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Thread: Parenting in the Parks: Fine Dining With Children at Disney Theme Parks

  1. #51
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    One of the happiest days of my life was the day my son road NO rides at Disneyland.

    We weren't going to punish everyone else by leaving. We couldn't threaten what we wouldn't do. So we said "Ok, you won't ride the rest of the day." AND HE DIDN'T.

    We only had to do that ONCE. EVERY single time we ever said to him "Ok, you do that again, you won't ride for the rest of the day... DO YOU BELIEVE ME???" And he ALWAYS knew we'd do it.

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  3. #52

    As a parent of two girls, ages 10 and 7, I can see both sides. I don't like eating at fine dining restaurants with unruley kids, nor do I want my kids being unruley at any type of eating establishment. My two girls are complete opposites. My oldest has always been on who can sit still, be quiet and enjoy eating out. My youngest has been horrible at eating at a restaurant since she was an infant. She just can't sit still to save her life. This is why at Disney, if we do a sit down dinner with my kids we only do character dining. She needs the interaction to keep her occupied or she will go crazy!! So I honestly don't believe in age restrictions at restaurants; parents know what is the right setting for their kids and what isn't. I never bring my youngest to a fine dining restaurant, it would be miserable for her, the other customers and most of all me!!!

    “Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”
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  4. #53
    Quote Originally Posted by prekmom View Post
    As a parent of two girls, ages 10 and 7, I can see both sides. I don't like eating at fine dining restaurants with unruley kids, nor do I want my kids being unruley at any type of eating establishment. My two girls are complete opposites. My oldest has always been on who can sit still, be quiet and enjoy eating out. My youngest has been horrible at eating at a restaurant since she was an infant. She just can't sit still to save her life. This is why at Disney, if we do a sit down dinner with my kids we only do character dining. She needs the interaction to keep her occupied or she will go crazy!! So I honestly don't believe in age restrictions at restaurants; parents know what is the right setting for their kids and what isn't. I never bring my youngest to a fine dining restaurant, it would be miserable for her, the other customers and most of all me!!!
    Thank you, prekmom! I only wish all parents were as thoughtful and considerate as you. Then there would be no issue at all.

  5. #54
    Registered User fairestoneofall's Avatar
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    Allright. I have to resurrect this thread. Today we took our boys to Club 33 for their first visit. It was amazing. Seriously proud parent parent moment here.

    First of all, I have to mention that we were extremely blessed to have been allowed another visit to the club in the first place. It never gets old and it doesn't lose it's specialness (is that even a word) after the first visit.

    That being said, I've been wanting to bring the boys for awhile, but I was just waiting for the right opportunity. I knew that I wanted their first visit to be brunch since it's a little more casual than dinner and you have the added distraction of the characters in the dining room. We chose the earliest brunch reservation possible, trying to stay as close to their normal eating schedule as possible. We didn't tell the boys where we were going, J tends to get wound up and overly excited about new or exciting things. So, we started a trip to DL (in fancy clothes) and focused on NOS until it was time to go check in. We walked over to 33 Royal Street and the boys got excited, thinking we were going to the Blue Bayou. I quickly diverted their attention by asking them to pose for some photos in front of the Club 33 door. They were none too excited to do this, probably because they really didn't understand why. When I told the boys we needed to ring the call button and give them our name they were all of a sudden very interested. When the hostess came to let us in, they were all over it! Something new at DL?!?! They immediately wanted to ride in the elevator once they deemed it NOT the same as Tower of Terror. So, DH and his BFF took the stairs while the boys, my friend and I took the lift. Once upstairs we were escorted to the main dining room. If you know J, it won't surprise you that he was walking right next to the lovely CM taking us to our table and talking to her all the way. We were seated in the center of the main dining room and at this point the boys became a little excitable. I immediately thought, "Oh no, I made a bad decision." But then I quickly started telling them how things were going to progress (without letting on about Mickey and Pluto) and they seemed satisfied that we weren't going to have to wait for a really long time. We gave our drink orders to our waitress and then DH and I each took a boy to the buffet. I had J, DH had P. I walked J by the spread and explained everything to him, and we asked about the things that weren't obvious. We grabbed his plate and started. He was very happy to choose his salads, fruit and cheese. P pretty much filled his plate with charcuterie, shrimp and crab. He was in heaven! This was a big deal to him since we don't regularly go to buffets. Once they had their pass at the buffet, I filled my plate. Our server was super sweet with the kids, so that helped a lot. We enjoyed our salad course and our main course came in perfect timing. They each ordered cheeseburgers for their main dish. I was fine with that, it was their choice and it was something that made them happy. As we were finishing up our lunch none other than the famous Mickey Mouse and his pal Pluto walk in. The boys just about jumped out of their seats. They were SO SO surprised. We had very excellent character interaction and it was a good distraction and opportunity for the boys to get up and walk around for a couple of minutes. As soon as the characters left we took the boys to the dessert table. They just about lost their minds when we told them that they could pick whatever they wanted, but we limited it to three items. They felt very grown up! Did I mention I'm a dessert nazi? I really don't give them dessert too often.

