Signature Dining Idea Regarding Kids (putting on flame suit now)

[pixarmom]

I'm not in favor of the rule OP proposes. We are repeat AP holders, visit several times per year, and book multiple signatures per trip. We've seen many children in signatures, and haven't had a negative experience yet. We've seen kids with electronics (which we don't permit at the table and our boys don't request) but that's about it. Perhaps we've just been really fortunate.

Our boys are ages 13, 12 and 5, and at home, we eat between 7pm and 7:30pm. Between homework and activities, we have the choice of eating early separately or eating late together, and we choose to eat late together. At Disney, our reservations are usually at 7pm or 7:30pm - our typical dinnertime.

While the kids and I love Disney, and my husband is wonderful to accomodate us, I think it would be difficult for him to stay with the program if Disney restricted our signature dining opportunities. (I entirely get V&A - nice to have that option available - just wouldn't want to extend it.) One of our favorite things about Disney is the variety of restaurants with interesting menus and a nice selection of wine and the ability to enjoy that with our kids.

Yes, our 5-year-old might fall asleep on my lap while my husband, older boys and I finish our dinner and enjoy talking, but I'm not sure why that would bother others. He's certainly never kicked anyone while sleeping, and a few times when we got up to leave, other diners are surprised to see that there was a 5th person in our party. If he raised his voice above appropriate levels or did anything that could possibly interfere with others' enjoyment of their meal, one of us would take a walk outside with him right away.

At the end of family vacations, whether it's WDW, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, etc., we've all agreed that some of our most memorable times are meals together. All of our boys LOVE dinners at WDW, including signature restaurants. So I'm glad that we can continue to enjoy that experience with them at our typical dinner hour, and I'm really glad that Disney doesn't restrict those opportunities.

 

[Peaseblossom]

Nope...not the right tone at Disney, in my opinion. If I want adults-only, I'll go to a Sandals resort or Las Vegas or a Shades of Gray book club, etc. If I want time with the kids, I'll go to Disney.

We eat at signature restaurants once or twice every trip, and rarely before 7 or 8. We're not farmers! [That may a regional joke.] I've taught my son how to behave in nice restaurants by taking him to nice restaurants, and he's figured it out.

The family you don't want to sit next to in Narcoossee's? Well, you wouldn't want to be beside them in line for a ride or on the bus home, but what are you going to do, ban them from WDW entirely?

PS - 'Breeders', come on folks, can't we get along!? Where do you think all these kids came from, anyway - ROMANTIC DINNERS, that's where...

 

[Bertnie20]

What I think would be cool is if they had kid clubs at the resturant. Like on the cruise ships. They feed the kids let them play or rest and then when mom and dad are done they go back

 

[freshmanjs]

What I think would be cool is if they had kid clubs at the resturant. Like on the cruise ships. They feed the kids let them play or rest and then when mom and dad are done they go back

they do have them. not in the restaurants per se but very close by.

 

[Bertnie20]

they do have them. not in the restaurants per se but very close by.

I meant in the restaurant. That way the parents have the choice if they need to send or stay because like others said some kids need it some don't.

 

[freshmanjs]

I meant in the restaurant. That way the parents have the choice if they need to send or stay because like others said some kids need it some don't.

but why does it matter if it's literally in the restaurant vs just nearby?

 

[heatherandnick]

Thanks so much for all your great feedback, responses, and opinions. I must say, it has been interesting.

I did not think of the time zones. That is a very good point.

Additionally, I was not talking about infants in car seats, although I know they are still children under the original age requirement I had posted. However, I have sat through many dinners with infants screaming their heads off while the parents try to quiet them instead of immediately walking out of the restaurant. That's a whole other thread. Lol

I LOVE the idea of an adults-only section of signature restaurants. IMO, that seems to be a great option to not "punish" everyone with kids. Also, I totally agree with the idea of lowering the age to 8 and upping the time to 8pm. I agree that 7pm was probably unrealistic of me.

Please, let's keep all the posts friendly so this doesn't get shut down. My point of this was to see if others agree with me, and I can tell that the consensus is pretty much in favor of some adults-only dining. Thanks again.

 

[meredith1]

I was 36 before I had kids so, I get where you're coming from. You do have to remember that some people are not in Florida's time zone so, they naturally eat later.

