Jiko with small child

[Boardwalk Tigger]

I wouldn't bring a one year old to dinner at Jikos or any other signature restaurant.You cant predict or control their behavior and it is not fair to others in the restaurant and you wont enjoy youself. I also wouldn't bring a 5 year old there for a dinner starting at 9pm That is way to late and unfair to the child and other people dining there

 

[LisaInNc]

Kids are welcome at all restaurants except V&A but you need to think about how your meal will be. Jiko is a signature dining experience and the food is the type you savor it's an experience not a meal. The atmosphere is dark and really beautiful. Can you enjoy that type of place with your child? You are the only one that will know that.

Some people have one parent go out if the child gets fussy and all the other diners appreciate that but again, when I go to a place like that I wanted to eat with my husband and not alone and if that was going to happen I would rather skip it.

I walked out of a signature place one night with my DD who was 12 months old. She was unusually fussy about sitting in the highchair and I knew that I would not enjoy my meal with her on my lap. At those prices I knew I would end up frustrated so we left and got room service at the hotel.

I hope you enjoy all your meals no matter where you have them!

 

[Stella3]

If the restaurant has highchairs and a kid's menu....GO!! I took my infant and it was a wonderful experience. No, she was not fussy, but if she had been, I would have taken her out.

I asked the reservationist if it was Ok to bring my DD, she said "Of course, they have a children's menu!!! Why do you ask?" I told her that I heard on the DIS boards that it is frowned upon. She said "OMG, the Dis board people, bring the kid and have fun".

 

[sprtnfan]

We took our 9 month old and then 2 year old and had a wonderful meal. I can't wait to return! We had just checked in and planned on eating at Boma, but then saw the line out the door. There was a hour+ wait. We decided to try Jiko. Now my girls were pretty well behaved even at that age. They sat us at a half circle booth (if memory serves correct) and we really never saw any other diners other than those at the "bar". I'm pretty sure they had mac & cheese off the kids menu and enjoyed it thoroughly. That meal was one of the nicest meals of that trip. I do think you have to know what your child is capable of though.

 

[shellybaxter]

If the restaurant has highchairs and a kid's menu....GO!! I took my infant and it was a wonderful experience. No, she was not fussy, but if she had been, I would have taken her out.

I asked the reservationist if it was Ok to bring my DD, she said "Of course, they have a children's menu!!! Why do you ask?" I told her that I heard on the DIS boards that it is frowned upon. She said "OMG, the Dis board people, bring the kid and have fun".

I don't think its fair to insinuate that only Dissers think children should behave at signature meals or not go (because no one in this thread, or most threads has suggested that children should not go - only that they shouldn't go if they can not behave and the parent isn't prepared to remove them if that happens). I would suggest you walk into a signature restaurant where a child is mis behaving and ask all of the patrons around the family if they feel that behavior is appropriate - I bet you get an overwhelming "no" response

 

[Stella3]

I don't think its fair to insinuate that only Dissers think children should behave at signature meals or not go (because no one in this thread, or most threads has suggested that children should not go - only that they shouldn't go if they can not behave and the parent isn't prepared to remove them if that happens). I would suggest you walk into a signature restaurant where a child is mis behaving and ask all of the patrons around the family if they feel that behavior is appropriate - I bet you get an overwhelming "no" response

Hey, I really don't care what Disers think. I'm just relating my experience. I was just saying IF a restaurant has a kid's menu...take your kid and don't worry what anyone says.

 

[shellybaxter]

Hey, I really don't care what Disers think. I'm just relating my experience. I was just saying IF a restaurant has a kid's menu...take your kid and don't worry what anyone says.

What a nice attitude

 

[CamColt]

Lets try to keep this thread on track here.

I was worried about taking my kids (8 & 11) to Jiko on our recent trip as I had heard some posters saying that its too long a meal for kids, or its better not to take them, etc... I was very surprised when we showed up on a Saturday night and most parties had children with them. Were all kids perfect? No, but that didnt bother us. It was kids being kids, and I was glad that there were others there so I wasn't uncomfortable bringing mine. There was nothing outrageously disruptive.

Of course as with any restaurant if little ones do get restless or disruptive, it may be time to cut the meal short, but I would not say children are frowned upon at Jiko at all.

And I will add we had a great meal there!

 

[lilyv]

Lets try to keep this thread on track here.

I was worried about taking my kids (8 & 11) to Jiko on our recent trip as I had heard some posters saying that its too long a meal for kids, or its better not to take them, etc... I was very surprised when we showed up on a Saturday night and most parties had children with them. Were all kids perfect? No, but that didnt bother us. It was kids being kids, and I was glad that there were others there so I wasn't uncomfortable bringing mine. There was nothing outrageously disruptive.

Of course as with any restaurant if little ones do get restless or disruptive, it may be time to cut the meal short, but I would not say children are frowned upon at Jiko at all.

And I will add we had a great meal there!

