Quick Service Seating Rules in Effect

[TheRustyScupper]

Quick Service Rules in Effect:

1) The "no saving tables" rule is in effect.
2) You may not get a table without your food-in-hand.
3) Thus, one guest can't get a table while others stand in the food line.
4) There is a CM that will show your whole party to the table.
5) Once you have your food.

NOTE: The rule includes people who have kids in strollers and want to get a table before they get their food. In fact, in a lot of QS eateries, strollers are now not allowed due to the adding of extra tables cutting available aisle space. THIS IS A GOOD RULE, as it has shown to cut down people waiting for tables when others have used them while not eating.

[Gator]

Gee, I can't wait to see what my wife says when we order our food at Pecos Bill's Cafe, I stay in line to carry the food, she goes and gets a table with the kids (5 and under), and a CM says "you can't sit without food". After a long day in the parks, and she being with child (5 months along at the time of our trip), that may not go so well. Yikes. I only hope it's over by the time I get there.

All kidding aside, I don't know that this is a great policy. Do I have my kids and wife find a seat where they can be contained, or do I let them crash into everyone else in line for the 5-10 minutes I wait on our food?

Also, if the aisles are too narrow for strollers, then they're too narrow for wheelchairs and ECVs. Pretty sure that's not gonna happen.

This makes sense for the extreme-crowd Holiday seasons, which may only last a few days at a time. But doing this any other time seems like it would create a lot of unneeded confrontations.

[gerald72]

It means that when you need a table, there will be one.
Its a good rule. If a family sits at a table for 15 minutes before food arrives, and leaves 15 minutes after food arrives, that means half the tables are not being used for eating. There are benches outside for people who need to rest.

[caryrae]

So what does this mean for the lines to get food? Will the lines be filled with families or will there be groups of people standing around blocking doorways/entrances or making it hard to get to the line to order food while one or two people get the food? Where will they let members of a group wait while another gets the food?

[faline]

So what does this mean for the lines to get food? Will the lines be filled with families or will there be groups of people standing around blocking doorways or making it hard to get to the line to order food while one or two people get the food?

That's my first reaction as well. If a family of five can't be seated until they get the food, does that nean the whole family is in line which means the line will be out the door and you can't really judge how long it will take you to get to the front of the line? Guess, I'm not really understanding how this system works better than "I'll have a burger and fries and will go find a table while you order the food"?!

[deedeenmickey]

I don't like this at all. I think it is much better to herd the kiddies to a table instead of them being under foot in line. I hope this is just peak crowd time! I always get a table while my husband gets the food. It is first come first serve and it seems undisney-like for a cast member to tell someone they can't sit down for whatever reason. The expecting? the elderly? hot tired kids crying with mommie at her wits end. Not cool!

[A Big Kid]

Also, if the aisles are too narrow for strollers, then they're too narrow for wheelchairs and ECVs. Pretty sure that's not gonna happen.

.

And too narrow for a family of five to be standing around waiting for Dad to walk back with a tray!

[bostonsam]

Gee, I can't wait to see what my wife says when we order our food at Pecos Bill's Cafe, I stay in line to carry the food, she goes and gets a table with the kids (5 and under), and a CM says "you can't sit without food". After a long day in the parks, and she being with child (5 months along at the time of our trip), that may not go so well. Yikes. I only hope it's over by the time I get there.

All kidding aside, I don't know that this is a great policy. Do I have my kids and wife find a seat where they can be contained, or do I let them crash into everyone else in line for the 5-10 minutes I wait on our food?

Also, if the aisles are too narrow for strollers, then they're too narrow for wheelchairs and ECVs. Pretty sure that's not gonna happen.

This makes sense for the extreme-crowd Holiday seasons, which may only last a few days at a time. But doing this any other time seems like it would create a lot of unneeded confrontations.

I agree,will totally tick me off lol

seems its going to be more crowded,where you pay/order,and hectic with kids standing in line along side(bad idea)when they could be sitting...I mean we are paying $ to say we CANNOT save a table is down right rediculous!?

