Dining from Young Adult Standpoint

[DisneyLover83]

Perfect example: we had an 8:50pm reservation at Coral Reef, so we didn't expect to have to deal with kids. Wrong! The table right next to us had two kids (both under the age of 8) who would not stop whining, refused to eat, and kept trying to get up and run around. Of course, I understand that it's Disney and there will be kids, but that was ridiculous! Basically where I'm going with this is do what you can to avoid kids as much as possible (eat late and at off times, don't do character dining, etc.), but unless you eat at Victoria and Albert's, don't be surprised if kids do make an appearance.

We usually aim for the later times also to avoid kids but that has backfired several times, even at signatures! We were sat at 8:45pm at Flying Fish next to a family with 4 children, 1 was asleep at the table and the other 3 were in full melt down mode Overall later times do = less kids!

 

[marciemi]

Hmm well I'm in my twenties, and for me it's not really about avoiding kids as having a meal that I'd like to have in an atmosphere I'd like to have it.

Well, I'm in my 40's and feel the same way! And I think my teens would feel the same way. So it's not just a 20's thing. Probably the only people who don't feel that way are the ones with young kids - when mine were in the preschool range (and I had 3 hyperactive boys within 3 years), I was always relieved when there was a louder table than ours nearby!

DH and I enjoy watching kids having fun but running around tables and in the walkways is just not safe behavior. It puts servers and other diners and the kids themselves at risk.

When we were at Garden Grill in 2007, there were kids having races around the circumference of the restaurant...on their Heeley's. I am totally serious. I was honestly tempted to take pics just to post on the DIS. I can't imagine what their parents were thinking, and have to believe the servers were feeling the same way.

 

[sbprincess]

My husband and I are also mid-20's and just returned from our May 8-15 stay. Here is what I remember from the restaurants we chose, in regards to kids:

1. Tony's Town Square - 6:30 seating, saw only a couple of children and no melt downs. Perhaps b/c of the semi-early seating? Not a place I would recommend though, based on the food. Our least favorite of the trip.
2. Teppan Edo - 7:30 seating, we were sat at a table with a family that had 3 children. They behaved fairly well, maybe due to the entertainment of the grill in front of them. We loved this place for the food.
3. California Grill - 7:30 seating, saw only one family with kids and they were fine. We didn't do a late seating for Wishes so I don't know how it would have been later. Best meal of the trip.
4. Boma breakfast - lots of families with kids but they all seemed fine to me...but it was also early. Great breakfast.
5. Whispering Canyon Cafe - 7:30 seating, of course there were lots of kids at this restaurant. It was fairly loud and fun. If you want to escape this type of atmosphere I would not recommend for you. But we did enjoy our experience very much.
6. Kona Cafe - 7:30 seating, we were seated in a corner by another couple. I don't even recall there being kids in this restaurant, although I'm sure there were. Great food.
7. Le Cellier - 8:15 seating, we were next to another young couple to one side and then a mother with her 8-9yo son on the other. He was very quiet. There were several other families around but none seemed very loud. We also had a very good meal here.

Overall, I would say we saw a fair amount of children in most restaurants but they all were decently behaved. Maybe we just lucked out. I have 3 nephews so I do know what loud and obnoxious looks like! We just didn't really see it in the restaurants. I don't know if that had to do with the times we ate, the places we chose, or even the time of year...? Hope this helped and good luck!

 

[MrsLS]

We are 2 adults in our 30s and mostly just eat at TS, not CS. As its disney, there will be kids at every restaurant except little ones at V&A. I would suggest the signatures for less kids but really the other ones aren't that noisy or anything.

 

[Tink_Or_Belle]

I'd say along with Character meals avoid 'Ohana great place but the kids hula hoop and Coconut Race beside the tables. I have kids I LOVE kids but I prefer at dinner time they eat, not race with sticks and coconuts.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

We are two young adults (mid 20s) without children and don't necessarily want to eat where there will be mostly families with children.

Then I think you seriously need to reconsider your trip.

The only safe bet for a place you are not going to encounter kids at practically every table is V&A's.

 

[Melodious]

Well, I'm in my 40's and feel the same way! And I think my teens would feel the same way. So it's not just a 20's thing. Probably the only people who don't feel that way are the ones with young kids - when mine were in the preschool range (and I had 3 hyperactive boys within 3 years), I was always relieved when there was a louder table than ours nearby!

That made me laugh and is a good point. Mostly I'm just wondering whether the OP is really looking for restaurants where kids are less likely to be or whether the OP is looking for restaurants that have an atmosphere and menu more geared towards adults, even though being at Disney there will undoubtedly be a few kids there. If it's the former I'm not sure what help I can be, but if it's the latter there are lots of choices

 

[hematite153]

A slightly different view.

