Babies at restaurants

[Tara1988]

I need some ideas on what to do with a baby at restaurants in the parks. I'm due in July so she will be around 3 months when we go, so she wouldn't be ready for a high chair yet. At home and at the out of park restaurants we will drive to, we have the option of keeping her in her car seat, but we won't have that in the parks because she's sharing a double stroller with her 2 older brothers. We will wear her for a good portion of the time, but I don't know how comfortable that will be while trying to eat. What have you found that works?

 

[maxiesmom]

Taking turns eating and holding. That is what worked best for us. Some restaurants will allow you to bring the stroller in with you, but it is up to the CMs working at the time. So you really can't plan for that.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

and remember to count the baby in your ressies for TS meals even though she will not be eating she needs to be in the head count.

 

[kohlby]

We had a trip with a 2 month old. I wore her in a sling even while eating and it worked well. When my kids were at the sitting up with support age, I used the sling as a seat belt, helping give the baby support in order to stay in the chair.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We took DS when he was 3 months. Restaurants were fine. He was either sleeping or just being held. We just took turns eating/holding him. I was still breastfeeding so sometimes I would just feed him too.

It will be much more of an effort next month when we go. DS will be 15 months old. We have been taking him to restaurants weekly in order to get him used to eating in public.

 

[Tara1988]

and remember to count the baby in your ressies for TS meals even though she will not be eating she needs to be in the head count.

I was told by a couple cast members that they only need to be counted if they were taking up a chair or high chair, if they are held the whole time, they wouldn't change the size of the table needed

 

[Mousemommy1]

I was told by a couple cast members that they only need to be counted if they were taking up a chair or high chair, if they are held the whole time, they wouldn't change the size of the table needed

Everyone, including babies have to be counted on your ADR. It's about occupancy in the restaurant, not seats used.

 

[maxiesmom]

I was told by a couple cast members that they only need to be counted if they were taking up a chair or high chair, if they are held the whole time, they wouldn't change the size of the table needed

That is such bad info I'm horrified.

 

[Tara1988]

That is such bad info I'm horrified.

I asked two different cast members because I was making a reservation online and including the infant, there weren't any tables available, but there were tables available for a larger party and for a party of one less (us, without counting the baby) so capacity wasn't the issue if a larger party could fit at the same time. Both cast members said it would be fine as long as we didn't request a high chair and held the infant.

 

[maxiesmom]

I asked two different cast members because I was making a reservation online and including the infant, there weren't any tables available, but there were tables available for a larger party and for a party of one less (us, without counting the baby) so capacity wasn't the issue if a larger party could fit at the same time. Both cast members said it would be fine as long as we didn't request a high chair and held the infant.

Yeah, they were both very wrong. For capacity reasons they need to count every person in the restaurant, not every chair. The advice they have given you is so horrible that if you have followed it, and not counted an infant, you could be turned away and lose your ADR. And be expected to pay the no show fee. Every head has to be counted so they know if they are at capacity or not. If they can allow in 6 people and you show up with 7, then one person couldn't be seated. Even if one of those people is sitting on someone's lap.

There is a current CM at WDW (not at a call center over the phone) who posts about this issue fairly frequently. You need to count ever person or you are putting your ADR at risk. They will seat any extras if they can, but if the restaurant is at capacity, then it won't happen.

It is a disgrace the bad information that is given out by CMs over the phone. More and more it seems they are telling people whatever will make them happy, instead of being honest and accurate.

 

[Tara1988]

Yeah, they were both very wrong. For capacity reasons they need to count every person in the restaurant, not every chair. The advice they have given you is so horrible that if you have followed it, and not counted an infant, you could be turned away and lose your ADR. And be expected to pay the no show fee. Every head has to be counted so they know if they are at capacity or not. If they can allow in 6 people and you show up with 7, then one person couldn't be seated. Even if one of those people is sitting on someone's lap.

There is a current CM at WDW (not at a call center over the phone) who posts about this issue fairly frequently. You need to count ever person or you are putting your ADR at risk. They will seat any extras if they can, but if the restaurant is at capacity, then it won't happen.

It is a disgrace the bad information that is given out by CMs over the phone. More and more it seems they are telling people whatever will make them happy, instead of being honest and accurate.

