I'm Torn........any opinions

[saratogadreamin09]

This may be a touchy topic but Im really torn over it and I was wondering some other opinions.


Its about kids in high end restuarants (like California Grill, Shula's, Yachtsman). I can understand why people would want a quite meals in these places but I can also understand that when your in WDW kids are going to be everywhere.


So what does everyone else think about kids in fancy restuarants (and please try to be nice)

 

[Carlyzmom]

I think kids should feel welcome anywhere at WDW. I think parents should be able to bring them anywhere.

Now, that being said, I make my kids sit at their spot, use manners, etc. Not everyone does this. Just an observation!

 

[bluejasmine]

WDW is a family place expect kids to be everywhere but I do wish alot of the parents would handle kids better, not letting them scream and cry, get up take them out of the restaurant and get them calmed down so it doesnt ruin everyone experience. Im all for kids I had three myself! LOL

 

[Mickey_Man]

DW & I have no kids and travel to WDW as a couple. We enjoy the parks, pools, and fun, but we also enjoy the dining and having some time away from all of that. My thought is that if I am going for a restaurant devoid of little kids - don't go to a Disney restaurant that isn't named Victoria and Alberts. That said, I would expect kids at any restaurant - be it Yachtsman's Steakhouse or Outback Steakhouse - to behave, listen to their parents, and try to not disrupt people around them. It is a little much when kids are literally going through my wife's purse while we are sitting at California Grill (true story from last summer!) The wife was away from the table and the husband was on his cell phone (also a pet peeve of mine, by the way, but that is for a different post) so the kid was being a kid and looking for amusement. This sort of behavior should have been controlled by the parent and could happen at any restaurant by any child who is essentially unattended. To me, it is not the child's fault at all.

Anyway, I have no problem with kids at restaurants -they belong there. Why else would the place have a kids' menu? Just watch your kids and no one should have an issue.

 

[Ilovemyprincesses]

Unless you are at McDonalds kids should stay in their seat and keep the volume down. I wish more parents would keep their kids at their table and keep the noise down. The people at the next table don't want to dine with your child.

BTW if your child is having a fit they need to be removed. No one wants to hear that.

 

[Leanne1977]

I think the key is for everyone, kids and adults, to know how to behave in a restaurant no matter how posh it is. I expect them to use their manners whether we are at a high end restaurant or Dennys, its makes no difference.

I have two boys who are 8 and 6 and we have been dining out with them since they were very young. They have been taught how to behave in public and they understand that whilst we are dining they need to behave. Not only for us to have a nice evening but also those around us.
There has been the odd occasion when I have seen the look on other adult diners faces when we have been seated close to them. Its like they fully expect their dining experience to be ruined. It always gives me a great sense of satisfaction when we are done with our meal and my boys have behaved perfectly and in most cases have been a lot quieter than most adult only groups.

We have been dining before when other children have been climbing under tables and running around in the restaurant(signature) and to be honest it makes me cringe. You certainly can't blame the children though, they need to be taught what is and isn't acceptable.

 

[JMD]

WDW is a family destination, there are kids everywhere. If people want a quiet and romantic vacation, they go somewhere besides Disney.

 

[disneyag]

I don't think you can expect to go to WDW and not be around kids. That being said, I DO THINK you can expect that parents will make their kids behave (sitting nicely, using manners, etc,). Sadly, we don't always see that.

 

[DISHUD]

I agree, I think if you as an individual have issues with kids in restaurants, you should really be vacationing somewhere else. WDW is a place where kids are everywhere......I personally love to see the Joy in their little faces no matter where in the park they are!

 

[bbyee]

DW & I have no kids and travel to WDW as a couple. We enjoy the parks, pools, and fun, but we also enjoy the dining and having some time away from all of that. My thought is that if I am going for a restaurant devoid of little kids - don't go to a Disney restaurant that isn't named Victoria and Alberts. That said, I would expect kids at any restaurant - be it Yachtsman's Steakhouse or Outback Steakhouse - to behave, listen to their parents, and try to not disrupt people around them.

Anyway, I have no problem with kids at restaurants -they belong there. Why else would the place have a kids' menu? Just watch your kids and no one should have an issue.

