Dinners with Kids - Restaurants or eat at the condo?

[sprousehouse]

We are going to WDW 11/28-12/6. I know we will do dinner for the Candlelight Processional and I am going to try for BOG but otherwise I am wondering if I should try and make dinner reservations or just go back to the condo (we are staying off site as the in-laws had free points at the Hilton on I-Drive). I can easily throw stuff in the crockpot so we can eat when we get back but I wonder which is a better plan.

My kids are 5 & 7 and generally they do well in restaurants but I wonder if we will just be ready to wrap up and go home in the evenings. I'm wondering if a table service restaurant is asking too much of them at that point. We aren't much on fast food so I doubt we would do counter service more than 1-2 nights.

My kids almost never sleep in and I haven't been successful with afternoon naps in a few years so I'm thinking we will go early and go the full day most of the time. And park hours are shorter then anyway. I'm not counting on them making MSEP, Wishes or Illuminations so we would like wrap up 7-8pm anyway.

Thoughts?

 

[Disfan1968]

We are going to WDW 11/28-12/6. I know we will do dinner for the Candlelight Processional and I am going to try for BOG but otherwise I am wondering if I should try and make dinner reservations or just go back to the condo (we are staying off site as the in-laws had free points at the Hilton on I-Drive). I can easily throw stuff in the crockpot so we can eat when we get back but I wonder which is a better plan.

My kids are 5 & 7 and generally they do well in restaurants but I wonder if we will just be ready to wrap up and go home in the evenings. I'm wondering if a table service restaurant is asking too much of them at that point. We aren't much on fast food so I doubt we would do counter service more than 1-2 nights.

My kids almost never sleep in and I haven't been successful with afternoon naps in a few years so I'm thinking we will go early and go the full day most of the time. And park hours are shorter then anyway. I'm not counting on them making MSEP, Wishes or Illuminations so we would like wrap up 7-8pm anyway.

Thoughts?

Honestly, we do table service once a day on our trip, and our kids are younger than yours. We like trying new dishes and generally just pretty much like being waited on while on vacation.

Our kids do fine with it. They have a few moments here and there, but otherwise it's generally OK.

Obviously cooking for yourself would save a truckload of money.

 

[scrapquitler]

We are going to WDW 11/28-12/6. I know we will do dinner for the Candlelight Processional and I am going to try for BOG but otherwise I am wondering if I should try and make dinner reservations or just go back to the condo (we are staying off site as the in-laws had free points at the Hilton on I-Drive). I can easily throw stuff in the crockpot so we can eat when we get back but I wonder which is a better plan.

My kids are 5 & 7 and generally they do well in restaurants but I wonder if we will just be ready to wrap up and go home in the evenings. I'm wondering if a table service restaurant is asking too much of them at that point. We aren't much on fast food so I doubt we would do counter service more than 1-2 nights.

My kids almost never sleep in and I haven't been successful with afternoon naps in a few years so I'm thinking we will go early and go the full day most of the time. And park hours are shorter then anyway. I'm not counting on them making MSEP, Wishes or Illuminations so we would like wrap up 7-8pm anyway.

Thoughts?

Just be aware that not all the quick service options are what I would call 'fast food'. There are good healthy options that aren't fast food like. One of our favorites is Sunshine Seasons in the Land at Epcot. I'd suggest that you check out the menus to see specifically what options are available at the counter service restaurants.

 

[TOBS2010]

I think that your kids will be fine. We will be there with our two year old and plan to eat at a TS at least once per day while we are there this summer. If you are trying to save money---maybe split up and eat some of your meals TS and others at CS. We plan on taking breaks in the afternoon or getting a late start to help with managing the mood of our toddler.

 

[bigherosix]

Eating back at the condo is going to save you a ton of money.

 

[sprousehouse]

Thanks! I actually have Sunshine Seasons bookmarked so I'm glad to hear that is a good one. I'm not that worried about the money, more the food quality and just how tired they might be. My son has a sensitivity to soy which is in almost everything and their "alternatives" are almost worse. He can tolerate some but too much will make him sick so I'm going to aim for only one meal a day out. I'm thinking I will plan 3-4 meals that we can eat back at the condo and go out other nights. I like the idea of breaks but staying off site and with the shorter hours I'm not sure how do-able that really is.

