Disney bans kids from restaurant!!!

[babieemelly]

So true! When I choose my resort, I expect to be able to eat at the restaurants within it. I would be really unhappy if I was limited to the snack area with my kids. We enjoy eating at the better restaurants at Disney (I am thrilled that there is now a Deluxe Dining Plan!).

I know a lot of people who feel the same way! And just from a marketing point of view, that deluxe dining plan doesn't come cheap! But you, and a lot of our friends and their families, are willing to pay for it in order to enjoy some nice, fun restaurants together while on vacation. Not allowing kids into these restaurants would change so many people's minds, not just about eating at certain restaurants and buying the dining plan, but also about staying at the deluxe resorts where some of the amenities include being close to the restaurants!

 

[Jennasis]

Blech...that menu has scared me anyway far worse than the notion of sitting next to kids. I am just not a "foody" I guess.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I wish there were a couple regular restaurants that didn't allow kids...or didn't allow them at night. I don't like frou-frou food.

I love kids, but I'd like to have a couple meals without them running around or crawling under my table. And there are always a few rude parents who let them run and yell and bang and crawl.

But, it is Disney...kinda hard to avoid kids, even those with rude parents.

I did once pick a kid up, take him back to his table, sit him down and say, "Do not bang my table again!" But mostly I just suffer in silence. What can you do.

 

[kpm76]

Disney is great for adults as everyone here knows, but it's primarily a "family" place. When most people who aren't "Disney-obsessed" think of Disney World, they think of kids. I don't think it would make sense to make any restaurant child-free. Victoria and Allbert's I can understand since it's so expensive and such a long, uneventful experience (at least for kids!) But as for the other restaurants, a majority of poeple going to Disney have kids in tow, and if they're willing to fork over the cash for the signature restaurants why bar them from doing so just because they have kids? There are a million and a half really amazing restaurants out there in the rest of the world that are 5-star places and kid-free. Disney isn't the place for that.

As others have pointed out, WDW is a family place but families don't always include kids. Sometimes it's important to think of others too when making decisions. My needs and wants should not trump someone elses. Disney vacations are very different now that we have a baby. We love the signature places but I would never think to inflict ourselves upon everyone else in the restaurant trying to enjoy a nice meal, so for now we limit our dining choices. We went to Le Cellier in Nov and DD was fussy so I left. It's totally unfair and selfish to disturb others. And to those who say their kids are soooo well behaved, maybe they are on a regular basis but WDW is exhausting and since you have to make dining choices well in advance how can you predict that your little angel is going to behave?? I love kids but there is a time and place and some places should be adult only. It's equally important to teach kids to be mindful of others as it it to behave in restaurants.

 

[Hixski]

I wonder what will happen when the people that insist WDW should not have an adult only dining venue get older? The ones that drag their kids to restaurants everywhere insisting that WDW is for the children. I think when they are 50 and have their 25th anniversary they will be screaming the loudest about the need for more adult only romantic places to eat. But that is JMHO.

 

[AllyandJack]

I don't know why a parent would WANT to bring a kid there. I really like it there. But, I'm 30 years old. I can't envision a 9 year old embracing some of the stuff I ate there. I also can't envision a parent wanting to spend over $100. on one meal for a 9 year old. Geez, even a 15 year old!

I wouldn't say BAN kids from other restaurants, but I've had my share of meals ruined because of someone else's kid running around, screaming, banging plates, kicking chairs, and, my favorite, staring over the booth while I'm trying to eat.

My DD is not the type of baby you take to a restaurant. Haha. I know this. I don't force other people to deal with her and I wouldn't just sit there while she ruined someone's meal. I've left many a store when it's clear she's not going to stop screeching.

Some parents just don't care and, unfortunately, it IS left up to management to maintain a pleasant dining experience for everyone.

 

[jrmasm]

Of course people should remove children that misbehave. That's a big 'duh' but so isn't finding children in restaraunts in Disney.

I think the policy is silly and should not be extended to other restaraunts.

 

[slo]

I thought V&A was already adults only

I absolutly don't have a problem with this.
We've never been to V&A, but if we ever planned on going, it wouldn't be with our girls anyway. There are some places that are nice for adults only

 

[babieemelly]

As others have pointed out, WDW is a family place but families don't always include kids. Sometimes it's important to think of others too when making decisions. My needs and wants should not trump someone elses. Disney vacations are very different now that we have a baby. We love the signature places but I would never think to inflict ourselves upon everyone else in the restaurant trying to enjoy a nice meal, so for now we limit our dining choices. We went to Le Cellier in Nov and DD was fussy so I left. It's totally unfair and selfish to disturb others. And to those who say their kids are soooo well behaved, maybe they are on a regular basis but WDW is exhausting and since you have to make dining choices well in advance how can you predict that your little angel is going to behave?? I love kids but there is a time and place and some places should be adult only. It's equally important to teach kids to be mindful of others as it it to behave in restaurants.

