An Unpleasant Experience at Yak and Yeti CS

[DisneyWishes14]

A few years back, My Dad and I were at Pecos Bills. We waited until we had our food and found a table....we put our food ON the table with drinks....and we went to the fixing bar. Came back and and a UK couple was at our table. My Dad was like WTH? They said "you weren't here". We had to aggressively ask them to leave......crazy. I wish CMs did more patrolling..lol.

omg, I would never leave our food on a table and then go to the fixings bar, LOL!! I've seen people do some wacky stuff in WDW and wouldn't put it past someone to just sit down and start EATING our food!!!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It’s outdoor seating, it’s randomly accessible to anyone. If someone wants a guaranteed place to sit without hassle that’s what TS are for. No need for all this back and forth arguing and negotiation. It’s in the title. Counter service ie: service ends at the counter.

Except it isn't called "counter service". Disney refers to it as "Quick Service", meaning you get your food "quickly" (though that often doesn't happen), you find a place to sit, eat quickly and get out so the people who come after you can do the same.

WDW started testing a QS seating policy in 2015 (http://www.chipandco.com/new-seating-process-at-walt-disney-world-quick-service-restaurants-226267/) and, as I mentioned, it was in full force at Satul'i when we went in August. I really wish they would do this throughout the resort. Until then, yes, guests will simply make up the rule that suits their family.

 

[KennesawNemo]

When we went last Thanksgiving, we were trying to eat at Cosmic Ray. The restaurant was fairly busy.

We got our food and saw a table available. My husband left for condiments/napkins. I was holding the tray and my son went to fetch one more chair as we needed that. AFTER we placed the extra chair, a father with two young kids came over and told us the table should be his because he WANTED that table first but he went to do something else first (he said what that was but I honestly don't remember what he said). He did not have any food with him but he was fully ready to have a big argument with me.

I saw another table leaving so I just told him he can have the table and left.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Not at all. I'm asking you for clarification.

In my first post I clearly stated that there was plenty of seating. Not sure what needed additional clarification....

 

[hsmamato2]

This happens a lot at QS in a busy park..... our last trip we were at Disney Springs ona BUSY evening.... at Cookes of Dublin- we just ordered,and watched for a table to open,we got lucky and one did (for 6!) before we got our food, but we had already decided to sit outside on the curb and enjoy our food if nothing opened up..... I've done it before, there are usually other places to sit and eat nearby,like a bench or a stone wall or something too. It's part of the 'experience' (I prefer a table too, but if there are none, we move on a figure an alternative out)

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yak and Yeti is tricky since it's outside and they have the window for drinks. I've always found it hard to find a table there. There are always people around there.

I honestly don't care what other people do. If people are holding a seat for the people who are ordering I get it and it doesn't bother me.

We eat at off times about 99% of the time. Usually around 11-11:30 am. So it's easy to find a table.

When my kids were younger one of us would go sit and the other would order. It was way too much trouble to have two jumping little kids in line with a million other people. Now that my kids are older they stand in line with me and help carry the food or they go look for a table themselves.

I really never thought about this until this board.

 

[ArwenMarie]

They should monitor more carefully. It's just such an overcrowded place and it's not reasonable to let people sort this out among themselves.

We were at Universal at the Simpson Food Court and they were militant about no one sitting until you had your tray of food. They had it all roped off and everything and you were NOT getting in without a tray

 

[NYCgrrl]

They should monitor more carefully. It's just such an overcrowded place and it's not reasonable to let people sort this out among themselves.

We were at Universal at the Simpson Food Court and they were militant about no one sitting until you had your tray of food. They had it all roped off and everything and you were NOT getting in without a tray

I wonder how much more the expensive fast food @ Universal costs vs the expensive fast food @ WD ? Gotta pay for that extra labor cost somehow.
I'm still in shock over the 9 buck hotdogs at the "world's happiest place".

 

[GusGusTheMouse]

They should monitor more carefully. It's just such an overcrowded place and it's not reasonable to let people sort this out among themselves.

We were at Universal at the Simpson Food Court and they were militant about no one sitting until you had your tray of food. They had it all roped off and everything and you were NOT getting in without a tray

I completely agree. Just based on some of the differing view points on this thread, this issue is really not something the guests should decide or enforce on their own. While it may be more strict, I have never had any issues with seating at Universal and having a CM there to direct you makes it clear to everyone how Universal would like the area to be used. While some may think I am crazy for stating QS at WDW is used as a resting area, let me be clear that I do not personally use it for resting, but many do and WDW does nothing to correct it or even state otherwise. While some may consider the use of the area for eating-only as common sense, it is not because everyone has a differing opinion and will continue to use the area as it best fits their family's needs until WDW tells us otherwise. And it now seems like WDW is doing that during peak hours at places like Pecos Bills and Satul'i, which I completely support.

