Restaurants were you dont feel rushed....

[Kingoglow]

This could be a cultural difference.

I can't say that I ever felt rushed at a Disney restaurant. At the same time though I would never spend more than an hour at any meal. Even with drinks, an hour seems too long to occupy a table. You can aways move to the bar if necessary.

 

[Otterhead]

I think a lot of people expect to feel rushed due to how tense and rabid a lot of guests get when waiting for tables, but I've rarely actually felt rushed. The only times I have are the more chaotic restaurants that seem to be "food factories": Crystal Palace, Hollywood & Vine come to mind. Last time I was at Rose & Crown, over an hour before Illuminations, my d/c assumed they'd kick us out of our prime seating well before the show started. We finally asked our server and he grinned and looked at us like we crazy. "Absolutely not. This is your time, guys. You're welcome to stay as long as you want. More drinks?"

 

[CheersBigEars]

I know what you mean. Americans have a different attitude in general towards dining out. I have found it helps to tell the waiter you want to take your time or order an appetiser and when you have finished that order your main course. This ensures a bit of time between courses so you don't get rushed. Really envious you are at the World and are staying for so many days. Have a great time!

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Ok, so we are 5 days into our first WDW trip (still got 11 days left) and loving it!!! The only complaint is the restaurants, everything feels so rushed. So far we've eaten at Sci-Fi, San Angel Inn, Paradiso 37 (then B.o.G tonight at 9:05pm). While the food has been very good, its disappointing that they want you in and out as quick as possible. Starters come straight away, entree come while eating the starters then as soon as I finish my plate gets taken away while my partner is still eating. Is there any restaurant where you can sit down for a couple of hours and enjoy the experience instead of just straight in and out?

Well, to be honest, that is partially on you. You need to let the server know that you would like to take your time. We have never been rushed at WDW when we have told the servers this. You can also spread it out by not ordering your entire meal all at once. Order your drinks and appetizers. Then once you are finished, order your entree. I have never had a server complain about this either.

The pace at WDW restaurants is probably a bit faster, since a lot of guests there want to rush through everything without taking the time to smell the roses, as it were, and the servers are only to happy to help you rush out to your next FP+. It is astounding to me that these people are on vacation, and want to tire themselves and their families out by trying to do way too much. Of course, being DVC members, we go 2-3 times every year, and never feel rushed to do anything but relax on vacation there!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

...then as soon as I finish my plate gets taken away while my partner is still eating.

Honest question, would you rather sit there with an empty, dirty plate in front of you? I think they're clearing your space as a courtesy, not to hurry you along.

The only places I've ever felt rushed are character dining. Once the characters make one "cycle" through the restaurant, it feels like it's time to get out. Boma is one of my favorite spots for taking my time, since they have wonderful salads, soups, and deserts. It's easy to make a legitimate multi-course meal even though it's technically a buffet.

 

[Otterhead]

Once the characters make one "cycle" through the restaurant, it feels like it's time to get out.

That was my experience with Crystal Palace. The Pooh characters came by, we took photos, grabbed some desert, and a server was immediately handing us a check and asking for payment. It wasn't rude or poor service, but it was definitely a polite "please finish and make room" moment.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

That was my experience with Crystal Palace. The Pooh characters came by, we took photos, grabbed some desert, and a server was immediately handing us a check and asking for payment. It wasn't rude or poor service, but it was definitely a polite "please finish and make room" moment.

Wow, completely opposite our experiences there. We have eaten there many times ( a must do every trip!), and we have never felt rushed. Of course, we only eat breakfast there, and have yet to eat there for dinner. I don't know if that makes a difference.

 

[Figgy1]

Wow, completely opposite our experiences there. We have eaten there many times ( a must do every trip!), and we have never felt rushed. Of course, we only eat breakfast there, and have yet to eat there for dinner. I don't know if that makes a difference.

Same for me, I just love the place and I always had to ask for the check!

 

[Otterhead]

Wow, completely opposite our experiences there. We have eaten there many times ( a must do every trip!), and we have never felt rushed. Of course, we only eat breakfast there, and have yet to eat there for dinner. I don't know if that makes a difference.

This was dinnertime, during Wishes and the parade; there was a long line outside and the CMs seemed extremely harried and stressed. Not a typical experience.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

This was dinnertime, during Wishes and the parade; there was a long line outside and the CMs seemed extremely harried and stressed. Not a typical experience.

True, not typical. I would have slowed down and not even paid until I was ready. Let someone else who is really in a hurry to leave for someone else to sit.