    So, I have to say that I consider the visit a huge success. We were in a fancy place that required fancy behavior for two hours and fifteen minutes and my 5 and 6 year olds performed like total and complete professionals. What a special SPECIAL day for us!

    If you can dream it, you can do it. ~Walt Disney

  6. #55

    Congratulations! What a proud parent moment and what great memories for you and your boys.


  7. #56

    That's wonderful, Fairest! Such a nice surprise for the boys and a treat for you and DH!

    Siggy aka Jill

  8. #57
    Registered User codewoman's Avatar
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    Parenting in the Parks: Fine Dining With Children at Disney Theme Parks

    It sounds like you all had a wonderful time. And a nice milestone moment. Congratulations!

    There are 10 kinds of people in this world... Those who know binary and those who don't.

  9. #58
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    That is awesome Fairest! I wish I could get my 6 year old and 10 year old to behave well in any sit down restaurant WITHOUT the aid of an iTouch, iPhone or iPad!

    “A keen sense of humor helps us to overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerated the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected, and outlast the unbearable.” Billy Graham

  10. #59
    CL--DLR Trip Planning and DVC Toocherie's Avatar
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    Totally not surprised that they did a great job! Glad you all had a great experience!

    "Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

  11. #60
    Registered User fairestoneofall's Avatar
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    Parenting in the Parks: Fine Dining With Children at Disney Theme Parks

    Quote Originally Posted by Rockchalker View Post
    That is awesome Fairest! I wish I could get my 6 year old and 10 year old to behave well in any sit down restaurant WITHOUT the aid of an iTouch, iPhone or iPad!
    We had the iPods just in case we needed them, but they never came out!
    If you can dream it, you can do it. ~Walt Disney

  12. #61
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Very nice. Congrats on your proud mama moment.


  13. #62

    Fine Dining with non-Adults

    "My two cents" from a first-time father of a nearly 2-year-old toddler with two brothers almost 20 years younger (read: my daughter is actually my third child).

    - Behavior of non-Adults 5 and younger is extremely variable. Though it does not excuse the lack of it, no amount of planning or training can guarantee a particular outcome on a particular night.

    - My strategy with said age group is, if they can stand sitting in the stroller/high chair for long enough for me to eat in a fine dining unit, I go for it as long as the going's good. When It's Over, It's Over. If it's a bad night, even if I have reservations, try again another time--they'll be here! Hey, the Disney fine dining units aren't going to disappear anytime soon, and my daughter is only going to get older.

    - I don't expect a 3 hour dinner; sometimes I get 40 minutes, sometimes I get 90, and I stay ready to call it a night at any time. I only go to units that can accommodate this (go straight to main courses, willing to fire kid's menu on seating), at the times they can accommodate this (at opening, after dinner rush). I ask questions and set expectations when I check in at the restaurant, and if it's a bad fit, I give it a bye.

    - I bring my own backup food (cheese sticks, snacks, favorites) and equipment (plastic forks/spoons/sippy cups) in case the menu doesn't work out or the kitchen is backed up.

    - Maybe it's because I grew up in "the business", but when it's me and my daughter, I leave a 20-25% tip, with as much in cash as possible.

    - The Disney resorts are, last I checked, principally family-oriented resorts, defined as having appeal for ages from birth to infinity. Though there are more Adult-oriented opportunities offered by Disney, it's ridiculous to ignore this fundamental principle. Futhermore, the great bulk of resorts around the world are Adult-oriented; if you can't deal with family-orientation, go somewhere else. Si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sicut ibi.

    - DDP is positively THE WORST THING for fine dining and families with small children, because it takes away all of your flexibility. Dining with a toddler is guerilla warfare, and DDP wants you to stand there, load, and fire to the beat of their drum. I will never, never, never take DDP until my kid(s) are all, say, 7 or 8 years old.

