New Dining Trial - No Seating until you have your food

[SueM in MN]

I saw this thread on the Restaurant Board and thought it might be something people on this thread might want to know for planning purposes.
Counter Service Seating Trial

Apparently, they are doing a trial that involves restricting seating in counter service restaurants.
According to the thread, CMs are stationed at the door to the seating areas and will not let you sit until you are ready to eat. In order to sit at a table, you need to have your entire party with you and have your food. Once the CM sees that you are ready to sit down, you will be told where there are empty tables and directed to an available table.

There are a few people so far posting on that thread who have experienced the new procedure. No one knows how people with disabilities will be handled.

 

[Michigan]

Now that would be just about the stupidest thing they could do. Can you imagine how long the line will be if you whole party has to wait with you? Not to mention there is only one wheelchair line so then they better restrict that line to only those with wheelchairs in their party.

Then what will they do walk around and wait for you to take your last bite and then throw you out? We usually sit and enjoy our drinks after our food is gone but if I see someone looking for a table and don’t see any empty then I give up our table and we take the drinks with us.

 

[BeckyScott]

I am just wondering why they're doing this. There must be a reason, if anyone that's been there recently has any ideas?

Is it because of meal-sharing? Or did people just "hang out" at the TS tables for fun? (wow, it seems like you should have more important things to do!) Or people saving tables or hogging a bigger table than they needed? Or bringing their own food?

I did read the original thread (okay, not all of it it's a pretty long thread) and it seems like it's actually working pretty well. I guess I just wasn't aware that the CS's were such a hassle to claim a table? Wow.

 

[bzzymom]

I am interested to find out how they manage this with people in ecv's, wheelchairs, etc. My mom can park ecv outside and come in to sit at a table right away, but she can't stand around and wait.

 

[Michigan]

I am interested to find out how they manage this with people in ecv's, wheelchairs, etc. My mom can park ecv outside and come in to sit at a table right away, but she can't stand around and wait.

All CS restaurants have one line that has a wheelchair symbol on it. That is the only line that is wide enough for a wheelchair or ecv to fit through so she would have to use that line.

 

[dawnball]

I can understand why they do it. I'm just not sure that the new policy is better. The faster they can turn tables (get people seated, let them eat, get them out) the more people they can serve (at least up to the kitchen's capacity).

Fortunately, I'm completely unwilling to be in Disney World anytime the crowds are likely to be high enough for them to do this. As long as I don't encounter it during free dining I'll be happy.

Counter Service meals are enough of a hassle with our food allergies that this additional hassle might tip me over the edge into not eating at them at all. At the very least, I'd likely give the poor CM who told me that DD couldn't sit at a table and eat her mac and cheese from a thermos an earful that they aren't paid enough to put up with. I know it isn't their fault, but sometimes it's really hard not to vent at the nearest associated person.

 

[debbiemomto4]

Not sure how this will work. I have 4 kids and I'm going again in a couple of weeks. My dh is not going. If my kids stand around waiting for me nothing good will happen. I usually have them sit and I go get the food. Mayhem, fights and pain that is what I foresee from my group.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I am strongly in favor of this. Much of the time I am by myself. Whether I park my ECV first and walk or get my food while still in my ECV I do not like having to wander around carrying a tray of food trying to find a place to sit.

And sometimes when the lines are very long people coming in quite a while after me have grabbed a table and I can't find any place to sit. And I probably could have sat down and finished my meal even before the rest of thier party has even brought food to the table.

But, yes, they should now also enforce the wheelchair line.

 

[Belle1962]

I am just wondering why they're doing this. There must be a reason, if anyone that's been there recently has any ideas?

Is it because of meal-sharing? Or did people just "hang out" at the TS tables for fun? (wow, it seems like you should have more important things to do!) Or people saving tables or hogging a bigger table than they needed? Or bringing their own food?

I did read the original thread (okay, not all of it it's a pretty long thread) and it seems like it's actually working pretty well. I guess I just wasn't aware that the CS's were such a hassle to claim a table? Wow.

I think it is because people are holding tables. IMHO this causes the back up in the seating area. I was just there in June and at one CS place myself, DGS, Friend and her DS got into line. The two dads in front of us were doing the "the rest of the family is holding tables (note the plural) routine". We know because 1 or more of the kids kept running up to see where they were in line and give updates to the food order. We were in line for over 25 minutes. During that time, the tables those families were holding could have been used and turned over by another group or two. Sure enough--when we got our food, we wandered the entire restaurant TWICE looking for an open table and found NONE. And almost ALL the tables had people WITHOUT food sitting at them I ALMOST sat a table with a young kid who obviously was the table sitter for his family but didn't have the heart to be that mean. I finally gave up and asked a family that looked almost done if we could have their table when they were done. They took that to mean they didn't need to bus their table so we had to bus their stuff and then sit down. Meanwhile you are walking around a restaurant with your food exposed and people breathing on it, etc. GROSS!!!!!!!

Also--the entire party does not have to get in line--they can wait in "public/general" areas such as the lobby, near restrooms, at the back of the restaurant, etc depending on how the restaurant is set up.

 

[SueM in MN]

I can see both sides of it because we have done the 'table hunting routine' and the 'table saving routine'.
I just wanted to make sure people were aware of this because it might make a difference in planning.
For some people with disabilities (like a single person or couple with an ECV or wheelchair), it might be a big improvement. But, it may cause some changes in how to do things for some people.

Rather than write something new, I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote on the original thread:
I'll be interested to see how it works for people with disabilities because many of us have issues that may not 'mesh' well with the new policy. Obviously, I'm not speaking for anyone but my family, but I know other people who have family members with disabilities will have some of the same concerns.

