What Time Would You Plan Meals with a 6 yr old

[NaplesRI]

We are staying off property so will eat something of a breakfast each day before we go to the parks. We plan to be at the parks for rope drop.

For the days we do counter service, we will just try to judge (IN ADVANCE) when the meltdown may begin.

What I am confused about is making ADRs.

At DHS we plan to have lunch at 50s Prime Time- should we plan 11:30. or later?
One night we want to do dinner at Chef Mickey's
Another night we plan on 'Ohanas.

Our general plan is to leave the park around 2-3pm except at HS we will stay for the 3pm parade.

Since DGS is a Disney first timer, we have no idea how tired he will get, and if it will get progressively more so as our 6 Disney days progress.

His typical dinner time at home is 5ish and he will announce he is starving if it goes much later. I was considering feeding him a snack around 4 to tide hime over and doing 6-6:30 ressies.

Anyone with Disney kids and meals experience, I would love to hear from you!

 

[laughinplace199]

I would suggest just keeping as close to his regular schedule as possible. For us, well-fed, well-rested kids = no meltdowns. Our kids are 9, 7, and almost 2, and we've been taking them to Disney since they were infants. We get to the parks at opening, stay until just after lunch, then head back to the room for a swim and a nap. Then, we head back out in the evening for dinner and/or park time. At home, we eat dinner at 6:00, so we plan for most dinners at WDW to be around 6:00 as well. Also, I always have some snacks in my bag, just in case the wait to be seated is long.

Have a great time!

 

[budbeerlady]

If he is used to 5pm, then do that. The later you make the ADR (or should I say closer to busy dinner times) the more likely they are to run behind the time to seat you. We try to get a 5 or 5:30. Then I know we will be seated by 6pm and eating. Then we do a snack later in the night.

Our ADR for Whispering Canyon ran almost an hour behind. I was ready to melt down and poor DD was trying to hold in there. I had made a 6:40 ADR(my error, I should have thought it thru more.) but we were not seated untill 7:35 pm. So go with earlier times and assume it might be 10-15 wait anyway to be seated.

 

[Mom2OandElle]

I agree with laughinplace199; keeping the kids happy and some-what on schedule is key. If you run them ragged, nobody will be happy. Of course you have to allow for some late nights and off-hours meals here and there. I have found that in the past I have been a little too rigid and there should definately be room to go with the flow. But keeping to a bit of a schedule has helped my two little ones from the dreaded melt-downs.

Enjoy your time together!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Keep them on the same schedule you do at home. BEST advise!!!!

 

[GinaBean]

We are going in December, and my ds will be 7 at that time. We have ADRs for two "big meals" while we are there. One is at Biergarten at 3:30 for a late lunch/early dinner. We will have breakfast that morning and a light snack, but that is it. The other is at 6:30 at The Whispering Canyon, and since that is earlier than we normally eat dinner, I don't anticipate a problem. If you are worried that he might melt down from being hungry, put some light snacks in your bag.

 

[Freyja]

We NEVER keep our kids on their normal schedule when at Disney. We´re usually at the parks shortly after rope drop. We usually eat lunch between 1-2 pm and dinner around 7-8 pm and do a short snack stop somewhere between lunch and dinner. That being said we usually don´t eat dinner until 7pm at home anyway. Our kids are very experienced travellers and do great despite the 4 hour time difference and commando style (we usually stay 10-12 hours in each park without any afternoon breaks).

You know your child best, I really don´t believe anyone here can tell you when your child will want to eat