Narcoosee's with 2 Yr. Old?

[Marthasor]

Hi everyone! We are going down to WDW in Oct. and I'm almost done putting my dinner ADR list together. I need to pick one more restaurant and Narcoosee's looks good! I'm just wondering if it is too fancy to bring our DS2? If we can get the ADR's we are also hoping to try Whispering Canyon, The Wave, Grand Floridian Cafe and 1900 Park Fare. Thanks for your help!

 

[DISNEY1975]

Remember this is DISNEY World! Kids are welcome everywhere.

With 3 kids of my own, I have a little experience with 2 year olds. One thing I would suggest is going for lunch or early dinner. Even the best behaved children can get a little tired and cranky easily at Disney with all the excitement and days in the sun! Although all ages are welcome, this is also a restaurant many couples without children choose.

If you think your child will not sit through the meal (it is a long one, waitstaff are very attentive, but this is not the kind of place they try ot get you in and out), ask for a table against a wall. This worked for me a couple of times and that way my child played behind me and not in the middle of the restaurant,

Hope this helps! Enjoy your meal...its fabulous!!!

 

[Marthasor]

Remember this is DISNEY World! Kids are welcome everywhere.

With 3 kids of my own, I have a little experience with 2 year olds. One thing I would suggest is going for lunch or early dinner. Even the best behaved children can get a little tired and cranky easily at Disney with all the excitement and days in the sun! Although all ages are welcome, this is also a restaurant many couples without children choose.

If you think your child will not sit through the meal (it is a long one, waitstaff are very attentive, but this is not the kind of place they try ot get you in and out), ask for a table against a wall. This worked for me a couple of times and that way my child played behind me and not in the middle of the restaurant,

Hope this helps! Enjoy your meal...its fabulous!!!

Thank you so much! I am definitely going to try to get an ADR as soon as they open for the evening. I am excited to give it a try!

 

[raven69david]

We've done Narcoossee's when DD was 1, then 2, 3 and last trip (2 weeks ago) when she was 4. Nothing wrong with having a 2 y/o there whatsoever. The restaurant seems fancy and you can go all decked out if you'd like, however you can also dress casually as long as it's within reason. We always go dressed in our park clothes as Narcoossee's is the restaurant we go to on our arrival date (usually on a Saturday). Once we finish eating we go straight to MK to work off our meal and chase after DD going nuts as she's super excited just to be back "home".

Book the ADR for Narcoossee's and you will love the experience. You can view Wishes from the dock or from inside the restaurant as they pipe the music inside/outside on the deck. You can also see the water pageant on Bay Lake from the deck or from a bayside window view.

 

[dawnbu40]

We were there last month and loved it! However, there were no children while we were there and its not your "typical" Disney restaurant. It is a fairly quiet "nicer" place. Only you can determine if your 2 yr old is ready to dine there. Some 2 yr olds can sit through a longer meal and quietly entertain themselves. For other youngsters that would be difficult.

 

[aubriee]

Remember this is DISNEY World! Kids are welcome everywhere.

With 3 kids of my own, I have a little experience with 2 year olds. One thing I would suggest is going for lunch or early dinner. QUOTE]

Narcoosee is not open for lunch. They serve only dinner. Kids are welcome there, but truthfully we've seen very few younger kids there, when we've been there. There have been a few though and they were all well behaved.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I ate there with my Uncle on New Years Day and did not see children. It was quite fancy and quiet. If your two year old is the quiet sitting type go for it. If your two year old bores easy and needs to move around you may want to pick something else.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

It's Disney. You can bring your child anywhere you want. When I ate there there was kids of all ages in there. Love Narcoossee's.

 

[shellybaxter]

Of course children of any age are welcome at Narcoosees but PLEASE be considerate and don't take a 2 year old that will be loud or fussy or need to move around a lot. That ruins a rather expensive dinner for other and doesn't make for a very comfortable situation for you either. My husband actually got kicked in the back by a child that was being "controlled" by a parent. The child was obviously not able to stay seated and behave any longer (and who can blame them - its a long meal) but instead of removing the them the parent chose to try and hold them while they squeeled and wiggled (thus kicking my husband) so that the other adults could finish their dinner. There were actually three children under 5 in the party and none of them were having a good day. It was painful to watch and totally distracting while trying t enjoy a nice meal,

 

[ElizabethB]

I have no idea why anyone with a two-year-old would try fine dining. But, as the previous poster said -- fine so long as your two-year-old doesn't disturb others trying to have a decent, romantic and I might add high-priced meal.