We've found that later times at adult geared restaurants to tend to mean fewer young kids and often the kids we encounter at those times are slightly more mature and really seem to be into the "big kid eating in a grown-up place" attitude. But, there always seems to be one family that looks like they are pushing their kids too far. Sometimes it seems the kids are just sleeping through the meal, but, sometimes they are melting down.

We travelled once in Sept. (free dining) with friends with a 15 month old. They asked that we schedule ADRs between 6 and 6:30. Once we got there we learned that their DDs normal bedtime was between 6 and 7. They had been thinking that 6:00 dinners would stretch their days out as long as possible. But, it meant that their DD was exhausted and crying about the lack of a bed every single night. I think that I see a lot of families trying to do this. They want to get as much out of Disney as they can and they miss out on the fact that if their kids eat dinner at 5:00 normally, they will melt down if asked to wait until 7:00 and then eat a slow meal--even the ones who don't normally go to bed until 9.

We have eaten quite a few signature meals right as the restaurants open (5 or 5:30) and I've never seen a kid at that time. It appears that parents aren't ready to give up on the day quite so early. A nice early resort meal also allows you to return to the parks for evening activities feeling relaxed and refreshed.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I believe the OP said they knew there would be kids, but was looking for an atmosphere that was more adult in nature or where menus did not necessarily appeal to children so less children would possibly be there.

Here are my suggestions:

1. If the restaurant has a bar or lounge, they usually serve the full menu there. You don't need to make advance ressies for bar seating and you can almost always get a seat.

2. Check the menu for the restaurant. If they don't offer a kids menu, chances are there will be very few children in the restaurant.

3. Avoid Buffets. These are popular with parents for many reasons, not the least of which they can let their kids eat something besides "kids menu" food.

Restaurant Suggestions:

1. Bistro de Paris (Epcot): A very elegant looking restaurant with an exquisite menu. I enjoy this restaurant. No kids menu here.

2. Le Cellier Steakhouse (Epcot). I only ate here once for lunch and it was delicious. There were kids but it was not noisy and there were no screaming children.

3. California Grill (Contemporary Resort): I ate at the bar here. The food was divine. The bartender was fun and friendly. It was about 7 and the restaurant was full of conventioneers (Pediatricians to be exact) The atmosphere was very adult that night.

4. Narcoosies (Grand Floridian): A lovely restaurant with delicious food. Very nice. Didn't notice any loud children there.

5. Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge): The food here is awesome. The service was superb and there were not a lot of kids in the place.

6. Sanaa (Kidani Village): Our server was awesome, the food was terrific, the view (Savannah view) was outstanding. There were some kids getting up to go look at the animals, but as we were not seated next to a window, I didn't notice them and they were not loud.

7. Tokyo Dining (Epcot): I have only eaten sushi here and we go here nearly every trip. Its delicious. Ask for a late seating and a table by the window. You can see illuminations from there.

8. Big River Grill and Brewpub (Boardwalk): Didn't have dinner here but enjoyed the atmosphere and people were very friendly. Didn't notice kids too much.

9. Hollywood Brown Derby (Hollywood Studios): The cobb salad is to die for. Their food is pretty awesome too. No kids in there both times I went.

10. Fultons Crab House (Downtown Disney): A wonderful fish and seafood restaurant. I eat there frequently. I have eaten both at the bar and at a table. Never encountered loud, unruly children there.

There are many other places I could write about. We go about 4 or more times a year and always eat out at the TS restaurants. Lots of fun.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

If you don't want to see kids, eat all your meals through room service. Kids are everywhere at WDW except Al & Vic's, and the later the hour the more likely the meltdown. Just like the real world.

 

[Gigi22]

My sympathies to the OP. But, it is Disney, and there will be children. Our solution to the too many kids at dinner issue is to pick restaurants with menus that are not kid-friendly (for example, lots of raw fish, snails and lamb on the menu), do not have characters, and/or do not offer 'views' of fireworks. Cali Grill, as I recall, is chock-a-block full of families with little kids, some well behaved, others not.
My solution to the issue? Well, if you are over 21, you can always have an adult beverage, or two, right? Chill! We pass this way but once, and there are things beyond your control.

 

[Belle5]

Try the Wave at the Contemporary. There may be a few kids, but it should not be out of control.

