Dining with an Infant

[PaxsMom]

We are heading back in April with our new son! He will be 4 months and I do not think he will be able to sit up in high chair. I emailed WDW and they told me I can just stick an infant carrier on a chair (ummmm not safe whatsoever). Any ideas on how to dine with an infant?

 

[Hopefully]

We are heading back in April with our new son! He will be 4 months and I do not think he will be able to sit up in high chair. I emailed WDW and they told me I can just stick an infant carrier on a chair (ummmm not safe whatsoever). Any ideas on how to dine with an infant?

You can put the infant carrier on the wooden high chair, it looks like it would be safe to me. Or you can hold the baby in your arms. You could wear the baby in a sling or carrier. I wouldn't really like the idea, but you could put the infant carrier on the floor next to your table. In some restaurants, but not all, you will likely be able to leave the baby in the stroller and at your table. Lots of restaurants do not have the room for this though, and they won't allow it.

 

[fabulousfive]

Yes we did the upside down high chair thing a lot with the baby car seat. When we were in Disney World however we didn't bring the big car seat carrier. I either had my baby in the baby bjorn carrier or in a stroller. Disney's policy is that they will allow you to take a stroller into a restaurant if your baby is sleeping. So we did lots of meals with baby asleep in the stroller pulled up to the table or just in my baby carrier.

 

[FigmentFinder]

A very few restaurants (Chef Mickey's and maybe Crystal palace) have the reclining infant chairs. Other than that your options are hoping a nice CM will let you bring the stroller to the table or holding the baby.

When my son was little, I used to bring a high chair (reclining) that you could strap on a chair, but that was at home. I can't see dragging a chair around Disney. Not sure if any of the Disney restaurants have the slings for holding an infant carrier properly. Those are great, but for some reason very few places have them.

 

[aylarosie]

The high chairs at disney are the kind your car seat carrier will hook on.Just as the car seat carrier often sits on stroller it will hook on chair.You could bring a strap to secure it if you wanted. You could strap it on through the seat belt slots. It works well to have the car seat carrier at that age as you can bring it into any resteraunt as usually they make you keep strollers outside.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) WDW high chairs DO NOT accommodate baby carriers.
. . . some try to strap their carrier through the chairs grab handles
. . . some try to invert the high chair, by most CM's don't allow due to tipping hazard
. . . and the resulting tipping liability lawsuits
2) The eateries DO HAVE a "baby sling"
. . . that is the actual trade name, not a nickname
. . . think of a free-standing non-swinging upright hammock
. . . you place the bay and carrier into the sling
. . . there is a strap to secure the carrier
. . . the baby is secured to the carrier by the parent
. . . it sits on the floor next to the table

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Disney's policy is that they will allow you to take a stroller into a restaurant if your baby is sleeping. So we did lots of meals with baby asleep in the stroller pulled up to the table or just in my baby carrier.

Not a Disney-wide policy. Some restaurants do not have the room for strollers and some need to keep aisles clear. While some will allow it, others will not.

 

[fabulousfive]

Not a Disney-wide policy. Some restaurants do not have the room for strollers and some need to keep aisles clear. While some will allow it, others will not.

We were told several times it was their policy, however perhaps it was always meant the restaurant's policy, not Disney's. Thanks for the clarification. Either way, we brought a stroller in many restaurants over various trips without any issues. I suppose it could be wise to inquire about various Disney restaurant policies.

 

[PaxsMom]

1) WDW high chairs DO NOT accommodate baby carriers.
. . . some try to strap their carrier through the chairs grab handles
. . . some try to invert the high chair, by most CM's don't allow due to tipping hazard
. . . and the resulting tipping liability lawsuits
2) The eateries DO HAVE a "baby sling"
. . . that is the actual trade name, not a nickname
. . . think of a free-standing non-swinging upright hammock
. . . you place the bay and carrier into the sling
. . . there is a strap to secure the carrier
. . . the baby is secured to the carrier by the parent
. . . it sits on the floor next to the table

Thanks so much! I did the high chair thing with my first son and it flipped. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt but NEVER AGAIN.

Do all restaurants have slings?? I LOVE those things but I am shocked that Disney of all places doesn't have a plan for infants! And my idea of holding my son while I eat is not a vacation.

 

[JUS915]

The upside down high chair works depending on the high chair. If the back does not rise above the side(arms?) then you can flip it upside down without worry. But if the back is higher, you run the risk of the high chair flipping.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Most restaurants let us bring ds in his stroller when he was 5mo an or had a reclining high chair. Only Tutto Gusto didn't allow the stroller in and didn't have the reclining chair so I just held him.

 

[jlsmith376]

I was surprised too that Disney of all places didn't better accommodate infants in restaurants last year when we took our 6 month old. We brought the infant carrier (car seat) in every table service restaurant. At most we did the upside down high chair or sling, but there were a few where we placed the carrier in a chair (Akershus immediately comes to mind). We were in the minority by far in bringing the infant carrier...I noticed most people just held their baby.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I was surprised too that Disney of all places didn't better accommodate infants in restaurants . . .

1) The idea is not to accommodate babies, who do not eat or provide revenue.
2) The idea is close-together table with little aisle space to get more tables.
3) More tables usually mean more revenue.

NOTE: Not trying to be rude, but babies don't spend. Sure, the rest of the party
might eat, but there are usually enough other guests to take the place of the
those families. With the "corporate" Disney, money-talks-babies-walk.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

The upside down high chair works depending on the high chair. If the back does not rise above the side(arms?) then you can flip it upside down without worry. But if the back is higher, you run the risk of the high chair flipping.

1) As a retired engineer, I can say that iupside-down high chairs ARE NOT stable or safe.
2) They are an accident waiting to happen.
. . . no high chair is wider at the top than bottom
. . . so, when inverted, the center of gravity changes dramatically
. . . even if the chair seat & back are the same height
. . . if the baby sways, the chair is bumped, or the chair is moved, the chair can topple
. . . and, "down will come baby, high chair and all" ♫


NOTE: Although a past CEO, I started life as an engineer and have eleven USA
patents for mechanical and structural equipment. High chairs are not designed
for inverted use. Lots of bucks and manufacturer's liability insurance goes into
the design of those chairs.

 

[lazer]

1) The idea is not to accommodate babies, who do not eat or provide revenue. 2) The idea is close-together table with little aisle space to get more tables. 3) More tables usually mean more revenue. NOTE: Not trying to be rude, but babies don't spend. Sure, the rest of the party might eat, but there are usually enough other guests to take the place of the those families. With the "corporate" Disney, money-talks-babies-walk.

Could not disagree more. We took my son at 5 and 11 months, both trip with dining plans and plenty of sit down meals. Each restaurant was very accommodating and made it work for us. And, besides the dining, the entire park experience is very accommodating to babies. My two cents.