And, please book early -- so those of us dining without kids can go late.

 

[jiminyfan]

I am sorry, but after a while I get bothered by the comments like "why would anyone with a 2 yr old want to do fine dining", " as long as they are not fussy, loud..." and the list goes on.

Well, I took my 2 year old to fine dining because I enjoy that type of food and he was going to experience it a lot in his life. He was fine, I find it a lot more troublesome sitting by adult snobs and obnoxious individuals who feel that they are better than others in the restaurant and can dictate when you should dine as not to bother them. Over my years, I have more trouble with arrogant and ignorant "adults" than small children and infants in all restaurants.

I have found that most parents know their children better than most of the experts out here who never met them or lived with them. Most parents will try to make sure their children will behave and those who do not are just more to add to the list of "adults" who are the problem.

I found taking my son out to nice places since he was more or less born (Narcoosee's and Artist Pt at six months) and other before that at home, he was only a problem to us once. And then we did the responsible thing and took him out of the dining area until we could calm him down. More times than not we were complimented by other guests and staff on how well he ws behaved.

Age is not a reason not to take anyone to fine dinng. I would feel fine taking my son to V&A and sure than most people would be horrified to hear that. But, now approaching 10 and he enjoys trying new foods and finre dining why would I deprive him of such a grand experience?

For the original poster, please do what you feel is correct for you and your family and do not worry about the others. You seem like a considerate person who would understand that some do not like or prefer to have children around them, so please be patient with them and if you child gets fussy try to to make them behave better .

Have a great trip.

 

[DisneyKidds]

I am sorry, but after a while I get bothered by the comments like "why would anyone with a 2 yr old want to do fine dining", " as long as they are not fussy, loud..." and the list goes on.

Agreed. Comments like that are a bit.......perturbing. I guess moms and dads aren't entitled to a nice meal? I suppose kids aren't either!!

A reasonable comment to make would be that people should know their kids, and plan accordingly, and if they are able to sit through a nice meal they should absolutely bring them. On the other hand, if they know their kids get restless and fidgity during a long meal at a restaurant, perhaps they should plan for an early meal, or look for a meal that is more suitable for their kids.

But to say someone flat out shouldn't take a 2 year old to a fine dining location? Please. Q. Actually, it's good for kids to get used to different types of meals. We bring our kids almost anywhere, and they have learned to behave well in any setting.

Kids are welcome at any WDW restaurant. All diners, regardless of age, should be considerate of others. Heck, I could tell you some stories about adult diners at signature loactions (maybe more of the type who feel kids shouldn't be allowed in a nice restaurant?) who could learn something about consideration.....and probably shouldn't be allowed in a McDonalds, much less Narcoossees!!

Now, all that said, I have a different kind of advice, whether some people like it or not. If your 2 year old is the type to fall asleep at a certain time, and will sleep in a stroller, plan a late seating. Our kids, WDW or not, seem to always hit the wall and fall asleep around the same time. While at WDW, once they get tired (and no, they don't get cranky tired) they fall asleep easily once laid in the stroller. All WDW restaurants, Narcoosses included, are stroller friendly. Some of the nicest signature dining experiences my wife and I have had (and yes, we are allowed to have those) have been late dinners while the kiddos sleep in the stroller next to the table. We feed them a kids meal before we go, hit our late ADR at Narcoossees, have a great meal while they sleep, and see Wishes and the Electrical Water Pageant to boot.

 

[shellybaxter]

Hi jiminyfan,

I often give those type of answers that you are bothered by and here is why (and not why):

Not Why : Its not because I don't want to be around children. I love children. One of the reasons my DH and I like WDW is because we see so many darling children enjoying themselves and taking in the magic. I've spent 22 years of my life serving low income families in a Child Development Center. Children are a very big part of my life.

