Kids/No Kids Restaurants

[ducklite]

I've never been hit by thrown food in a restaurant, and this includes McDs where it'd be more likely than at V&As. In the signature restaurants, I've never seen food thrown, never mind being actually hti by it. Speaking with friends and family, none of them have been hit by food in a restaurant.

I'd say this type of behavior occurs rarely, and when it happens, people latch onto it and embellish it. Maybe some people are natural targets??

I've seen thrown several times at WDW restaurants, including a roll that hit DH in the back of the head at YSH. It was one of the few times I've ever seen him REALLY annoyed with kids.

At Red Lobster a few years back we sat next to probebly the worst table I've ever seen in any restaurant anywhere. This restaurant has interior architecture to make it look like you are in a fishing village, complete with a metal "awning" over some of the booths that butt up to a wall with a mural of a storefront.

These kids were actually throwing rolls onto the awning to watch them roll down then fall to the floor. They were running around the restaurant like crazy, knocking into people. It was a family group with three sets of adults and seven or eight kids, and they were just wild.

After a flying shrimp landed in our bread basket courtesy of one of the kids we got up and left. We did not pay our bill, we had ordered but not gotten our food yet. We told the manager on the way out that we were not going to patronize an establishment that allowed that type of antics. I'm not sure how he handled it, it really wasn't our problem. He gave a lame apology but it was lipservice. I contacted their corporate headquarters who offered a free meal to go back, we told them not until they found management that cared about the safety and comfort of their guests.

Anne

 

[crisi]

At the end of the day, though, you can't blame the kids...

Well....sometimes you can.

We've had our battles with our daughter (so no signature dining until she was six and was more dependable).

But rarely my son, who is almost eight, and one of the best behaved, quietest, and most conciencious kids I can think of (maybe its just in comparison to her, but his teachers rave about him, and so do his friend's parnets) will get some wild hair and go off.

I'd have had no qualms about making plans and believing we will excute on them with him, where we always "take her emotional temperature" before bringing her places (and have been known to turn the car around a go home). But sometimes, rarely, he surprises us.

Which is one of the reasons I like the idea of adult only dining experiences. Cause I know my kids pretty well. And I think I'm a pretty good (not perfect, but pretty good) and pretty conciencious (not perfect, but pretty good) parent. And I can't give you a 100% guarentee on either of my kids.

 

[graciespeaks]

Well, I find some the posts on here entirely unbelievable. I have been around long enough to know that "things happen" with kids at restaurants. But I think that some of this "animal type" behavior that some have spoken about is exaggerated.
I wonder, maybe if some people would remove the red meat from their pockets, maybe the animal type children wouldn't be so attracted to you!!

 

[hedwig]

If being hit by thrown food, having kids crawl under your table, having a toddler wait non-stop for twenty minutes while the parents ignored it, and on and on aren't disturbing, then no.

I'd say that we've had a good dozen meals at signature resturants seriously interrupted by children.

Go read the thread about obnoxious behavior and you'll see that many people have had children seriously disrupt their meals. The kid peeing on the floor last week right in front of the mother about takes the cake so far.

Anne

Just to clarify- this(the peeing episode) happened at the AK at Flametree BBQ, a CS.
Still horrifying to hear about- thank goodness I wasn't eating when I read about it.
Again though, instead of just limiting this to children's behavior- unacceptable behavior by adults should not be tolerated either.

 

[ducklite]

Well, I find some the posts on here entirely unbelievable. I have been around long enough to know that "things happen" with kids at restaurants. But I think that some of this "animal type" behavior that some have spoken about is exaggerated.
I wonder, maybe if some people would remove the red meat from their pockets, maybe the animal type children wouldn't be so attracted to you!!

Just because you haven't been "fortunate" enough to see this type of behaviour, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I've got a nephew who is just terrible in the behaviour department. Absolutely miserable, particularly at restaurants. When we go to WDW there's no way I'll take him anywhere but fast food. He is a food thrower. Unfortunately in this case it is permissive parenting that is too afraid to say "no" that has allowed him to get to this point. Very sad.

Anne

 

[cjsmith]

Then why did Walt build Club 33--an adult only restaurant--in Disneyland?

He did it because sometimes adults would prefer to not be around kids. There's nothing wrong with adults wanting some adult time without children around, particularly at one of the largest resorts that includes families in the mix in the world.

