QS - are there locations were CM will make you have food to sit?

[kaytieeldr]

"Sue me" is a figure of speech.

It's not, actually. It's an expression.

 

[kylenne]

They should do that by Ronto Roasters. We got food, but had nowhere to sit because all of the tables were taken up by people without any food at all. They weren't waiting on it, either, because the restaurant counter was not at all busy. We wound up having to sneak in the exit of DB7 to sit and eat.

I ended up eating mine sitting on a wall somewhere, but I could do that because I was by myself.

I agree with pp who said a lot of this is because of the lack of seating around the parks, but it makes QS meals miserable at times.

 

[RangerPooh]

We've experienced this during busy times at Cosmic Rays, Pecos Bills, Satuli Canteen. This is why we try to eat at off hours. With a big family someone often ends up sharing a seat or standing.

I've seen BOG try to enforce this of requesting to see receipt of those sitting to verify that they should be there.

 

[TarotFox]

It's not, actually. It's an expression.

Figures of speech are types of expressions. Since OP does not literally want to be sued, they are, indeed, figuratively saying it.

https://literaryterms.net/figures-of-speech/

 

[nkereina]

I see this more regularly at Universal than I have at Disney. At the two Potter restaurants, at least during busy meal times, employees will seat you in the QS restaurants which helps to avoid people wandering crowded restaurants looking for a seat while balancing a tray of food. There are employees in the dining room clearing tables and monitoring open seats, so that when you have your tray of food, the employee stationed in the food area can direct you to the employee in the dining room who has an open table for you.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I've seen BOG try to enforce this of requesting to see receipt of those sitting to verify that they should be there.

I'm surprised you've seen it at BOG - I didn't think you were even allowed in the door of BOG without an ADR.

 

[Simba's Mom]

The only place I've seen it was at the former Pizza Planet in DHS. I admit that there's a part of me that would support this, but it's probably just jealousy. I go solo, and I have no one to scout ahead and "reserve" a table for me. At every QS, I have to get my food first and THEN look for a table. So I kind of envy those people who have "reservers". Ever eaten lunch at 3:00pm or 10:45 am? That's what I always do now.

 

[MarkS2112]

Saw it at cosmic Rays, Pecks Bills and Satuli at busy times. When not busy have not seen it so it will depend on crowds. Is it a good idea we’ll yes and no. Yes in it allows flow in and out as you actually get you meal especially if you are in a long line so a table is not being held when someone could use. No in that sometimes it makes things very congested in the area. Like many things people will abuse holding multiple tables etc. with one person and that is an issue for people who have food and need a seat. Especially if they have smaller kids. Mobile ordering has changed the dynamics of this now.

 

[shu24]

Sutuli is pretty strict with their seating. My last trip they had a few tables where they had placed signs that stated "reserved for parties of 4 or larger". The place was packed and we walked around the place twice looking for a smaller table for our party of two, then I just ignored the sign and sat down. No CM said anything. I can see how this policy is smart so small parties aren't taking up a huge table and leaving larger parties having to split up, but the cast members that roam around should be trained to remove the signs if there are literally no small tables open. I digress, but CM training is just getting worse and worse....

 

[HarleenQ]

We have had this happen at Pinocchio, Cosmic Rays, and CHH. We tend to travel in "slower" times, so I was a little surprised to see it in place. I honestly wasn't a fan of the practice when I'd read about it happening, but of all the times it has happened we were seated immediately after gathering our food. So it must work well enough.

 

[elgerber]

I have seen it happen before, and honestly I wish they would do it more. I get wanting to sit while someone orders, but it's really frustrating to walk around with a tray of food, that's getting cold, while you cannot find anywhere to sit.

 

[Lindsey17]

I haven't witnessed this myself and the only time we really are at a table before the food is when using mobile order. However, we don't go looking for a table until our order is ready so I typically stand in line to grab our food while my husband takes the kids to find a table. I can understand both sides of the argument and it can't be easy for CM's either.

One place I wish they would do this is Casey's. We were trying to find a table for a long time and I had two trays and my husband pushing a double stroller and if a table got up so many people just swooped in and sat who didn't have food yet. Finally a sweet family took pity on us and let us basically stand on top of them until their son was finished eating. We paid it forward by finding another family who was struggling and let them do the same while our kids finished up.

I've never had any experience with a CM trying to get us out the door because we don't tend to linger once we're done eating anyway that would not fly with our kids who are all about getting to that next ride.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

One place I wish they would do this is Casey's. We were trying to find a table for a long time and I had two trays and my husband pushing a double stroller and if a table got up so many people just swooped in and sat who didn't have food yet. Finally a sweet family took pity on us and let us basically stand on top of them until their son was finished eating. We paid it forward by finding another family who was struggling and let them do the same while our kids finished up.

I was just coming in to say that I wish they'd do this at Casey's! Trying to find seating there is always a nightmare. I will say, though, other guests there have always been lovely and considerate about sharing space or not lingering.

Last time I saw CMs directing traffic was at ABC Commissary but that was in June 2018. It wasn't a particularly crazy crowd day but we got there just at peak lunchtime. We were a big party so we were pretty grateful to have someone find a place for us to be seated together.

 

[ars0525]

As a solo traveler, I wish they would do this more. I never eat during "prime" times & even then getting my food & wandering around trying find a seat anywhere is a challenge. Yes I understand why people send someone to hold a table while they order, but I usually have eaten & am leaving before the people even arrive with the food.