Not Why: Its not because I don't believe children should be at Signature Dining establishments. We've seen plenty of well behaved children in these restaurants. And we've eaten well over 35 meals in Signature dining restaurants.

Why: Because SOME parents ask a question like this one and hear - "sure - take them - its Disney - its expected" and think, "My child will be fine even when they act out like a normal child - because its Disney." I've taught over 300 three year olds and I can tell you - not all of them will behave well in a situation like being at a Signature Dining restaurant. I've also taught 160 toddlers (1.5 to 3 years) and almost none of them would behave in this type of situation. These are normal children - not children with abnormal issues.

Why: Because I've had more meals than I can count interupted by a screaming child, a child crawling around under my chair, a crying child, a child laughing like they are at a really funny circus for a long time, and my favorite, a child kicking my Dh in the back as their parent tried to hold them (not removing them) while the other parent finished their dinner.

Why: Because I can not believe that the parents who were dealing with those children who were not able to behave appropriately were having any fun. It was a stressful situation for the parent, the child, and those around them.

I am glad that you and your child have a good time at nice restaurants. I hope you do go to V&As. If you read my post suggesting that parents think about whether their child can really behave, I would hope you could say to yourself, "yep, my child can do that," and make the appropriate decision. Some parents don't really know what is expected of children in a Disney Signature restaurant; that is why they ask.

I am sorry, but after a while I get bothered by the comments like "why would anyone with a 2 yr old want to do fine dining", " as long as they are not fussy, loud..." and the list goes on.

Well, I took my 2 year old to fine dining because I enjoy that type of food and he was going to experience it a lot in his life. He was fine, I find it a lot more troublesome sitting by adult snobs and obnoxious individuals who feel that they are better than others in the restaurant and can dictate when you should dine as not to bother them. Over my years, I have more trouble with arrogant and ignorant "adults" than small children and infants in all restaurants.

I have found that most parents know their children better than most of the experts out here who never met them or lived with them. Most parents will try to make sure their children will behave and those who do not are just more to add to the list of "adults" who are the problem.

I found taking my son out to nice places since he was more or less born (Narcoosee's and Artist Pt at six months) and other before that at home, he was only a problem to us once. And then we did the responsible thing and took him out of the dining area until we could calm him down. More times than not we were complimented by other guests and staff on how well he ws behaved.

Age is not a reason not to take anyone to fine dinng. I would feel fine taking my son to V&A and sure than most people would be horrified to hear that. But, now approaching 10 and he enjoys trying new foods and finre dining why would I deprive him of such a grand experience?

For the original poster, please do what you feel is correct for you and your family and do not worry about the others. You seem like a considerate person who would understand that some do not like or prefer to have children around them, so please be patient with them and if you child gets fussy try to to make them behave better .

Have a great trip.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

Just want to add I have 5 boys. And when I went anywhere with them the looks that we got you can't imagine. BUT by the time we left where ever we were ppl would come up to us and say I can't believe how well behaved your boys were. People were even in a panic when I moved into a new neighborhood when they were little. I was told one couple said there goes the neighborhood. ( didn't hear that til later) any way . I got great reviews from the neighbors how well behaved they were & respectful they are. So what I'm saying you know your child bring him/her where ever you want. I hate snobs

 

[Diz Kids]

DH and I went in January with our three children, ages 4, 3 and 7 months. We had an early reservation, because our older kids don't end up napping at Disney and I figured it would be less crowded at this time too. We all loved our meal - except the baby, who fell asleep about 5 minutes after we got there. The older kids seemed to love the atmosphere and enjoyed their food almost as much as we did. As we do in most restaurants, we tried to make our ordering decisions quickly, so the meal did not take too long. We never felt rushed, but there wasn't a lot of waiting either. This may be another benefit of going early.

I agree with some of the other posters regarding knowing if you can take your child. I have friends who don't take their children to restaurants very often, and dread the experience when they do. I would not recommend this restaurant to them. If your child is usually good - definitely try it.