I'm not advocating shutting kids out of all restaurants. I do believe that having "adult only" seating areas in signature restaurants is a very fair and equitable solution. I haven't seen anyone yet give me a logical reason for Disney to not implement this solution.

Anne

Disney won't implement this solution because it would become a logistical nightmare. On one night you may have many adult parties who may become annoyed when they don't get into the "special adult area" and on other nights you may not have a tremendous amount of adult parties and the tables would not have as high of a rate of turnover and it's then lost revenue for the restaurant and for the server taking care of this area.

The problem today is the lack of manners and concern for others and no where is it more evident that Disney I'm afraid. People seem to be of the mind that "I saved and paid for this vacation so I don't give a crap about others". It comes across when people push and shove, cut in line, don't take crying and screaming kids out to calm down at dinner and so on. It amazes my 14 year old when parents don't take out their screaming and/or ill behaved kids while we're dining out. We have always taken my kids out to dinner, since they were a few weeks old as a matter of fact, and if one of them had something wrong either my husband or I immediately got up and left the room. It's a shame that other don't do the same.

I don't see Disney ever making adult only areas. Disney is full of kids no matter how it is now marketed. In the beginning, Disney was marketed for families and children. They then started marketing for conventions, then senior citizens and who knows where they'll market next. Kids being at Disney is a fact of life and one that everyone is going to have to deal with.

 

[graciespeaks]

Of coarse things happen, but some folks have acted as though these situations are like some kind of invasion on America's dinner time!
My 6 yo DD could "out manner any adult" 100% gauranteed! Even as a toddler she has always went with the flow. My Son who is 10 has had moments at restaurant, (never urinating, throwing food, crawling under others tables), and we as quickly as possible took care of it.
But to read these posts you would think we are having some kind of invasion of "animal children". Sorry, I eat out alot and these events pretty rare!
If Disney wants to incorporate an "adults only" restaurant, I don't care...not my theme park. But I won't act like I believe all of these stories because I don't.
If there were no children, there would be no Disney. Disney would have maybe 1 - 2 parks not the Billion dollar business we see today!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I'm sure your parents felt the same way........If you don't care to be around children at all then why not stay at home and eat in you childless kitchen

My parents did feel the same way. That's why they didn't raise someone who acted this way.

Just because I don't like being around loud kids doesn't mean I'm not going to be able to enjoy my vacation at Disney. I don't go there for the kids . I don't like drunk people but I'm still going to have a good time in a bar regardless if they're there. I was just stating my opinion of being around loud kids. And I suppose if I don't like horrible road rage drivers I should just stay at home or ride a bike? Give me a break.

This thread is really going nowhere.

 

[denimore]

There are alot of children that are misbehaving in public and their parents are ineffective because the parents usual way of dealing with the kids is to yell, scream, hit. Kid's know when they are in a situation that they can get away with things and if their parents have never been able to parent them without corporal punishment..then these kids are going to go for it, and suffer the consequences later.

There are some kid's that just plain have behaviour disorders caused by neglect or possibly chemical imbalances. Some of these children might be autistic, adopted from foreign countries where they were institutionalized.

I know that I make alot of excuses for kids and their parents but I'm not frustrated and annoyed by other people's children and maybe it's because I try to be tolerant of the things I don't understand.

The only one I'm responsible for is myself, my DH and my DD's and if our safety, happiness etc is threatened than I look at the situation and make sure that I have tried at least to right a wrong. If I tried to make a bad situation better and even if it didn't work...at least I tried. I don't blame anyone else for anything that happens in my life..especially if I allowed it to happen. I'm not a victim and especially not to unruly children, disinterested parents and restaurant staff that aren't capable of resolution.

I don't need anyone else to look after me and my comfort and my joy but me.

It's always a bonus when some else does though.

 

[Kath2003]

Well....sometimes you can.

We've had our battles with our daughter (so no signature dining until she was six and was more dependable).

That statement proves exactly what I was saying: you knew the limits with your daughter and therefore did not take her to inappropriate dining venues. Had you ignored her needs and abilities and taken her anyway, then yes, it would have been your fault if she misbehaved in an inappropriate location. This only shows that you, like most others, are a responsible parent who realises the needs of both their child and other diners, and turns the car around if necessary! It is parents who are not like you who cause the problems.

No one can control their childs emotions and tantrums 24-7 and no one is suggesting that any parent should be able to do so - the important thing is managing them, in particular in public, and especially when it affects other people such as in an intimate surrounding such as a restaraunt. And the best method of managing them in such surroundings is to remove them from it until the child is of an appropriate mindset to manage their own behaviour appropriately - be this 10 minutes until the meltdown is over, or 2 years until they are mature enough to deal with their emotions appropriately.