It's a good thing we're most likely canceling that little trip anyway. We were going down for a weekend for my nephew's birthday, but they now might join us on our long trip in October. I would have been highly upset about being turned away when I asked about it specifically. I even asked if I should make the reservation for the bigger party that was available, I think it was for 2 or 3 more people, and they said I could be turned away for not having everyone there.

 

[wilkeliza]

It's a good thing we're most likely canceling that little trip anyway. We were going down for a weekend for my nephew's birthday, but they now might join us on our long trip in October. I would have been highly upset about being turned away when I asked about it specifically. I even asked if I should make the reservation for the bigger party that was available, I think it was for 2 or 3 more people, and they said I could be turned away for not having everyone there.

They won't turn you away for not having you there. They "technically" could charge you the no show fee but that has never happened or been reported. As long as 1 person from the reservation shows up unless it is a huge difference is going to charge the no show fee. I'm talking 1 from a table of 10 showing up you might take a hit not a family of 5 taking a table for 7 or 8.

 

[maxiesmom]

They won't turn you away for not having you there. They "technically" could charge you the no show fee but that has never happened or been reported. As long as 1 person from the reservation shows up unless it is a huge difference is going to charge the no show fee. I'm talking 1 from a table of 10 showing up you might take a hit not a family of 5 taking a table for 7 or 8.

I was assuming, apparently wrongly, that if you couldn't have your baby eat with you that you would all leave. If you all would walk away then you would be charged the no show fee. If only 1 person walks away, then you are right, you won't be charged.

 

[wilkeliza]

I was assuming, apparently wrongly, that if you couldn't have your baby eat with you that you would all leave. If you all would walk away then you would be charged the no show fee. If only 1 person walks away, then you are right, you won't be charged.

You are right. I read what the OP said was that the phone CM said they wouldn't let them have the table if they booked for say 8 but only 5 people showed up. I know that is wrong and they will seat you and no manager has every charged 3 no show fees for that.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

In answer to the original question...when I took my son at 2 months old we wore him in a carrier at most every meal. It was harder to eat, but he slept most of the time. I only dropped a little food on his head!

 

[KHZ29]

Me and my husband took turns holding my 4 month old, she might of had a french fry dropped on her a couple of times but it was all good.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I was told by a couple cast members that they only need to be counted if they were taking up a chair or high chair, if they are held the whole time, they wouldn't change the size of the table needed

have seen where others were told they still had to count so I would go with counting it is easier to be one over on count than one under

 

[Angel Ariel]

I need some ideas on what to do with a baby at restaurants in the parks. I'm due in July so she will be around 3 months when we go, so she wouldn't be ready for a high chair yet. At home and at the out of park restaurants we will drive to, we have the option of keeping her in her car seat, but we won't have that in the parks because she's sharing a double stroller with her 2 older brothers. We will wear her for a good portion of the time, but I don't know how comfortable that will be while trying to eat. What have you found that works?

In our experience, Chef Mickey's had an infant high chair, like this one pictured, that DD used before she could sit up assisted. Not all restaurants have them, so you can't count on them at all, but it's worth asking.

We also had restaurants that allowed us to bring in our stroller (a rented city mini w/a full recline) since she could not sit up on our own. I remember doing this specifically at Be Our Guest, Pecos Bills, Tomorrowland Terrace (dessert party), the American pavilion quick service in Epcot, and Flame Tree BBQ. Some of those may depend on how crowded the restaurant is at the time, but we were allowed to on our trip.

We were expressly *not* allowed to bring in the stroller at Tony's Town Square and Coral Reef. In those instances, we just rotated who was holding her throughout the meal so everyone got some child-free eating times (there were adults on that trip).

 

[LISmama810]

I typically wore my babies at restaurants at that age. I also got really good at eating one-handed when I got impatient waiting for DH to have his turn holding. A ring sling with a long tail is good for keeping food from dropping on sleeping babies

 

[quagmire0]

My wife swears by the Moby wrap - most of the time. At this age, as you probably know, it's hit or miss. The 3mo will either cooperate or they won't. I agree with the taking turns advice. Expect the worst (that one of you may end up going outside and walking/rocking baby most of the time) and hope for the best (that baby sleeps on either of you during the meal).