California Grill w/kids

[traci]

What is your experience with little kids at CG (age 3-4). Never dined here and thinking of making an ADR.

 

[tinkandpan]

It depends on your kids. If they can sit quietly for a 2 hour meal give or take then they will certainly be welcome. There are tons of kids up there (more than i expected). We can do this one with my ds but we leave my dd with a sitter as 45 minutes is really her max and it just isn't enjoyable to keep her so entertained for that much longer on Disney touring days. Personally I would make an early ADR- unless you have your heart set on trying to watch Wishes during your ADR. You can however, finish dinner and then go back to the observation deck later that eve to watch wishes if that works better.

 

[traci]

Thank you your post was helpful. I had no idea this would be a 2 hour meal.

 

[lovepooh]

We have eaten at California Grill with young kids several times and it works out just fine. I found the restaurant to be quite noisy due to the open cooking area which is probably why it seemed more kid friendly than some of the other signature resaturants. The food is excellent. It didn't take us two hours to eat but whenever we dine with kids we don't take our time like we do when we dine without them. My kids always do well before and during the meal but if they have to sit around and wait, they get bored.

 

[mickeymombecky]

It is a great place to dine. I'd bring mine there (4&6). It's a good idea to bring some crayons and coloring books. Maybe a small toy. If your daughter can stay up late, she'll love the fireworks!

 

[slavike]

We were there just last week and there were plenty of families with little ones. I have had the same thought myself for my 1 and 4 year old in september.

Here is what I saw, they provide crayons and a coloring menu. The crayons are a weak color packet, the two families around us had there own.

One family had 2 Girls 4 and 7 and 1 Boy 3. Here is how it went for them.. I was watching..(Kids meals came early) Everything good...Then about 15 minutes later the 3 year old boy loses it. Is crawling out of his skin. Not screaming or crying but being a boy. Wanting to rome. Mom and dad are trying to get him to sit. By Entree time he is under the table. By Desert, the decline, the 4 Year Old girls is on Mom's lap the father and mom are arguing over the behaviour of the 3 year old boy who is everywhere around the table but in his chair. MY BOYS WOULD BE DOING THE SAME THING!!!! I Completelly understood! The mom kept apologizing to everyone around here (I would do the same thing). But he was frickin' ADORABLE!!!

The other family had 2 girls both young, one was 6 the other 4. They were delightful. They were seated right next us. The 6 year old was fascinated with the castle and could not stop talking about how wonderful it was. We were there late and the cast was getting ready for the big show. Which was a treat for our family because, my mother's first husband and father to my 4 sisters, 2 of which were there was a disney imagineer and worked on both the Disneyland and Disney World Castle Engineering, so my Mother and Sisters are bounty of information on the castle which they then shared with this family and their girls. These girls sat quietly and didn't move ate their entire meals and deserts and even listen to strangers ramble on about things they ABSOLUTELY did not care about. To them it's about Cinderella and Fairytales not how the thing was built..they don't know who Walt Disney even is! Poor things, I wanted to take the spoons on the table shove them in my ears. I can't even imagine what was going on in there little heads .

So Moral...know your children. There were lots of families there and Kids are what it's all about. And who cares, Disney's about kids at the end of the day! That's what I say. If you want a place without kids, go to Vegas.

 

[traci]

We were there just last week and there were plenty of families with little ones. I have had the same thought myself for my 1 and 4 year old in september.

Here is what I saw, they provide crayons and a coloring menu. The crayons are a weak color packet, the two families around us had there own.

One family had 2 Girls 4 and 7 and 1 Boy 3. Here is how it went for them.. I was watching..(Kids meals came early) Everything good...Then about 15 minutes later the 3 year old boy loses it. Is crawling out of his skin. Not screaming or crying but being a boy. Wanting to rome. Mom and dad are trying to get him to sit. By Entree time he is under the table. By Desert, the decline, the 4 Year Old girls is on Mom's lap the father and mom are arguing over the behaviour of the 3 year old boy who is everywhere around the table but in his chair. MY BOYS WOULD BE DOING THE SAME THING!!!! I Completelly understood! The mom kept apologizing to everyone around here (I would do the same thing). But he was frickin' ADORABLE!!!