 

[belle&beast]

I have not read all the posts, so I apologize if I'm repeating someone else. I have 2 young children- 2.5 and almost 5 and we would not attempt a signature restaurant because it would not be worth the worry about their behavior. My children are very well behaved and have good table manners- no throwing or screaming, they use utensils and even put their napkins in their laps. However, they are young and at times they act up. To me, it is not worth it to take the risk.

In my experience as a parent and educator, the people with the most unruly children are the ones who would attempt a fancy dinner. They either ignore their children's rude behavior or have such poor parenting skills that they don't even know what they're doing is affecting other people. To me this is a parenting issue, and unfortunately not all people are good parents and children learn to use it to their advantage at a very early age.

Yes, Disney is a family place, but there are lots who enjoy it as adults, too. DH and I honeymooned and cruised and it is great without kids! It is not fair to anyone to have to experience poor parenting during their meal. However, we now have children and enjoy it a totally different way. My DD loved to be fancy, so we took her to CRT, she would have probably liked a signature restaurant, but at this point it is just not on the agenda. There are plenty on child oriented restaurants and we did not struggle to find a great meal.

 

[TDS373X]

I've read most of these posts and several of the ones from the closed thread and am not opposed to adult only dining options or even adult only resort. I have a question for those that wish for adult only sections at some of the restaurants. My dd is 6 she has an autism spectrum disorder( sometimes these kids have meltdowns for no apparent reason that has nothing to do with all day in a park, the heat or any of the other thing that make typical children meltdown) for her eating or even being around kids or adults that are behaving badly which her brain interpts as chaos causes her have a fight or flight response causing her to have bad behavior(not anything like what some have described but bad for her) or to not be able to eat. For this reason we either stick to CS and find an out of the way table or if we do eat TS we also request out of the way locations. What would the options be in that case? I certainly would not dream of V&A but Jiko did look interesting for the next trip. We are basically looking for the same quiet dining you are but since she would be with me we would not be able to dine in the "quiet" section.

 

[graciespeaks]

I've read most of these posts and several of the ones from the closed thread and am not opposed to adult only dining options or even adult only resort. I have a question for those that wish for adult only sections at some of the restaurants. My dd is 6 she has an autism spectrum disorder( sometimes these kids have meltdowns for no apparent reason that has nothing to do with all day in a park, the heat or any of the other thing that make typical children meltdown) for her eating or even being around kids or adults that are behaving badly which her brain interpts as chaos causes her have a fight or flight response causing her to have bad behavior(not anything like what some have described but bad for her) or to not be able to eat. For this reason we either stick to CS and find an out of the way table or if we do eat TS we also request out of the way locations. What would the options be in that case? I certainly would not dream of V&A but Jiko did look interesting for the next trip. We are basically looking for the same quiet dining you are but since she would be with me we would not be able to dine in the "quiet" section.

IMO, this quiet section is quite silly! It would never work for more reasons than I can mention. ( #1 reason- as a parent I do not leave my children with disney sitters nor any sitter I don't know or have done a GREAT background check on....not even for an hour dinner, I just can't for some reason do that, no offense at all to those that do or would)
I think you should have dinner where YOU want to and for your child ask for a location that works for HER! This vacation is for your family, if folks dont want kids around then they are the ones that should stay home.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I have not read all the posts, so I apologize if I'm repeating someone else. I have 2 young children- 2.5 and almost 5 and we would not attempt a signature restaurant because it would not be worth the worry about their behavior. My children are very well behaved and have good table manners- no throwing or screaming, they use utensils and even put their napkins in their laps. However, they are young and at times they act up. To me, it is not worth it to take the risk.

I totally agree with you.

This reminds me of the time my DH, DD5,DD2,and I were in San Diego (we joined DH on a business trip). We wanted a good steak place to eat for dinner. Someone told us about Ruth's Chris (spelling).......this is back in 1997. We don't have that rest. around here. We knew it was a la carte and very expensive but very good, so we wanted to try it.

Well, in San Diego, this rest. overlooks the harbor, I think, and all the lights at night......oh, man, it's beautiful. One whole wall is nothing but windows. Just gorgeous.

