Couple questions for restaurant with a baby for the first time

[FSU Girl]

We are taking my 10 month old daughter for her first trip to Disney in a couple weeks. In restaurants how are the high chairs, are there trays attached or they just go up to the table? With covid I’ve barely left my house so I don’t know much about bringing my daughter places. Is it ok to bring her baby food to feed her at meal times? For breakfast she likes eggs, can I order her just a single egg as a side? I don’t see that on any menus but maybe someone has experience with that?

I also want to take pictures with her around a couple of the resorts we are dining at. Masks don’t have to be worn outside correct? It’s only when we go inside? Specifically the spot by the sky liners at the Riviera with the mosaics, I wanted to do my maternity shoot there and couldn’t because of covid

 

[sponica]

I think most of them are just the high chairs that go up to the table. I have a silicone place mat that we use at restaurants with my year old, so if she is used to eating upright, that will work (although it was much easier with my oldest, as she was pretty compliant, the little one is a mix of Stitch and Jack-Jack)

I think most places don't have a problem with you bringing your own stuff for infants/toddlers. We bring puffs/gold fish with us every where to tide our one year old over until the food comes.

When I went in 2018, we only did the AYCTE breakfasts that were family style so my kiddo could eat whatever she wanted from those menus.

 

[loves to dive]

Yes you can bring her food. If they have eggs on the menu, they will most likely be able to scramble her one.

 

[Specter]

We took DD when she was 10 months old right before the closures last March. The high chairs just scooted up to the table, no trays. DW found disposable place mats that had some mild adhesive strips on the back that we could put down for her, and we found disposable bibs, too. It was so much easier than packing something that had to be cleaned and folded and put back into the bag. We threw a few into the diaper bag along with DD's formula and were all set. No one ever had a problem with us giving her formula while we ate. We even took her to the California Grill brunch where they very kindly brought her an egg and some avocado slices.

 

[malonefamily]

Sounds like you've got good advice and answers here already. I'll just add that there are plenty of places to eat outside if you're trying to be extra careful about COVID safety. (Just inferring that based off how you said you've barely left the house, sounds like you've taken a cautious approach, which is completely reasonable). If you're doing counter service, and if the parks are busy, you may have to struggle a bit (there is almost always an outdoor table in either the Tomorrowland Terrace or Pecos Bills, if you're looking in the Magic Kingdom, which is one of the trickier parks). And for sit down dining, there are a fair number of places that can seat you outdoors if you ask. (We like eating outdoors at Tony's Town Square and overlooking Main Street USA and all the entertainment out there).

Enjoy every minute of your trip. Nothing is better than Disney with a little one. We were just at the MK with our kids today (including our one year old daughter, who had a great time).

 

[FSU Girl]

Sounds like you've got good advice and answers here already. I'll just add that there are plenty of places to eat outside if you're trying to be extra careful about COVID safety. (Just inferring that based off how you said you've barely left the house, sounds like you've taken a cautious approach, which is completely reasonable). If you're doing counter service, and if the parks are busy, you may have to struggle a bit (there is almost always an outdoor table in either the Tomorrowland Terrace or Pecos Bills, if you're looking in the Magic Kingdom, which is one of the trickier parks). And for sit down dining, there are a fair number of places that can seat you outdoors if you ask. (We like eating outdoors at Tony's Town Square and overlooking Main Street USA and all the entertainment out there).

Enjoy every minute of your trip. Nothing is better than Disney with a little one. We were just at the MK with our kids today (including our one year old daughter, who had a great time).

Thank you! We have been really cautious, this will be our first trip since covid started. This is really helpful

 

[nancipants]

High chairs that go up to the table. We started using those when my son was 6 months. The plastic mats did not work for us, he ripped them off. We have a silicone placemat for him. Some tips: bring snacks to tide baby over, bring toys that baby can play with while you wait. If you’re not opposed to screen time, videos on your phone are a godsend when they get cranky and impatient. I also put my phone in guided access mode and let him scroll through my pictures. Calms him down almost every time.

The restaurants that have worked best for us are the AYCE places, like Garden Grill and Trail’s End. Food comes out quickly and he eats for free! We did GG when he was around 10 months and he loved it and ate so much. At a la carte places, we sometimes order a meal for him, sometimes he shares with us. Never had anyone question it. We’ve also brought his baby food when he was really little, and still bring snacks. Although now we’re more likely to get him milk or apple juice before the food comes out.

Also, make sure you bring baby’s cups/bottles. Mine is just now getting the hang of the regular cups without squeezing them and spilling all over the place.

 

[FSU Girl]

High chairs that go up to the table. We started using those when my son was 6 months. The plastic mats did not work for us, he ripped them off. We have a silicone placemat for him. Some tips: bring snacks to tide baby over, bring toys that baby can play with while you wait. If you’re not opposed to screen time, videos on your phone are a godsend when they get cranky and impatient. I also put my phone in guided access mode and let him scroll through my pictures. Calms him down almost every time.

The restaurants that have worked best for us are the AYCE places, like Garden Grill and Trail’s End. Food comes out quickly and he eats for free! We did GG when he was around 10 months and he loved it and ate so much. At a la carte places, we sometimes order a meal for him, sometimes he shares with us. Never had anyone question it. We’ve also brought his baby food when he was really little, and still bring snacks. Although now we’re more likely to get him milk or apple juice before the food comes out.

