Dinner Shows with a busy toddler?

[scrappinginontario]

A friend is going to Disney for the first time. Her daughter is a fun, busy 2yo. She's wondering if the dinner shows might be too much waiting, etc for her daughter? I've been to Disney often but haven't done either Hoop Dee Doo or the Hawaiian one.

Any thoughts from those who have BTDT?

 

[mommyoftwinz]

I'm not sure about those but we did eat at Ohana for dinner one night and that's great with kids. They encourage them to get out of their seats and do limbo and coconut rolling and the food was good, served family style so there's lots of choices for picky eaters. My kids spent the whole time pretty much out of their seats while me and my husband had a nice meal. They liked watching the guy cook on the grill too.

The Backyard BBQ at the campground I believe might be worth looking into also.

 

[DCDisney]

We've gone to Hoop and I think a 2 year old might enjoy it if they are fairly docile and would watch a show on stage not geared to a 2 year old (no characters and some subtle comedy) but lots of fun singing and dancing. It is 2 solid hours of sitting though there is lots of laughing and times to let out steam and the food comes out in stages not all at once. I'd definitely opt for the earliest show though. If the 2 year old is in a loud stage I'd probably avoid it because there are parts of the show where you have to be quiet and the way the hall is set up it can be very difficult to remove a crying child if you are up front or in the balcony.

 

[deannanb]

DS was a week shy of 2 years old when we went.

HDDR - he had a fun time. enjoyed the singing and dancing. I got up with him once during the show but otherwise he sat fine.

Luau was a MESS! He didn't do well at all - actually we were all kind of board (except for my DH who had never seen it before) My dad left the show to walk around with him near the front.

 

[DopeyDame]

HIGHLY recommend Backyard BBQ. We did it with DS 17 months and it was the highlight of the trip. We're really looking forward to doing it again on our next trip when he'll be 2.5. He's a really active little guy and LOVES to dance, so the BBQ was perfect for him. The food is mediocre but the atmosphere is perfect for a fun loving toddler and their parents. (Plus there's all you can drink beer and wine! )

 

[Survivor:Disney]

We did HDDR with our 2.5 year old. She's pretty active as well, but really enjoyed the singing and dancing. We sat up in the balcony and had easy access to the stairs and out the front door for a bathroom break. She's into dancing and singing anyway, so if your friend's DD is into that, she will do well. The washboards at the end were a big hit. The actors/actresses move all throughout the place so there is a lot for them to watch.

I wouldn't want to be on the main floor in the middle, just in case we had a meltdown and had to leave.

We also went to the 5:00 PM show. It is a long show. (I think it was about 2 hours.)