Signature Dining w/Kids?

Maxwell42

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 10, 2009
Messages
111
I'm wondering what signature dining restaurant would be most appropriate for kids (DD age 6 and DS age 8). I'm considering California Grill or Jiko, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Thanks!
 
I sure hope they all are..well except for Victoria and Alberts..b/c next week, we'll be taking our son to many of the signature places!

We have taken our son to Yachtsman Steakhouse, and it was very good for him there and he was one! The staff was great to him..he got a lot of attention from them!
 
We've taken DD (then 3) to California Grill and Artist Point. Both were extremely accomodating.
This time we're taking her to Hollywood Brown Derby at age 4
 
You are good to go almost anywhere. The only places I would not take them V&A's (they are too young anyway) and Le Bistro in EPCOt...no place for children.
 

We've taken DD (now 9) to CG and HBD when she was as young as 3 or 4. They are used to having kids.
 
Your children sound like they will be fine at any of the signature dining restaurants (except V&A where they have a min age of 10). As long as children can be relatively quiet and sit nicely through a 2 plus hour meal they will be fine at the Sig restaurants. The problem becomes when rude parents allow their children to scream, cry, run around, and even hit/kick others during what is meant to be a finer dining experience.
 
I'd say that Cali Grill is prob a little better for kids- but Jiko is at AKL and that whole place is kid friendly to a degree.
I think kids would enjoy Cali Grill a little more though- especially the sushi dessert! (rice krispie treats w/ swedish fish)
 
I agree...I think that all signature places (with the exception of VA's) are fine for kids. We're going with our 7 month old next month!
 
I love reading the responses on these threads. We are still debating on taking our boys who will be 5 and 25 months. My 25 months tends to scream sometimes for fun with giggles, and I am not sure what to do. That is 3 months from now, so who knows how he will be. It just depends on the day!

Just a note, I didnt mean I wasnt sure what to do if we acted up, I realize I can take him outside. I was just saying, I am not sure what to do yet, and I am going to wait as the months go as kids change at this age often. I will say that my boys would never be walking, or jumping around the tables, they always stay in their chairs. If that was the case I would not consider taking them out as often as we do!
 
Your children sound like they will be fine at any of the signature dining restaurants (except V&A where they have a min age of 10). As long as children can be relatively quiet and sit nicely through a 2 plus hour meal they will be fine at the Sig restaurants. The problem becomes when rude parents allow their children to scream, cry, run around, and even hit/kick others during what is meant to be a finer dining experience.

I agree with this response, although I will say that signature dining can generally be done in less then 2+ hours (60 - 90 minutes has been more my experience, unless I am in no hurry and trying to enjoy a leisurely meal).

Another poster stated she wasn't sure what to do with her 2 year old who likes to scream for no reason. The answer is simple: immediately remove the child from the restaurant. So long as a parent is prepared to do that when inappropriate behavior occurs, taking small children to the signature dining restaurants is not a problem at all.
 
We are taking our DD5 and DD7 to Cali Grill on this trip...my DH and I are having our 10 yr anniversary dinner there. My DH is so excited to show the girls the MK from way up high, and to have them watch Wishes at a different angle.
 
We took our two year old twin girls to FF and Jiko last month and they were fine. Plenty of well behaved kids in the restaurants; we simply made ADRs at 5:30 or 6:00 so that we didn't experience exhaustion induced meltdowns. The meals were about 90 minutes, especially that early, and we all had a great time.

I don't think one misbehavior by a child (a scream/loud laugh, bouncing in a chair, etc) should result in removal . . . nor do I think that a PP was suggesting that . . . but you do need to be prepared for the possibility that you'll have to depart. When the girls were 19 months or so we took them to London with us and they were just a nightmare in restaurants. We ended up leaving dinner early twice on that trip and getting carry out quite often.

My one experience with CG (w/o kids at the time) was the complete opposite of our recent signature dining meals. We had an 8pm ADR and it was complete mayhem with kids yelling and running around . . . hopefully it was just an off night.
 
I agree with others, as long as your children are able to sit quietly through a 2 hour meal they are welcome just about anywhere. On our last visit to Jijko's it was very quiet and I didn't see any children that night. I think the CG tends to be the noisiest of the Signature restaurants.
I need to digress and say - as far as a 2 y.o. who likes to scream for giggles, a Signature Restaurant is not the place for that behavior. There are many, many places in WDW where little ones can engage in this kind of behavior - a signature Restaurant is not one of them. JMHO
 
We have eaten at each signature many many times and only twice have we had a meal disrupted with unruly children, at two separate restaurants. Both times the children were playful but loud screams/giggles or standing on a booth/running around a table, should not be happening at these places. Yes, the restaurants are at Disney owned hotels but there are probably more adult only diners at these places than families and a certain level of behavior should be expected. Honestly, most times I don't even notice if there are children in the restaurants or not.