Yeah, what Mike said.

We are a couple without children as well. We are both only children, so we were taken along to 'adult' dining experiences a lot as kids, so we expect kids to behave appropriately at restaurants. "They're only children" only works as an excuse when a kid has a complete meltdown and the parent(s) are doing everything in their power - including removing a child from the dining area if needed - and the kid is still having issues.

Yes, I realize that Disney is a place for children...hell, we're going because DH is a big kid himself! However, I expect good dining manners from adults and hope that the parent(s) institute good manners with the kids, regardless to the place or age.

I think the best thing for parents to do is determine what type of dining experience is best for their family, including what they feel the kids can handle. That makes the trip more enjoyable for everyone involved.

For the record, I have been known to compliment parent(s) at adjoining tables about kids having great dinner etiquette

 

[smiths02]

I would not take younger children to those restaurants because I would be stressed out...

I have a 2 year old...he is used to eating out and generally well behaved BUT I have to make sure dinner is scheduled at the right time (so he is hungry but not too hungry and not too tired), bring toys, special cups, special utensils, snacks (in case server is running late) and be prepared to eat in 5 minutes b/c that is about how long it takes him to eat...I think it would be hard to ensure optimal conditions at a theme park (sleep schedules are off, you've been walking in the hot sun all day, etc.)...

These things make a HUGE difference...we have been complimented on his behavior at one restuarant (well planned) and then basically had to drag him out at another (he did not take a nap that day)...

I do not feel like I can adequately control his schedule at WDW to ensure optimal conditions...so I won't risk ruining a pricey meal for myself...

But unless a child is screaming or out of control, I don't begrudge his presence when I am out on a date with my DH (for example).

 

[Dreamfinder2]

For those of us who are parents, we ALL know that there is the potential for a meltdown with little ones!

Having said that ... I was taught from early on how I was to behave. I grew up under that obsolete concept known as "manners." So, we tried to do the same for our kids.

And, if there was an apocalypse (and I can tell you DD could pitch a fit with the best of 'em, and I don't think it had anything to do with parenting styles - it's just the way the good Lord hard-wired her), one of us would just excuse ourselves and take her outside to be dealt with in whatever way seemed appropriate.

Because, y'see, it just all came down to respect for our neighbors. It didn't seem fair to submit them to a tantrum and the resulting discipline.

So, OP, in response to your question - it depends. If a child (a) conducts themselves appropriately and (b) if they don't, they're removed, then I think having kids around, especially at Disney, is totally acceptable.

Again, it's the parents that are typically the issue, not the kids.

 

[figment814]

Another childless representative...

I know in choosing to go to Disney, there will be kids everywhere...I know to adjust my expectations accordingly. (It's their world I'm just coming to visit!) I think it's great that kids get to experience "fine" dining in the world. I can not think of one complaint about children in restaurants...parents on the other hand...

I was at Le Cellier once (not signature, but it could have happened anywhere) with DBF and his son (20 at the time) and we were sitting next to a party of about 8 with 2 or 3 kids under 8. Each kid had a breakdown, one was begging to go home. We had a 9:05 pm reservation. From the conversation you could tell they had been in the parks all day. The kids had obviously reached their limit. I just felt bad for the kids, and a bit angry at the parents/grandparents in the group. They didn't just ruin my experience there, they ruined their childrens.

 

[rlovew]

We are a couple without children and love Disney. I don't mind if children are at signature restaurants with us, or anywhere else for that matter. I enjoy children who are behaving. If your child comes to my table though and you don't take care of it though- I will say something and if it happens again, I would discipline them in the way I deem appropriate. If a child is running around other tables, screaming, and generally disturbing other diners than I feel you should bring them under control or leave. I do understand that dining at Disney can be expensive but that doesn't mean you should stay if your child is out of control.

If a child is well behaved- doesn't disturb other diners - then I probably won't notice if they are near my table.

 

[Pakey]

Another childless couple here. We've eaten at Disney's signatures hundreds of times over the years now and honestly, I have never had a meal disrupted by a misbehaving child.