Of course, but like I said, families come in all shapes and sizes. Just because one couple doesn't have kids and doesn't want to "deal with kids" doesn't mean that another family shouldn't be able to bring them along. As much as everyone on these boards love Disney, as do a lot of other people, MOST people think of Disney as a kid-friendly place, and it definitely is. The majority of people at Disney are people who only go once in a while and it's to experience it through their children's eyes, so banning children from restaurants just doesn't make sense. Plus, a baby is very different from a child. All of my little cousins run around and go crazy with the best of them, but not in restaurants. They like feeling "grown up" and sitting with the family and eating and talking and having a good time. Banning kids from random restaurants around Disney would stop my family from going to them, as well as a lot of our friends and their families. Like I said, parents should be responsible for making sure their kids behave, but Disney also shouldn't be afraid of saying something if someone's kids are running wild in a restaurant.

Another thing is, as I've said before, aside from Victoria and Albert's none of the restaurants at Disney are so upscale that children shouldn't be allowed Just because a restaurant's expensive doesn't actually make it upscale. While the demographics of visitors does include more and more newlyweds and single couples, Disney has been and always will be about catering to children. I just think that if you want a fancy, quiet, romantic meal, Disney really isn't the place for it. I'm all for Disney opening some new "adults-only" restaurants, but changing the old ones doesn't make sense.

 

[momto2girls]

And to those who say their kids are soooo well behaved, maybe they are on a regular basis but WDW is exhausting and since you have to make dining choices well in advance how can you predict that your little angel is going to behave??

We eat out regularly (frequently actually) and my kids have learned what I expect from them in a restaurant from a very young age. Trust me, I'd be the first person to yank my kids out of a restaurant if they weren't behaving appropriately. My girls would never think of leaving their seats and running around or being loud, etc. It simply wouldn't be tolerated.

As you can see by my siggy, we go to Disney regularly. My kids have never acted up on a restaurant (Disney or not). I'm VERY fortunate to have very calm kids. Also, they love to color and can be happily occupied for hours at a time drawing and coloring. They love to eat out and get new coloring sheets! I have no reason to anticipate them behaving any differently because tantrums or meltdowns just aren't part of their personalities. (I'm well aware that I'm very fortunate and that if I had another child I probably wouldn't get so lucky. ) The first time I took my younger daughter to CG she was 13 months. She was as happy as pie the whole time, but I assure you that I would have left immediately if she started disrupting anyone. However now that my kids are older (7 and 4), I can be fairly confident that I will know how they will behave (with lots of history to make that conclusion). At any rate, I do try to assess how they are feeling. On our last trip, I canceled one of our reservations one night because the girls seemed really tired. I wasn't worried about them acting up at all, but I didn't want to subject them to a dinner that they wouldn't enjoy.

I do understand that there are plenty of parents out there that don't manage their kids in restaurants (I've seen them ), but I also know that there are plenty of kids out there that can handle the nicer restaurants and behave appropriately (I've seen them too ).

 

[tiggersmom2]

I can NOT imagine anyone bringing their child to V&A! I think WDW is being pretty liberal letting children 10 and over attend. This is a 2-3 hour FINE dining experience, my children are next to saints but even they would be antsy for that long.

I do take my kids to Jikos and they are wonderful (there are many other kids there too) and we are in and out within 1 - 1 1/2 hours. That is MY definition of "fine dining" with kids.

 

[Feralpeg]

I thought V&A was already adults only

I absolutly don't have a problem with this.
We've never been to V&A, but if we ever planned on going, it wouldn't be with our girls anyway. There are some places that are nice for adults only

I agree. I thought they didn't allow anyone under 16. Maybe they changed their policy, but that is what it used to be. I can't imagine anyone under ten enjoying V&A.

 

[kpm76]

We eat out regularly (frequently actually) and my kids have learned what I expect from them in a restaurant from a very young age. Trust me, I'd be the first person to yank my kids out of a restaurant if they weren't behaving appropriately. My girls would never think of leaving their seats and running around or being loud, etc. It simply wouldn't be tolerated.

As you can see by my siggy, we go to Disney regularly. My kids have never acted up on a restaurant (Disney or not). I'm VERY fortunate to have very calm kids. Also, they love to color and can be happily occupied for hours at a time drawing and coloring. They love to eat out and get new coloring sheets! I have no reason to anticipate them behaving any differently because tantrums or meltdowns just aren't part of their personalities. (I'm well aware that I'm very fortunate and that if I had another child I probably wouldn't get so lucky. ) The first time I took my younger daughter to CG she was 13 months. She was as happy as pie the whole time, but I assure you that I would have left immediately if she started disrupting anyone. However now that my kids are older (7 and 4), I can be fairly confident that I will know how they will behave (with lots of history to make that conclusion). At any rate, I do try to assess how they are feeling. On our last trip, I canceled one of our reservations one night because the girls seemed really tired. I wasn't worried about them acting up at all, but I didn't want to subject them to a dinner that they wouldn't enjoy.

I do understand that there are plenty of parents out there that don't manage their kids in restaurants (I've seen them ), but I also know that there are plenty of kids out there that can handle the nicer restaurants and behave appropriately (I've seen them too ).

