What is the best restaurants for kids at WDW?

[Baseball Nick]

I've been to WDW and DL a lot of times when I was single, but this is the first time going with my kids. So I just wanted to ask what are the best restaurants for kids at WDW? Because I won't want to take them to something too grown up for them.

 

[jambo5564]

Anything with characters. German buffet in epcot. Sci fi drive in at hollywood studios. Rainforest cafe in downtown.

 

[Baseball Nick]

Thanks! If you can believe I forgot about all those places, I haven't been there in 5 years so that's what life will do to you. But anyways thanks a lot!

 

[maurihart]

We are going with three kids (12,9,5) and have reservations at Ohana, scifi, Hollywood and vine, hoop dee doo, cape may, rainforest cafe and house of blues.

 

[wahmtexas]

the New TRex in DD and Ohana for Breakfast

 

[ElizabethG]

The only restaurants I won't go to until my kids are older are the signature restaurants. The rest are very child friendly. Even dinner at Ohana calls the kids over for intruments and conga line.

Signature Restaurants:
Artist Point, Wilderness Lodge Resort
California Grill, Contemporary Resort
Citricos, Grand Floridian Resort
Flying Fish, Boardwalk Resort
Jiko, Animal Kingdom Resort
Narcoossees. Grand Floridian Resort
Yachtsman Steakhouse, Yacht Club Resort
and, of course, Victoria & Alberts.

We love Garden Grill and Ohana (breakfast and dinner)

 

[aLLpInK]

Chef Mickeys!! Crystal Palace!! T Rex Café!!
We love those. lol

 

[MSSANDRA]

Really, the only restaurant in WDW that is not ok for kids is Victoria and Albert's as they have an age restriction. Everywhere else can be family friendly, including the signatures. Of course some places are more fun for small kids than others. Any of the character meals. We have done most of them and never really had a bad experience anywhere. We are not crazy about the food at Hollywood and Vine (HS), but it is not bad if your kids like the Playhouse Disney people. Rainforest and Dino Cafe are fun as long as you kids are not too little or frighten easily. They are pretty loud and the stuff a bit realistic. Even by 5 my little guy was a bit hesitate but always did ok there. The sci-fi (HS) is fun for 6 and up. Funny old flicks might be a bit much for really little ones. Eating in any of the castles is a huge treat. You can do CS at Be my Guest if money or getting an ADR is an issue.
We like to do a mix. Our youngest is now 6. A few character meals, a few fun places like Prime Time or Dino Cafe and a few nicer signature places. For these places, maybe be sure you child has had enough dining experience that you can predict positive behavior and book the earliest time for dinner. I love a few CM but also like enjoying and exposing kids to a little more formal dinning and WDW is the perfect place to do that. Kid meals available everywhere.

 

[mrsarbogast]

We love Ohana

 

[Julie711]

We like Crystal Palace, Chef Mickeys , Rainforest Cafe, Tuskerhouse ( breakfast)

 

[Baseball Nick]

Really, the only restaurant in WDW that is not ok for kids is Victoria and Albert's as they have an age restriction. Everywhere else can be family friendly, including the signatures. Of course some places are more fun for small kids than others. Any of the character meals. We have done most of them and never really had a bad experience anywhere. We are not crazy about the food at Hollywood and Vine (HS), but it is not bad if your kids like the Playhouse Disney people. Rainforest and Dino Cafe are fun as long as you kids are not too little or frighten easily. They are pretty loud and the stuff a bit realistic. Even by 5 my little guy was a bit hesitate but always did ok there. The sci-fi (HS) is fun for 6 and up. Funny old flicks might be a bit much for really little ones. Eating in any of the castles is a huge treat. You can do CS at Be my Guest if money or getting an ADR is an issue.
We like to do a mix. Our youngest is now 6. A few character meals, a few fun places like Prime Time or Dino Cafe and a few nicer signature places. For these places, maybe be sure you child has had enough dining experience that you can predict positive behavior and book the earliest time for dinner. I love a few CM but also like enjoying and exposing kids to a little more formal dinning and WDW is the perfect place to do that. Kid meals available everywhere.

Thanks a lot! That was really helpful. Too bad we are only going for 10 nights so we couldn't go to all of them, but that gives us another reason to go back!

 

[kddisney502]

I agree that you shouldn't feel restricted to take them anywhere, even signature restaurants (with the exception of V&A). Almost every place is kid friendly and they try to make families welcome. We've eaten at several signature restaurants and we've always seen kids there of varying ages. The signature restaurants are a lot less stuffy (and more family friendly) then people think.