I think that both CG and Narcoosees are noisy, CG because of all the glass and Narcoosees because of the wooden floor. Noise carries naturally so the younger diners blend in easier at these places. Also, the views here do give younger diners something of interest to look at while waiting for their parents to finish eating. Jiko is by far the quietest and the darkest, we also feel the service is slower paced here than at the others.
 
Personally I will not take my children to a signature restaurant. This is b/c I know how I am in situations like this & I would put too much pressure on myself to make the kids behave and I wouldn't enjoy it. At all. I'd be too worried about one of my kids doing the slightest something that could possibly ruin someone else's meal.

No thanks.

This is just me, speaking for myself here. :)
 
Hi
Of course I only have tried a signature only ounce but we had at narcosses a few tables from ours 2 adult with 2 kids ( I'll have to guess maybe 4-6 years old ) they were loud , getting up on nthe chairs .....while we didnt say anything I saw quite a few people starring at them ... it was a bit disturbing and i'll hd more not quite relaxing for the parents who maybe used to of their credits for that meal .I'll have to say I can understand some of thos people use 2 of their tables credit to have either a quiet dinner , or romantic dinner , some may even pay of their own pockets ( a lot of $$$$ ) to hear kids talking quite loudly , getting up on chairs ...
I would say depends on the kids ...also could be something ( signature dinner ) while not travelingwith the kids ..
 
Hi
Of course I only have tried a signature only ounce but we had at narcosses a few tables from ours 2 adult with 2 kids ( I'll have to guess maybe 4-6 years old ) they were loud , getting up on nthe chairs .....while we didnt say anything I saw quite a few people starring at them ... it was a bit disturbing and i'll hd more not quite relaxing for the parents who maybe used to of their credits for that meal .I'll have to say I can understand some of thos people use 2 of their tables credit to have either a quiet dinner , or romantic dinner , some may even pay of their own pockets ( a lot of $$$$ ) to hear kids talking quite loudly , getting up on chairs ...
I would say depends on the kids ...also could be something ( signature dinner ) while not travelingwith the kids ..

I have never understood why a family would insist on staying at a signature restaurant when things start to go wrong. Dh, myself and two of our friends were eating at Narcoosees for the first time one evening. We were seated at a lovely table on the lower level next to a family who had obviously had a difficult meal. They had three children and four adults. The children were youngish (between 2 and 5) and none of them were having a good time. They were quite simply "done" - crying, whining, crawling around the table, etc. The adults were not finished eating their entrees and were trying the control the children by holding them on their laps. Only one adults at a time was really able to eat. The children didn't want to be confined. They were screaming and wiggling and trying to "break loose". This was so bad that one of the children managed the kick my husband in the back. The adult didn't even apoligize. They didn't leave either, until all of the adults were finished eating (about 20 mins after we sat down). Why would you want to have that kind of a power struggle on vacation? No one at that table, or I'd dare to say several table around them, was have any fun that night.
 
I have never understood why a family would insist on staying at a signature restaurant when things start to go wrong. Dh, myself and two of our friends were eating at Narcoosees for the first time one evening. We were seated at a lovely table on the lower level next to a family who had obviously had a difficult meal. They had three children and four adults. The children were youngish (between 2 and 5) and none of them were having a good time. They were quite simply "done" - crying, whining, crawling around the table, etc. The adults were not finished eating their entrees and were trying the control the children by holding them on their laps. Only one adults at a time was really able to eat. The children didn't want to be confined. They were screaming and wiggling and trying to "break loose". This was so bad that one of the children managed the kick my husband in the back. The adult didn't even apoligize. They didn't leave either, until all of the adults were finished eating (about 20 mins after we sat down). Why would you want to have that kind of a power struggle on vacation? No one at that table, or I'd dare to say several table around them, was have any fun that night.

I think you can extend this to any restaurant, not just signature. When the kids become unmanageable we pack up and leave. Fortunately this has only happened twice but we are prepared for it every time.
 
hi
Yes it's true I've seen this in other type of restaurants BUT I'd say at a signature restaurants I don't quite get why some parents of young chidrens would be good money and risk their evenings as the evenings of others to bring small chidrens who can't stay 2 hours seated without disturbing others .
 

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