Some interesting behavior at Citricos

[PaulaVonSchweetz]

In 60 previous trips to WDW we've seen nearly every sort of case of parental neglect, indifference and even outright stupidity. But Monday night at Citricos probably tops them all.

We were siting at the bar when an extended family of about 8-10 people checked in at the podium. As soon as that was done, the mother put her very small child on the floor--and the child CRAWLED all the way through the bar/lounge area all the way back to the small iron railing that separates the tables from the kitchen area.

With the family following along laughing out loud and taking pictures the entire time!!

Even the wait staff (who I'm sure by now have seen everything) seemed a bit stunned.

What a classless and rude thing to do in a 5 star restaurant!!! It's not Pecos Bills!!!!
I've never eaten at Citricos, but I'm well aware of it and I wonder if it's even an appropriate place for such a small child.....

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's perfectly appropriate if the kids behave.

A child that young, the parents are responsible. There may be restaurants at WDW where it may even be appropriate to let your child crawl all over the floor (I can't think of any at the moment except maybe some counter services though). Citricos definitey isn't one of them.

 

[DisneyMim]

Sadly doesn't surprise me at all. People everywhere don't take any responsibility for their kids. We've been at restaurants at Disney and little kids leave their table and just stand right at ours!! I always ask them where their parents are and then tell them to stand at that table! The worse was once at the Poly. We were on the beach (and we dragged our chairs to a quiet location) and three kids started playing right in front of us and began throwing sand at us!! I asked them where their parents were and they pointed down the beach. Both mother and father were relaxing with drinks and not caring about their kids at all. I told them to go throw sand at their own parents. Sadly this had become the norm, Managers are afraid to say anything. Sad, really sad.

 

[Jennasis]

The world is not your living room...behave accordingly.

 

[Zooey72]

Ok, having no class I can understand. When me and my wife ate at Narcosees I would not have liked to have some kid crawling on the floor as we are trying to have a romantic dinner. That is just plain rude.

Some people think the world revolves around them, and it doesn't.

 

[Meldev]

As a mom of 4 - I enjoy going out to eat but quite honestly it's an effort with our 2 year old. If he isn't behaving I have left dining area calm to him and if that didn't work I have left all together. People are paying for their meals, I know full well that they don't want disturbed while dining. I'm internally nervous every time just hoping he will behave yesterday in fact he did quite well. My girls are old enough to listen but little man is a but of a wild card yet (again he's 2). He'll be closer to 3 and hopefully understanding a little bit more when we go to disney, but no way do we book 5-Star caliber meals. Character meals sure - but we appreciate our resort's food court - laid back kids being kids is more acceptable. Last disney visit our wild card was my 3rd dd - she was 2.5 - last minute needed a place to eat late at Epcot- ate at the nice Italian restaurant (DH and I were worried it wouldn't go well and prepared to eat fast and switch if one needed to walk around outside with her) - she ate the best of the girls and politely answered our servers questions!! We were pleasantly surprised (and lucky that night)!

Anyway - allowing baby to crawl around any restaurant where servers could be waking with trays is dangerous to all involved. I can see baby needing to stretch his legs after being cooped in stroller but try to corral the, into a safer space.

 

[gogo]

The odds that if someone fell on the child or something was dropped on the child that it would be your fault and not the parents or whoever was supposedly watching them.

I get that the parents would probably be ticked off if they were told to pick the child up (most people don't want to be called out on a behavior even if they are not aware that it could be dangerous) but I'm not sure why they can't politely correct a situation if it is truly warranted.

But, I can totally understand if a child accidentally bumps into someone in a park or restaurant because they are excited or not paying attention. When my son was younger this happened at times and some people got so bent out of shape it was surprising. The dirty looks and comments would usually follow. So, I always try to understand if this happens to me and it has. I've been pushed and bumped into but if it is an accident and no harm was done I smile understandingly whether adult or child. Once at Epcot a boy ran into me and I caught the dad's eye. I could see he was bracing for angry words and I distinctly remember the relief on his face when I smiled.

 

[ttintagel]

They were damn lucky the kid didn't get hurt.

 

[jeffbear]

It's a good thing it was Critico's and not one of those places where the tables are packed right on top of each other. Citrico's has to be one of the more roomy dining rooms in the whole resort.

Still ... yeah. Letting your kid crawl around in any decent dining establishment is beyond the pale. It's not a good look for anybody and the last thing you want is somebody tripping over a kid and making a huge mess. And anybody who's ever waited or cleared tables knows there's a pretty good chance of that.

