Restaurant for autistic

[StarCruiser]

My nephew is non verbal, and can get overwhelmed with noisy locations. We're looking for a good location for a family dinner. Does anyone have any suggestions that might work well? Can be inside or outside the Disney bubble.

We were looking at Trails End because they have the playground close by. A place to go if the meal wasn't working for him. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Kerr84]

I don’t know if you’ll be in a park or not, but San Angel Inn is surprising quiet and peaceful. I don’t know how they do it, but it is very quiet in the restaurant even though you are inside the Mexico pavilion. The lighting is very calming too. It is the same at Sci-Fi, but the movies might bother him. It is so strange though because you can look around and see people talking at a table near you, but not hear them.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

In general resort TS non-character restaurants tend to be the least stimulating to me.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We liked Sanaa, the restaurant has several nooks that felt very private. If you head over to Jambo for Boma though, there is a nice secluded playground there that my kids enjoyed.

 

[Skippyboo]

2nd floor at Columbia Harbor House is pretty quiet if you’re at MK. I ate lunch at Ale and Compass at Yacht Club and there wasn’t a ton of people. You could mobile order at QS like Mara at AKL or Roaring Fork at WL and sit outside at the tables. AKL has a playground right there but you are also by the pool.

 

[gmi3804]

Tiffins is the quietest restaurant at WDW. It's almost "hushed."

Three Bridges or Geyser Point would be nice peaceful locations too.

 

[mamabunny]

The Mara at AKL and Roaring Fork at WL are actually relatively quiet during “off hours” and both have lovely outdoor covered seating, however both are a QS (which could limit food choices).

Another option might be Geyser Point at WL; it is indoor/outdoor but has a chill vibe right by the water.

Many places are possible if you go for a late lunch or an early dinner. Those are the times when you are most likely to find a quieter, less hectic atmosphere.

 

[mamabunny]

My nephew is non verbal, and can get overwhelmed with noisy locations. We're looking for a good location for a family dinner. Does anyone have any suggestions that might work well? Can be inside or outside the Disney bubble.

We were looking at Trails End because they have the playground close by. A place to go if the meal wasn't working for him. Thanks for any suggestions.

Remember that Trails End will soon become a QS, if you are in the planning phase. Just announced yesterday.

 

[SueM in MN]

2nd floor at Columbia Harbor House is pretty quiet if you’re at MK. I ate lunch at Ale and Compass at Yacht Club and there wasn’t a ton of people. You could mobile order at QS like Mara at AKL or Roaring Fork at WL and sit outside at the tables. AKL has a playground right there but you are also by the pool.

Just to be aware - the second floor at Columbia Harbor House is not always open.
Pinocchio at MK Fantasyland has some quieter nooks and has tables outside.
Cosmic Ray at MK Tomorrowland is noisy in the main area with the stage, but quieter during non-peak times in the area behind the counters.
Flame Tree Barbecue at AK has a number of small outdoor covered areas with a view of the river
Pizzafari at AK is noisy inside, but has some quieter outdoor seating areas

 

[HopperFan]

My nephew is non verbal, and can get overwhelmed with noisy locations. We're looking for a good location for a family dinner. Does anyone have any suggestions that might work well? Can be inside or outside the Disney bubble.

We were looking at Trails End because they have the playground close by. A place to go if the meal wasn't working for him. Thanks for any suggestions.

Note: Don't know timing but it was just announced Trails End will be closing and reopening as a food court style restaurant.

I think it depends on your budget, TS or QS. My DS does not do noise well even with earplugs and headphones ~ there are some places we don't even consider.

Last summer we dined at Topolino's Terrace and it was a wonderful meal and he did really well there.

 

[StarCruiser]

Remember that Trails End will soon become a QS, if you are in the planning phase. Just announced yesterday.

Thank you. Yes, I forgot mention that. We were planning for trails end, but now it's closing and will be QS when it reopens.

 

[5kidsmommy]

My son liked Trails End, he also likes Liberty Tree but we went early and were away from any crowds. At Epcot we like Katsura Grill for quick service because while they have seating inside they also have outdoor seating. Pinochio Haus has been mentioned and it has some quiet areas. Honestly we tend to do a lot of quick service with our son so we can get in and out.

