Signature Dining with a 2-year-old?

[thingwithwings]

I'm planning a great trip to WDW with my family for December, and I really want to do at least one night of Signature Dining (after all, if you can't eat fancy food at Disney, where can you?). I'm not so worried about three members of my party--myself, DH, and my BFF are all adults and (theoretically) capable of behaving as such when needed.

I am, however, a little concerned about my two-year-old son. He usually behaves pretty well in restaurants, at least for a two-year-old (read: he understands that he has to stay in his seat until everyone is done eating, he doesn't make too much of a mess or color on walls or tables, and he's generally on the quieter side of things--no shrieking or screaming, loud laughter at the most), but two-year-olds are notoriously unpredictable, and while I want him to come with us, I don't want to be That Mom With The Screaming Toddler In The Fancy Restaurant.

So in that vein, what are some of the best Signature Dining places for families with toddlers? Obviously, Victoria & Albert's is right out, but what are the safer options for our family?

(regarding preferences: the adults will eat almost anything, and Kiddo will be content as long as he can find noodles and/or broccoli)

 

[VioletSparkles]

We took our 2 year old to Cinderella Royal Table and Le Cellier. There were tons of other kids at both restuarants and no one batted an eye when she had a mini melt down at Le Cellier- in fact the waitress was great and brought her out some light up ice cubes to put in her drink that distracted her.
I think you will be just fine!

 

[smiths02]

I had a dinner planned at Yachtsman with DH, me, 9 year old, 2 year old twins. DH got really ill and could not go. I didn't want to face cancellation charges AND I had ordered DH a birthday cake AND DH wanted to rest...the decision was made for me to go with the children by myself.
I was very nervous. We had an earlier ADR and we dressed up in our Easter clothes (I'm not saying you have to do this at all, but we got a lot of compliments, maybe the wait staff realized we were serious about this dinner)

Anyhow, the waiter was wonderful. Never treated me poorly, still made the experience "upscale."

We had another great experience at Yachtsman this June (a make up of the time before).

So just do it and have fun! You have the advantage of 3 adults, so one of you can always take the 2 year old outside for a minute (or for good if need be). We felt most comfortable at a 5pm or 6pm dinner time.

 

[thingwithwings]

@Violet - I adore the idea of light up ice cubes--I might have to steal it for dinner time at home (where Kiddo is FAR less likely to behave himself)! I'm not counting on snagging a CRT ADR (at least not this late in the game or for a reasonable time that's not during the Christmas party :x), but I've never been to Le Cellier--may have to check it out!

@smiths - That makes me super happy to hear! Yachtsman is kind of a tradition whenever I'm at WDW (DH and I went there while we were on our honeymoon about five years ago), and I'd love to be able to go back this time around. I'll have to remember to remind everyone to pack something kind of dressy to wear to dinner, even if it isn't required, just to give that good, serious impression.

 

[Pumbaa_]

well behaved children are welcome everywhere.

 

[smiths02]

@Violet - I adore the idea of light up ice cubes--I might have to steal it for dinner time at home (where Kiddo is FAR less likely to behave himself)! I'm not counting on snagging a CRT ADR (at least not this late in the game or for a reasonable time that's not during the Christmas party :x), but I've never been to Le Cellier--may have to check it out!

@smiths - That makes me super happy to hear! Yachtsman is kind of a tradition whenever I'm at WDW (DH and I went there while we were on our honeymoon about five years ago), and I'd love to be able to go back this time around. I'll have to remember to remind everyone to pack something kind of dressy to wear to dinner, even if it isn't required, just to give that good, serious impression.

Seriously, put a tie or bowtie on a boy 10 or under in Disneyworld and watch people explode with the cute factor (my daughter dressed up as well, but people are used to girls wearing fancy dresses at Disney)

 

[tsme]

You'll be fine at most of the signature restaurants. And if your DS does have a loud toddler moment, you can always take him outside until he calms down. It's what we always did at any restaurant we went to when our children were little. SHHHH, don't tell my DD, but my DS was always better in restaurants than our DD was. I thought girls were suppose to be quieter than boys, but nope, at least not with other children, lol.

 

[Candycane83]

I'm planning to take my 2 year old to 3 Signature restaurants this December - Narcoosee's, Flying Fish and Boathouse.He is generally quiet enough during meals and will play in his seat with whatever distractions we can provide so I have my fingers crossed. I will take him out for a walk (time-out) if he does get on the noisy side. I'm sure your son would be fine especially with 3 adults! Have a great trip!

 

[Candycane83]

Seriously, put a tie or bowtie on a boy 10 or under in Disneyworld and watch people explode with the cute factor (my daughter dressed up as well, but people are used to girls wearing fancy dresses at Disney)

Great idea, I plan to steal this one along with a jacket and he'll be well loved! LOL! Of course, I'll need that glowing ice cube too that another PP posted.

