Best restaurants for toddlers?

[jennriggs]

Hi, what are the best restaurants to keep toddlers entertained? I'm thinking about going to rainforest cafe. Any others?

 

[laughinplace199]

Have you been to a RFC before? The animal sounds can be really loud. My little one was really afraid when we went.

 

[Button]

We for sat right in front of one of the big fish tanks which kept our little chap happy.

 

[tourguide81]

I wouldn't go to the RFC b/c I don't like the food.

Plenty of restaurants at disney would be fun for a toddler - any character meal, O'hanas, biergarten, etc.

That said, I would focus more on the time you are eating and setting reasonable expectations for your child than worrying about what restaurant will entertain them, you know? So we do breakfasts out or early dinners (post nap) b/c that is good timing for my kids. They are ready to eat, rested and more likely to behave. The entertainment is just a bonus!

 

[BeckFam08]

Chef Mickeys and Via Napoli! Via Napoli is large and open so it's quite loud. Also, the food is easy to split with kids but they also have a great kids menu.

 

[nadira36]

Most places would be good for a toddler, however I would not go to rainforest cafe with a toddler - our first trip we were a group of 3 families with 3 screaming kids b/c the animals terrified them - most likely due to the really loud sounds right in our ears.

If it isn't signature, you'll have no concerns with regular toddler behaviour - just be aware of what may frighten/trigger your child and avoid those things (the characters can be really difficult for little kids).

 

[brekken1]

Our littles ones enjoyed Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace and H&V. The character interactions were great, atmosphere nice, and the fact that it was a buffet meant no waiting for food so that saved a lot of down time.

 

[Pamnkevin]

We did the RFC when my daughter was 18 months old and she loved it. I think it's a good place to go. We're going to try the Trex restaurant this time too. She's three now

 

[momof2buffalo]

Trex cafe in certain not dark rooms is fun, Tony's, mama Melrose, pizza planet but food is ehhh... Be our guest for lunch

 

[eliz603]

Every toddler, of course, is different. My 2 yr old doesn't do well with long waits for food, so we have centered most of our ADRs around buffets, including Chef Mickey's and Hollywood and Vine for character meals.

Between my three kids, I've taken a kid to Disney at just about every age between 10 months and 10 years. Honestly, there's really no bad toddler restaurant outside of the signature/really nice ones.

Not a RFC fan here.

 

[GrtWtNorth]

Most restaurants on Disney property are kid friendly. But getting toddlers to eat is another story. Mine had to be really hungry to eat any food when there was any kind of distraction around (characters, fountains, birds, other kids). She would actually eat better when I grabbed snacks at a food cart than when I sat her down in a restaurant.

To be honest, I would suggest planning to go somewhere you would like to eat. All restaurants have strategies to keep toddlers happy. And hopefully yours eats well on your vacation.

 

[jennriggs]

Thank you everyone, my toddler is very good out at restaurants but hasn't got a lot of patience when he isn't eating so the buffet options sound like a great idea! I will also look into trex!

 

[mrsp1030]

Our 2 year old screamed at RFC b/c we were sitting near he gorillas and the thunder scared him. He loved Cape May, Crystal Palace and Whispering Canyon cafe.

 

[MSSANDRA]

You toddler would be welcome at any place other than V&A. Of course some places are much easier and more fun for a little one. We always have done a mix so our guys got the fun-character meals and the nicer signature places and everything in between. Character meals are fun and exciting and many are buffets. That means lots to see and do and lots of food choices but sometime hard to settle a kid down to eat. There are lots of other fun places that are a bit more adult friendly. Whispering Canyon Cafe, 50's prime time, Sci-Fi drive in, Coral Reef, just to name a few. My guys were a bit anxious about RFC and T-rex when they were little. Not crying scared, but not really enjoyed it either. By school age they were favorites. I encourage you to also choose a few nicer/signature places that you adults will enjoy and your child will be just fine at if she is good at restaurants.