Counter Service - grabbing table AFTER ordering food - is this a rule?

[Merx]

I came across this rule about how you can only grab a table after ordering food at counter service restaurants. Just got a few questions to confirm a few things

1) So I can't send my mother and my son to look for a table whilst the remaining party line up to order from the counter?
2) Is this rule at every counter service in Disney World?
3) What happens if the counter service place is not busy? Do they still enforce the rule?

I've read up on the reason for this rule, and I understand completely why and agree to this rule are being enforced, so that tables are freed up for people have trays of food but can't find seating.

Just want to confirm

 

[brertoad]

You probably would have to play it by ear, I've seen it so crowded that there are cast members monitoring the tables and directing guests and enforcing this rule, and then I've seen it where the restaurants are fairly empty, no cast members around since there is no need to monitor tables, just depends on the time of day and restaurant. If you eat at peak times you may see this happen and plan accordingly.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) So I can't send my mother and my son to look for a table whilst the remaining party line up to order from the counter?
. . . this is true when this is in-force at a particular eatery
2) Is this rule at every counter service in Disney World?
. . . currently, only at a few QS eateries, but it is being implemented at more all the time
3) What happens if the counter service place is not busy? Do they still enforce the rule?
. . . at some eateries, yes
. . . busy or not, you wait until you get your food, then you get your table
. . . there are simply too many people hogging tables, so others can't sit when they finally get their food
. . . over all, this is a good practice and nothing wrong with it

 

[jo-jo]

Does everyone have to go thru the food line or can they stand off to the side?



Last yr, we went to one CS where there was a CM directing to which line to go into. This could be good. When a line isn't moving because the family didn't decide what to eat until they got to the cashier drives me crazy.

 

[verleniahall]

I came across this rule about how you can only grab a table after ordering food at counter service restaurants. Just got a few questions to confirm a few things

1) So I can't send my mother and my son to look for a table whilst the remaining party line up to order from the counter?
2) Is this rule at every counter service in Disney World?
3) What happens if the counter service place is not busy? Do they still enforce the rule?

I've read up on the reason for this rule, and I understand completely why and agree to this rule are being enforced, so that tables are freed up for people have trays of food but can't find seating.

Just want to confirm

1) - No - The CM's that monitor the tables will ask them to go back to you to wait (we saw this when we were there in November)
2) Probably - but not sure
3) Counter Service always seems to be busy - I don't think there are "down times" - at least not during the regular day -

 

[Merx]

Thanks for everyone's response.

 

[Woodmnky]

We usually travel in the least busy times of the year and often eat at CS very early (usually when the restaurants first open), so often there are only a couple of other tables with people at them. In those situations, I have never had an issue with having DH & DS sit down while I order food. However, when it is busy I would not expect this to be the norm. As others have said, you can play it by ear and see what the situation is when you arrive.

 

[nco91590]

It totally depends on the time of year and the QS location. If you're trying to sit at a table at say, Pinocchio's Village Haus on a Saturday during Spring Break, you will most likely be asked to get up until you have food to sit.

I've been when it's pretty busy (7 or 8) and I was never asked to get up. I can maybe attribute that to having a baby with me?

 

[murmer]

Anyone know how they handle wheelchairs/stroller as wheelchair that can't fit in the line? In the past we have seated the wheelchair merely due to its inability to get in the very tiny lines in limited space. Also due to limited wheelchair seating at some QS restaurants. Do they no longer allow this?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's a temporary thing while they are busy.

1. Nope. They will seat you only if you have food.
2. No, just the ones that put it in force when they are busy. It is not every park and it is not every restaurant.
3. I don't know if they do it at busy times for the park or at busy times for the restaurant. But if you are there at an off-time or at off-hours you may be able to avoid it.

 

[snowman]

Good to know. We tend to do just that...split the party in favor of being efficient. We do it everywhere, not just at Disney. We will likely still split up, but I will have DW and DS not grab a table until I'm on my way with food. Thanks for the heads up!








Edited because "disagree" is not interchangeable with "do"

 

[mkla2015]

I think it's a great rule but I've never seen it enforced. There were a couple of times (during spring break and not) where we were wondering around with food looking for a table and saw quite a few people with NO food sitting down. We just try to eat at off times now to have better luck with finding tables. I do understand why people get tables before food though- having 2 younger kids, it's really hard to get them to stand still in line and wait for food especially if the wait is long.

 

[Catvondita]

I've actually never done this or seen it enforced. For as much as I've been to Disney I just found out about this recently. We would always get a seat first because what if we ordered food and then couldn't find a seat? Then what do we do with our food take it to go? Stand while eating? Maybe I've just never gone while it was that busy.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We tend to travel the first week of November and have never seen it enforced. DH always goes and gets a table while I order the food.

 

[minnie mum]

Anyone know how they handle wheelchairs/stroller as wheelchair that can't fit in the line? In the past we have seated the wheelchair merely due to its inability to get in the very tiny lines in limited space. Also due to limited wheelchair seating at some QS restaurants. Do they no longer allow this?

Strollers aren't allowed inside as a rule. There is always a wheelchair accessible line, at least in my experience. If they aren't mandating the rule, then the wheelchair guest can wait at the table while someone else stands in line.

And, since the question of how you can push someone in a chair and carry a loaded tray at the same time usually comes up: we've always had a CM volunteer to carry the tray for us. Again, just want we've experienced.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Does everyone have to go thru the food line or can they stand off to the side?

1) Only the person ordering has to be in-line.
2)But the others cannot got to a table until the person ordering has the full order.
3) I see no problem with this.
4) Why should not the entire party wait until the food is ready?

 

[Tina]

I wish this were always enforced, especially last week at Cosmic Ray's. We made the mistake of stopping in during peak lunch time. After getting our food, we walked around for at least 10 minutes, trying to find a table to no avail. The majority of the tables were occupied by singles with no food, waiting for their families who were in line. We ended up standing at a tall table (without chairs) with another famlily to eat our lunch. Definitely not an enjoyable time!

 

[Linleedo]

We have never seen it to be unacceptable to claim a table while others were in line ordering.
We've gone with groups of 2,3,& 8. Where did you come across this"rule"?

 

[DisBuckMan]

Last fall, they wouldn't even allow people upstairs at Columbia Harbor House unless you had your food. They had a cast member at the bottom of the stairs policing it.

I've also seen it done at Pecos Bill's in the past, as well.

 

[GC&S]

We only encountered it at Cosmic Rays. It was actually kind of nice because the CM found us a place to sit and we didn't have to wander around. We saw many families try to get a table first but they funneled us through these ropes and it was only way to get into seated area. Those families who didn't have food were turned away until they got their food.