 

[Pumbaa_]

oh and no sounds on any video games or hand held devices including movies! just no

 

[thingwithwings]

@smiths02 - I'll definitely need to do that! Kiddo's daycare is having a sort of mini formal day this week (basically a bunch of children under the age of 5 running around in top hats, bow ties, and tutus because why not?)... this gives me an extra excuse to snag a bow tie for him to wear, even if it's just briefly.

@Pumbaa_ - Definitely no sound! When Kiddo was really little, we used to keep him quiet by just playing the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene from Fantasia on silent on our phones... worked like a charm every time.

 

[Chrelaine]

DD is 5 now but I have always brought those little $1 coloring book sets that come in the resealable bags when we go to dinner. They come with 4 crayons and a coloring book & some stickers (if you can trust him to only put them on the paper. lol) and you can get them at the dollar store or in Target's dollar bins. They keep her occupied for awhile when she gets bored. I pick them up every time I go to those stores so I have a supply on hand I agree that with so many adults, someone can just take him for a walk if he gets antsy.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

When we were at CG a few years back there were a bunch of kids enjoying the view running from Window to window. I didn't mind it. It's good to see kids enjoying Disney as much as us.

 

[got15]

With our 2 year old we did: Le Cellier, CRT, and Narcoosee's. Le Cellier (he slept through)- but think it would be ok- but the tables were really squished together- so I dont know how that would work out. We had to get a stroller in there- and that was a drama. CRT was great- he loved it- but who wouldn't.. lots of kisses from Princesses. Narcoosee's we have done a few times- we have gone earlier- then around dinner time. The atmosphere was great- we could step out and walk on the dock and look at the hotel, boats, train, magic kingdom, castle, etc...if we go bored/frustrated/annoyed/etc... the food was yummy, and the nemo cupcake at the end was a nice touch. I didnt feel weird with kids there- we were nicely spaced from other people and if all else failed- i packed an ipad...which we still haven't used there. Either way- you are at Disney and its for families. On our Sig nights- we took long breaks so as to avoid a meltdown.

 

[Linleedo]

We have taken our grandchildren (at the time they were ages 3 & 7) to many Signature restaurants. The only one that we didn't seem suitable was Narcoossee's. It was mostly couples celebrating. We have not gone to Victoria and Albert's either. There were children at all of them. Children do great if they are are hungry, have something to do (coloring books/ educational games on phones with earbuds/conversation about the day) while waiting for food, and eat at a decent time. If it's a late eating time, there was a greater chance of seeing children that were being disruptive. It was nice to see that most supervise their children and take them for a walk if they were getting loud, cranky, or tired. It's unfortunate that all adults don't care if their children are bothering others while dining. I wish that the parents of the children that were allowed to roam, put their chins on our table, and actually come over and sit on my lap would be a little more responsible. If not, they may need to be asked politely to correct the behavior so that you can enjoy your meal too! It's not the child's fault. Hopefully we can all continue to dine together.

 

[lorenni]

When we were at CG a few years back there were a bunch of kids enjoying the view running from Window to window. I didn't mind it. It's good to see kids enjoying Disney as much as us.

Yeah, no. I am not OK with this. If my kid left my table and went roaming to other tables in a restaurant we would have a time out discussion outside of the restaurant. It's not cute or him enjoying himself. It's atrocious manners and needs to be corrected. At any age.

OP, you should be fine as it sounds like your kiddo is very used to eating at restaurants. As you said, they can turn on you with little warning but I think you've got it covered.

 

[Lisa F]

we brought my son to california grill when he was a bit over 2. It was at the time when they would ply the kids with goldfish crackers, which is pretty much all he ate. bowl after bowl of goldfish crackers. then the special birthday cake came for my (now ex) husband and the kid insisted on trying fondant. would not be dissuaded, it was just too pretty. It set off a major gag reflex and he said the single word "goldfish" before hurling them all over the table. I can't believe how well they handled it and I don't think it really affected any diners around us to be honest... i'm not sure anyone even noticed disney cleaned it up so quickly. I was laughing so hard I was crying (I have a dumb sense of humor, I know) and the manager came and put his arm around me and was comforting me that it was ok, he thought i was crying because I was upset. Tears running down my face, seriously.

