Best Restaurants to Take a Toddler

[Kaleigh]

So, my husband is getting ready to deploy to Iraq and I have decided to plan a solo trip with my daughter who will be 21 months old at the time of the trip. She eats out often and is usually really good. Where would you eat, considering that I want to enjoy good food, she will just eat free off my plate, and I don't want all buffets or character meals?

 

[FutureDis]

When we went for my son's 3rd birthday, we really enjoyed Whispering Canyon. We got the skillet, he was able to get some things from it that he liked, AND we got a milkshake to split... YUM!!! It was a fun place, and we'll be returning soon!! It's not always the first place you think of going to with a toddler (no char meal, no buffet) but I'd suggest it!

 

[Microcell]

For Quick Service the best hands down in Sunshine Seasons in EPCOT! Table service... No buffets or character meals? Um... maybe Tutto Italia in EPCOT? We are from the Midwest so we don't think about Whispering Canyon.. we can get family style food here.. but it might be fun for her to see all the antics.

If you reconsider buffets, I think Crystal Palace has some of the best food on property that isn't more of an "adults only" atmosphere, but it is a buffet and has characters. Lots of variety and it is very much a step above the "Golden Corral".. maybe even 10 steps above it!


MY DS is the pickiest eater ever and he has always loved Le Cellier's food too.

Have fun wherever you go!

 

[Kaleigh]

I am fine with a few buffets or character meals, just don't want them ALL to be those choices.

 

[dixonsontour]

Coral reef and ask to sit by the tank. My DD was 3 and she loved it.

 

[Keke]

DD is 19 months on her first trip last week. She thought the belly dancer at Marrakesh was great. She stared at her the entire time. She also enjoyed the noodles at 'Ohana. They gave her some of those drink umbrellas when we sat down. DH just broke off the pointed ends and she played with them and sucked down noodles the entire time. We really did not have an issue in any of the TS places we took her.

 

[Colleen27]

It really depends on the child. Our daughter was 16mo on our last trip and used to going out for meals with us, and it turned out we were worried about all the wrong restaurants. I was nervous about how she'd behave at our signature dinners and other nicer/quieter experiences, but it turned out that the only places where she acted up were the really noisy venues like Yak & Yeti, Kona, Ohana, etc. At the quieter meals she seemed to know it was time for "restaurant behaviour" and sat and ate with us, but at the louder places she was overstimulated and constantly distracted and it was much harder to keep her happy.

 

[klinlin]

This is Disney. Kids are welcome at every restaurant except Victoria and Alberts. When my boys were 2 and 4, we avoided the loud character buffets, and stuck with nicer sit down dinners. Since we never really left them with a sitter at home, they were used to going out to eat and knew how to behave out to eat. We just tried to make sure they weren't starving and/or exhausted at meal time. That is the key I think.

Have a great trip, and thank you to your husband for his service!

 

[twirler324]

First, thank you to your family for your husband's service! May he come some safe so he can enjoy your next Disney trip with you!!
As someone else mentioned, we are headed to the Whispering Canyon as I've heard it can be great fun for little ones- but also because my husband loves anything BBQ. I'm sure she will do great anywhere since she will just love looking around at everything!
Have a great time!

 

[Marthasor]

So, my husband is getting ready to deploy to Iraq and I have decided to plan a solo trip with my daughter who will be 21 months old at the time of the trip. She eats out often and is usually really good. Where would you eat, considering that I want to enjoy good food, she will just eat free off my plate, and I don't want all buffets or character meals?

I would go wherever you want to eat! If I were going solo with my DS3, I would personally avoid buffets. It would be very difficult to maneuver solo with him through a buffet line. Even counter service is tough. Holding his hand, holding a tray. I would do as many TS's as I could and try to relax a little bit! Pick the restaurants that sound good to you and go for it! We like Ohana, Brown Derby, California Grill. Thank you for your husband's service for our country. We pray for his safe return.

 

[Kaleigh]

Thank you all, especially for the sweet thoughts and comments for my husband!

Here's a little add-on question: are there any restaurants you would avoid for any reason? A specific restaurant that you know takes a long time getting food out or that doesn't have bread or something for her to munch on quickly?

 

[smithpack]

We have always gone with young kids, and our favorite is the Garden Grill in Epcot. It is a character meal with the classics Pluto, Chip and Dale, and Mickey. The character interaction is great because it is not a huge restaurant so the characters aren't rushing to get to all the tables. We like it because the booths are really high and don't face other tables, so you feel secluded and like you aren't bothering anyone around you. The restaurant also spins above the Living with the Land ride, so there is a change of scenery through out the meal. My kids like looking at the Living with the Land ride from above. Here are some pics from our trip in May of 2009.

Notice the height of the booth so that your children do not bother others around you.

bread

salad

adult food, although the fish is different now. and I don't think you can tell by looking at the pic, but there is potatoes and vegetables under the meats.

kids food.

I don't have any pictures of the desserts, but the food is really good. It is fresh from the Living with the Land ride. The food is also as much as you want. So if you want more of something, they will bring it out.

Here is a pic of my kids with Chip.

and here you can see that the background is changing as we are moving.
Kids with Mickey.

Again, one of our must do's on all our trips.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Here's a little add-on question: are there any restaurants you would avoid for any reason? A specific restaurant that you know takes a long time getting food out or that doesn't have bread or something for her to munch on quickly?

WE AVOID: We have tried Rainforest Cafe at DTD a couple of times, and waited an E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y for our food... heck... even for them to take our order! I have heard that the one at AK is better, but I cannot speak to it. We avoid it.

KIDS LOVED: Sci-Fi Dine-In. Not A+ food, but they loved the atmosphere - lots of fun.

 

[Kaleigh]

Anyone else have restaurants to avoid?

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

Biergarten is lots of fun. It is a buffet though.

I agree with Coral Reef. My kids loved it - but not as much as Biergarten.

My kids liked Sci Fi dine in but I think it can be scary for little ones because it is dark and the film clips may bother them or scare them. I personally do NOT like Sci Fi. The food was ok, but I just found the clips to be annoying (and our service was awful). I'd skip that one with a 21 month old.

In November, we went to Sci Fi, The Wave, Akershus, Rose and Crown, Coral Reef, Biergarten, and Sanaa and my kids behaved perfectly everywhere but The Wave. They were AWFUL at The Wave.

 

[Colleen27]

Here's a little add-on question: are there any restaurants you would avoid for any reason? A specific restaurant that you know takes a long time getting food out or that doesn't have bread or something for her to munch on quickly?

I'd avoid Sci-fi, just because it is so dark and the seating isn't very convenient if you have to cut up a small child's food. The car seating is really neat for the theme, but not so much for more practical matters like being able to see what you're eating or talk to the rest of your party. They're also the only Disney restaurant I can think of that doesn't bring bread while you wait for your order.

As I said earlier, I'd avoid buffets as much as possible because navigating a buffet line with a toddler in tow isn't part of my personal definition of "vacation".

Aside from that, I really can't think of any I'd steer clear of if I was solo with my DD (turned 2 in July). Based on her personality, I'd probably skip Ohana and Whispering Canyon and other places that encourage the kids to get out of their seats to join in the fun, only because she doesn't seem to know she's not a big kid yet, but for a child more content to watch the action that'd probably be entertaining.