 

[cobright]

I get in more trouble handing things to unattended children; jalapenos, childrens chewable aspirin (I got a stash of them from Mexico), fun times.

 

[yankeepenny]

Uncle,, I wish I had just a smidge of your restraint. I hope the meal was wonderful.


for what it is worth, the two brothers wrestling on the floor at Kona really made my day a couple back. The moron parents thought it was cute.
and, NOBODY said anything.

 

[pixi]

I get in more trouble handing things to unattended children; jalapenos, childrens chewable aspirin (I got a stash of them from Mexico), fun times.

ok this one had me

 

[Uncleromulus]

Uncle,, I wish I had just a smidge of your restraint. I hope the meal was wonderful.


for what it is worth, the two brothers wrestling on the floor at Kona really made my day a couple back. The moron parents thought it was cute.
and, NOBODY said anything.

You know--I'm so used to seeing this sort of thing at Disney (including the Theme parks, restaurants and pools) that I'm beyond saying anything-- except of course to Mrs U!

This Citricos behavior seemed SO out of place tho that I thought a comment on the Boards was in order.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

 

[baylie666]

I sometimes feel quite smug that in the UK restaurants were never traditionally places to bring young children. As a result you could virtually guarantee a nice quiet and civilised dinner.

Every time I have been in a resturaunt to eat there have been small children present. I guess it just depends on what type of resturaunt you go to, and how the adults in charge of the children behave and control them.
I live south of London and work in a resturaunt, My biggest hate is that small children are allowed to help themselves to food or drink (if we have the buffet available) and they get it everywhere and do not get their adults to clean it up. Also when they are litterally running around on our partly tiled floor when they have been spilling juice on it I cringe that someone is going to go a** over t*t and crack their head open.
Adults who do not know how to pick up after their brats infuriates me too. Sometimes we can barely see the floor through food, napkins and general rubbish that their darling devil spwan have thrown on the floor. For gods sake adults....clean up after your brats!!!

Sorry I got a bit off topic there......but the child should be sensibly controlled so that noone involved gets injured.

 

[Disney Dynamite]

Sadly doesn't surprise me at all. People everywhere don't take any responsibility for their kids.

This. And Heaven help you if you do say anything. A neighbor recently jumped all over me for very nicely telling her children they shouldn't roll around in our yard after the grass had just been sprayed with various lawn chemicals. Um...Sorry I was concerned about your kids coating their skin in something potentially hazardous like pesticides?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's YOUR yard and you have every right to tell the kids not to roll around in it, chemicals or no chemicals.

In the context of this thread that is kind of like the parents getting upset that you asked their child to come out from under YOUR table.

 

[Pooh2]

So a server carrying a huge tray of drinks and food is not in danger when someone is letting their baby crawl around or kid run around? Okily dokily.

Not to mention if the tray contains hot food or scalding hot coffee.. The family would likely hold the Disney responsible for scalding their little darling.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Every time I have been in a resturaunt to eat there have been small children present. I guess it just depends on what type of resturaunt you go to, and how the adults in charge of the children behave and control them.
I live south of London and work in a resturaunt, My biggest hate is that small children are allowed to help themselves to food or drink (if we have the buffet available) and they get it everywhere and do not get their adults to clean it up. Also when they are litterally running around on our partly tiled floor when they have been spilling juice on it I cringe that someone is going to go a** over t*t and crack their head open.
Adults who do not know how to pick up after their brats infuriates me too. Sometimes we can barely see the floor through food, napkins and general rubbish that their darling devil spwan have thrown on the floor. For gods sake adults....clean up after your brats!!!

Sorry I got a bit off topic there......but the child should be sensibly controlled so that noone involved gets injured.

Reminds me of Kona our first morning last week--two kids and their parents right next to us and thankfully they were leaving when we came in. Took THREE cast members several minutes to clean the food and paper and utensils that were all over the floor.

 

[baylie666]

Reminds me of Kona our first morning last week--two kids and their parents right next to us and thankfully they were leaving when we came in. Took THREE cast members several minutes to clean the food and paper and utensils that were all over the floor.

The thing is, I don't expect children to be totally mess free (I am realistic after all) but when it takes 10 minutes or more to clean around the table, that is just the adults in charge of the children being disrespectful.
I know I am there to serve them but I am not there to pick up after their inconsideration!

*rant over*