What is your KIDS favorite sit down?

[SweetAlex]

So I'm planning our next Disney trip (booked for Dec 3-9 ) and am hoping to reserve a real sit down dining experience this time around. The ONLY times we've done this on past trips is at Rainforest Cafe once and Minnie's for breakfast (don't think those count...). I'd love for my kids to enjoy a "real" meal this time. Problem is, I have no idea which one to splurge on and I want to pick the right one as it's a good chunk of change. I know many of you like Blue Bayou, but is it good for kids too? How about Carthay Circle or Carnation Cafe or any others? My girls are 12 and 7 and not terribly picky eaters, if that helps. Oh and of course, angels, when bribed (no, of course there is no parental bias involved ). I'm hoping to hear which fancy options are family friendly and which ones YOUR kids love. Thanks!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I just asked my kids and their ages and responses were as follows:
DD10 - Blue Bayou
DD8 - Blue Bayou
DS 5 - Goofy's Kitchen
DD3 - Minnie's Breakfast (although I don't think she's old enough to really remember our breakfast there 2 years ago)

 

[detarica]

Blue Bayou is cool and the kids menu has a "chicken and spaghetti" as my kids call it option. But it is very expensive for what you get in my opinion. My kids liked the Monte Cristo at Café Orleans and the pizza at Napoli.

My husband and I went to Carthay by ourselves, but saw tons of kids there, and I think my kids would have liked it. It was nice to sit back and enjoy it though

 

[tiffjoy]

My kids (at the time 3 and 1) didn't like Blue Bayou. It was too dark for them, and it made them very restless and bored. We eat at many nice restaurants, and they are typically very good, but that restaurant was just not the place for them. We'll try again when they are older.

They like all the character meals (we haven't done Storytellers and aren't big on Goofy's, and PCH is our favorite). DD2 enjoyed Ariel's Grotto, and DD4 really likes Storytellers.

We will be trying Steakhouse 55 on our visit in August, and I'm looking forward to it. We don't do many TS at DLR. I'd like to try Carnation Cafe sometime, too.

 

[pwillunlv]

My DD3 would probably go with Ariel's Grotto (for the princess) or Minnie's Breakfast at the Plaza Inn (for Minnie). However, based on their ages, I would go with Blue Bayou. Can't beat dining inside one of the best attractions of all time . Just remember you are paying the premium for ambiance, not for food quality.

<-- also, should point out my profile pic is of my DD2 at Blue Bayou

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I wanted to add that we've eaten at Carthay twice with the kids and they have all enjoyed it. The tacos are a big hit.

 

[cmpeter]

Mine would vote for Blue Bayou.

 

[GatorChris]

At those ages, they might be right on the edge of being able to do Blue Bayou and enjoy it. That said, your girls (at least the youngest) would love Ariel's Grotto. The food is good, the ambience is nice, and the princesses come around and visit. They'd also like Flo's V-8 Cafe. I know it's not an official Table Service, but the food is pricey enough that it's in that range, plus they have tables all over the restaurant that looks like they're right out of the Cars movies.

 

[rentayenta]

I asked my kids DD17, DD15, and DS13 and they said the Plaza Inn which I realize isn't a technical sit down as you don't need an PS but it is a sit down.


Storytellers is their unanimous next favorite.

 

[SweetAlex]

At those ages, they might be right on the edge of being able to do Blue Bayou and enjoy it. That said, your girls (at least the youngest) would love Ariel's Grotto. The food is good, the ambience is nice, and the princesses come around and visit. They'd also like Flo's V-8 Cafe. I know it's not an official Table Service, but the food is pricey enough that it's in that range, plus they have tables all over the restaurant that looks like they're right out of the Cars movies.

Thanks! We LOVE Flo's for breakfast. Best waffles in the world and can't beat the view. Haven't tried them for dinner yet though... will have to look into that.

 

[Rubygoose]

Carnation Cafe isn't all that "fancy" compared to the others you've suggested. We went there with the kids last summer (3.5 and just turned 6) and they enjoyed it. We ate outside during the parade, and the kids were able to go up to the railing and watch the parade. It wasn't a very good view, though, so one of the CMs asked if they would like to wave at the princesses. She took them right up to the street and they waved at the princesses and then came back to eat their dinner.

The food was alright, but nothing special. I had some kind of pasta and it wasn't cooked soft enough for my liking. One of the kids had a 'make your own' peanut butter sandwich, and I can't remember what the other one had. I think DH had a burger. It was my birthday and they brought me a free little bowl of ice cream.

 

[crystal1313]

We took our boys in December to BB, they are 6 and 4. Thought they would love it! They could have cared less They hardly ate too. I just think they were too excited for a sit down meal like that. Their mac n cheese was yummy (I sampled it) and our service was excellent. They even brought them each their own plate of celery and carrots and ranch dip after we ordered which I thought was a nice touch. They did however, LOVE the bread. LOL. We figure we will try again in a couple of years when they are older.

They do really like the Carnation! I think sitting outside is nice because there is so much for them to look at. We always eat at Carnation at least once during our trips.

 

[tanyaegangibson]

DD9 and DS6 have been to pretty much all the sit-downs in DLR, starting from when they were 5 and 2, and every restaurant, even Napa Rose, has been very kid-friendly there. Their very favorites (I know this because I let them pick the reservations for next week's trip) are Goofy's Kitchen and Blue Bayou. They also like Carthay Circle because we always ask for an outdoor (balcony) table with a view of the fireworks. (We time dinner late so that they can watch the fireworks during dessert. The music for the fireworks plays on speakers on the balconies, too.)

 

[DizMe]

My 3 girls absolutely LOVE Blue Bayou. They'll do without something else just to be able to go there. They split a Monte Cristo between the 3 of them so it isn't even pricey for us. They love to sit next to the water so we always request waterside. We've been going there since they were 4 1/2 but I'd say your girls are at the ideal age.

 

[BriannaRuth]

My girls, who were 8 and 12 on our last visit, both say that Blue Bayou is their favorite, because of the setting. My oldest is a very picky eater. They didn't have anything on the menu she liked there last time, but she was able to get plain pasta, which made her happy.

I've eaten at Carthay Circle but have never taken my kids because I didn't think they'd be that impressed. The food is good, but to me CC is more like a regular upscale restaurant ... my kids are regular upscale restaurant eaters, so that wouldn't impress them. The theming is more subtle and not something they would find all that memorable.

They also like Carnation Café, but that's really not much of a "splurge." They probably like the food there better than BB, but they would be MUCH more upset if we couldn't do BB than if we couldn't do Carnation Café.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

Ds13 said the turkey stand ....followed by goofys kitchen

Dd11 is taking a nap, otherwise I would ask her, but she also likes goofys and blue bayou

 

[Drusilla99]

Dd14 & dd12 like storytellers, steakhouse 55 &, if you want to count it, the plaza inn.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

Just asked the kids, DS10 said carthay circle because the food tasted the best there and he liked how it was a bit fancier so it made it special. DS5 liked BB because he thought it was cool that we ate in a ride and he liked the glowing ice cube in his drink.

 

[BriannaRuth]

My kids have always gotten the glowing pirate that clips on the drinks at BB. (I think it was a pirate. They have Tinkerbells too but I think they got those in New Orleans Square somewhere.) They love them! Didn't know they had glowing ice cubes, too. Although I have gotten those at Trader Sam's.

 

[kirstie101]

It might not be what you have in mind but DD7 loves the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. So do us adults for that matter. She says she likes the singing and the corn on the corn...so there you go!