Buffets and quick service with manual wheelchair

[PatR1213]

Looking for tips and tricks. Adult special needs son will be in manual wheelchair with me pushing. Cannot be left at a table alone while I order/pick up meals. Will have an additional person with us so can have her sit with him while I pick up our meals and then she can get hers once I return. Considering the time for me to get ours, then the time for her to get in line and get hers, chances are we wouldn't actually end up eating together and a lot of extra line time, so that isn't really ideal. I doubt the trays are large enough to hold 3 meals, and I'm certainly not talented enough to balance two trays of food and drinks and successfully return to a table. Thoughts on a better solution?

 

[kamik86]

My first thought would be don't do buffets. The food isn't as good in them as sit down places and that sounds like alot of work.

If you were doing buffets to see characters I would recommend the all you can eat places that bring you family style food like Garden Grill and Ohana.


For quick service since you talking one trip I would just ask if a cast member would be available to help. That would probably be the easiest option. If not making two trips still shouldn't be as time consuming since you would just be picking up a full tray. 2 meals can definitely fit on one tray DH and I pretty much never used two.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Looking for tips and tricks. Adult special needs son will be in manual wheelchair with me pushing. Cannot be left at a table alone while I order/pick up meals. Will have an additional person with us so can have her sit with him while I pick up our meals and then she can get hers once I return. Considering the time for me to get ours, then the time for her to get in line and get hers, chances are we wouldn't actually end up eating together and a lot of extra line time, so that isn't really ideal. I doubt the trays are large enough to hold 3 meals, and I'm certainly not talented enough to balance two trays of food and drinks and successfully return to a table. Thoughts on a better solution?

Often a restaurant employee will volunteer to carry a tray to the table for you. This has happened for us at Disneyland and on cruises. We didn't even have to ask.

 

[lanejudy]

Depending how busy it is, you may not be allowed to let your son and the other adult find seats while you wait in line as QS. Often CMs refuse admittance to the seating area until the party has trays of food; so they'll either wait in line with you or off to the side but not at a table. However, I agree with others -- if a CM doesn't volunteer, don't hesitate to ask for assistance. I've never heard of anyone denied assistance carrying trays due to a disability.

At buffets, I've never found lines to be excessively long and it's always been easy enough for me to fill my daughter's plate and then return for my own, but we tend to do TS early/late rather than prime meal hours.

Enjoy your vacation!