    My daughter has been with us to fine dining units about 20 or 30 times since she was born. It's never easy, but it's nice to have a taste of fine dining that was clearly easier to accomplish before we had her, and we'll be back to 3 hour seven-course dinners someday.


  14. #63
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fdcmp View Post
    If it's a bad night, even if I have reservations, try again another time--they'll be here! Hey, the Disney fine dining units aren't going to disappear anytime soon, and my daughter is only going to get older.
    A general note - There are TS dining establishments that have cancellation penalties if cancelled same-day. You may be able to have exceptions made if you are having a difficult day with a child, but guests should not simply not show up to their ADR. Talk to guest services to see what your options might be.
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  15. #64
    Quote Originally Posted by GusMan View Post
    A general note - There are TS dining establishments that have cancellation penalties if cancelled same-day.
    Good point, thanks for adding it.

    I didn't know about the penalties until after the fact on our November/December visits as guests because I'd done a lot of late-seating walk-ins. Later I learned about the penalties, and that they actually DO run an approval on your card for the penalty when you call them.

    For me, all these cruise-ship rules they add year-to-year are taking more and more of the joy out of the thing. Someone's satisfaction must be improving in turning WDW into a cruise ship, but it sure ain't mine.

  16. #65
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    I'm seriously considering printing the URL on a business card and handing it out to parents in fancy restaurants...

    Last night, my husband and I went to a very special to us dinner at Napa Rose - it was a very special anniversary meal. Now, as I've said before, I have NO PROBLEM with well behaved children at fine restaurants.

    Holy.Cow. Two moms missed the memo.

    As we waited in the Lounge, a family came in with two little girls. The girls were clearly dressed for a night out, in very nice little dresses. One was a toddler, probably about 18 - 24 months old, the older girl was a preschooler, about 3 to 4 years old. I saw them checking in at the hostess stand and was a little surprised but tried not to judge.

    Until we were in the Lounge. The parents were seated on the far end of the lounge, we were at the fireplace. And the little girls FIRST played Hide and Go Seek at a central table near ours. I gave Doc the look that says "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???" I had been trying to have a conversation with Doc but I totally got distracted and had to refocus.

    Ok, they were back at their table.

    UNTIL they decided to RUN LAPS around the central pillar and tables in the restaurant, SQUEALING along the way.

    SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?

    This is NOT Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, people. It's a FINE RESTAURANT.

    Yes, I've taken my children to fine restaurants in fancy clothes before. In fact, the fancy clothes indicate the level of behavior I expect from them. If they can't handle it, we don't go. PERIOD.

    Later in the meal, we noticed a group seated at a large table near the Chef's Counter. There were two women with about 4 to 5 young children and a young man about toddler to preschool age decided he was not happy with his situation and was screaming.

    It stopped eventually but, again. Really??

    By the time we left at 8:30, I would like to note that there were other families with children, also in the restaurant - and we NEVER heard a PEEP out of those children. IT IS POSSIBLE.

    I know the Disney resort has a policy against pamphleting on property and for that reason I will not take copies of my imaginary business cards. But it was tempting.

    Parenting in the Parks[/url]
    Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do with what happens to you.[/b]
    "You should do totally do this thing, but just remember, it's going to suck eggs" #ThingsMyFriendsSayToMe

  17. #66
    Simba's Pride *Nala*'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adriennek View Post
    This is NOT Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, people. It's a FINE RESTAURANT.
    That is awesome. And a reminder why it is probably not a good idea to, if my 3 year old ever does earn a trip to World of Color, bring him to Carthay Circle to get our fast passes. He's usually very good in restaurants. But. Sometimes he is not. He has learned, the hard way, in the last few months what happens if he screams in line, or if he screams in a restaurant, and he will tell you rather unhappily "we go out." And I would hate to pay all that money for a meal and have to leave our food uneaten, because I am not going to just let him scream his head off while others are eating.

    Besides, I know he'd be much happier with the picnic and/or some chicken nuggets and the aforementioned Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
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  18. #67
    some imagination, huh? DisneyFunFamily4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adriennek View Post
    This is NOT Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, people. It's a FINE RESTAURANT.
    Wait, it's not? But it is practically right next door so i can see how someone could get the two confused.....

    BTW, i just made a ressie for NR for our anniversary in February! It will be san kids since someone we both know and love has so generously offered to watch them for the weekend!