 

[tiffsix]

I have no idea why anyone with a two-year-old would try fine dining. But, as the previous poster said -- fine so long as your two-year-old doesn't disturb others trying to have a decent, romantic and I might add high-priced meal.

And, please book early -- so those of us dining without kids can go late.

WOW!! is all i have to say to that one.

 

[aristocatz]

I think the harsh comments might just come from experience.

While I don't doubt that many of you are good judges of what your child can handle, unfortunately there are alot of self-entitled people at WDW as well who will let their kid scream their head off or misbehave, all so the parents can still go to their preferred restaurant.

I have witnessed both at WDW-amazingly well behaved children in signature restaurants & horrendously misbehaved and horrendous parenting (or lack of) in signature restaurants.
I will never forget my DF and I's romantic dinner at Artist's Point when my DF got vomited on by a young child who was wandering around aimlessly while his parents were paying no mind. Our server was mortified and apologized over and over. The parents could have cared less-not even an apology. If it were a cheaper restaurant, we really would have gotten over it. It's WDW, you are going to see kids there. But in a signature, more expensive restaurant, at an adult hour, you expect to enjoy a special adult meal. & yes, we would have been just as disgusted if it was a grown drunk man who vomited on my DF. The point is signature restaurants are not appropriate for drunk partiers & they are not appropriate for children who are not on their best behavior.

I applaud the parents who give it a try and act accordingly and in a timely fashion if their child can't handle it. I applaud the parents who take their screaming child out in the hallway for a while to calm them down if they are screaming, so not to disturb the other guests. & I also applaud the children who can sit through a long meal and behave well

So, it's definitely not the children that bother me in a signature restaurant, it's the parents who do not react appropriately if their child is not behaving.

I say give it a try if you think your child can handle it. But please be courteous of others if you find out that your child can't handle it!!

I have seen alot of great parents with successful back up plans though-you might want to pack a few books for your child to look at if you find he/she gets antsy.

Good luck!

 

[aestapa]

I think the harsh comments might just come from experience.


So, it's definitely not the children that bother me in a signature restaurant, it's the parents who do not react appropriately if their child is not behaving.
I say give it a try if you think your child can handle it. But please be courteous of others if you find out that your child can't handle it!!

I have seen alot of great parents with successful back up plans though-you might want to pack a few books for your child to look at if you find he/she gets antsy.

Good luck!

Well said! It comes down to the parents. As parents of young children, we want them to grow up with numerous experiences, such as fine dining, museums, travel etc. We want them to learn appreciate the experiences as we want them to grow into well rounded adults. BUT...our childrens' opportunities should not come at the price of other people's enjoyment! We are the first to remove our kids when they are acting up and we always bring back ups just in case they get restless. (they are kids after all) We left Flying Fish on my birthday one year because our youngest couldn't handle it. We took our food home in boxes.

As a high school teacher, I see how kids turn out when they are not well disciplined. So, I am very conscious of what I am teaching my kids when it comes to manners, respect, and your basic social graces.

So, we will have several signature ressies for our September trip, but we will be the ones to whisk our kiddos out if they are a disturbance or can't sit still.

 

[jiminyfan]

Hi shellybaxter,

Great reply, but in the cases of the children misbehaving and the parents not disciplining, controlling or correcting them the PARENTS, thus adults, are to be blamed not the children.

We should know what our kids can and cannot do. I raised my son around signature dining and fine dining, so he knows what we expect as do others around him and behaves accordingly. He even surprises us at times, such as asking the waitstaff if he could please talk to the chef about his meal. And then see him tell the chef that the steak was cook perfectly and he really enjoyed the seasoning.

I agree that it is not a place for all children, but then again a lot of adults would be better off staying away as well.

To all: Like any question about a child doing or going to anything, please use commonsense and your know your child better than anyone else. If you feel comfortable with them going to a signature meal and being there up to two hours, then go for it. If you are not sure, then give it a try and be ready to handle your child if he/she is not able to handle the situation.

We can all get along, hey even we like to send our son to kid clubs for an alone meal, so I do understand that point of view as well.