 

[nkereina]

I wonder how much more the expensive fast food @ Universal costs vs the expensive fast food @ WD ? Gotta pay for that extra labor cost somehow.
I'm still in shock over the 9 buck hotdogs at the "world's happiest place".

Burger & Fries in Simpsons area at Universal is $10.99. Burger & Fries at AK is $13.29. It really only takes an extra person to man the seating area if it's roped off or configured in a way that there's only one entry. At the Potter restaurants at Universal during their busiest times when they first opened, they had about 3 people manning the seating area - 1 at the entrance and 2 walking around checking for empty tables.

 

[Farro]

I never understand someone saying that someone else is ignorant just because they feel differently about a situation than the other person does. For whatever reason if someone says no when asked if they can share your table, it's their right to do so. You may not like it, but doesn't mean they're ignorant.

We prefer eating at less busy times so the restaurants aren't quite as crowded. Less chance of someone wanting to share a table. I don't see anything wrong with someone saving a table for their family that is in line getting food. If others don't like that, maybe they should wait for a less busy time to eat.

I do agree with those saying a counter service restaurant is not the place to just sit at a table to rest though. Plenty of other places to rest.

When DH and I go to WDW, or my DD and I go, we don't eat at peak times. Still, I wouldn't ask to share someone else's table. I would wait for a table to open up. I wouldn't take a large table for just 2 people though, I would wait for a smaller table to open up. I just don't care to share a table with strangers. Sorry if others think that is rude. Now maybe if they would just sit and not want to make small talk it would be okay. I just don't care to chat with them while we're eating. I don't care where you're from, where you work, how many kids you have, blah blah blah. Just eat your food and be quiet.

When there is no seating, you have room at the table, someone politely requests to share your table with empty seats and you say no for no other reason besides "you don't like to share", I assume you are ignorant (lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular) that people have literally nowhere else to sit with their food. Otherwise the word I should use, in my opinion, is selfish. You may not agree with that, but that is what's great about opinions.

 

[OneinThree]

When there is no seating, you have room at the table, someone politely requests to share your table with empty seats and you say no for no other reason besides "you don't like to share", I assume you are ignorant (lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular) that people have literally nowhere else to sit with their food. Otherwise the word I should use, in my opinion, is selfish. You may not agree with that, but that is what's great about opinions

What we're really discussing here are cultural norms, which vary across factors such as nationality or cohort. It seems reasonable to suggest that most productive approach toward navigating these differences is that people shouldn't take exception to either being asked, or refused. At the end of the day however, it falls on park mgmt to recognize the sort of experiences people are encountering and how it's affecting them. Disney parks are now absolutely mobbed much of the time, including the eateries. I'd be really interested to learn whether or not WDW has "adjusted" max capacity for these parks over the years, because I don't ever recall crowd problems like this until the last 10 years or so.

 

[Spencer Wright]

This is why we eat lunch generally 11am when places open and have dinner ADR's at 5-5:30 (where up early kind of people so ready for lunch by eleven).

It makes for a much nicer experience for both meals. I would hate all the hustle and bustle to be further exacerbated by trying to find a table!

 

[Dug720]

omg, I would never leave our food on a table and then go to the fixings bar, LOL!! I've seen people do some wacky stuff in WDW and wouldn't put it past someone to just sit down and start EATING our food!!!

That was my thought. At least one person stays at the table while the other goes to the toppings bar, then you can switch. When my sister and I were younger, our mom would go with one of us and our dad with the other. If I'm with a friend, we take turns. If I'm solo, I get my toppings before looking for a table.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I guess I’m also in the minority but I don’t see anything rude or inconsiderate about that as long as I’m a paying customer.

Depending how busy the restaurant is, a guest could potentially not be a paying customer for the first 10-15 minutes they hold the table. Does it seem reasonable to prevent guests already with food from sitting to eat it? What happens if the food runner ends up not purchasing anything; if, say, the one food someone will eat came off the menu that day?

If Disney has an explicit policy on not sitting without food, with signs posted, guests will know they are in the wrong

No venue, Disney included, should need an explicit policy dictating common sense

 

[nkereina]

No venue, Disney included, should need an explicit policy dictating common sense

But as we've seen from this thread, it's not common sense. It's controversial with varying opinions. That's why an explicit policy would resolve it. That said, I suspect they don't have a policy against this because people can use the tables as they wish. They can even eat inside other QS locations with food purchased elsewhere, or their own food.