It would bother me if a child was having a temper tantrum and bothering others at a nice meal however, it wouldn't bother me a bit if a preschooler or older child was watching an Ipad turned down low.

As a parent I know what my kids can comfortably handle and what they cannot. I don't push those boundaries and I certainly do not let them bothers other either at the grocery or at a fine dining establishment-ever.

 

[Jennasis]

It's not feasible. I would LOVE to see an adults only restaurant that wasn't as $$$$$ as V&A's. Or a restaurant with an adults only section. If the cruise line can have adult only areas of the ship, then the resort can make it work too.

 

[Lucille1963]

It has been years since we dined there (ds is 5), but The Brown Derby used to have that small dining room (The Bamboo Room?) off to the side that we were told families weren't sat in.

I don't think it would be terrible if other restaurants had similar areas.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . Wouldn't it be a great idea if signature (and only signature) restaurants allowed no children under 10 years old at any ADRs past 7pm? . . .

1) OMG !!!
2) Were you reading my mind?
3) Kids are OK, but so many parents do not make them behave.
4) When spending $50-to $100/person, a pleasant environment would be nice.

 

[one2admire]

I'd be opposed to your idea but you have a valid point. Why penalize those of us with well-mannered kids though? We always use the dxdp, therefore we do majority signatures. We've had 1 or 2 7:30/7:50 pm ADRs due to last minute changes and they turned out to be great meals due to the timing of fireworks. Even IF my kids were to act out, I have no problems removing them from the restaurant.

I personally feel people should be a bit more considerate or the servers should be able to address the situation. I like the 2-top only designated seating area suggestion.

 

[AlohaAnnie]

. At WDW it's going to happen because the parents want to squeeze every last drop out of the vacation and aren't thinking realistically that the kiddies should be in bed. .".

I agree, we have done this ourselves. At WDW & in every day life. Our first stay at WDW we pushed our DD who was 4 at the time at MK all day from opening to closing. I thought she was ok until she had a breakdown when we were leaving after Wishes. I am so glad we were not at a restaurant. But since we did not have a car and had to rely on bus transportation I was very difficult to get back to our room. It took 4 buses and a trip to the bathroom before we left. So embarrassing & I am sure we scared a few couples into not having children at all!

That being said, it was not intentional. We did learn from that day & for the rest of the vacation we took it easy & we have been careful for all other trips. Parenting learning curve for us.

Whenever I see those families at WDW, I think of our past situation and I realize that WDW trips are exhausting for all. I did not realize the enormity of Disney World having never been to Disney World.

We did always remove our children when they were throwing a fit to a private area. We still do when one is available. Usually the bathroom, outside, or a hallway. I don't want to judge someone else's parenting style. So please do not think that I am. Just my thoughts that are not meant to imply or offend anyone. Thank You!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Colleen27]

I think Disney should be more proactive in speaking up to disruptive guests (whether to the family with the shrieking toddler or the rather foul-mouthed table of tipsy adults that we encountered one night at Narcoosees). That addresses the problem of a more pleasant dining environment without penalizing those of us who have children who can behave in and enjoy nicer restaurants.

I don't think there should be a policy of excluding children from signature dining, regardless of the time of evening. Some kids are used to eating later and others are traveling from time zones where late in FL is still early to them. Even if they did have such a policy it wouldn't address your complaint about kids sleeping in the booth at 9:30 - a 7pm ADR with a wait for a table and a typical 2+ hour signature meal means there would be kids in the dining room until 9:30 on a regular basis.

The idea of a "no kids" seating area has merit, though, particularly at restaurants like The California Grill that already have a separate or semi-separate area that could be converted to mostly/all 2-tops and designated for adults. However, from Disney's perspective, the idea isn't likely to fly because it restricts how tables can be turned and how cancellations can be filled. They aren't going to accept empty tables while turning away guests because the openings are in the adult area and the people wanting to dine there have children; running at capacity is more profitable.

 

[meredith1]

I'm not in favor of the rule OP proposes. We are repeat AP holders, visit several times per year, and book multiple signatures per trip. We've seen many children in signatures, and haven't had a negative experience yet. We've seen kids with electronics (which we don't permit at the table and our boys don't request) but that's about it. Perhaps we've just been really fortunate.

