Night out for the parents

[MomofCKJ]

Hi!
We are going to WDW Dec 15-22 and staying in 2 rooms at the Pop. This will be the first trip for our 3 kids (DD 9, DD 7 and DS 4). It is their suprise Christmas gift and they won't find out till the night before!

Anyway I would like to do one night out with my husband and have the kids go to a Kids Club. Any suggestions? I would like to eat close to where they will be so I guess if we did the club at the Poly we would want to do dinner at MK or one of the MK hotels. If we did the club at the Boardwalk we could do dinner at Epcot. What would you suggest? I want to make it good since it will cost us $30 an hour for the Kids Club I want to make it worth while!

Little more info we will be on the Dining plan and DH and I have not been to WDW since 1997. He is not a fan of the Mouse (how can that be???) but relented to this trip after much begging and pleading from me!

Thanks for your tips!

Allyson

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Did you want to spend just one of your TS credits on this meal, or are you willing to spend two? Also, what type of food do you like (i.e., adventurous eaters, American-style only, gourmet, etc.)? We can offer better suggestions with that info. ~Ev

 

[RedRuby]

Hi!

Anyway I would like to do one night out with my husband and have the kids go to a Kids Club. Any suggestions? I would like to eat close to where they will be so I guess if we did the club at the Poly we would want to do dinner at MK or one of the MK hotels. If we did the club at the Boardwalk we could do dinner at Epcot. What would you suggest? I want to make it good since it will cost us $30 an hour for the Kids Club I want to make it worth while! Thanks for your tips!

Allyson

Do you have a serious preference for the Kids' club? If so, I'd suggest dinner in the resort where your children are. This allows you more time to relax and enjoy the evening, than rushign around between resorts and parks.

If you're looking for someone to look after your children, you might consider an in-room babysitter. Fairy Godmothers comes to mind but there are others, too. They'll come to your room and take care of your kids at the resort. This would probably be cheaper (much cheaper?) than the Kids' Club and more condusive to bedtimes for excited kids. But you'll have to budget for the extra time to get from your resort to your restaurant or park for the evening.

IIWY, I'd go in-room babysitting combined with dinner at a nice restaurant in the World Showcase -- France, Canada, Japan, Makkeresh (sp?). Part of that will depend on your budget and transportation options, but it makes the most sense to me.

HTH
Barbara

 

[MomofCKJ]

I don't have a preference for a Kids Club. I have never used one and have just read some info on them online. They all sound fairly similar is that right? And as far as food, we love to eat out and are not very picky. We will try something different. I just want to do a nice dinner for the two of us. Budget does not matter, just not Victoria and Albert's. Not interested in spending that much on this trip for dinner and DH doesn't want to bring a suit. I am assuming we will use a TS credit or 2 (each) for this night out.

I have thought about the in room sitting. Has anyone used it? A Kids Club sounds more fun for the kids but I do worry about having to then pick them up and make our way back to the Pop if it is late. Tired kids = not a good morning the next day.

Decisions, decisions.

Thanks!
Allyson

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

If you're not particular about the food, I'd go with the club you mentioned over by the Boardwalk and check out a restaurant at the BW or in Epcot. The walk alone, if it's just the two of you, can be so great! We took our children to a Kids' Club only once, Neverland in the Poly (it was the only club they had at the time). Our children LOVED it, and the photo of them with Goofy in a Peter Pan hat from that night still holds a place on honor on our bookshelf.

As for specific restaurants on the dining plan, IMO San Angel and Le Cellier are both good choices for a couples dinner on the plan. ~Ev

 

[SSDonut]

I don't think there is a kids club at the Boardwalk. . .? There's the Sandcastle Club at the Beach Club.

My kids tried it for the first time last fall (DD7, DD4) and really liked it--they kept asking when they were going back again, but it was a splurge 'cause it is rather expensive.

We went to Flying Fish on the Boardwalk and then over to Epcot to see Illuminations. It was a really nice night out!

Good luck!

 

[ttfn3]

My DS would vote for the Neverland Club at the Poly! It's a wonderful kids club with movies, video games, pretend play area, etc. Large enough that your kids could make some new friends or stay together, if they prefer. Then, my vote would be to hop the monorail (ask for the front car!) and have dinner at the California Grill (window seat). We have done this twice and it's been great. Everyone has enjoyed their evening. Last time, the fireworks didn't start until later, so we ended up picking DS up and watching the fireworks together at the Poly Beach. Nice way to end the evening.

