I experienced this rule at Cosmic Rays in June and it was the most stressful meal I had (and my two year old provided us PLENTY of stressful meals). Plus I encountered the rudest CMs I have ever seen at WDW in 6 years.

I do not particularly mind the idea of the rule, but I was surprised that the CMs were not armed they were so rude to me, and everyone else, about the change. Because of Intercot, I knew what was going on even if I didn't like it, but I was the most steamed when a CM refused to allow me to enter through the exit side to return to my table after I made a second trip to the fixin's bar. I literally was the third table from the exit, or about the 150th table from the entrance. She physically jumped in front of me to the point I thought she was going to hit me to stop me from entering. I soo wish I had bolted and went anyway, but after I showed how short of a distance I was trying to get and she still refused, I gave up, but it definitely ruined the meal.

I think this is one of those rules that attempts to address a legitimate problem for some guests, but the only way to enforce this rule is to force CMs to act in a very un-Disney manner. Putting CMs between guests and there food around lunch time will always result in CMs having to be rude to get the point across. In my circumstance, I think they were being zealots for the letter of the law out of frustration with the masses.