 

[Spunky946]

We took our kids 8 and 4 to several signature restaurants our last trip and they did great.

 

[GoldieLocks5]

on our past 2 trips my boys were 5, and twins almost 3... and this year 6 and twins were 4.

they loved all the restaurants we ate at:

• Sci Fi Dine in - thought it was so cool to sit in the cars and watch movie clips while we ate- and LOVED the glow in the dark ice cubes in their drinks!
• -Garden Grill - they thought it was cool that it spins (slowly) and loved seeing MIckey and Chip & Dale
• -50's Prime Time - they thought it was funny if they were naughty they'd have to wash dishes (as our waiter warned them)... and food was great.
• -Hollywood & Vine - was good for them last year when they were really into Disney Jr characters - this year they aren't so much so we skipped.
• -Ohana - GREAT breakfast - and loved seeing Lilo & Stitch!! and thought it was cool to "be in Hawaii"
• CRT - eating in the castle is always cool, even for my 3 little boys - they loved meeting princesses b/c they actually TALK to them vs the other characters.
• Akershus - another great princess meal, and food was great - we loved the buffet for the appetizers.
• Crystal Palace -was our first meal on our first trip and it was a great start - perfect setting, fun to see Pooh characters, good buffet.
• Beaches & Cream - at Beach Club - awesome food and getting the "kitchen sink" enormous ice cream was a fun attempt, lol.
• Coral Reef @ Epcot - they loved watching fish (and scuba divers) swimming by as we ate.
• Cape May Café - at beach club - a great breakfast with fun characters (goofy, Minnie, Donald in beach gear).
• Kouzzina - at Boardwalk - a greek place, with southern touch - was GREAT food - kids liked their kid choices - one of my favorite meals - and the kids LOOOVED the design your own cupcakes at the end!
  

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[crisi]

Pretty much anything, though some entertain the kids more than others with their atmosphere.

My kids liked the "inside outside" restaurants a lot - Biergarten, Sci Fi, and San Angel. They thought being outside while being inside was really cool.

There are two things I think you should THINK about. Not telling you what to do.

Buffets with little kids - some people love them. I found that my kids didn't eat much, and I didn't eat much because I was too busy helping them get the food they weren't eating. Juggling multiple plates with little kids (especially if you have more kids needing help than helpful adults) is not a relaxing meal. Most character meals are buffets. So is Biergarten and Boma - both popular with kids.

Signature restaurants. Signature meals tend to be longer and while Disney restaurants are all beautiful, there isn't a lot in the decor of Artist's Point to keep a kid interested while you wait for your steak. Plan on an hour and a half or two hours for a signature meal, unless your intent is to sit down, order your entree, bolt it, and leave. If your kids can sit for an hour and a half, they won't be the only kids in the restaurant. If they have a difficult time sitting, they may make you and other diners uncomfortable - you if you need to take them out for walks between (or even during) courses, other diners if their squirminess starts impacting the other tables (which its likely to if you don't take them out). Its a shame to let that steak get cold because your little peanut needs to run through the hotel lobby. You know your kids - and your tolerance for a $50 steak eaten in the room out of a Styrofoam container.

 

[shell8558]

Crystal palace , ohanas , whispering canyon , liberty tree, hoop de doo , Wolfgang puck express, Mama Melrose , Coral Reef, Kona Cafe, Akershus, Chef Mickeys , 1900 Park Fare

 

[Maggie at the Fort]

At 18 months my daughter loved the Hoop Dee Doo. She was mesmerized through the show. She also loved the Crystal Palace( and the Ice cream shop on main street )

 

[d3boyz]

Our boys LOVED the Trails End at Wilderness Campground (And an added bonus? They got to take a boat to get there!) They still love it!

Chef Mickey's was a hit, of course ... and try the Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. The first time we were there, my boys ordered something with french fries and there was no ketchup on the table. When they shyly asked the waiter for ketchup, they were (at first) MORTIFIED when he yelled out in the dining room, "WE NEED SOME KETCHUP HERE!!!" Next thing we knew, there were dozens of ketchup bottles arriving, but other diners, on our table. You should have SEEN my boys' faces! Even now, years later, they STILL love that!

Deb

 

[megan10310]

My kids loved coral reef and le cellier for nontypical "kid" restaurants.

We love ohanas and cape may for breakfast.

CRT and askershus cannot be beat for princess interaction.

 

[Maggie at the Fort]

When my niece was little she loved the view of Its a Small World from Pinnochio Village Haus.