 

[GeraldineW]

With staying off site and shorter hours breaks may not be the best plan, and not really necessary the time of year you are going since you won’t have extreme heat. As a result you may want to plan some table service lunches to give you a break /rest and a stimulation break from the park. Then you can do a counter service dinner or a crock pot at the condo or pizza at the pool, depending on how your family is feeling on any particular day.

 

[sprousehouse]

Table service lunched might be a good idea. I'm thinking Flame Tree BBQ would be good, there are lot so places in Epcot and Sunshine Seasons in MK. HS seems to have the fewest options for healthy so we can pack in that day.

 

[Julylady]

WDW is over stimulating to say the least. We only eat one meal out each day on vacation. Breakfasts are always in the room or condo. My girls do better when they can decompress at the condo and eat simple, familiar foods. I make spaghetti, meatloaf, ham cheese sandwiches, potato soup, etc. I make them the same way I do at home so I'm sure they will like it.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd do more meals at the condo and more meals off-site if you wanna eat out (so you don't have to live by the "Disney schedule" of when to leave and when to eat if your kids are having a good time and wanna close the park down) - I'd keep a handy stash of 1-2 5 minute meals at the condo and 1-2 offsite restaurants phone numbers to do a call ahead or reservation as you're leaving a park, depending on how your kids are at that point.

 

[Nancyg56]

We are going to WDW 11/28-12/6. I know we will do dinner for the Candlelight Processional and I am going to try for BOG but otherwise I am wondering if I should try and make dinner reservations or just go back to the condo (we are staying off site as the in-laws had free points at the Hilton on I-Drive). I can easily throw stuff in the crockpot so we can eat when we get back but I wonder which is a better plan.

My kids are 5 & 7 and generally they do well in restaurants but I wonder if we will just be ready to wrap up and go home in the evenings. I'm wondering if a table service restaurant is asking too much of them at that point. We aren't much on fast food so I doubt we would do counter service more than 1-2 nights.

My kids almost never sleep in and I haven't been successful with afternoon naps in a few years so I'm thinking we will go early and go the full day most of the time. And park hours are shorter then anyway. I'm not counting on them making MSEP, Wishes or Illuminations so we would like wrap up 7-8pm anyway.

Thoughts?

I do not see anycharacter meals in your plans. Do you not want them? I am bringing a 5 and almost 6 YO in August, and have scheduled some TS character meals for them. It is a good way to meet and greet the faves and not wait in lines. I also think it may be nice to begin or end the day with a relaxing meal, and still get home early.

The hours are shorter the time you are going, so if you were to plan a meal near whatever park you are visiting once or twice, they may have a blast, and you can "extend" your disney time without extending your days.

 

[sprousehouse]

My kids seem totally uninterested in the characters. We've never had cable and my daughter has been afraid of the scary parts in many of the Disney films (and really she is a reader not a film buff). And outside of CARS my son has mostly loved super heroes & Star Wars. If there was a Star Wars character meal (which I'm sort is surprised is only SWW with the new movie) we would be there!

 

[Nancyg56]

My kids seem totally uninterested in the characters. We've never had cable and my daughter has been afraid of the scary parts in many of the Disney films (and really she is a reader not a film buff). And outside of CARS my son has mostly loved super heroes & Star Wars. If there was a Star Wars character meal (which I'm sort is surprised is only SWW with the new movie) we would be there!

In that case, I would save the money!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would eat at the condo or just wing it and grab an ADR day-of or just eat quick serve if they are up for staying out a little longer. My DS7 is always ready to pack it in at about 3 pm and just go back to the resort and relax.

 

[sprousehouse]

I'm thinking that both the kids and the grandparents may feel that way. The good thing for us is the kids can go with the grandparents and we can stay if we really want. I'm going to plan a few meals for the condo that I can always freeze if we don't eat ( like crockpot beef stew) and then we can go out a few other days. I'm very go-go-go so I'm trying to arrange my expectations so that I don't get frustrated. My inlaws are NOT planners at all (they wing-it pretty much all the time) so I feel like I need at least a semblance of a plan to start with. Thanks!