So I figure if a disney sig can handle puke, they can handle anything. I took my 6 year old back in 2014 and he did great. My pro-tip for kids at signatures is to go as close to first seating as possible (5pm). there will be lots of other families, it will be light and bright, the servers will be fresh and service won't drag and the kitchen won't be backed up yet. a 2 hour leisurely dinner over wine might be romantic for a couple but with a kid efficient is the name of the game.

park signatures are not really signatures in the sense of being that much better food. They are higher priced popular eateries that are about the same quality as everywhere else, just priced higher due to popularity. Brown Derby and Tiffins are probably the exceptions to that... but Le Cellier and CRT are on par with other non signature places for the food. It doesn't mean they are bad, it just means they are not really signatures - they are just priced higher due to experience (castle) and popularity (le cellier).

 

[thingwithwings]

we brought my son to california grill when he was a bit over 2. It was at the time when they would ply the kids with goldfish crackers, which is pretty much all he ate. bowl after bowl of goldfish crackers. then the special birthday cake came for my (now ex) husband and the kid insisted on trying fondant. would not be dissuaded, it was just too pretty. It set off a major gag reflex and he said the single word "goldfish" before hurling them all over the table. I can't believe how well they handled it and I don't think it really affected any diners around us to be honest... i'm not sure anyone even noticed disney cleaned it up so quickly. I was laughing so hard I was crying (I have a dumb sense of humor, I know) and the manager came and put his arm around me and was comforting me that it was ok, he thought i was crying because I was upset. Tears running down my face, seriously.

So I figure if a disney sig can handle puke, they can handle anything. I took my 6 year old back in 2014 and he did great. My pro-tip for kids at signatures is to go as close to first seating as possible (5pm). there will be lots of other families, it will be light and bright, the servers will be fresh and service won't drag and the kitchen won't be backed up yet. a 2 hour leisurely dinner over wine might be romantic for a couple but with a kid efficient is the name of the game.

park signatures are not really signatures in the sense of being that much better food. They are higher priced popular eateries that are about the same quality as everywhere else, just priced higher due to popularity.

I am so glad you were laughing because this made me laugh too! Kiddo gets carsickness with some frequency and unpredictability, so lord help me, I have been there. I'm glad that they were able to clean up easily and without being ruffled! We'd definitely be going to as close to first seating as possible, since dinnertime at home tends to be around 5ish and we want to make sure that Kiddo's schedule is as familiar as possible to avoid meltdowns (which are inevitable, I'm sure, but doing everything in our power to minimize them).

@lorenni - I agree with you on that. Since Kiddo has graduated from the high chair (read: banshee screams if he sees one within the same county as him), we try to seat him on the inside of any given table to prevent him from escaping and running around. It just feels so inconsiderate to other people to do otherwise, even people who have kids themselves.

 

[Lisa F]

I am so glad you were laughing because this made me laugh too! Kiddo gets carsickness with some frequency and unpredictability, so lord help me, I have been there. I'm glad that they were able to clean up easily and without being ruffled! We'd definitely be going to as close to first seating as possible, since dinnertime at home tends to be around 5ish and we want to make sure that Kiddo's schedule is as familiar as possible to avoid meltdowns (which are inevitable, I'm sure, but doing everything in our power to minimize them).

@lorenni - I agree with you on that. Since Kiddo has graduated from the high chair (read: banshee screams if he sees one within the same county as him), we try to seat him on the inside of any given table to prevent him from escaping and running around. It just feels so inconsiderate to other people to do otherwise, even people who have kids themselves.

lol mine is not really a puker (thank god). But that is one notable exception. CA Grill is also kind of loud so I think my hysterics and the general fuss was lost in the rest of the noise too. When I went right at 5pm in 2014 (when he was 6) it was a lot quieter because they hadn't filled up the restaurant yet. BUT we were able to get a window table and the view is so enthralling that it didn't matter if he was a bit loud. a 2 year old might not care. IMO it's a fun, festive atmosphere and the best signature choice with kids (and you will see lots of them there). I am a little disappointed by how kid UNfriendly the new flying fish seems to me. it seems quieter, darker, more adult and stuffy. Which is fine, I'm not one who thinks kids should be EVERYWHERE (even at Disney!) but it's disappointing still as the fun and festive atmosphere of the previous version would have been on my list on my upcoming trip. oh well, we are trying Biergarten instead!

 

[schmass]

We brought our son to Flying Fish when he was 23 months old. He's normally pretty good in restaurants, but I was still a bit nervous. The restaurant was pretty empty and they seated an older couple right next to us. I was getting up to use the restroom when I heard the server offer the couple a table across the room instead. When I came back to the table I was shocked that they had decided to stay right next to us. Not only that, but they talked to us throughout the whole meal and really enjoyed talking to us and our son!

Also, his meal was $15 and was the most we had ever paid for a kids meal up to that point. But he ate every single bite of it, so it was totally worth it! We had a great meal there and can't wait to return!