  19. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by DisneyFunFamily4 View Post
    Wait, it's not? But it is practically right next door so i can see how someone could get the two confused.....

    BTW, i just made a ressie for NR for our anniversary in February! It will be san kids since someone we both know and love has so generously offered to watch them for the weekend!
    Sweet!!!! You told them it's your anniversary, right?? Make sure it's on your reservation.
    Parenting in the Parks[/url]
    Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do with what happens to you.[/b]
    "You should do totally do this thing, but just remember, it's going to suck eggs" #ThingsMyFriendsSayToMe

  20. #69

    Going next month with my DS 5yr old and DD 10yr old. What would be better Character Breakfast at PCH Grill or Blue Bayou? (never did either of them)

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  21. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by n8 and ari s mommy View Post
    Going next month with my DS 5yr old and DD 10yr old. What would be better Character Breakfast at PCH Grill or Blue Bayou? (never did either of them)
    Character Breakfast at PCH Grill.

    (Not a big fan of Blue Bayou - I think it's overpriced.) But. I also don't know your kids. My kids would behave fine for either meal at your children's ages. They're also pretty adventurous eaters. But they like character meals, too.
    Parenting in the Parks[/url]
    Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do with what happens to you.[/b]
    "You should do totally do this thing, but just remember, it's going to suck eggs" #ThingsMyFriendsSayToMe

  22. #71
    Happiness is that smile MammaSilva's Avatar
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    I'd recommend the character meal over the Blue Bayou for several reasons. Character meals are for the most part buffet style which gives everyone more food choices, there is a concentrated interaction with several characters that don't require standing in long lines and having a fast smile and shoot interaction (taking a photo - shoot). The Blue Bayou is a dark environment that your 5 year old may not enjoy and there are only a few waterside tables so you could end up in the corner by the kitchen pass or near the bathrooms or just inside beyond the steps which kind of kills the whole ambiance that you are paying for and then there is the fact that the menu is very limited for kids choices IMHO.

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  23. #72

    definitely character breakfast!


  24. #73
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    Ugh how annoying! I figure if I am going to pay that much money and dress up, I would like to enjoy myself, not be cutting food, reminding about manners, hoping nothing spills, reminding them not to stare/wave continuously and let other people eat. Dining with kids under 3 (or maybe just my kids under 3) is about as far from relaxing as I am from the moon!

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  25. #74
    Quote Originally Posted by Mermaid View Post
    Ugh how annoying! I figure if I am going to pay that much money and dress up, I would like to enjoy myself, not be cutting food, reminding about manners, hoping nothing spills, reminding them not to stare/wave continuously and let other people eat. Dining with kids under 3 (or maybe just my kids under 3) is about as far from relaxing as I am from the moon!
    No, you're right. To 'help' kids behave in that environment is stressful - or should be if you are being a good parent. I have taken kids under 3 to formal events such as a black tie wedding and we do emphasis super fancy clothes = super fancy behavior. We also brought our own sticker books from Costco to keep the little kids occupied before the food was served. It can be done, but it requires a lot of parenting.

    There is a favorite steakhouse that we love and the kids have yet to eat there. I'm not sure when we will decide that they are ready. Until then, it is expensive enough that *I* want to have a good time - and that means leaving the little ones at home!

    Disclaimer: we did take them to a lot of the fine restaurants at WDW when they were 1 month and 2 1/2 years because we had the meal plan and it didn't occur to me at the time not to. What I remember most about our meal at Narcoossees is that the grounds of the Grand Floridian was very pretty, I was starting to get sick and didn't care that I was missing the food, and I went outside with either one or both children during the course of the meal even though other people offered to take them because at that point being in the relative calm of outside felt better than the ambient noise inside. It was also the first time I saw the electric boat parade and thought it was pretty cool. I'm going to hasten a guess that my kids either did not or only minimally disrupted the meals of anyone nearby (expect perhaps those who were offended on principal that they were there and no amount of good behavior would change that).

  26. #75
    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
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    I think everyone knows my views. If your child can sit through a 2 hour quiet dinner, staying in his chair, ignoring the boats going by, no yelling, waving, crying, and you think he would enjoy it, go to Blue Bayou. Otherwise, I would do the Character breakfast. The Surf's Up buffet is very good, and kids can get up and move around. The characters have a couple of events to get up with.

    I loved this article!

    http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/res...505.html#!IiCB

    Planning 3 trips at once...

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