Honest dining opinion please.

[chrisrunty]

DH and I have been on four Disney cruises but this April on MR will be our 1st with a toddler. What is your honest option about DVD players at dinner? Quite a few people recommend we bring ours to dinner since they take a long time. We also requested to sit with another family with small children. Is it ok with you so our kid sits quietly or is it rude?

 

[spacecanada]

I don't think a DVD player would be appropriate because they are big, loud, distracting to others, and take away from any chances your child will socialise with others at the table, even at a young age. Bringing a toy to play with would be better. I've seen toddlers behave just fine acting out skits with their teddy bears at the table, often getting other tablemates involved. Just my opinion.

Edited to add: There are crayons and a colouring page at the dining table each night. Don't worry if they get crayon on the tablecloth - it's washable.

 

[corky441]

IMHO - I feel that bringing a portable DVD player to the dining rooms is inappropriate.

If you are sitting alone with just you family, it might be alright, but I still feel that to anyone sitting at a table nearby, it would be disruptive.

Also, if you're seated with another family, it could even be worse. Then you'd have multiple children trying to view it.

I would suggest that you either dine elsewhere or leave the DVD player in the room

 

[chrisrunty]

We also thought of bringing the iPad... at almost 3 he might be too big for the highchairs and not sure how long he will sit still in the booster. Thank you soooooooo much for your opinion! I want to enjoy dinner but not offend anyone either.

 

[Disneyholic]

DH and I have been on four Disney cruises but this April on MR will be our 1st with a toddler. What is your honest option about DVD players at dinner? Quite a few people recommend we bring ours to dinner since they take a long time. We also requested to sit with another family with small children. Is it ok with you so our kid sits quietly or is it rude?

Are the child or the children going to wear earphones to listen to it or are you planning on having the volume up for them to hear it. If they are wearing earphones I don't see why anyone would be too upset. If you have the speakers working so everyone can hear it, that would be a problem for me and I am sure many others.

I have been in places where one or more kids (and even some adults) have DVD players or video games (not to mention cell phones & loud conversations & ringtones) and don't have them on silent and it can get very annoying as well as very loud. That is inappropriate.

 

[Ariel224]

I have 2 children who are on the ADHD spectrum, and whenever there is a "screen" anywhere in their vicinity, all other brain activity ceases. The world could literally come to an end around them and they wouldn't notice. TV during dinner can't happen at our house because we have to continually remind them to eat! So, if we were seated anywhere near someone with a DVD player in the dining room, even if there was no sound from the player, it would create huge distraction issues for our dinner.

 

[nenis]

HERE IS MY HONEST ANSWER:
1)when we traveled with our 15 month old for the first time we requested to sit alone for dining.. i had to call back two more times to make sure the request was set because they didnt do it the first time
2) we took our dvd player that closes down like an ipad, so it didnt call to much attention. since we did get our request fullfilled we took our dvd player (its a car dvdplayer). since we sat alone NO BODY NOTICED! we kept the music down sooo low only she could here it. ( i didnt want to call too much attention)

with that said, we had a back up plan set up just in case.... we bought glowsticks, a table toy and a book, to keep our dd entertained so she didnt get to loud.

eventhough we sat alone, there was a moment that she got too antsy, and loud. so for everybodys comfort, my DH took her outside for a walk until she calmed down, and forgot all about the ketchup she wanted to add to her fruits (if we let her, shed eat ketchup witheverything)

that is what we did...

 

[Chicogirl]

My daughter is 9 and has autism, we will bring her iPod with ear phones. The dining rooms are just to noisy for her. Also she just can't sit with people without something to distract her. So if this is something that will make your dining experience better, go for it, just use ear phones.

 

[5lilfish]

I would vote for No DVD player. It's a road that I would not want to start down. My oldest DS is 13 and has mild Asperger's Syndrome. The dining room has always been a little tough on him. I have allowed him to use a DS (and more recently play on his ipod)....even though I know he needed it, I still wish I hadn't really started allowing it. My 4 DD's (12, 11, 3 and 3) do not bring electronic devices to dinner. Even the 3 yr old twins (who have cruised many times since they were 8 months old) can managed themselves in the dining room. There is plenty to look at and DCL provides crayons and a kid menu. I always asked the server to have a plate of fruit (berries and pineapple) waiting for the twins when we arrive. The servers are great about getting the kid food out. If the girls were getting antsy, I have run them up to the club/nursery in between eating my main course and waiting for my dessert.

Jess

 

[sabrecmc]

There have been rare occasions (not on a cruise) where I let my daughter have her iPod at dinner, mainly because I wanted to just eat and enjoy and not have to entertain. So, I totally understand! However, I think you can compromise by planning ahead with a few fun table activities (Aquadoodles, coloring pages, etc.), asking the server to bring your child's food asap (its the wait that was so hard on my daughter) and then, if appropriate, you can always take your child to the club or nursery after they finish so you can enjoy the rest of your meal. Particularly at AP, but also at the other restaurants, there are things going on to entertain or at least distract the young ones, so it might not be as much an issue as other restaurants.