 

[wintergreen]

We have done both kids clubs and in-room babysitters, and both were great. It depends on what your kids are interested in. Our favorite "date night" restaurant is now bluezoo, at the Dolphin. The kids club at the Beach Club would work, and I believe that there is also one at the Dolphin. We also like Bistro de Paris in Epcot, and either of these kids clubs would work there, as well. The nicest kids club is probably the Neverland Club at the Poly. We had dinner at Narcoosee's one night while the kids went there. We had a leisurely stroll from the Poly over to the GF, had dinner, watched the fireworks from the restaurant deck, then took the monorail back over to pick up the kids.

If you have a car, any of these options would probably work well to get back to Pop after dinner. If the kids might be too tired to deal with transportation issues late at night, you might want to consider an in-room babysitter. We used Kids Nite Out last month, and the sitter was great! Since Pop does not have room service, you could give the sitter money to take the kids to the food court and maybe some change for the arcade.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

We're going to have a parents' night out for the first time on our trip this fall. We're staying at the Beach Club Villas, so we're putting the kids in the Sandcastle Club and then having dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse. Depending on how long dinner takes, we may walk around the Boardwalk or World Showcase afterwards. My kids, who will be 8 & 5 at the time of the trip, are already looking forward to this! I think it'll be a lower key evening for them to relax, even if they are later getting to bed.

 

[sconnell]

Tell me where I can get more info on the kids clubs or the in-room sitting, please!

 

[wintergreen]

Try this:

http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/childfaq.htm

 

[loralie]

I wish I could do something like that but I am too nervous to leave my kids with strangers. My boys are older (10 and 8) and I know they would be fine but I would be too nervous to enjoy the night out without them.

Does anybody else get nervous like I do or am I being too overprotective?

Loralie

 

[bkerney]

I'd be way too nervous too. I just can't see myself leaving the kids with complete strangers. I couldn't enjoy myself thinking about it.

 

[riaesq]

The Dolphin offers FREE child care for up to 2 hours if you eat in one of their restaurants. We just did this last month and ate in Bluezoo. Amazing food with fabulous service. DS had fun-- they feed the kids dinner and give them tokens for the arcade. They also do a movie if they hang around long enough. I realize you have the dining plan (not valid at Dolphin) but this might be something to think about- especially since you'd save $60 for kidcare. You are also in the same building as the kids, which might be good for your peace of mind.

 

[ttfn3]

In response to the comments about leaving your kids with strangers, that's one of the reasons I like the Kid's Clubs. Disney does screen those workers. Plus, there are more people there taking care of your kids - so someone is always watching out for the other caregivers. My DH and I spent some time before we left and met the people. I felt very comfortable with the Neverland Club. I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with leaving my child alone in our room with one person that we didn't know.

 

[Tink_Fan]

Does the Swan offer the same free child care?

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

Just me, but I would NEVER leave my children in our hotel room with a stranger, no matter the qualifications. But many DO feel comfortable with this, and that's ok. Whatever works for you & your family. This will be our first time leaving our kids in a kids' club -- they'll be 8 & 5. I feel more comfortable with more kids, more workers, and a more public setting. I am very protective of my children. Both of them wanted to do one of the pirate cruises, but I can't bring myself to let my kids go in a boat with strangers. I guess I'm afraid they won't be watching them closely & they'll fall in or something.

 

[julesc]

We used Fairy Godmothers a few years ago. My boys were 2 and 5. They sent a very nice grandmother who had served in Desert Storm. I figured if she could do that, then surely she could handle my two little boys!
We were staying at the Wilderness Lodge and she took them down to the food court for dinner and then to the beach to play on the playground. She also brought a whole bag full of toys and books.
We really chose this option because my youngest was too young for the kids clubs. Personally, I will be more comfortable leaving them at a club.
We're staying at the Poly in May and they are going to the Neverland Club. From what I've read, it sounds like they'll have a blast.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

How late are the Kid's Clubs open? Do you have to stay in the resort they are located in to use them? Have any parents gone to PI and if so how late did you come back when using a the kids club or Fairy Godmother?