Dining Plan and Children Meltdowns

[katie111]

I think part of the problem is that the Disney restaurants are so slow! We eat out all the time at home with DD4 and DS3. Last January when we were there we scheduled all sit down meals no later than 6. At home we usually go out around 6 and are done by 7 if we go to a family friendly restaurant. In Disney, it seemed like we were never done with our meals before 8. Everything just seems to take so much time, checking in, waiting for your table, and then most service is just plain slow! By day 3 we learned our lesson & just prepared something in the room for the kids & got takeout for ourselves. One night we had a Chef Mickey reservation at 5:30. We got there at 5:15 and waited at least a half hour to check in. Then it was another half hour of waiting. By that point our kids were at each other's throats. We walked out of there and then had a "great" 45 minute ride on the monorail with a hysterical DD4 yelling "I want Chef Mickey!. Luckily many other parents on the monrail told us they could sympathize so we felt a little better. We tried to do everything right but it was just a horrible experience which seems like it could have been alleviated if the waits weren't so long. And this was in the slow time of late January. I think Disney is just exhausting for kids & too many parents try to do too much (including us sometimes, I guess). We're going next week on the dining plan and are doing almost all character buffets and none later than 5:30. Hopefully that will work out.

Also, its funny on here to read how many people have difficult DD4's! We thought we were the only ones!! I thought 4 was going to be an easy age, but boy was I wrong. I thin she's 4 going on 14!

 

[Lizzybee]

We went on the DDP in August and I realize my DD8 is fully capable of having a meltdown if she gets too hungry. So...I made my ADRs early in the trip planning process and early during the meal hours (ie all dinners at 4pm). I was able to get all of my desired restaurants at the 4pm time, but if all that was available was after 5:30pm, I'd have chosen a different restaurant. To me, it's not worth it. When she gets hungry she gets weepy and whiney. I love her and I don't even want to be around her then, why would a restaurant full of people want to???? I'm not entirely convinced that it's all within her control. I can keep her reasonably toned down but she's a pain. I can't recall a time when she has disturbed other diners. Maybe because she KNOWS she'd be grounded for what would seem like an eternity if she did. Plus there are lots of buffets at WDW so no waiting for food.

 

[mimif1]

My husband and I have done many a tag team dining meal! What really helped in October was telling the server at non-buffet meals that we would tip extra if they "rushed" us. They were usually happy to help. It was worth the extra tip to get out quickly. We also asked if we could order our desserts at the beginning and pay before we were finished so we didn't have to wait at the end. That's the worst part for us, waiting for the bill when everyone is finished.

The only time I sat at a table with my sweet DD2 screaming was at a CS restaurant with an overheated DD7 while my husband was getting the food. The restaurant was crowded and we finally found a table and my heat sensitive kid had to be in air conditioning for awhile. I wasn't about to loose that table! Of course, when the kid at the table across the room started vomiting everywhere people quit looking at us! Bless that little boy!

 

[thunderbird1]

Of course, when the kid at the table across the room started vomiting everywhere people quit looking at us! Bless that little boy!

Maybe that's why I'm not at all bothered by other people's children having meltdowns in restaurants--because I'm just glad it's not one one of mine!