 

[Lupeix]

Just came back from a trip on a condo with DH, DS (4) and inlaws. I was planning on cooking dinner much more than I did, the main reason is that in the end even if the meal is easy like a crockpot, there's set up and clean up and it ends up feeling not much of a vacation. So I will recommended you TS all or most of your dinners.

We also like to eat healthy, and what worked best for us was to do breakfast almost always at the condo, lunch 1/2 the time at the condo (something easy like sandwiches, salad and fruit) and dinner out TS or outside WDW (DH does not do quick service). We never did a full day at the park though, that is just not our style. So the nights we did dinner in the park we started the day later. We were staying at WBC, so the boardwalk and some resorts were a quick drive for dinner the days we did parks in the morning. We had some good options within walking distance too. I will investigate what's around your condo.

There are surprisingly a good number of restaurants that offer good food (DH is a foodie and he was surprised!), and sitting down for dinner was relaxing for everyone. Best part was to just go back to the condo and go to bed!
This were our TS and we enjoyed them all: BOG at MK, Chef's the France at Epcot, Mama Melrose's at HS, Tusker house (lunch), Kouzinna at boardwalk, O'hana. Off site we loved Deep Blue and Bull & Bear, but they were pricy (thankfully it was date night!).

We also did Crystal Palace lunch, but mostly for the characters, will not recommend the food otherwise (Tusker house lunch is great regardless IMO)

 

[Happyjen27]

What about a little mix of both?

You can call ahead for take out on the way to the condo, and get hot, fresh healthy food without the prep and clean up. And then a few dinners via crock-pot.

Don't underestimate the power of Disney in giving you good naps. While my pair have always been good nappers, they hadn't napped at home since they started kindergarten, and yet, on trips at age 5 and 6, we ALL napped mid-day. I read on the DIS and incorporated the rule of 4 into our touring plans. 4 hours in any park maximum, before you leave and give everyone a break. That was more crucial at age 5 than 6 for sure. But, even at age 6, they couldn't go much past 5 hours in a park before they were overstimulated and just done. I mention this because your kids, like mine, sound like primarily readers, and perhaps not used to so much loud, active, in your face type stuff.

So, I wouldn't doubt that about 2 days into the trip, on the 3rd day, you could get a rocking nap out of that pair, and return to the park for nighttime fun. Just remember to not schedule something the next morning so they can ease out of bed and into the day.

 

[sprousehouse]

Thanks! I'm thinking it will likely be a mix of both. I am going rent a stroller so they can escape for a bit. My 7 year old daughter will need it more than my 5 year old really. And that way I can bring in a good bag of snacks, fruits and veggies that they can munch on. The day we did DL in CA in 2013 they went from rope drop at 10am to close at 8pm and they didn't even care about dinner! I think they were asleep when we left the parking garage. If I think we can get them to nap we will adjust our schedules on the following days and try it. Thankfully my Mom and my in-laws will do whatever the kids want to do.

 

[dprincessmom]

Just my two cents but if you are going to do the condo meals - it is still your vacation. Take along a few crock pot friendly recipes and have dinner ready when you come back with very little work. Chicken and Rice, Chili, Soups, etc that are filling and take little to no time to throw together in the morning.

We will typically take a midday break but we are there in the long summer months, so we are out very late. We usually do TS or CS meals on the way back into the parks.

 

[tink9702]

I'd do a mixture of all of the above. TS lunches at the parks (maybe MK or Epcot), pack in lunch a couple days, a couple crock pot dinners at the condo, a couple TS dinners (perhaps on Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom days since these parks are either less walking or shorter hours) & maybe an order out pizza type day.

Your son's food allergy does make things harder, but it's actually so much easier at Disney than many other restaurants! When you make your ADRs be sure to put in his soy allergy and then the chef will come out to your table before you order and go over them with you and even make him something special if needed. My DS has tree nut and peanut allergies and it was so much less stress at Disney than other places going out to eat!