Our family usually tries to eat at times when it isn't busy, but we often spend time looking for a table. DD and I do usually get a table while DH is getting the food for several reasons:

1) There is usually only one wheelchair accessible ordering station at each CS restaurant and it's not always one of the open ones. If DD sees DH in line, she wants to be with him - wheelchair accessible line or not. So, it's not going to work for us to wait near the ordering area if she can see it.

2) When we have waited to get a table until after we had our food, it was very difficult to try to manouver around with a wheelchair and all our food, trying to find a table. When we are alone, DH and I have sometimes taken our food outside to eat at a bench, balancing our food on our laps. That's not an option when we have DD in her wheelchair because she can't eat without a table. When we have to hunt for one in a busy restaurant, it often takes us almost as long to find a table as it takes DH to get the food.
These dilemmas are why we started having DH order the food while DD and I get a table. The new policy might help that if tables are ready.

3) Many of the restaurants have tables that are not exactly wheelchair accessible. We often have to choose a larger table than we have people for because the legs or center pedistal of the table prevent a wheelchair from getting close enough to the table. Sometimes we get to a table that looks like it will fit, but it doesn't. We don't have the option of DD getting out of the wheelchair. Hopefully the CMs seating people will understand and be able to accomodate.

4) The table location is important for us too. Sometimes there are open tables, but we can't get to them because there is not a clear 'wheelchair wide' path or the available table is in a spot where the wheelchair will be too near to a traffic path or too close to the next table. Again, the new seating may or may not help with that.

5) We are usually traveling with relatives/friends who are ordering and paying for their own food, so we might have 3 different sets of people ordering and being ready for a table at different times. If they will only seat the members of the party who have food and/or will only allow a table big enough for those people who have food right then, that will not work for our family.

People have posted that they are sure disabilities will be accomodated. If they are, that will be helpful for people who need the accomodation. But I'm afraid if they are accomodated, it will become another reason for people who don't understand to 'bash' people with disabilities (as already happens frequently on threads about buses, Companion Restrooms and handicapped toilet stalls).

 

[Michigan]

Since we usually go the week before President's week maybe they won't be doing this since the crowds aren't really bad.

We too have the table issue and if you have fun getting one under the table try 2.

Also, if they waited in a "dead" area I can just imagine trying to find them. People can be so rude they sit their kids on my girls footrests or they prop their butts or feet on the wheels. I can just picture them surrounded by a bunch of people with no way out of the "dead" area.

 

[BillSears]

I'm one of those people who like this change. I realize it doesn't work for everyone but for me it's a welcome improvement.

I sometimes go solo or with just one other person. So I'm one of those people who can't send others off to hold a table. It's sometimes rough to find an open table that I can get my wheelchair to. So I'm wandering around looking for a table balancing my food on my lap and trying to get to a table before it's snatched up while that person walking who just took the short cut between other tables and got there before me.

 

[KPeveler]

I am in favor of the change, as long as you can get a GAC that allows you to sit at qa CS table while someone in your party gets food.

I will try to walk around disney as much as possible, or if the restaurant is tight, i can make it from a chair to a table. i cannot, however, wait in a long line.

if i could get a GAC that allows me to sit (it can be in a chair off to the side, it need not be a table) then this is fine. but some of us rely on that sitting time in CS restaurants due to fatigue and pain issues. so if i could be allowed to sit somewhere then i would be fine...

 

[SueM in MN]

trying to get to a table before it's snatched up while that person walking who just took the short cut between other tables and got there before me.

That happens a lot with people who have someone else to help them get a table too.

Looks like it will be a winning solution for some people and an unknown for others.

 

[Piper]

I'll be there Tuesday I'll be solo with an ECV. I can't stand in lines, so will have to use the WC line with ECV. I'm already a little worried about managing at TS places as it is. We'll see! I'll let everyone know how it works when I return (if I run into the situation!)

 

[Nanajo1]

I'm curious to find out how this works. There are times when I'm in my ECV with DH and 3 small DGK.

 

[Talking Hands]

I am sure that this new experiment is going to make it quite unpleasant for those of us using wheelchairs or having other special needs. All it takes is one power hungry young castmembers to make it a pain in the butt.

 

[BillSears]

I am sure that this new experiment is going to make it quite unpleasant for those of us using wheelchairs or having other special needs. All it takes is one power hungry young castmembers to make it a pain in the butt.

As with everything it's not a one size fits all policy. As a wheelchair user I think it'll make things a lot easier for me. I sometimes travel solo so I don't have the option of saving a table or avoiding the lines to get food. Again I'm speaking just for myself but I'll enjoy having a CM find a table for me after I get my food rather then have to hope I find one before my food gets cold or I drop my food by accident.

 

[Selket]

We personally have run into problems with people saving tables and walking around with our food getting cold - and needing to get some food into William (he is type 1 diabetic and a peanut allergy).

It does seem like it restricts the CS places to those eating. Someone who wants to sit down in a cool place (like maybe with their ice cream pop they got from the cart outside, etc) can't just go in and sit down right? Sometimes we'd stop at a CS place to cool off. I suppose we could still do that as long as we buy something then. We've done that at times when it wasn't so crowded in the restaurant and seats were easy to see (like not lunch or dinner time).

I can see it being good and bad for us and for reasons people have mentioned. We are going to be there next weekend but I don't plan to eat at any CS places. I think if we need to take a break in a cool place we'd just buy some drinks so we can sit (if the place isn't real busy - I don't want to go in there if it is - policy or not!). I think people trying to eat their meals take priority - hopefully they can work it out to be fair to everyone.

 

[SueOKW]

oh no............ this would not work for us. Someone is usually getting Kev's drip started while others are in line.

It's ok for us because we aren't locked into dining plans and CS meals. I think we only had CS once or twice on our last trip. I guess our solution is to be at parade seating and send runners!

Like Sue I can see it both ways. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.