The other family had 2 girls both young, one was 6 the other 4. They were delightful. They were seated right next us. The 6 year old was fascinated with the castle and could not stop talking about how wonderful it was. We were there late and the cast was getting ready for the big show. Which was a treat for our family because, my mother's first husband and father to my 4 sisters, 2 of which were there was a disney imagineer and worked on both the Disneyland and Disney World Castle Engineering, so my Mother and Sisters are bounty of information on the castle which they then shared with this family and their girls. These girls sat quietly and didn't move ate their entire meals and deserts and even listen to strangers ramble on about things they ABSOLUTELY did not care about. To them it's about Cinderella and Fairytales not how the thing was built..they don't know who Walt Disney even is! Poor things, I wanted to take the spoons on the table shove them in my ears. I can't even imagine what was going on in there little heads .

So Moral...know your children. There were lots of families there and Kids are what it's all about. And who cares, Disney's about kids at the end of the day! That's what I say. If you want a place without kids, go to Vegas.

What a fantastic post! Thank you so much for taking the time to type that. I am still up in the air regarding making an ADR here, but this thread has been so helpful.

 

[aripantaloon]

We're taking our 1 year-old with us for dinner in a few weeks. Our 4 year-old gets to go to Simba's Clubhouse for the evening. Don't get me wrong, she's generally well-behaved, so that's not why. We thought she'd enjoy it and didn't want to have to pay a separate sitter for the baby. Thus, she's coming with us. We'll probably have to take a few trips around the restaurant and lobby (if there is one??) with her during some of the waiting times, but she's usually pretty good as long as we keep giving her new toys and something to nibble on at the table.

 

[tyandbash]

We were there last summer. My youngest dd was 4 at the time. Granted, her brother and sis (10 and 8) were well behaved so she took her cue from them, but we all had a great time. It did not take us 2 hours to eat there. My son has said this is favorite restaurant of all time. We ate early and were not there for the fireworks, but my kids just adored the view!!

 

[shellybaxter]

We were there just last week and there were plenty of families with little ones. I have had the same thought myself for my 1 and 4 year old in september.

Here is what I saw, they provide crayons and a coloring menu. The crayons are a weak color packet, the two families around us had there own.

One family had 2 Girls 4 and 7 and 1 Boy 3. Here is how it went for them.. I was watching..(Kids meals came early) Everything good...Then about 15 minutes later the 3 year old boy loses it. Is crawling out of his skin. Not screaming or crying but being a boy. Wanting to rome. Mom and dad are trying to get him to sit. By Entree time he is under the table. By Desert, the decline, the 4 Year Old girls is on Mom's lap the father and mom are arguing over the behaviour of the 3 year old boy who is everywhere around the table but in his chair. MY BOYS WOULD BE DOING THE SAME THING!!!! I Completelly understood! The mom kept apologizing to everyone around here (I would do the same thing). But he was frickin' ADORABLE!!!

The other family had 2 girls both young, one was 6 the other 4. They were delightful. They were seated right next us. The 6 year old was fascinated with the castle and could not stop talking about how wonderful it was. We were there late and the cast was getting ready for the big show. Which was a treat for our family because, my mother's first husband and father to my 4 sisters, 2 of which were there was a disney imagineer and worked on both the Disneyland and Disney World Castle Engineering, so my Mother and Sisters are bounty of information on the castle which they then shared with this family and their girls. These girls sat quietly and didn't move ate their entire meals and deserts and even listen to strangers ramble on about things they ABSOLUTELY did not care about. To them it's about Cinderella and Fairytales not how the thing was built..they don't know who Walt Disney even is! Poor things, I wanted to take the spoons on the table shove them in my ears. I can't even imagine what was going on in there little heads .

So Moral...know your children. There were lots of families there and Kids are what it's all about. And who cares, Disney's about kids at the end of the day! That's what I say. If you want a place without kids, go to Vegas.