You're definitely one of the responsible parents as I hope DH and I are as well Unfortunately, not everyone thinks that their kids screaming and yelling is inappropriate and they take the attitude that well, it's Disney so be it. Disney is an expensive vacation and though we consider ourselves very fortunate to visit often, not every family is as lucky. I would hate for someone's special meal to be ruined because some other family was not considerate. But I guess there is no avoiding that.....

 

[BettyCv]

Kick a family out of a restaurant? When have you seen that happen at WDW?

I figure that's essentially what Disney just did by prohibiting children under 10 from V & A....

 

[denisem]

I'm not a parent, nor do I play one on TV so I'm liable to be flamed for some of my long-winded musings...

First off, I wonder if this ruling also extends to the Chef's Table at V&A? After all, it would be isolated, just involving one's family and since it's a bit noiser & more hectic it'd be a good compromise.

2nd: Is this really "all about the kids and our family experiences"? I'd bet if you put it to a vote, your kids wouldn't choose V&A, or even CA or Jiko's.

My SIL & I took 7 of her grandkids (ages 8-14) to WDW a few years back and found merely the "atmosphere" of a week of WDW to "wire" up the normally well-behaved kids a bit. (Not surprising to me, 'cos even *I* get wired & exuberant bein' in the world! )

Anyhow, we figured it was ALSO a vacation for them, so didn't choose this time to "teach them how to sit & behave properly" for a 3 hour meal at V&A. We concentrated on kid-friendly, goofball venues such as Chef Mickey, Ohana, Whispering Canyon (?), etc. (Yeah - buffets are pedestrian, but both the picky eaters and more adventurous didn't go hungry. It's democratic, dontcha know?)

The argument that "this is our FAMILY time" doesn't fly when parents are not considering the ages/tastes/maturity/patience of EVERYONE in your family. Your children are only young once, true; but they grow up before you know it, and (for those of you with multiple trips), you & your spouse can later lick your wounds over your empty nest and do an ADULT version of WDW! (I highly recommend V&A's, a monorail pub/appetizer tour and the W&F Festival.)

3. DH & I have also cruised DCL - again, we don't have kids but had occasion to talk to TONS of parents for their opinions. The concensus was that their kids LOVED the children's programs! I'd image the WDW resorts would offer the same quality children's programs and...though it may be shocking ...maybe, just maybe, the kids would enjoy a few hours away from their PARENTS after a week of 24/7 while parents dine at V&A's and get some adult time?

(I may be projecting here: I've gone to WDW with 2 husbands, friends, several siblings, one 76 Y.O. mother and various great-nieces & nephews...I would have welcomed a few hours alone from all of them. But then they probably felt the same.)

(P.S. And before you pigeonhole me as some child-hating adult, remember: I'M the fat, ordinary, old woman behind you in line somewhere playin' peek-a-boo and trying to distract your "just startin' to feel cranky and bored" toddler.)

 

[BettyCv]

My needs and wants should not trump someone elses.

I'm sure you'd agree that having dinner at V&A without small children is a want, not a need - so should that want trump someone else's want to have dinner there with their children?

 

[babieemelly]

(P.S. And before you pigeonhole me as some child-hating adult, remember: I'M the fat, ordinary, old woman behind you in line somewhere playin' peek-a-boo and trying to distract your "just startin' to feel cranky and bored" toddler.)

You should be banned from the boards and Disney, you child-hater! No one thinks you hate kids, don't worry I actually agree with a lot of your post. Victoria and Albert's obviously isn't a place for kids, not just from an adult perspective but also because not many kids would want that kind of food or atmosphere. It doesn't even appeal to me, so I can't see sitting in a restaurant for hours as being fun for kids! And I can definitely see people wanting to get away from their kids for a while and have an adult-only meal, and no one's stopping them from leaving their kids in the Kids Clubs. I just don't think that banning children from other established restaurants would help Disney is any way, and we all know that, deep down, it's all about the money. It just wouldn't make much sense.

 

[BettyCv]

I can NOT imagine anyone bringing their child to V&A! I think WDW is being pretty liberal letting children 10 and over attend. This is a 2-3 hour FINE dining experience, my children are next to saints but even they would be antsy for that long.

I do take my kids to Jikos and they are wonderful (there are many other kids there too) and we are in and out within 1 - 1 1/2 hours. That is MY definition of "fine dining" with kids.

I'm just playing devil's advocate here... What about those parents who can only afford a place like Jikos for their "fine dining?" Why should THEY be subjected to eating dinner with children? How about parents you can only afford the food courts?

Isn't the new rule at V&A just a type of "rankism?"

 

[BettyCv]

On the rare occasion that DH and I splurge on a dinner at a nice (and expensive) adult restaurant, I get peeved if I'm seated next to someone else's kids.

Wow, even if they're well behaved kids?

 

[CEDmom]

I'm sure you'd agree that having dinner at V&A without small children is a want, not a need - so should that want trump someone else's want to have dinner there with their children?

Are you taking the descending opinion for the sake of debating this topic or is this your actual position on the subject ?

I don't honestly understand people getting all worked up because they way not be able to have dinner somewhere one night. Do people place that much importance on food? Honestly, I can't imagine allowing that to make or break my vacation.