 

[Weather_Lady]

We typically feel a bit rushed at character meals, but I think that's more because the servers at such meals (buffet or prix fixe) are following a formula and doing it efficiently, meaning that after drink orders and refills are taken care of and all necessary deliveries made to our table, they're plunking down the bill rather early in the meal. Also, rushed character interactions can make for a rushed-feeling meal. Nonetheless, no server has ever done anything overt to make us feel like we were taking too long. Of course, my family are speedy eaters, and we seldom take more than 45 minutes for a table-service meal at WDW...

 

[Blairnicol]

I would agree with @HouCuseChickie that the most relaxed restaurants to me have been at the resorts. I feel like the ones in-park are build to get customers in & out quickly so they can get back to their vacation. Their are exceptions to every rule though, and I think that Brown Derby and several Epcot spots would fall into that.

 

[Otterhead]

True, not typical. I would have slowed down and not even paid until I was ready. Let someone else who is really in a hurry to leave for someone else to sit.

It wasn't a problem. I was with a really big group and most people wanted to get out and hit the rides anyway. Maybe the servers could tell some of our group were fidgety.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

Ok, so we are 5 days into our first WDW trip (still got 11 days left) and loving it!!! The only complaint is the restaurants, everything feels so rushed. So far we've eaten at Sci-Fi, San Angel Inn, Paradiso 37 (then B.o.G tonight at 9:05pm). While the food has been very good, its disappointing that they want you in and out as quick as possible. Starters come straight away, entree come while eating the starters then as soon as I finish my plate gets taken away while my partner is still eating. Is there any restaurant where you can sit down for a couple of hours and enjoy the experience instead of just straight in and out?

Crikey, if that's what you experienced that is a cattle trough, not a restaurant.
It also makes me question how cooked to order the food is, or at least if it's just microwave food.

I have on the odd occasion had a entrée come as I am still eating a starter. That gets sent back and the server left with no doubt that I expect the entrée fresh when I am ready.
Having worked a restaurant kitchen for a number of years in the past, I was taught the importance of having the table cleared before sending the next course, and that was certainly not a fine dining establishment. You should aim for a minimum of 5 minutes between courses in my opinion.....else you may as well serve it all up in a prison style tray with seconds for the different foods.

Clearing people's plates when there remains someone eating is also a bad faux pas and not at all good manners.

 

[Disney4family]

I once spent the longest hour of my life in the Rainforest Cafe in AK... Girl Scouts honor that it was the longest 60 minutes ever - worse than when you spend the few hours the night before your 6am flight staring at the clock as you "sleep" before it's time to go to the airport. I would have love to have felt rushed there. Maybe it would have helped the time warp so I could get back into the park in the other dimension of life on this planet.

 

[Gabe1]

I know what you mean. Americans have a different attitude in general towards dining out. I have found it helps to tell the waiter you want to take your time or order an appetiser and when you have finished that order your main course. This ensures a bit of time between courses so you don't get rushed. Really envious you are at the World and are staying for so many days. Have a great time!

That is what we do also, order a drink, it comes order appetizer, done or close order entree. It slows the pace. It isn't just WDW but more prevalent there. We've had turning the tables experiences at places like Olive Garden, LongHorn, Red Robin. We tend to slow them down passively by how we order.

 

[Dj Corona]

Just my two cents, the experience always varies, but my recommendation is always to avoid the prime hours for lunch or dinner in any restaurant, (reservations or not) especially in the parks, to avoid the chance of getting the "rushed" treatment.

 

[Halloweenhead]

I think at the first few restaurants we was just unlucky. After writing this thread we've experienced nothing but great service at every restaurant.

 

[BOOMitsGeorgia]

i never felt rushed at Cinderella's royal table but BOG disappointed me last year because we were rushed! my friend hadn't even finished her starter when our mains were brought out

 

[RonAnnArbor]

I've never felt rushed at any restaurant at WDW, and I am a frequent European traveler -- I will tell you, though, that I feel dining in Paris and Amsterdam sometimes feels like a complete waste of an evening -- In general, Americans rarely spend more than 45 minutes to an hour having a typical family dinner in a restaurant -- by comparison my last dinner in Paris took 90 minutes just to be served the courses...

Most servers in the US are taught to keep an eye on the table and when you see appetizers wrapping up to bring the main entree, and then to watch and offer dessert as the main entree is near completion. People will then linger AFTERWARDS to chat and drink and enjoy coffee...in Europe I feel that that "chat and lingering" come DURING the meal and between courses. Its just a cultural difference.

That being said -- you do not need to rush through anything at WDW --- if you want a slight delay in the main course to your table, for example, just ASK YOUR SERVER to delay the main course for a little bit -- they will be happy to accommodate you.

SO -- with that in mind, the restaurants that I feel serve at that more leisurely pace are California Grill, The Hollywood Brown Derby, Chefs de France, and Monsieur Paul.