On our Med cruise, the family that was at our table had a son, who was 4 or 5, that played his Nintendo or whatever it was nearly the entire meal. For 10 nights. I will say that he was quiet and well-behaved! It honestly didn't bother me or my daughter, but I would just never choose to do that. I do take my DD to the club once she finishes, so my mom and I can sit and enjoy the rest of our wine and dessert.

 

[Princess Sleepy]

With a few exceptions, such as noted above, I would not condone a DVD player at the table. Dinner especially is a time for families to connect and for kids to learn appropriate table manners and how to make conversation. Studies show that kids who eat family dinners multiple times a week are less likely to suffer from eating disorders and head down other undesirable paths. Disney is a great place to teach kids how to eat out in a more formal setting without incurring the wrath of other diners.

If you want to have a longer meal, my understanding is the kid wranglers can come and get your child when they are done eating so the adults can linger over their meal.

 

[ccgirl]

I think brining a DVD player out to ANY dinner is inappropriate and very poor table manners. I have children, ages 8 and 3, so I know how challenging a dinner out can be. Saying that, I do not feel a DVD player teaches them good table manners. I am seeing this more and more nowadays and just don't understand how this is good manners.

 

[Mrsjvb]

if I were seated at a table with a DVD player.. under any circumstances or jsuitfications or what have you..

I'd be sitting ELESEWHERE..Immediately. I wouldn't even ask the maitre D to find another table for us the next night.. we would get up immediately. I am not about to be subjected to such an uncomfortable situation.

I find it rude and distracting.

not even headphones would be an acceptable compromise.

if the child cannot sit still for that long, then either request a table all to yourselves or eat elsewhere.

 

[RedSox68]

My only two comments would be: please use earphones, and instruct your kids not to shout out or react to what they are watching

We've taken two plane trips with kids sitting behind us with DVD players and no earphones and they had the volume up very loud. It was an unpleasant experience -- and, of course, their parents were not sitting anywhere near them!

Otherwise, if it gets your kids through dinner and doesn't disturb the other tablemates, I would say go for it.

 

[tastefullyjenn]

Personally, a DVD wouldn't bother me but one thing I've learned is that kids who do become accustomed to eating out, sitting in church/religious services, theatrical shows do begin to learn how to make it work for them. It may be an initial PITA for the parents but they will learn!

Our first trip to Disney, we packed a whole suitcase with new "stuff" like color wonder, crayons and my daughters favorite, the aquadoodle type things. They also loved sticker books--there was one with cling stickers where you could dress the princesses (like colorforms). You will be surprised at how well it goes!

 

[mammacaryn]

Simple answer:

Whatever will make your vacation easier, more relaxing and enjoyable....do it.

I would rather children enjoy themselves (its their vacation too) and have enjoyable noises come from them(or no noise at all)....rather than hearing screaming and crying and moms and dads raising their voices (yes it happens on DCL).

I go to PALO to practice my table manners.

Vacation is time to have fun, and if that means your table manners are a little off, so what.

Dinner time at the kitchen table is TOTALLY different.

 

[5lilfish]

Simple answer:

Whatever will make your vacation easier, more relaxing and enjoyable....do it.

I would rather children enjoy themselves (its their vacation too) and have enjoyable noises come from them(or no noise at all)....rather than hearing screaming and crying and moms and dads raising their voices (yes it happens on DCL).

I go to PALO to practice my table manners.

Vacation is time to have fun, and if that means your table manners are a little off, so what.

Dinner time at the kitchen table is TOTALLY different.

I see what you're saying...to some extent. I mean, i let my kids drink a lot of soda, stay up late, and eat pizza on a cruise. But...What if allowing your children to enjoy themselves, keeps someone else from being able to relax and enjoy themself?

Jess

 

[smb6]

It would not bother me and I would not find it rude if I seen your child with a dvd player. I think there is a good chance you will find you don't need it, but if you do- I for one will not be bothered by it

 

[sshaw10060]

We eat out a lot and always have the iPad/iPhone close at hand. They have averted more than one meltdown that would have resulted in no one enjoying the meal.

We travel with enough family that we have never shared the table with another family and always bring things to keep DS busy during dinner. I am sure that the people at the next table would rather have the silent 4 year old enoying himself instead of a kid running in circles around the table.

I say bring it with headphones.

 

[Queen of Oakville]

You haven't mentioned if you child has any special needs?

That would be my only qualifier. If your child required something to focus their attention on, then I would say bring the DVD player WITH HEADPHONES.

Assuming there are no special needs to consider, then your child needs to learn to integrate socially. We took our kids on their first non-disney cruise when they were 2.5 and 4. They coloured at dinner. We also had a lot of lively conversations about we did that day or what we were going to do the next day. We played ispy and other verbal games to keep the children engaged. They had no problem sitting through a 1.5 to 2 hour dinner.

I do recognize that every child is different and as a parent, you know your child best. However, as other people have suggested .... you'll be starting a pattern of behaviour that you may live to regret in a few years.