We had to take a little elevator up one floor to get to the restaurant. Here we come with our two year old in our stroller (we had walked from the hotel). I IMMEDIATELY START TO SWEAT! I look at this beautiful restaurant and couldn't help but notice NO CHILDREN ANYWHERE. White linen tableclothes...........the hostess is telling us a little about the rest., how it is very popular for marriage proposals!!!! Ok......if I had to do it over again, I would have just walked out, but we had walked there, it's about 7/7:30 as it was and we were hungry.

Ok.........fast forward.......we order........everything is fine........my DD's are angels but you wouldn't know it by the sweat coming off my forhead.
We had awesome food, great atmosphere, we were never treated like we shouldn't be there. But the worry I had the whole time that something MIGHT happen............it's just not worth it.

I kept thinking......these people came for a nice dinner, they are paying with their first born.........they didn't come for a screaming child ensemble act!!

Near the end of our meal, a lady came up to the table and commented on how well mannered our children were and that she was very impressed. OK...that made me enjoy the rest of my meal so I didn't get heartburn. (Man, that was some good red meat!)

I guess my point is this. I'm not saying it's wrong to take your children to these places, we did and we did fine. But if one of them were to have acted up, my DH or I would have taken them out of there in a heartbeat. WE decided to have children........WE knew going in that that meant that we give some things up for a while. What's the big deal? So I wait a little to eat at Citricos or V &A's.........is it just me? I don't think that is a great sacrifice compared to the joy my children give me.

Sorry this was so long..............again, I have no problem with making an adult only restaurant at WDW. Again, the cruise ships have it so why not WDW?

 

[Brooknwdw]

Of coarse things happen, but some folks have acted as though these situations are like some kind of invasion on America's dinner time!
My 6 yo DD could "out manner any adult" 100% gauranteed! Even as a toddler she has always went with the flow. My Son who is 10 has had moments at restaurant, (never urinating, throwing food, crawling under others tables), and we as quickly as possible took care of it.
But to read these posts you would think we are having some kind of invasion of "animal children". Sorry, I eat out alot and these events pretty rare!
If Disney wants to incorporate an "adults only" restaurant, I don't care...not my theme park. But I won't act like I believe all of these stories because I don't.
If there were no children, there would be no Disney. Disney would have maybe 1 - 2 parks not the Billion dollar business we see today!

This is what I'm thinking, too....its NOT an epidemic, its ISOLATED incidents being blown up & discussed to death.
Kinda like the "someone died on a DW attraction" threads...the % if people who die on a ride is so minute, yet it is talked to death & hyped up.

 

[Luv'sTink]

We take our DS to The Metropolitan Grill in Seattle ALL the time, have since he was 5, they do have a childrens menu and have always treated him with respect. The Met is a very well known restaurant, all the celebs visit there when in town (walls are full of pictures of celeb and sports personalities), it is expensive and excellent! I love the fact that they treat him just like they treat us and it doesn't matter if we are dropping $300 or $600 it is a classy restuarant and it shows in there service.

Some people on the Dis make it sound as though no child can make it through a meal without acting out or being out of control, which is simply not true. Shame on you!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Hasn't this thread gone on long enough? I think a mod should close it because at the rate it's going someone will make a bad comment about young kids, when they don't know the whole story because they want all these changes based on a few bad kids they see acting up in nice restaurants & they don't mention the good kids out there like some parents have.

 

[denimore]

Question?

Why do people go to a thread they have no interest in and ask for it to be closed?

Being a relatively new poster to this board but having posted on boards for over 9 yrs...the actual set up of the board is the less active threads die their own natural death.

 

[Mo-Yo]

I am not opposed to adult-only restaurants.

That said. Disney was built around a concept of an animated mouse and a few princesses...not to mention the idea of a family destination.

My kids 9,8, and 5 are well-behaved. I hear it all the time. But... I also am occassionally annoyed by children in restaurants who act inappropriately without consequence...(heck sometimes I feel this way about about my own nephew and niece).

But Jeez, it's Disney World, not Key West or Vegas...don't go there if you want a truly child-free experience.

 

[Mo-Yo]

Also...to say that Disney was created so people could feel like kids kind of supports the argument that is was made for families.

Isn't it kind of pathetic to imagine a bunch of full grown adults lolling around acting and feeling like kids with the characters and amusements, but begrudging the presence of actual children?

Go ahead and flame me, but that's how I feel.

I love Disney for a family vacation...but for an adult vacation, give me Rome or Ireland or Punta Cana or New York or a million other more suitable places.