Glad you all had a great meal! I wouldn't hesitate to bring an 11 year old and an 8 year old, either. By the time children are that old they can sit through a longish meal, converse, and enjoy themselves. A one year old, on the other hand, really can't. I don't think children are "frowned upon", but I do think that if folks brings tiny children to signature dining they have to be prepared to leave if their child becomes disruptive.
If parents don't want to have to worry about possibly needing to leave early, there are many, many places other than signature dining at Disney where one can easily bring a baby or very small child.

 

[ms_missy66]

When our little ones were younger, they each went there at the tender age of 13 months. Our server was really accommodating to them, seemed pleased to bring them food they'd like, and was generally at ease with having a table with toddlers. With that said, by the end of the meal they both pooped out and we got our dessert to go. When we asked our server to pack it up so we could be on our way, he was so great about it. You absolutely shouldn't hesitate to take your little one there. It's a great restaurant and I'll bet you'll have a great time!

This is just me, but I don't get why everyone is so concerned about *possibly* disturbing other patrons. Kids are unpredictable. Sometimes they're precious cherubs and other times little tazmanian devils. IMO, book where ever you'd like and if your little ones are acting more like the latter, make a decision to solve the problem. Friends of ours ate at the Flying Fish recently with their 3 and 1 year old. Both kids were tired and restless. The waiter encouraged them to bring in their portable DVD player to entertain them. They kept the volume very low and it worked out really well. I have the feeling though that others on this board would seriously frown upon this. *shrug* If we're in Disney World and there is no age restriction, I won't hesitate for even a second to make a ressie. Don't get me wrong...if the only one available is at 9:00 and I've got a 5 and 4 year old, I'm not taking it. And if we get there and the kids are being disruptive I will first try to discipline them and then leave if it's just too much. It's not really a big deal. I just can't imagine shaping my dining experiences based on how other patrons *might* react to my children being there.

 

[daisy112878]

I have the same concern! My DD will be 18 months and we have an ADR to Jiko our last night there. We are staying at AKL so it is perfect but the more I think about it, I don't think it is a good idea. The time is perfect (5:30) but I have heard so many nice things about the place and it being perfect for a romantic dinner, I just don't want to risk bringing DD and her freaking out and disrupting everyone. She is usually really good in restaurants but you never know right?? We are hoping to go the next time but even then, we'll see!

Do not cancel your adr. We've been twice at 530pm since our niece and nephew were with us almost every table had children of all ages. You'll be fine and the meal is really good. Don't let people scare you.

 

[crisi]

This is just me, but I don't get why everyone is so concerned about *possibly* disturbing other patrons. Kids are unpredictable. Sometimes they're precious cherubs and other times little tazmanian devils. IMO, book
where ever you'd like and if your little ones are acting more like the latter, make a decision to solve the problem. Friends of ours ate at the Flying Fish recently with their 3 and 1 year old. Both kids were tired and restless. The waiter encouraged them to bring in their portable DVD player to entertain them. They kept the volume very low and it worked out really well. I have the feeling though that others on this board would seriously frown upon this. *shrug* If we're in Disney World and there is no age restriction, I won't hesitate for even a second to make a ressie. Don't get me wrong...if the only one available is at 9:00 and I've got a 5 and 4 year old, I'm not taking it. And if we get there and the kids are being disruptive I will first try to discipline them and then leave if it's just too much. It's not really a big deal. I just can't imagine shaping my dining experiences based on how other patrons *might* react to my children being there.

I base my decisions selfishly on how I'll react to my children's behavior. I couldn't enjoy a DVD player at the table during a $100 a plate meal (glad that worked for you), I couldn't enjoy a meal where I spent two hours saying "please use your inside voices" and I couldn't enjoy a meal where I ate out of a box because we had to remove a child from the restaurant. For ME, its a risk analysis based on my own selfish needs. I WANT a nice meal like that to be a nice meal - for me that means pleasant conversation, no TV, taking my time, and not having it interrupted. I think that the chances of that nice meal happening with MY children when they were toddlers was very small - so we delayed this sort of meal until they were a little older.

We did do Narcoossees- with mixed success - when they were 4 and 5. And by the time they were 6 and 7 they were fine for a long meal where they were relatively well behaved.

I've come to the conclusion that other people can (and should) do whatever they wish (I do wish they would remove screaming children from restaurants). But I think in a discussion like this, its valuable for people to understand how other people make decisions when making their own. I'd rather have someone NOT spend $200 on dinner at Flying Fish and be disappointed by the experience because their toddler was cranky than have someone be disappointed and feel that the meal wasn't worth what they paid for it because it was eaten cold back in their room.

 

[shellybaxter]

When our little ones were younger, they each went there at the tender age of 13 months. Our server was really accommodating to them, seemed pleased to bring them food they'd like, and was generally at ease with having a table with toddlers. With that said, by the end of the meal they both pooped out and we got our dessert to go. When we asked our server to pack it up so we could be on our way, he was so great about it. You absolutely shouldn't hesitate to take your little one there. It's a great restaurant and I'll bet you'll have a great time!