 

[HopperFan]

My son liked Trails End, he also likes Liberty Tree but we went early and were away from any crowds. At Epcot we like Katsura Grill for quick service because while they have seating inside they also have outdoor seating. Pinochio Haus has been mentioned and it has some quiet areas. Honestly we tend to do a lot of quick service with our son so we can get in and out.

My DS always wants to eat at Pinocchio Haus to sit on the skinny outdoor upstairs balcony. It is a great way to take in Fantasyland away from people BUT that is a tough table to get.

ADDED: Last week Jan 31 we once again ate at Pinocchio (not for the food) and were the only ones up on the balcony (inside or out). He wanted to sit inside for the AC.

Outside, Inside and Our View from inside.

 

[cdunn03]

We always do restaurants but we go in the off times when they are not so busy!

 

[RoseGold]

Last summer we dined at Topolino's Terrace and it was a wonderful meal and he did really well there.

I went at like 5PM and it was chaos and really loud. I even remember the music being loud. Good food though.

Honestly, this is going to be really, really tough. All of these spots have the potential to be loud with a mess of kids there. You could get lucky, I guess, but you won't know until you are there.

The only suggestion I have is the GF quick service, Gasparilla Grill. Most people take it back to their rooms, so the outside tables are usually empty. If not, you could go sit on the railings a bit away, and nobody will be there. Or, there's some spots mixed in the GF grounds that aren't really near crowds at all, if you get a little creative and send someone to go pick it up.

Edit to add: The GF grounds have some distractions, like a big chess board and cornhole and a bunch of stuff like that, oh and the beach. There's usually not kids at all of it. You can get an Uber from the GF lobby to anywhere.

 

[barb969]

Try Jiko close to opening. They have a second room with fewer tables and was very peaceful when we were last there.(pre-pandemic).

 

[ohdewer33]

My nephew is non verbal, and can get overwhelmed with noisy locations. We're looking for a good location for a family dinner. Does anyone have any suggestions that might work well? Can be inside or outside the Disney bubble.

We were looking at Trails End because they have the playground close by. A place to go if the meal wasn't working for him. Thanks for any suggestions.

Our daughter also has Autism and does not like noise. Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom always works out for us. Most of the places to eat in Epcot have some type of outside seating which reduces the noise. Backlot Express and Hollywood Studios always has lots of tables and you can usually find a quiet spot to eat.

 

[DLgal]

I would recommend instead of trying to find quiet places, suggest that your nephew get and use ear defenders, like Peltor earmuffs. My autistic son has noise sensitivity and he takes those almost everywhere so he can use them in noisy environments. He has used them in many restaurants both at home and on vacatuons. Even the quietest restaurants can become a problem if nearby diners get loud. This is something that really bothers my son more than sustained noise...the sudden noise of people laughing or kids screaming, or a baby crying. Another option is noise canceling headphones, but those are expensive and fragile. My son carries his own ear protection in an Adidas string backpack.

 

[gottalovepluto]

On the uncontrollable variables thread I’ve encountered a few instances of parents at Disney parks allowing kids loud electronic entertainment without headphones while waiting for food Even had one that didn’t turn it off after their food had arrived.

The other thing to keep in mind is getting into the restaurants. For instance San Angel Inn is peaceful but waiting inside the pyramid to get into the restaurant is chaos, even just crossing inside the pyramid to the restaurant or exiting the restaurant can be a lot of noise to work through

Jungle Skippers Canteen has a calmer atmosphere, especially if you can get in the side rooms.

Stay away from Via Napoli table service! The echoes in that place make it crazy loud.

If booking lunch the first reservation of the day will be the quietest.

 

[ttintagel]

The tall backs of the booth seats at Garden Grill at EPCOT can work pretty well for shutting out some distractions.

I have auditory processing issues that have improved a lot with age. My mother tells a story that I don’t have a clear memory of, of taking me into a really noisy restaurant when I was a preschooler, and I immediately threw up as soon as we got in the door. Not my finest hour. I thought I had grown out of it, but on an adult trip to Walt Disney World, we were going to go to Chef Mickey’s and I didn’t make it past the podium before the noise got overwhelming. I could feel my stomach start to contract and I knew what was going to happen if I didn’t get away pronto. Some of it must be the acoustics in that space, because other character meals that attract lots of children are perfectly fine for me.