Do Kids (10-12) Usually Eat with Parents or in Lab

[jilloc]

We'll be going on our first cruise on the Wonder in May. My DS 10 has a special diet and I understand can only be accomodated in the dining room, not in the Lab. Will he be missing out on much not being able to eat with the other kids or do most kids join their parents for dinner anyways?

Thanks!

 

[tstobb]

Ours preferred to eat with us because the menu is more limited when they eat with the lab.

 

[geffric]

My kids have always eaten with us, it is so much fun to recount your day and enjoy time together.. My kids also go to the shows with us too.

 

[wackywexler]

the only time my kids ate in the lab was the night we went to Palo.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Most kids do eat with their parents, they like the experiences in Animators Palate and Parrot cay especially. Dont leave early because they have the limbo one night and other surprises too. I think some kids dont care for Lumiere's or Tritons ( depending on which ship) it is so much more formal and dull for kids. So when we have are in those restaurants we tended to see less kids, but still plenty of them in there. I dont think your child will miss much in the clubs at meal time. They usually march them to the buffet for kid friendly foods, quickly eat and then go right back to the club. we have seen them do this many times. Our grandkids never ate with the clubs. They never missed it or felt they were missing something special. Probably because at dinner it was a time for them to tell everyone what they had been doing and the wait staff always make a fuss over the kids, which they love!!
Hope you have a magical cruise!!!

mom x4,grandma x4

 

[crisi]

Ours were 50/50 - a long dinner was too much for them every night.

You can as your servers to serve the kids fast - they can usually leave and head up to the kids club before dessert while you enjoy a leasurely dessert and cup of coffee....

 

[lovinaz]

My kids (DD6 and DS9) ate with us every night and also went to the shows with us. The only time they ate in the Lab/Club was occasionally for lunch.

 

[PoohJen]

I ditto Lovinaz. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to tear the kids away from the clubs. Before the cruise, I let the kids know that they could do whatever lab/club (or other activities) they wanted, but that we'd have dinner together and see the show every night. i.e., that was our designated family time, and happily, it worked well for us!

As for lunch times, I think the kids clubs went to a buffet; the time will be posted in the Navigator

Good luck, and have a great trip!

 

[disneediva]

My DS 12 and DN 13 ate with us everynight. It was the one time we spent some quality time together.

 

[tvguy]

Our kids were older, 12 and 16, and since they had no interest in the clubs at all, they ate with us. We had late seating, and they really enjoyed the leisurely dining, interacting with servers, sampling new foods they had never had before knowing if they didn't like it, they could order a second entree.
And our 16 year old spent at least 30 minutes after dinner exchanging magic tricks with the wait staff and head server (and other passengers)

 

[yazee1]

Dinner, except for when dh and I ate at Palo, was with us. A few times, we allowed them to leave the table early because there was something going on at the Club/Lab they didn't want to miss.

 

[TnRobin]

My DS (10) only eats with us voluntarily on Animator's Palate night and involuntarily on Formal Night. On the other nights he eats with the club or goes to Pluto's or Pinocchio's for fast food.

 

[christinou]

My girls (7 and 9) on the last cruise ate with us every night, except for Palo night. We got them room service that night and they ate while we were getting dressed. They really did not like eating with the kids club, they prefered the adult menu, and they kids club only had the more kid friendly food.

 

[joepoe]

Ours were 50/50 - a long dinner was too much for them every night.

You can as your servers to serve the kids fast - they can usually leave and head up to the kids club before dessert while you enjoy a leasurely dessert and cup of coffee....

Does dinner take two hours? Can you get in and out in an hour?

 

[cindalu]

My DD's ate with us each night. There were a few nights that I took them up to the club. This was in May 04. So they were 7,6 and 3. They had a blast in the club.

 

[kcashner]

In a total of 14 cruises on the Magic, my daughter has never eaten with the kids' groups. Dinner is our "family time." When I had dinner at Palo, she was able to have a friend join her at our table (she was 14 at the time.) In my experience, most kids eat with their families. I've seen the kid groups going to meals and the numbers seemed rather small.

 

[Just Me 2]

Our kids normally prefer to eat with us.

 

[nluvwithmickey]

After hearing about those fabulous restaurants, my 2 DD's (who have never sailed) are looking forward to seeing Animator's Palette and Lumière's.


I'm not even sure they will go to the clubs. But I will go to Brunch with DH that's for sure. They can go to the pool or to a movie while we do that. DD'S will be 10 and 14 so they should be o.k.