Restaurants, children and starters

[Goofyish]

When you go to a sit-down restaurant with children what do the children get while you are eating your starters. There doesn't seem to be any childrens' starters on any of the WDW menus.
Do they get their entree at the same time you get your starter or do they just have to sit and wait for you to finish before all the main courses arrive?

 

[ducklite]

Most of the servers are really good about asking if you'd like the kids meals brought out with your appetizers. If they don't ask, just tell them you'd like to do that/ Or you could always order another appetizer and let the kids split it. They don't have children's appetizers that I'm aware of. (If they do--please someone let me know!)

Anne

 

[jel0511]

Most of the nicer WDW restaurants offer appetizers on the Children's menus. I know for a fact that Jiko, Narcoossee's, Flying Fish and Citrico's all do. If we're at a restaurant that doesn't, we either order two appetizers and share with the kids, or they are VERY hungry we ask for their entrees with our appetizers. Usually bread is served at most of the sitdown restaurants, so this usually keeps them happy as well!!!! I've also brought a snack with us, and given it to them early on to hold them over appetizers so they'll eat their entrees with us!!!!

 

[ducklite]

Thanks for the info Lori! Might be a good thing to think about for the "picky" "tweeners" and young teens, an appetizer and childrens meal.

Anne

 

[Epcotgal8]

At some of the restaurants you may find a starter on the adult's menu that your children or you and your child/children could share. I don't know the ages of your children and if this would help but the restaurants often give the kids things to color and keep them occupied when you are seated. If you'd like the children's meals to be brought out as soon as possible let your server know and I'm sure it won't be a problem. We have 3 children and have dined at LOTS of WDW restaurants. The only time we have had a problem with the "timing" happened at Alfredo's in the Italian pavillion in Epcot. We didn't order an appetizer and we never specified to bring the kids' meals out ahead of ours but they did anyway and brought them out when they served dh and I our salads. I had ordered lasagna and dh the fettucine alfredo and for some reason it took a LONG time to get our entrees. By the time they brought our entrees to us they also brought the kids ice cream for dessert so they were all finished with EVERYTHING long before we were half way through our meals. In our case I would have preferred the kids to wait a little bit more at the beginning since they were occupied coloring and not have so much time on their hands at the end of the meal. The bottom line is to communicate to your server what will work best for you and your family. I hope this helps some.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

Not sure about at WDW, but locally, I always ask the server to bring out DDs meal(s) as soon as it is ready. If I don't, servers usually wait until the order is complete. I have never had a problem with them bringing the girls' meal(s) early.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

If there is nothing on the appetizer menu that your children will eat, ask what the waiter might could provide. As said, most places have some type of bread that will suit kids just fine. They could bring you a bowl of crackers, some raw veggies or perhaps some fresh fruit. We found that geting DS's meal first did not work too well for us when he was younger. He would be done way before us anyway, and this just made for a longer wait. If we all got our food together, his would last as least 1/2 way though ours and then we would allow him a kid's desert while we finished, as we rarely got desert. There are many appetizers that kids might be willing to at least taste at the begainning of the meal while the are still hungrey.


jordan's mom

 

[CamColt]

Knowing how slow my kids eat, we usually ask for their meals asap.