Also, make sure you bring baby’s cups/bottles. Mine is just now getting the hang of the regular cups without squeezing them and spilling all over the place.

Thank you for the tips! Our baby still isn’t the best chewer so she’s not fully eating normal food and sticks to mostly soft food and baby food. Definitely bringing her puffs she gets hangry if food doesn’t get to her fast enough lol. Definitely bringing her bottles she has not mastered a normal cup yet. For water would the normal water they serve be ok or should we bring our own bottle water for her?

 

[nancipants]

Thank you for the tips! Our baby still isn’t the best chewer so she’s not fully eating normal food and sticks to mostly soft food and baby food. Definitely bringing her puffs she gets hangry if food doesn’t get to her fast enough lol. Definitely bringing her bottles she has not mastered a normal cup yet. For water would the normal water they serve be ok or should we bring our own bottle water for her?

we give him just plain tap water! But we are used to the Florida water. Have you tried the Dr. Brown’s weighted straw cups? Those were the best for our son and he still uses them now.

 

[FSU Girl]

we give him just plain tap water! But we are used to the Florida water. Have you tried the Dr. Brown’s weighted straw cups? Those were the best for our son and he still uses them now.

We’re in south Florida but have a water filter in our house so that’s all she’s used to. I tried a straw cup but she wasn’t really interested in it. She’s been using a sippy cup for her water that’s similar to her advent bottles

 

[lanejudy]

One suggestion I have... schedule your ADRs or arrive at QS at least 30 minutes prior to the little one's usual meal time. If lunch is normally at noon, plan for 11:15 or 11:30 to allow time to order and get your food. Once hangry hits, you are unlikely to get a good meal into them and it can really impact the next several hours.

 

[FSU Girl]

One suggestion I have... schedule your ADRs or arrive at QS at least 30 minutes prior to the little one's usual meal time. If lunch is normally at noon, plan for 11:15 or 11:30 to allow time to order and get your food. Once hangry hits, you are unlikely to get a good meal into them and it can really impact the next several hours.

That is a good idea! She likes her food immediately when hungry lol

 

[FSU Girl]

Does anyone know if I can bring a stroller inside Ravello at the four seasons? Or is it like the Disney restaurants and we need to leave it outside?

 

[dez1978]

We never had any luck with the placemats with either of my kids. It was just something they'd yank off the table and gave them something else to make a mess with. We usually ended up taking the clorox or lysol wipes with us and wiping the table down really well and just putting a few bites of whatever there, or on a small plate and hoping for the best. Then after they were done eating I'd use the wipes to wipe off the table and clean up the mess on and under the table to make it easier for the servers. I know everyone says "enjoy it because you'll miss it one day". There were many things I miss about my boys being babies. The whole eating out situation, is 100% not one of them. lol

 

[nancipants]

I know everyone says "enjoy it because you'll miss it one day". There were many things I miss about my boys being babies. The whole eating out situation, is 100% not one of them. lol

Also, diapers.

thankfully, Disney makes the diaper changing situation VERY easy.

 

[FSU Girl]

Also, diapers.

thankfully, Disney makes the diaper changing situation VERY easy.

This trip will be my first time changing her outside of my house. What makes it so easy?

 

[nancipants]

This trip will be my first time changing her outside of my house. What makes it so easy?

1. The baby care centers! They have dedicated, padded changing areas with disposable paper like at a doctor’s office.

2. Every bathroom has a changing table you pull down from the wall, or changing tables built into the counters. So either parent can change.

3. Companion restrooms usually have changing stations in case you need to double-team.

4. We use Pampers 360 cruisers pull-ups so we can do stand-up changes (my son wil NOT lay still so we switched as he could stand on his own). The built-in changing areas in the larger bathrooms are so easy. He stands there and points at the “baby” (the baby change sign) and I’m usually done in 1-2 minutes depending on how much there is to wipe).

 

[sponica]

4. We use Pampers 360 cruisers pull-ups so we can do stand-up changes (my son wil NOT lay still so we switched as he could stand on his own). The built-in changing areas in the larger bathrooms are so easy. He stands there and points at the “baby” (the baby change sign) and I’m usually done in 1-2 minutes depending on how much there is to wipe).

OMG this is my 1 year old. Takes so many hands to keep her still. I'll have to file this away for our trip in April.

 

[nancipants]

OMG this is my 1 year old. Takes so many hands to keep her still. I'll have to file this away for our trip in April.

have you tried the 360s? They make SUCH a difference. We have a futon in his room and it’s the perfect height for him to look at books or stickers while we change him.

 

[dez1978]

This trip will be my first time changing her outside of my house. What makes it so easy?

Man, COVID really has changed things for people. I think as an essential employee I tend to forget that there really are people who haven't really gone anywhere for the past year +. Nothing changed for me except adding a mask and things being more difficult to get. Its so weird to me to think you've not been anywhere for long enough to change a diaper lol. Please don't think I'm being mean or anything, it just is really odd to me because I legit do not know a single person in real life who has been home like that. I think I would have gone nuts when my kids were babies being home ALL the time. Heck they are 7 & 10 and I hate when we are stuck at home even for a weekend. Sometimes when I read these threads it really hits me how much things have changed for a lot of people.