Bless the people who let me share a table or offer a chair! Your kindness is much appreciated!

 

[lilsonicfan]

I can see people being asked to leave if they don't have food or don't have an order on the go, but in the example of a husband wrangling a toddler at a table, ought Disney to expect the entire family to just hang around the order station rather than to find a table to sit while the order is being prepared ...? The order areas are already packed with people. Those saying the CM was right to essentially give the dad a hard time really could consider the circumstances. There's no need to jump to Disney's defense so quickly. The 'rule' is obviously to prevent people from just lingering at tables, but half a family holding a table while the other half orders/carries food? Good lord, some of us need to chillax.

 

[gharter]

I read an article that stated some of the QS will have CM's stationed to prevent people from holding/lingering at tables. I couldn't find a current thread on this. Anyone have any experience with this?

Have seen this many times at Satu'Li sitting inside. But not always at noon.
It has made getting a table much easier.

 

[kaytieeldr]

so I typically stand in line to grab our food while my husband takes the kids to find a table.

You don't see the irony between this

One place I wish they would do this is Casey's. We were trying to find a table for a long time and I had two trays and my husband pushing a double stroller

And this?

The 'rule' is obviously to prevent people from just lingering at tables,

No, it is NOT obviously done to prevent people from just lingering at tables (few people just linger in WDW QS restaurants after finishing.)

It's done, when it is done, to enable guests with their food to be able to sit and eat at that time.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I mean, I honestly don’t know what the alternative is. You can’t even place a bum in a seat until you literally have your food? So all 5 of my family should crowd in line with me as I order in that single line on either side of the ordering stand and then crowd with me near the window as we wait for food so then all 5 of us can try to navigate food trays, a stroller perhaps too? Or maybe my family should be forced to stand outside because they don’t have food? Let’s not be ridiculous. Even at a regular table service restaurant anywhere, not just at Disney, you are seated before your food comes. The seating at QS is for patrons eating food there. It’s a little over the top to suggest that patrons literally cannot sit till they have food in hand. The solution should be based on reasonableness, not on some needlessly strict standard that interferes with common sense.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I mean, I honestly don’t know what the alternative is. You can’t even place a bum in a seat until you literally have your food? So all 5 of my family should crowd in line with me as I order in that single line on either side of the ordering stand and then crowd with me near the window as we wait for food so then all 5 of us can try to navigate food trays, a stroller perhaps too? Or maybe my family should be forced to stand outside because they don’t have food? Let’s not be ridiculous. Even at a regular table service restaurant anywhere, not just at Disney, you are seated before your food comes. The seating at QS is for patrons eating food there. It’s a little over the top to suggest that patrons literally cannot sit till they have food in hand. The solution should be based on reasonableness, not on some needlessly strict standard that interferes with common sense.

Table service restaurants are a totally different ball game. Because of how table service is structured, you aren't going to have food and no where to sit. With QS, it's absolutely possible, and that's the point of restricting tables at QS during busy times until you have your food. It makes it so you aren't standing around letting your food get cold with no where to sit to eat it. Even with restricting it to just people who are purchasing food (so once a family has gotten into line, part of the group can find a table while the rest wait to order and not letting people not purchasing food in), you can still run into the situation where people get their food and have no where to sit because others are taking up tables without food waiting for the rest of their party to order.

Let's say you (general you) wait in line to order and get your food and it takes 15 mins. Meanwhile, the rest of your group sits at a table and waits for that 15 mins. Another group who got their food around the same time your group split and entered the line/got a table could have potentially sat and finished their food or gotten very close to it by the time you got yours. Sitting at a table without food causes a bottleneck of people waiting for a table during busy times.

As you say, "the seating at QS is for patrons eating food there." The problem arises when it's busy enough that sometimes people who have their food are unable to find a table. It's reasonable to think that guests who have food now should get a table before guests who will not have their food for ~15 mins. It's not "needlessly strict" if it's reserved for busy times when it is difficult or impossible for guests who already have their food to find a table (thus a need for the restriction). Also, I've seen guests getting upset when they have food and no where to sit. I've witnessed a yelling match between a family sitting at a table without food and another family with trays and no where to sit and a CM had to get involved. I've also seen guests getting angry at CMs and demanding a refund/new order of hot food when they had to wait a while for a table and their food got cold. This reinforces the need for Disney to sometimes restrict tables to those with food as it costs them money when they have to refund/make new food, plus it puts more of a burden on the CMs in having to deal with angry guests.

Common sense would be that someone with a tray of food needs a table before someone who doesn't have a tray of food in their hands. I get that it sucks to have to have the family crowd into the line together or wait outside, but what other solution is there during busy times that ensures that those who have their food don't have to stand around and wait for a table?

Edited to add: Also, on our last trip, we weren't permitted to bring our stroller into ANY indoor QS within the parks. Maybe that's only for busy times though, I don't know.

 

[Dug720]

I have seen it happen before, and honestly I wish they would do it more. I get wanting to sit while someone orders, but it's really frustrating to walk around with a tray of food, that's getting cold, while you cannot find anywhere to sit.

Especially since solo travelers (yes, there are a number of us) cannot "divide and conquer". IMHO even more frustrating than seeing people who appear to be waiting is seeing people sitting at a table and unpacking their picnic lunch, not purchasing anything. If you're going to pack your meal, find a bench or an out of the way section of pavement.