This is just me, but I don't get why everyone is so concerned about *possibly* disturbing other patrons. Kids are unpredictable. Sometimes they're precious cherubs and other times little tazmanian devils. IMO, book where ever you'd like and if your little ones are acting more like the latter, make a decision to solve the problem. Friends of ours ate at the Flying Fish recently with their 3 and 1 year old. Both kids were tired and restless. The waiter encouraged them to bring in their portable DVD player to entertain them. They kept the volume very low and it worked out really well. I have the feeling though that others on this board would seriously frown upon this. *shrug* If we're in Disney World and there is no age restriction, I won't hesitate for even a second to make a ressie. Don't get me wrong...if the only one available is at 9:00 and I've got a 5 and 4 year old, I'm not taking it. And if we get there and the kids are being disruptive I will first try to discipline them and then leave if it's just too much. It's not really a big deal. I just can't imagine shaping my dining experiences based on how other patrons *might* react to my children being there.

I personally would have no problem with the solution you described. I have no problem with children in restaurants who are behaving, even if it takes a DVD player to help them do so. My problem is truly with the rude parents who refuse to take care of the situation if their child isn't behaving. I've literally had a child kick my husband in the back because the parent was trying to hold them still while they screamed, wiggled, and tried to get down. This parent held this child that way for well over 15 minutes, squeels, kicks and all. I don't think that parents make reservations intending to be rude, but get into a situation where they've ordered a rather expensive dinner, their child is acting up and they don't want to "give up" the dinner or the experience. My posts are meant to warn those that this kind of a situation can and does occur so they'll be prepared.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

People need to think about others as well as their own needs. Nothing annoys me more than selfish adults(YES it is the adults) who drag exhausted kids to late dinners or fine dining. When my children were that small we hired a babysitter or skipped the fine dining until they were old enough to come. I'm not saying that you have to do cs, LOL, but use common sense and think of other people as well as your own needs when making reservations. I personally dont think very young children should be arriving at a restaurant at 9pm. Eat at an appropriate time or get room service. Your children and other guests will really appreciate it. A one year old shouldn't be in fine dining because their behavior is unpredictable and it isn't fair to anyone including the child. My children loved the Kids Club when they were ages 5 and up. DH and I would have one dinner alone and our two went to a kids club either in the hotel where the restaurant was or very close by. That was their favorite thing to do on vacation. They got to be with other children and watched movies, played games, had animal visits etc. A very nice night for everyone

Just because you can doesn't mean you should!

 

[jodifla]

To me, it goes more to the nature of Jiko, which is a pretty quiet, elegant restaurant.

Now Yachtsman is quite a big noisier...I see very small kids in their all the time, and you really can't tell even if they do make noice. California Grill is also this way...just a lot more bustling.

 

[liamsaunt]

I've been taking my niece and nephew to the signature restaurants since I started taking them to Disney. They've (almost) always done just fine, even when the meals take a couple of hours. The one time I remember that we had an issue with my nephew was at Coral Reef a couple of years ago--we had to wait way past our adr and he just got too hungry. My DH took him out for a walk until the food came. Once he got something to eat, he was fine. Now I always carry crackers or similar in case that happens again.

In their case, they have been going out to "grown up" restaurants for most of their lives. My nephew has food allergies that can not be accommodated at places like McDonalds or Applebees--it's not an option for him to eat at a place like that. So, if he wants to go out (and he does), it has to be to a place where everything is made especially for his plate in dedicated cookware--which means it takes longer.

At home, they eat their meals at the table every night, and they are expected to sit and make conversation for a while when they are done eating, so I think that helps too. It does not feel unusual to them to sit for a while and talk quietly.

This upcoming trip I will be taking them to Jiko, California Grill, Artist Point, and BlueZoo, as well as some more casual places. I'm confident that they will behave and have a great time, just like they (almost!) always do. It really depends on your kid. My niece and nephew really enjoy going out for dinner--last year my nephew said that dinner at the California Grill was his favorite part of the entire vacation!

I hope you and your child enjoy Jiko--it's one of my favorite Disney restaurants.

 

[liamsaunt]

Oh, one more thing. We stagger our orders--so, we order appetizers for the adults at the same time as the entrees for the kids. Then, the adults get their entrees while the kids get dessert. Adults skip dessert and coffee, so we leave after two courses. Usually, anyway. Asking them to sit through three courses more than a couple of times per trip would be rough on them, I think.

 

[lookslikefun]

I didn't realize Jiko was this way. We are staying at AKL in a few weeks and I'd hoped to dine at Jiko with our ds (6) and dd (3.5) who are generally well behaved. I was just excited that they have pizza on the kids menu since it is one of the only things my ds eats. I don't even see anything at Boma that he might like, but that is another issue.
I see someone mentioned Simba's Club or something like that, so perhaps I'll look into it. Although I think my dd is too young.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

At Bomas children usually like the macroni and cheese , chicken fingers, fries and the spagetti and meatballs. Also there are cookies, lots of cut up fruit like watermelon, and other desserts. There is also some form of roasted chicken that kids like too.

 

[TDC Nala]

In my opinion if you are going to play a DVD player in a public place, headphones or earphones should be used. If they're using headphones, no big deal.