I respectfully disagree with you about "kids are what its all about". Disney is for EVERYONE and everyone deserves to be respected while on vacation. Yes, children will be children and normal child like behavior should be expected. However, parents should be polite enough to consider and respect their children, themselves, and the other diners at a signature restaurant. IMHO the first family in your post was rude. And really, from your description, were any of them having a good time. I know if I were sitting next to them it would be gotten to me.

OP - Respect is what its all about. Respect for your children and whether they will enjoy the experience, respect for yourself and whether you will enjoy it if your children don't, and respect for the other diners. If you are respecting all of these people then go for it.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I think that family of 3 with the "adorable" 3 year old would have gotten to me too. Exactly the sort of kid who should NOT be eating at the California Grill.

 

[Lorelai]

My three children love the atmosphere and the food at the California Grill. Even though it doesn't seem as though it would be, it is actually quite kid friendly. One poster mentioned that it can be a bit noisy/busy due to the open kitchen. This is true, and while it is by no means chaotic, there can be a bit of a hustle and bustle going on. There were alot of kids in there while we were eating, but they were all at tables with their families.


We had an early dinner...5 or 5:30. The staff had coloring pages and crayons for my younger two...and many of the wait staff would sneak up behind them and drop "pixie dust" in their hair when they weren't looking. It was fun and relaxing and a great time.

I think unless it's Victoria & Albert's that children are factored into the clientele.

Have Fun!

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

We've taken kids twice. 1st time they were 2 (boy), 3 and 8 girls. 2nd trip had 9 month boy, 4, 5 and 10. The baby slept for the latter part of the evening, the other ones were pretty well behaved, although our dinners were at least 2 hrs long, with a break in the middle for the fireworks. Toward the end we were ALL getting a little fidgety! Wait staff was VERY helpful bringing goldfish crackers to keep the little ones occupied! There were families all around us, and everyone was polite and respectful. If you are there for fireworks, ask to go out the back deck to view. It is much less crowded. And make sure the kids get the rice crispies sushi for desert. It is adorable!!

 

[mdhkitten]

California Grill is one of my favorite restaurants and we love going there and having a relaxing, 2 hour dinner (if you order apps, entree and dessert it can easily take this long). I also have a 3 year old and would never dream of taking her, but that's just me. I know that her father and I would have a less than enjoyable time because while she's good, after about 45 minutes to an hour she's getting fidgety like most small children. I don't want to feel rushed at my meal because my 3 year old is bored with the situation, plus I want to be thoughtful of those couples that are dining around us. That's just me, though. There are plenty of other restaurants on WDW property that kids fit much better in, IMO.

 

[Colleen27]

It is on the noisy side for a signature restaurant and there were a lot of kids there when we went, even for our late-ish reservation. My kids are a bit older - 10 & 6 - but they both really enjoyed it. They had the best coloring pages of any of the restaurants we tried at Disney! LOL

It is a long meal, though, so if you don't think your kiddo can handle sitting for 1.5-2 hours, it might be better to choose somewhere else. I think that's the toughest age to generalize about because it is all about temprament/personality. DD was fine for leisurely meals at 3, DS could be difficult but manageable with amusements/extra attention (read: didn't disrupt other diners but it wasn't very relaxing for me!) at 3-4 and didn't really get to being reliably good through long meals until closer to 5.

 

[keylimepie]

I agree. Know your kids. My kids have all been eating in restaurants from infanthood, and very very seldom do we have problems in restaurants. We are going there, and I have no qualms about it. I am sure they will be fine because they almost always are.

 

[OKW Lover]

We agree that well behaved children are welcome at any of the signature restaurants. We also agree that people go to these places expecting an up-scale experience and that mis-behaved children are not a part of that expectation.

Please make your decision based on your child's temperament.

 

[Lorelai]

We have seen quite a few poorly behaved adults in our beloved Disney restaurants too.

Best advice...know the limitations of your dining companions of every age.