remarkable easy unless you want an entire table to yourself. I have no issues when I'm solo as usually folks will have one seat somewhere. it gets devishly hard when you have 5. lol.
so I don't think it's rude nor "entitled". how is it entitled. I buy lunch, I'm entitled to sit in a seat?? I don't do it now as much as when my kids where smaller but lol, I'm not wandering around a area with 3 small kids in town and trays to find a seat. I find it first, park the kids then go get lunch.
one of the reasons why we don't like food courts or many quick service places. too crowded. we will do QS at the resorts but not a big fan at the parks unless we eat during non prime grazing time.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
You can choose to be offended and bothered, but staking out a table is a very common practice...it has been so far quite some time...and is nothing unique to WDW, vacation destinations or the US, for that matter. It doesn’t make it rude just because it’s not how you do things. I understand how it can bother you when it makes it harder for you to operate in your common practices, but then you have to consider the issues with having everyone in your party in line.
I could play the other side of this and whine about how miserable it is to be in line with the people who choose to bog down the line by having everyone and their mother with them up there. The line moves much more slowly when people choose to have their entire party in line, meaning a longer wait to get food and more park time wasted in a line because your group line approach is a less efficient process. But I don’t, because I understand everyone has their standard practices and what’s good for us and many others isn’t good for all.
In the end, I’m going to wait in a longer line and for a longer period of time and be more frustrated with the process because of people like you, and it may take a bit longer and be more frustrating for you to find a table because of people like me. In the end, we’re inconveniencing each other. So either we’re both rude or we’re just doing what works best for us.
I could play the other side of this and whine about how miserable it is to be in line with the people who choose to bog down the line by having everyone and their mother with them up there. The line moves much more slowly when people choose to have their entire party in line, meaning a longer wait to get food and more park time wasted in a line because your group line approach is a less efficient process. But I don’t, because I understand everyone has their standard practices and what’s good for us and many others isn’t good for all.
In the end, I’m going to wait in a longer line and for a longer period of time and be more frustrated with the process because of people like you, and it may take a bit longer and be more frustrating for you to find a table because of people like me. In the end, we’re inconveniencing each other. So either we’re both rude or we’re just doing what works best for us.
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the horned king
Member
Too true. I’ve been on both sides saving a table while another party member gets food and having a tray looking for seats. This is WDW issue, if everyon is grabbing tables like musical chairs then so will I, if there is a policy that you can’t grab a table without having food then I’ll foloow that rule. But saying it’s entitled or rude, hate to say it most people act entitled and rude. I’m my experiences at WDW people are actually more polite than at home, I’ve seen plenty more people give up a seat on a bus at WDW than I ever have at home. It’s up to WDW to enforce their policies otherwise people will do what’s easiest for them.