 

[Eliza'sMom]

Before we had DD, we dined twice at Citrico's and found it didn't attract as many kids as lots of other places, especially if we ate later. We also ate at Rose and Crown and I don't remember seeing lots of kids there. The same is true of Flying Fish and breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe. On our last trip, we ate at Mama Melrose's, and while I know there were other kids there, I think because of the set-up DD was the only small child in the room we were in. We also stayed at Kidani on this last trip, and I don't know if I saw any children at Sanaa the whole time, to the point that we decided not to try to get in for dinner there because we had DD.

As for places not to eat, Coral Reef was not good for avoiding small children when we went there pre-kids. We were seated up against the window and there was a sea turtle hanging out right next to us, which meant lots of kids leaving their table and crowding ours to see it. We also went to Artist Point fairly late one night in the hopes of having a more romantic meal and were very disappointed. I don't know if it's because Wilderness Lodge attracts so many families or if it was just the wrong night, but there were a lot of very noisy children there.

 

[kwdancer26]

there have been loud, screaming kids at every single restaurant except V & A. that being said, it is disney, and you're going to have this experience everywhere- even the places that seem quieter (for ex, coral reef for lunch was really bad last time we went).

every single restaurant, there are kids running around, disturbing other tables, etc. to say it lightly, if you want to avoid this, don't go to disney. in order to have a positive experience you must be ok with all the kids. even if your dining experiences are better than mine, they're all over the place at the resorts and at the theme parks.

if you want to avoid them as much as possible, dine really early (as soon as the restaurants open up for whatever meal you want), or really late. we usually eat lunch right at 11:30 and dinner at 5 and the kids get bad right around dessert time. i don't think the more expensive = less kids idea is true because last time the kids were particularly bad at citricos... which is a more formal and expensive restaurant.

 

[jessd_ct]

I just want to say I have been to Disney twice recently and I have not had one complaint about kids. I don't have a problem with kids or with them being around while I'm eating. Being surrounded by loud noisy families however is not necessarily what we were looking for in a meal. I appreciate all the advice from everyone and I did get what I was looking for though I probably didn't word it properly to begin with. I was looking for restaurants and timing that was better for nice quiet meal for the two of us. Also which restaurants would not give us that. Thank you everyone for all your help you've definitely helped us make some important decisions for our upcoming trip!

 

[Poppinsme]

Howdy!
2 old DINKS here.

Here are the places we are eating at on our upcoming trip.
All are excellent (we think).

Citricos
Jiko
Queen Victoria Room V&As
Flying Fish
Shulas
Boma
Garden View Lounge Tea
Biergarten
Il Mulino

We try to get ADRs after 7:00 because we like a later time to eat and its more relaxing.

 

[trickiwoo]

As far as QS, my boyfriend and I ate dinner at Tangierine Cafe in Epcot and didn't see a single kid in there during our whole meal!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

My husband and I are also in our 20's and we love when we find a nice quiet restaurant in WDW!

Here are the places we have seen the fewest kids:

Bluezoo
Narcoossee's
Bistro de Paris
The Wave (which surprised me!)
Tokyo Dining
Paradiso 37

As pp's mentioned, Victoria and Albert's is child-free and Shula's does not have a children's menu and offers free childcare so it is close to young-child-free as well. That being said, California Grill and Jiko are great restaurants and they often do have children, but usually (not always) they are well behaved. My other tip for you is to ask the maitre d for a "quiet table" if available. It couldn't hurt! Also, we don't really mind "happy kid noises" but screaming goes right through me. If it got really bad, I would ask for a new table. There's no reason, family friendly or not, that 80 other people need to listen to one child scream- take the kid OUT!

If there is a bar, that might be a good option for you, too, although it might be just as loud with adult noises!

Furthermore, it is great to order some CS and find a nice quiet spot. I love getting a drink and a sandwich or fish and chips in Epcot and finding an out of the way place to enjoy it! It is also great at the resorts, you can get a meal or snack and sit on the beach to enjoy it!

 

[JessGWI]

I realize I am a bit late to the party, but DH and I are also mid twenties. We bought Birnbaum's Disneyworld Without Kids...I found it to have really good info, there is only a chapter on restaurants, but it also has some nice areas to enjoy quiet, romantic time amidst all the hustle and bustle too. I can't recall the exact price, but I believe it was about $15 at our local B&N.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

We visit wdw a lot and also have no kids. Here are the places I would recommend for a more adult atmosphere:

TS:
The Wave
Restaurant Marrakesh
Boma (some children, but if you're at one of the 2 person tables you're away form the fray)
Yak & Yeti
Le Cellier
Tutto Italia

Also, we haven't eaten at Kona Cafe, but it seems like most families prefer Ohana so this is a good choice for grownups.

CS:
Tangeriene Cafe
Yakitori House

And check out the Tequila Cafe in Mexico at Epcot.

Enjoy your trip!
Columbia Harbor House