I'll add again that I see both sides - I wouldn't sit at a table unless I was eating there and I wouldn't leave someone hanging if I have room at my table. I agree that it's decency, but unless there is a policy, you can't expect people to always do the right thing.

 

[Jennasis]

Twp years ago, DH and I were at Cantina De San Angel with it's lovely but small outdoor seating area by the water. It was packed. We got our food and managed to find a 4-top as another group was leaving. Even though it was just DH and I, it was also the only available table, so we grabbed it and sat down to eat. I wasn't really paying much attention but at some point the 2-top a few seats over opened up and a family of 4 grabbed it and tried desperately to squeeze themselves all in and get their food on the table. DH and I immediately called over to them and offered to swap tables. They stared at us like we were crazy...waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell them they've been punk'd LOL. Once they realized we were serious, they dissolved into profuse thank you's as they gathered up their stuff to switch over.

The kicker is that BOTH DH and the dad of that group had to aggressively fend off other families who were trying to shove their way into the tables before we could swap, despite being told what we were doing. The tables couldn't have been more than 10 feet apart! It was a little scary how insistent and aggressive some people were being. We managed to swap tables finally and the family kept thanking us.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

They should monitor more carefully. It's just such an overcrowded place and it's not reasonable to let people sort this out among themselves.

We were at Universal at the Simpson Food Court and they were militant about no one sitting until you had your tray of food. They had it all roped off and everything and you were NOT getting in without a tray

Yes, I love how they handle this at the HP QS in Universal. When we went in August, the line was fairly long (this was at Leaky Cauldron), but they place the menus throughout the line so you really have a chance to make up your mind before getting to the register (they even have fake displays of the food so you can get a sense of what it looks like). There is then a staff member at the front of the line directing people to the next cashier. Your order is taken, you get a number and then line up for a table. You are seated by a staff member and the food is brought to you. It was well managed and organized and no one could sit down unless they had ordered already.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Universal had a good process flow with the Potter restaurants when they first opened - they had CMs seating you at tables once you had your food and you weren't permitted to sit down without food. The queues inside these restaurants are even set up to make it difficult for you to move to the seating area without food in hand. It works out well there.

Well they aren't doing that at least as of September (2017).

At the Leaky Cauldron you actually sit down before your food gets to you. You have a number (I think it was a number) that a CM brings with them and seats you in a specific spot;then the food is brought out to you according to the number on your table which is the same as the number on your order. Now yes this process did allow them to control in some way but they didn't shoo you away once you were done with your food so you could sit there inside the place for a while. You could also order something like a drink or whatnot and be sat inside too.

At Three Broomsticks they were not policing whatsoever any seating when we were there. I *think* they had a few tables reserved closer to the bar area though not quite in the bar area so that people could sit there if they had food rather than drinks. You ordered, went to the register, went to the counter and got your food and sat down. But no one was there making you wait until your whole party was there in order for you to sit down-they didn't care at all if everyone stayed together or if people went in search of a table. I do believe though that in 2011 went we went at Three Broomsticks they did sit you down themselves once you got your food. I'm trying to remember but I believe that's how it was back then.

WDW started testing a QS seating policy in 2015 (http://www.chipandco.com/new-seating-process-at-walt-disney-world-quick-service-restaurants-226267/) and, as I mentioned, it was in full force at Satul'i when we went in August. I really wish they would do this throughout the resort. Until then, yes, guests will simply make up the rule that suits their family.

Well it wasn't in place when we went in September (2017). No one was policing the tables, no one was making people wait to get their food before sitting down. The only policing done was a person making sure if you did mobile ordering you went into the right line as opposed to the regular line. I believe they had a sign out there for the outdoor portion about it being only for patrons of Satul'i but that was it.

 

[Fleuristic]

Except it isn't called "counter service". Disney refers to it as "Quick Service", meaning you get your food "quickly" (though that often doesn't happen), you find a place to sit, eat quickly and get out so the people who come after you can do the same.

WDW started testing a QS seating policy in 2015 (http://www.chipandco.com/new-seating-process-at-walt-disney-world-quick-service-restaurants-226267/) and, as I mentioned, it was in full force at Satul'i when we went in August. I really wish they would do this throughout the resort. Until then, yes, guests will simply make up the rule that suits their family.

Don’t care what Disney calls it specifically. It’s a counter service dining situation. Just like any other setup where someone picks up their food at a counter then goes to find their own place to eat. No staff continue to serve them. My statement still stands, service ends at the counter.