California Grill inside Contemporary Resort.....with kids???

[FLAgirl73]

Should I even consider it?
My boys can't stand the noise of the fireworks, but I think they would love being able to watch from behind a window, so I thought this might be a fun dinner. I know it's super pricey, but maybe worth it? Anyone done this with young kids?

 

[perpetualplanner]

We've been with our boys when they were younger but I think the youngest was 5 (at the LEAST). My boys have always been well behaved in restaurants so that wasn't a concern for us. Both also have large appetites and are not picky eaters so that wasn't a problem either. I'd make sure the check menu's and such to make sure they would be happy with food choices. It's not a "quiet" meal during the fireworks hours so some noise would be tolerable. You don't say the ages of your kids but I'd say no younger than 5 although I've seen younger

 

[FLAgirl73]

When we go my oldest will be 2 months shy of 8 and my youngest will be 4.5.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We've gone with 4 very young children. It was fabulous. My kids loved the food and the atmosphere. When we go back we will definetly go there again and this time we will have 5 kids!

 

[badblackpug]

No problem. I've been with very young kids. The waiter gave them crayons so they could color on the "tablecloth."

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Just wanted to throw out another option. My best friend's son is very sensitive to loud noises and does not like fireworks or even the parades where his daddy marches and plays for the Army band. My best friend bought her son a pair of noise-reducing headphones like you wear when you are operating loud equipment and takes them along to WDW. Her son gladly wears them during the shows (Illuminations, Wishes) and can still enjoy the sight of the fireworks. It has really helped them!

 

[FLAgirl73]

Thanks, Claire. Good suggestion. I had thought of earplugs, but not the headphones.

 

[Prometheus]

Done it with DS for several times. He may be 4 the first time he went and not a problem. At the younger ages, crayons were enough to keep him occupied. He is 8 now and a total different story. If I forgot his DS, we may have a harder time to get through dinner......

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I have. You can see my kids ages in my siggy, they were both actually pretty well behaved. I brought toys to occupy the little one and the bread and butter occupied her. It has kind of an unfriendly atmosphere towards kids, it just seems very fashionable and chic, but our waiter was very nice and it went well. We went out on the balcony/ramp that they have there and watched the fireworks.

 

[holden]

We have brought our girls there several times. The last time we went, the waiter brought out a small plate of Goldfish with the adult appetizers! I thought that was genius. It curbed their hunger just enough until the entrees were ready.

I really think that Vic & Al's is the only place on WDW property that children are not welcome. All of the other restaurants are used to kids of all types - well behaved or not.

 

[myweegirls]

We've done it, too! I thought we might be crazy, but we went last spring when the girls were 4 and 2. They did just great, but that's down to the individual child and his/her personality. What I thought was wonderful was the service - we were never made to feel as though we were That Family, with little kids in a fancy restaurant. The server was delightful with the girls and brought goldfish crackers before the meal. For our 2-year-old there was a nice little plate of pasta and, if I remember correctly, some fruit, which she gobbled up - that was on the house as she was younger than the kids menu age range, and we were on the dining plan (all the table services restaurants offer this option). So our experience was great. Good luck!

XO
Liz

 

[Disney1976]

Wow, my wife and I must have caught this restaurant on an off-night. It was the most out of control signature restaurant we ate at while in Disney. Obviously, children are to be expected in Disney restaurants, and for the most part, we found many children to be well behaved, but it was NUTS inside California Grill. Kids were yelling, screaming and running around wild through the entire dinner (which was over 1.5 hours long). At one point, a small child of about 3 or 4 ran right in the path of a waiter holding a tray of hot food, and the waiter couldn't see him. He came very close to tripping over the child and dropping all of that hot food onto guests.

It turned us totally off to ever eating there again (that, and the food was just average).

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

we ate there the 19th with dd4 and ds who was still 2 almost three. our waiter stretched our dinner out for us i believe so we could make it for th fireworks- not even close tho! lol so we were there for about two hrs. they appeared to be the yongest there that nite. they survived it well, and yes were also told not to worry about the table cloth. thank god! lol the kids really enjoyed the bread more than anything else! lol

 

[ScotsMinnie]

I took my 2 last year at 6 and only just turned 3. They both loved it. They sat and were great throughout the meal. I brought mickey mouse videos on my iphone and the little one was happy watching those while me elder girl wanted to be grown up and sat and chatted with us.

Highlight of the night had to be the crisped rice sushi plate. It was genius and my girls still talk about it. The children's food was very good. Little one had pizza which was delicious and my oldest had a children's steak which was amazing.

As for kids running wold I didn't see any. I expect my children to be well behaved and well mannered whether we are eating in the house, Golden Corrall or a signature restaurant. Don't think any parent should let their children run wild in a restaurant. It is inconsiderate of other diners and as someone said about the waiter nearly tripping over a young boy it is also dangerous.

 

[FLAgirl73]

Wow, the only restaurant my children have come even CLOSE to running inside of is Chick-Fil-A, and that's just back and forth from the playroom. I would never say that my children behave perfectly EVERYTIME we are out, but they certainly know the rules. Even at home they aren't allowed to get up from the table until they are finished eating, so they know how to behave well and do have decent manners.