However, I expect to be able to eat anywhere without having to listen to rude diners at adjacent tables, whether that be screaming children or loud, obnoxious drinking adults. As long as I can enjoy a glass of wine and hear my husband's conversation, I'm pretty oblivious to the people at the other tables.

At the parks, I expect noise. In the hotel restaurants, I expect to be able to have a conversation. Yes, it's Disney, people make that statement on here all of the time regarding the restaurants. However, there are many people staying in those hotels that are not there to go to the parks. A certain level of behavior out of all diners should be expected at any hotel restaurant, whether at the World or somewhere else.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Pakey makes a great point. I am personally more annoyed, even offended, when there are adults at an adjacent table who are foul-mouthed, unruly, rude, drunken, whatever, than I am by kids who are simply tired and crying. Sometimes kids act like kids, which is not unusual. Adults who act like kids, or worse, are another matter.

It's ultimately all about mutual respect, and working to make sure everyone has a superb Disney experience.

Man, how I do miss civility, respect, all those old-fashioned virtues. But they do show up from time to time, to my everlasting delight.

 

[DisneyBunny15]

I think kids should feel welcome anywhere at WDW. I think parents should be able to bring them anywhere.

Now, that being said, I make my kids sit at their spot, use manners, etc. Not everyone does this. Just an observation!

 

[TarzansKat]

I didn't take my son to signature restaurants for quite a while. One of the only ones I felt comfortable doing when he was a baby was The Brown Derby. Because that's in a park, I expect other children to be there, and I've always felt the noise level to be higher there than in other signatures, just based on that fact.

But, Citrico's is one of my favorite restaurants on the property, and I avoided it like the plague for years, because I didn't want to take away from anyone else's dining experience. Last year, I finally decided to bite the bullet and do it.

Well, did my son ever surprise me!!! (He was three and a half at the time.) He was extremely well behaved, and I had plenty of things for him to do, so that was not an issue. I've eaten in signature restaurants with him since, and quite frankly, he behaves better in those than in some of the others. Not sure why, but I think it has something to do with the selection of food options for kids as well. He had a wonderful fruit / cheese / cracker plate at Citrico's that he just loved, and so a well-fed happy kid makes for a relatively quiet well-behaved kid in our world. (We both get cranky when we're hungry.)

I only had one incident on a trip in December where I received the evil eye from another table during our whole meal, and that was in Chefs de France. And honestly, my son was not out of control, at all. He was sitting at the table, not running around, not being obnoxious, just playing with his matchbox Disney cars. And every now and then, a loud Vroom Vroom would come out of his mouth, and they'd give me this look. At which point I'd explain to DS that he needed to use a quieter voice in the restaurant, and he would. But sometimes, happy little boys forget themselves, and they make loud noises. And quite frankly, the level of noise in Chefs that day was pretty loud, so it wasn't a situation where you could hear a pin drop.

I'm hyper-sensitive to this issue, having felt so badly during that dinner, when in all reality, you're dining in an establishment where there are children. And if you want to dine in an establishment where there aren't, then maybe you really need to rethink where you're vacationing.

I understand that not every parent is like myself and my husband, and they're maybe not as on top of things as we are, and then again, we all have our moments.

But when I go to Disney World, I expect to see children in restaurants. I did even before I had kids, and it never bothered me.

 

[blissventure]

About Shula's--they don't have a kiddie menu. I think that encourages a more relaxed, quiet adult environment. We're planning a dinner there next trip.

I think the problem with kids and signatures comes not from kids being there, but from the occasional child or children behaving in ways that are terribly disruptive.

One "memorable" meal at Citrico's was so bad we probably won't be back. The dining room doesn't lend itself to any relief from screams/yells/running from table to table. Even the server was embarrassed at what we were experiencing during our dinner.

Disney is a great place for families. If kids are ready for a signature dining experience, great! If they aren't--whether it's due to having a bad day, fatigue, or just can't sit for a long period of time, then save the signature for another time or visit. (And be willing to leave with a to go box if during the dinner the kids start to be really disruptive.) People that have waited months for their reservation don't want to enjoy their dinner with the unwelcome accompaniment of a long loud meltdown.

 

[MickeyNicki]

As long as the kids are not screaming and throwing food I could care less! From CS to TS kids should behave at meal time or the parents should take them out