Toddler at Le Cellier and Shula

[coconutprincess]

I know this is probably a dumb question, but my son will be 18 months at the time of our trip. Can we bring him with us to Shula's or Le Cellier?

 

[Jessica527]

I can only talk for Le Cellier - it will not be an issue at all. While the atmosphere seems like it would be more for adults, it actually is very different. Many parents bring their children and look to be having a great time. I recommend requesting a wall seat / booth.

Have fun!

 

[ford91exploder]

Neither place is kid friendly Shula's especially so Shula's has great beef but is VERY expensive and people are expecting a 'adult' experience there disruptive kids are a good way to be 'asked to leave'. Shula's is a chain and I've been to more than one of them so I have some experience there. Also expect to pay 250-325 for dinner for 2 and a good wine pairing.

LeCellier is more kid tolerant but still has a limited kid's menu and dinners there tend to be long and relaxed.

If I were going to either place with a 18 m/o I would take advantage of Disney's child care services for that time - Shula's especially so. But it depends entirely on the kid!

I know this is probably a dumb question, but my son will be 18 months at the time of our trip. Can we bring him with us to Shula's or Le Cellier?

 

[Irishgrl]

I took my 2 year old to le cellist last year and it was fine. it was very loud in there and lots of kids.

 

[minnie mum]

We have never been to leCellier without seeing a lot of families with young children. But do take a look at the child's menu to see if there is something he would like. Or, since he is under 3, will he just eat from your plate? And since your meal will be a little longer than some non-signature restaurants, you might want to bring along a toy or something to keep him amused.

I don't think any of you would be that comfortable taking him to Shulas. JMO.

 

[crazybones27]

We've been bringing our children to Le Cellier for awhile now. I think our son was 1 the first time. It's actually louder in there then you'd think and very child friendly. We've never had a problem finding something on the child's menu for the kids . We do bring something to help keep their attention just in case. Our children are pretty good about sitting for meals so this helps too .

 

[Pakey]

Our last time at Le Cellier they had run out of high chairs because there were so many young diners there.

Shulas is very adult. They do not advertise a children's menu for a reason. They offer 2 hours complimentary child care for a reason. We are adults only but there have been posters here who have stated they felt very unwelcome there when taking children.

 

[anelson81993]

Can you take an 18-month-old to Le Cellier and Shula's? Yes. The only restaurant with an age restriction is Victoria and Albert's.

Should you take an 18-month-old to Le Cellier and Shula's? That's another matter entirely.

With Le Cellier's theme park location, kids shouldn't be an issue, but some people will be against your bringing a toddler to any signature restaurant. While I've never been to Shula's, from what I've read and know about the restaurant, it seems less toddler-friendly.

In my opinion, whether or not you should bring your toddler to a signature dining experience depends entirely on your toddler. Is your child able to sit for a long period of time, perhaps several hours, over the course of a signature meal, without disturbing other patrons? Will you be bringing appropriate distractions for your child should he require distracting to make it through the meal (think coloring books, sticker books, iPad/similar device with headphones and a movie or game he enjoys, etc.)? What time is your meal planned, and how does that fit with his usual schedule (i.e. will he be awake for it, will he be unhappily awake and therefore cranky/noisy, will he be conked out in a stroller)? What will you do if his presence becomes a problem or disturbance for others (like if he were to throw a tantrum at the table)? Do you have options besides taking him to the meal (private babysitting, others in the group willing to watch him for the evening, etc.)? And, most importantly, will he actually enjoy the meal, and, by extension, will you actually enjoy your meal?
I'm not saying there's a right answer or a wrong answer to any of those questions, or even that those are the right/only questions to be asking. You know your son, and only you will really be able to evaluate whether or not you should bring him to your signature dining experiences.

 

[anelson81993]

Also, just as a heads up, threads regarding children and signatures have the tendency to get a little argumentative/debate-y from time to time, and do occasionally get a nasty post or two. There was even a thread a little while back suggesting that children be banned from signatures after a certain time (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3022278). Hoping that nothing like that happens on this thread, but since sometimes it does happen, thought a heads-up might be appropriate.

 

[magicwishes]

We went to Le Cellier with our then 18 month old and 3 yo for lunch. It was fine. I wouldn't hesitate to go again, if that's where we wanted to dine.

 

[Lyn-CA]

DH left the trip planning to me with only 2 dining requests-Shulas and Brown Derby (his must-do favorites every trip). Like the OP, I was concerned because we'll have our 2-1/2 year old toddler with us.

DH called Shula's and explained how he loves their steaks and makes it a point to go every trip. He told her he would hate to miss out on a meal there this trip. DH also mentioned that we knew of the kid's club at the Dolphin but that our son is too young and then asked whether bringing our toddler along would pose a problem. The person he talked with at first jokingly said, "Oh, we keep toddlers in cages." Then she said it would not be a problem at all.

DH candidly told her that we've heard about others who brought their kids along and were made to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. She said this should not be the case but if it comes up, DH can speak with the manager.