[joonyer]

If it can be considered unfair or rude on the part of WDW to not be allowed to occupy a table until you have purchased food and are ready to eat, then it is equally unfair and rude on the part of guests to be allowed to occupy tables without food and force other guests with food to stand around waiting on a table while others just sit waiting. You can't have it both ways.
The only really fair solution is those who have purchased food get first dibs on seats. That is what WDW has done. Don't blame Disney, blame those who take up valuable table space and have been forcing others to stand and wait with trays of food. My family has been guilty of grabbing a table and holding it for 15 20 minutes while one of us is in line. But that doesn't mean I can justify that it's unfair for WDW to stop the practice.

in reality, this is no different that having one family member stand in line at an attraction (holding your table) while everyone else sits or goes to the bathroom (or anything else), and then running up and passing everyone else in line to be seated on the attraction with your family member who has held the spot in line.

[Gator]

An observation: When I go to McDonald's or Burger King or Taco Bell, I already know what my little ones are going to get and my wife tells me what she wants. She takes them to a table while I order. Then (oh the humanity), I go sit down while I wait on our food. That's right. No food and I'm sitting down - even on a busy Sunday afternoon. This is pretty universal at any fast-food joint.

Is Dinsey fixing a problem or creating a new one? Or both?

[PittFan]

I personally LOVE this idea !!! As the one that had to stand in line and order for the 6 of us and try to remember what everyone else wanted, I am thrilled. Now everyone can wait in line and order their own. And having a CM show me to a table and not have to walk around in circles, that's the icing on the cake for me !!!!

[lawgirl]

I have to say I feel kinda bad for the CM's that have to carry out the rules here. Its a policy they didn't come up with, but they have to spend countless hours making sure that (most likely) hot-headed and rude guests, who granted have paid ALOT of money to be in WDW, follow the rules that the CM have been put in charge of enforcing. In my opinion, all in all, its kinda a raw deal for everyone. I hate seeing CMs get frustrated and control crazy and strict, but when dealing with that many people I guess you do have to be firm and stand your ground.

I haven't experienced it yet, but we've been going to Cosmic Rays forever, and I've been with exhausted 5 year old twins, and waiting in line to order food was definitely not in the cards for them. Oh well, hopefully things will go smoothly. Praying for grace all around!

[iheartdisney]

Praying for grace all around!

Amen, sister!

[darthmacho]

For better or worse, it's sad that it comes down to this, isn't it?

[ElenitaB]

I'm glad that someone brought up Cosmic Ray's. It's one place that I've hesitated to go back to, because when my son was small, as a single mom, I had no choice but to take him on line with me to get our food and then try to find a table. It's basically impossible at Cosmic Ray's and more than once, we had to eat outside on a bench because so many tables were taken up by people waiting for their food to arrive. It was very frustrating (and even harrowing when you're trying to carry cups of soda without spilling them). Same deal at Electric Umbrella though there does seem to be more seating available there if you're willing to go outside.

So what's the happy medium? What would people suggest to ensure that all guests are able to sit and enjoy a hot meal?

[NokOnHarts]

I see what they're trying to do but I think it's silly either way. CS is the equivalent of Fast Food. I don't know of any fast food restaurants that dictate how or when or why you get a table. If Disney was serious about this, they need to create a waiting area for all these families and children to be able to SIT while the one adult gets the food. Expecting hoards of people to wait in a line of a small restaurant or standing around crowding the walkways is again, silly. They need to think this one all the way through if they want it to work successfully.

[luvdiznee]

I like this idea. Because there is nothing worse than having to walk around with a tray full of food, looking for a place to sit. And you have bunches of people sitting at tables with no food.

I only hope that people will respect these rules and not give the CM's any problems who will be trying to enforce them, as they are only doing their job. But that's probably asking a lot.

[magicofdisney]

I want to add that even with the policy in effect, you may still have to walk around with a tray full of food looking for an empty table. This happened to me which is probably why I'm so against it. It solved no problem at all.

[Disney_Barbie]

I know they've done this in the past, but only during busy seasons, has it just been in effect for this current (BUSY) time of year, or do they intend to do this all year round?

[TheRustyScupper]

I know they've done this in the past, but only during busy seasons

1) Busy times, only.
2) Where in-season or not.
3) So,
. . . in a busy season, they might not use it
. . . in a slow season, they might use it
. . . depends upon how bisy the eatery is