Alright Disney World, take a knee. We need to have a little chat…
Look, we get it. Disney World is ideally made for kids and that can create complications for adults. Although Disney World has plenty of dining and entertainment options for older guests, we still have one major bone to pick — Disney World’s restaurant spacing issue needs to be fixed.
Let’s face it, if you’re even slightly tall, sometimes dining at Disney World can feel cramped. There are a couple of different factors that, if addressed by Disney, could make a world of difference by being fixed or removed.
The DFB team has had several instances of feeling too tall or too cramped at Disney World restaurants. Those restaurants include but are not limited to Le Cellier Steakhouse, Jiko — The Cooking Place, Woody’s Lunch Box, Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, Gideon’s Bakehouse, Morimoto Asia, The Crystal Palace, Oga’s Cantina, California Grill, San Angel Inn Restaurante, and Boatwright’s Dining Hall.
There are undoubtedly more restaurants we could add to that list, but one thing is certain — we’ve felt uncomfortable dining at Disney World on more than one occasion. Whether it be due to lack of room at tables, no legroom, or you’re quite literally six inches away from someone else to the point people are stacked on top of one another, it can be tough to be a hungry tall person at the resort.
Sometimes when it comes to banquet seating and being seated super close to other parties, you can request to have a different table, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be accommodated. Still, it’s worth it to ask!
In the meantime, all we ask of you, Disney World, is that you consider the tall folk whenever you build a new restaurant or decide to refurbish an existing one! We obviously LOVE Disney World food, we just hope for more spacially pleasant experiences in the future!
If you’ve had trouble dining at Disney World due to space (or lack thereof), what are some of your solutions? Let us know some of your horror stories and remedies and stay tuned here at the Disney Food Blog for all kinds of Disney World news, tips, and reviews!
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We’ve talked about the cramped restaurants, but which Disney World restaurants do you feel the most comfortable dining at? Share your favorites in the comments below!
M. Power says
While my tall husband has never complained about leg room while dining, the entire family has been uncomfortable in many spots due to too many tables being crowded in. Aisles completely disappear, as does any semblance of separation from other diners. I have also had my chair rattled throughout a dinner, when the diner behind me coughed, laughed, etc.
Sharon says
Being even slightly plus size is a horror show. There has been more than one occasion in which while trying to navigate to or exit from a table, that in order to not drag my bosom across the head of someone at a neighboring table I have accidently placed my prodigious bum squarely between two other patrons at a different neighboring table – or vice versa. Yikes lol
Sherri says
Woody’s Lunchbox we were literally in back of one of the displays in the back of the restaurant, a foot from the table next to us. Not only could we not see any of the entertainment or cool aesthetics of the restaurant, we could hear everything being said by the table next to us. We will not be back. Food is just not that exceptional. Le Cellier is one of our favorite places to eat, so we are more inclined to put up with not having as much elbow room.
Leigh says
You didn’t mention the worst one, The Boathouse. The tables are so tightly packed together, it’s hard to get in or out of your seat, regardless of your size. My husband and I don’t eat there anymore because of it.