DH told her that I was still concerned and asked if there's anyway we can do take out instead as Plan B. She had to ask someone else and told DH that if need be, we can order food to go from the bar. If we ordered ahead, we would need to prepay over the phone.

With this information in hand, we deliberately made an ADR for a Monday night at 5 PM when they first open. This is usually dinner time for DS. We'll have an activities kit to keep DS occupied. Should DS not be in a cooperative mood at all, we will order food to go from the bar. It's not ideal but hey, we're really only after the steaks.

The 3 of us eat out quite a lot so DS is used to it. When meals take longer than DS can tolerate, one of us will usually take him outside the restaurant while the other stays and settles the bill.

Hope this helps.

 

[ColoradoLime]

We went to Le Cellier before it was Signature amd of course there were tons of kids there. I don't think the fact that they have elevated the standing of the restaurant should deter you at all.

Remember, this is Disney. The place for fun, not stuffiness. And IMO this is also your vacation. Do what you want to do and don't worry about anyone else's experience but your own.

 

[MomofDisneyLoversx3]

I'm going to reply from personal experience. I took a 5yo and a SLEEPING 7 month old to Le Ceilier. When my baby woke up she was doing that babbly, cooing thing they do before the talk. NOT loudly (and FYI the acoustics are bad in there so the entire place is loud). The group of 7 or 8 adults next to us, all of whom thought nothing of hooting, hollering, and drinking large quantities during her nap promptly called the waitress over, gestured at our table and started complaining. It is the only place I have ever felt uncomfortable with my children (who are now 12, 7 and 2.5) and I regularly take them to eat in NYC and DC. I actually took her outside, thereby ruining my meal. My husband actually refuses to go back there regardless of food quality.

At the end of the day, you should base your decision on your child. My oldest could be taken anywhere anytime with no problem. My middle child had a period of about 6 months where id she looked at something it spilled. And as for my 2.5 yo? Well for the last few weeks I've been looking for those cages. Maybe I'll call shula's and see if they will sell me one

Heather

 

[kaligal]

Me, I wouldn't. My kids were not to be counted upon for good behavior at 18 months. About half the time, they'd be trying to crawl under the table or wanted silverware to bang, etc. I avoided restaurants when I could until they were about three years old.

But if you have special circumstances that make you ned to go to one of those places, you can always haul the child out of the restaurant if/when they become disruptive to those near you.

I don't miss that part of having small children. That was the part that sucked.

I'd pick Le Cellier over Shula's for a toddler.

Good luck.

 

[coconutprincess]

Thanks guys. I thought that about Shula's, and have never been there but wanted to confirm. My dad really wants to go. I'll have them go without us.

As for LeCellier, well I guess I have to give that one a bit more thought, and if we do go, we can go for lunch as DS does wonderfully at lunchtime meals.

 

[shoney]

Thanks guys. I thought that about Shula's, and have never been there but wanted to confirm. My dad really wants to go. I'll have them go without us.

As for LeCellier, well I guess I have to give that one a bit more thought, and if we do go, we can go for lunch as DS does wonderfully at lunchtime meals.

I would skip Shula's, but I wouldn't hesitate to go to LC, especially at lunchtime.

When my kids were young, we often went out to lunch instead of dinner, on vacation and home, because it was much better for them.

Enjoy!

 

[kmb584]

Le Cellier is very child friendly and DD has dined there (with me) 5 times since she was 15-months-old. We've never once been that family who dared to bring their child with them as the restaurant has always been full of little ones and quite loud. It wasn't what I had expected but it was also a nice surprise (ah, only in the world of a parent! ) The children's menu also offers a nice variety; my DD won't eat steak (but will eat calamari ) and usually gets the cheese pizza with apple slices.

Shula's, on the other hand, is a bit of a different story. As others have mentioned there is no child's menu but one is available upon request. It's a long dining experience (and an expensive one) and not a restaurant that I'd personally bring DD to. She's well behaved at restaurants but after that 1.5 hour mark I just know that she'd be antsy. She'd want to wander, get irritated that she couldn't, and a full toddler tantrum throwdown would ensue. That's not my idea of a pleasant dining experience, nor would I imagine anyone else's.

 

[rznhal]

A PP mentioned childcare at the dolphin....anyone ever used it or know how much it is?


thanks!

 

[dreamcatcherkwe]

Haven't been to Shula's but we took our one year old with us to Le Cellier without a second thought and it was fine. We'll be going in November with our three year old and plan to definitely eat at Le Cellier again.

 

[FigmentFinder]

And as for my 2.5 yo? Well for the last few weeks I've been looking for those cages. Maybe I'll call shula's and see if they will sell me one

Heather

I want a toddler cage too!

Le Cellier is no problem. It's in a theme park and is generally noisy. I've never spent "hours" there eating even if you order an appetizer, entree and dessert. Most Disney restaurants do their best to herd you in and out of a restaurant as quickly as possible.

Not sure I would take an 18 month old to a nicer, adult-oriented restaurant like Shula's. There is no guarantee they will sit nicely and quietly for more than an hour-ish, even for the best behaved toddlers. 18 months tends to be the beginning of the terrible 2's. (which end somewhere around 4)