Dining from Young Adult Standpoint

[wahooker]

To the OP, I agree with you 100%, I'd strongly prefer to eat somewhere quiet, with no kids running around, especially young ones causing problems.

Unfortunately, my kids are 8, 4, 4 and 4, and my wife won't let me leave them at home during our vacation.

Thus, pretty much everything we have booked is Character dining, a Buffet, or something that will be really interesting to the kids. (The show at Biergarden, or the Aquarium at Coral Reef, or the antics at Whispering Canyon)

Essentially, we are going to places where it's ok for kids to be excited... And hoping that translates into kids that aren't whiney.

Good luck though, my wife and I went on our Honeymoon to disney in our 20s, and we tried to do the same thing... Of course, back then, I think we were broke enough, we could barely afford the counter service meals!

 

[marciemi]

Unfortunately, my kids are 8, 4, 4 and 4, and my wife won't let me leave them at home during our vacation.

Geez, how inconsiderate!

Hope you guys have a great trip! Sounds like a lot of stress (for the parents) but should be a blast for the kids and for you watching them! I promise the time will come again that you can do the adult meals being asked about. Can't believe my kids no longer look like the ones in the signature - the oldest leaves for college in just 2 weeks!

 

[waltskids]

Although DH and I have kids now, we were childfree for many years and even now still enjoy 'date nights' in Disney. Our advice is to stay away from Disney restaurants on the DDP. We don't use DDP but take our kids to signature restaurants as do other families, so when we dine alone we like quiet, romantic and as child free as possible. So some choices...

-Victoria and Alberts- amazing!!! going there again this August with some friends
- Bluezoo- only saw one child, around 10 or 11 when we were there, dined around 8pm
- sitting at the bar at ESPN club- I know this isn't romantic at all but kids are not allowed to sit at this bar (we have seen kids told they cannot sit there anyway) and it makes for a fun child free evening.
- some bars we have seen children sitting at, but it can't hurt to ask their policy
- Shula's- saw only older teen/tween aged kids there, behaved, very quiet
- heard Bistro de Paris was great, but also heard that they now allow parents to order from the kid's menu downstairs at Chefs so not sure how this changes the restaurant
- House of Blues- sat at bar...again families were told they could not sit there
-Bongos- very few kids the last time we dined there, dined around 7:30pm
- II Mulino- friends dined there in January, no kids at all but could have been the time of year

We love our children but when we go out as a couple we look for experiences without children. Even in Disney this is possible with some planning.

 

[RobinHoodGirl]

In Nov. we'll have a 31, 28 and a 27/28(I'm having a WDW birthday!) going and I recommend Le Cellier - Been twice, and while I've seen kids there all have been well behaved. Never been a problem for me

I've eaten at a lot of other "family friendly" places but never had a problem with the kids... I even had a mom say he 16 month old was more behaved when me and a friend played peek-a-boo with him then we was all trip (we happened to be in the same car as a family of 5 at Sci-Fi Drive In), and asked if we wanted to baby sit

Also in 2008 my mom and I ate at 50's Prime Time cafe and ended up sharing a table with a couple on their 2nd anniversary trip and didn't notice any of the kids around either.

Not sure if that helps but still I recommend Le Cellier!

 

[AppleSister1]

Late to the party as well, and would echo what everyone else has said...eat early or late, look for places with bars/lounges, and avoid the buffets and character meals! Also look for more adventurous food...Morrocan, etc....that kids might avoid.

Some other recommendations:

Marrakesh in Epcot
Tokyo Dining
The Crew's Cup Lounge at the Yacht Club (nice quiet lounge next the to Steakhouse with some nice appetizers)
Brown Derby in DHS (but NOT before Fantasmic...then it's packed with families doing the meal package.)

 

[MrDisneyphile]

Paradiso 37 was a great place for my DW and I. We are 30 somethings with kids but love to get out without them too. We went later in the evening and they had love music outside on the deck. It had more of a club atmosphere than other Disney restaurants and less kids. Oh ya, the food was good too.