Our boys are ages 13, 12 and 5, and at home, we eat between 7pm and 7:30pm. Between homework and activities, we have the choice of eating early separately or eating late together, and we choose to eat late together. At Disney, our reservations are usually at 7pm or 7:30pm - our typical dinnertime.

While the kids and I love Disney, and my husband is wonderful to accomodate us, I think it would be difficult for him to stay with the program if Disney restricted our signature dining opportunities. (I entirely get V&A - nice to have that option available - just wouldn't want to extend it.) One of our favorite things about Disney is the variety of restaurants with interesting menus and a nice selection of wine and the ability to enjoy that with our kids.

Yes, our 5-year-old might fall asleep on my lap while my husband, older boys and I finish our dinner and enjoy talking, but I'm not sure why that would bother others. He's certainly never kicked anyone while sleeping, and a few times when we got up to leave, other diners are surprised to see that there was a 5th person in our party. If he raised his voice above appropriate levels or did anything that could possibly interfere with others' enjoyment of their meal, one of us would take a walk outside with him right away.

At the end of family vacations, whether it's WDW, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, etc., we've all agreed that some of our most memorable times are meals together. All of our boys LOVE dinners at WDW, including signature restaurants. So I'm glad that we can continue to enjoy that experience with them at our typical dinner hour, and I'm really glad that Disney doesn't restrict those opportunities.

Where is the "like" button when you need it?

 

[AlohaAnnie]

I'm not in favor of the rule OP proposes. We are repeat AP holders, visit several times per year, and book multiple signatures per trip. We've seen many children in signatures, and haven't had a negative experience yet. We've seen kids with electronics (which we don't permit at the table and our boys don't request) but that's about it. Perhaps we've just been really fortunate.

Our boys are ages 13, 12 and 5, and at home, we eat between 7pm and 7:30pm. Between homework and activities, we have the choice of eating early separately or eating late together, and we choose to eat late together. At Disney, our reservations are usually at 7pm or 7:30pm - our typical dinnertime.

While the kids and I love Disney, and my husband is wonderful to accomodate us, I think it would be difficult for him to stay with the program if Disney restricted our signature dining opportunities. (I entirely get V&A - nice to have that option available - just wouldn't want to extend it.) One of our favorite things about Disney is the variety of restaurants with interesting menus and a nice selection of wine and the ability to enjoy that with our kids.

Yes, our 5-year-old might fall asleep on my lap while my husband, older boys and I finish our dinner and enjoy talking, but I'm not sure why that would bother others. He's certainly never kicked anyone while sleeping, and a few times when we got up to leave, other diners are surprised to see that there was a 5th person in our party. If he raised his voice above appropriate levels or did anything that could possibly interfere with others' enjoyment of their meal, one of us would take a walk outside with him right away.

At the end of family vacations, whether it's WDW, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, Seattle, etc., we've all agreed that some of our most memorable times are meals together. All of our boys LOVE dinners at WDW, including signature restaurants. So I'm glad that we can continue to enjoy that experience with them at our typical dinner hour, and I'm really glad that Disney doesn't restrict those opportunities.

I have to say I like this also. Hitting my "LIKE BUTTON"!

 

[smkohn]

I really think the idea of adult-only restaurants like the ones on the cruise ships would be great. My boyfriend and I really enjoy our time at Disney World, and I wouldn't mind if one night we could dine somewhere we knew for a fact that there would be no children throwing tantrums, no crying, no yelling, no getting up and running to other tables, or staring you down while they stand on their booth next to yours, just a nice dinner together. I know not every child is like that, but kids are unpredictable. Sometimes you just get one of those kids at a table nearby. There are all kinds of families that enjoy WDW, and some of those families don't have children and would like a night away from children.

 

[Herfnerd]

ok but i don't see why all kids should be banned because some kids (or parents) are rude. if we apply that kind of logic, everyone will be banned.

*Sigh*..... I never said kids should be banned. I merely said that those that allow their children to 'rule the roost' do so because they feel its OK, because they are at Disney.....

 

[darkwing818]

A non-breeding section. I love it. Totally on board.

This has my vote as well; problem solved...

 

[freshmanjs]

*Sigh*..... I never said kids should be banned. I merely said that those that allow their children to 'rule the roost' do so because they feel its OK, because they are at Disney.....

um...the thread was started to talk about banning kids from signatures after 7pm. since it seems to be the thing to do... *Sigh*