Why would someone do this?

[calypso*a*go-go]

Perhaps an easy solution might be to limit ADR's at the more upscale restaurants to 7pm and earlier to families with young children. It could probably be done discreetly and might be better than confining young families to the less-than-desirable locations within the restaurant to try and sequester them.

BTW, I think many parents with children that cry a lot or throw tantrums honestly just tune them out because they are used to it...they may not have even realized how disruptive it was to the other patrons of the restaurant.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I can see that this a very touchy subject and I have participated myself in this thread as an adult visitor (no children here) to WDW who loves to eat at nice sitdown restaurants when vacationing. That being said, I feel the need to say here that we can discuss this subject and make suggestions on how this type of behavior can be handled without arguing.

I do not want to see this thread get locked or posts be deleted because we could not behave as intelligent adults discussing a heated subject... please do not resort to name calling or personal attacks as we will enforce the guidelines..

Thanks for keeping the discussion alive and well without the flames.

 

[faindrops27]

Ok, I havent read through all of the posts. I am a mother of 3 children.DS12, DS3, DD2. Do, I take my children out to upscale restaurants? No. My husband, and I. Think that is saved for our adult time. As, we have yet to take our children on a cruise. Adult time. But, that is a whole other issue. All I have to say is. Did we forget where Citricos is? It is in Disneyworld. Yes, an upscale restaurant. In DISNEYWORLD. If you don't want kids. Pick another place to dine. Or, just be prepared that there may be children. Misbehaved, or behaved. Disney basically caters to children. The parents, figure, they can go anywhere they desire. They paid for thier vacation and are at Disneyworld. The kids capital of the world.

 

[schoen]

I can certainly see both sides of this issue. I too get annoyed when I am out and children are screaming and disruptive. On the other hand... If I want a quiet meal I don't go the restaurants that market to children. If you are in Disney World you are at a restaurant that markets to children, even if they don't do it overtly. I feel like the only place on property that you would find free of children would be victoria and alberts, and even then it is a crap shoot.

It does seem like parents with two screaming kids would address the issue, but they do have every right to be there. It is not a private club, and there are not age restrictions. I will never understand people who go to WDW and then become irate because there are children there!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

No one should have to endure the disruption of children (or adults) having meltdowns while dining in an upscale restaurant. It doesn't matter if you (or they) are on a pre-paid dining plan (please quit acting like this is 'welfare') or using a discount card (nothing more than a pay-as-you-go dining plan) or paying full price.

This issue is really part of a much larger problem; families planning too many activities in a day/week than their children are able to handle without stress. Many of us have children who, when taken to local upscale restaurants, behave beautifully. However, after a long day in a hot park with excess sugar (add or take away as necessary) these children who might behave wonderfully are suddenly emotional time bombs... and all that etiquette training flies out the window.

Yes, people want to experience as much as they can on a WDW vacation. Yes, parents should be more attentive to the real limitations of their kids, and plan (or plan B) more appropriately. No, I'm not going to call parents who aren't perfect a string of childish names... that would be just as inappropriate as staying in Citricos with children in meltdown mode...

 

[calgarygary]

I call it as I see it. I never said the children were animals, only that their behaviour was that of someone who ate out of a trough. Big difference.

When six year olds can't eat with silverware and four year olds throw food and crawl under other diners tables (we had that happen a couple years back) then yes, my description certainly fits.

Anne

I believe that your use of the anology of eating at a trough could be taken in no other way than as a reference to these children being farm animals. I am not commenting on their behaviour but rather your's. Your tone and descriptions throughout this thread are certainly not acceptable.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Your tone and descriptions throughout this thread are certainly not acceptable.

This is where Anne sort of lost me too......

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have to agree with you!

I have been a nanny for nearly 13 years and I know how toddlers can be. That said, when I go on vacation I do not care to be subjected to toddlers who are screaming, throwing things, etc. When I am out with my young charges I frequently receive compliments on their manners and behavior. I expect appropriate conduct and if someone in my care is misbehaving we return home. Same rules applied when my DS was small. We have no shouting, we use utensils, we say "please, thank you, and excuse me", we sit properly in our chairs.

Even a toddler who is normally well behaved will not behave if he is tired, off schedule, or not feeling well. Parents who choose not to acknowledge that fact should be reminded by restaurant managers that screaming toddlers do NOT belong in the dining room.

We're paying OOP for a signature restaurant next month, even though we'll be on the paid dining plan. (Can't seem to get in on that free one!) If there are screaming toddlers I will absolutely say something to our server, the manager, and probably the parents. If the parents can't see that their children are disruptive I will gladly point it out to them.

 

[dalt01]

ditto on the lost me too

 

[ducklite]

Disney basically caters to children. The parents, figure, they can go anywhere they desire. They paid for thier vacation and are at Disneyworld. The kids capital of the world.

The conference planners who spend millions of dollars a year there would disagree. Disney caters to EVERYONE, and it's not too big of a stretch to expect a dinner without kids at the next table melting down and parents not being proactive about it. That's simply common sense.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

It does seem like parents with two screaming kids would address the issue, but they do have every right to be there. It is not a private club, and there are not age restrictions. I will never understand people who go to WDW and then become irate because there are children there!

I don't think anyone is saying that kids shouldn't be at WDW. I know I'm not. What I am saying is that parents shouldn't take kids who are having meltdowns to signature restuarants and linger over a meal for two hours while their kids disturb everyone around them. There is simply no good reason and no excuse for this.

Anne

 

[dalt01]

i'll give you credit Anne, your going to ride this rocket till the fuel runs out.

 

[golden1]

I personally don't get taking kids to nicer restaurants. It is not fun or relaxing for the parents who spend the whole night keeping their kids from blowing up. It is not fun for the kids. My youngest has trouble sitting still for too long and by the time the food comes he is too restless to want to eat. I think my daughter would be okay but she is a picky eater and wouldn't eat much anyway.

I didn't do the dining plan for that reason. It is much more "relaxing" for me to just get the kids some CS and get a babysitter if I want a nice TS meal. I made ADRs for a few TS meals with the kids (mostly character stuff) but would never want to feel like I had to be there even if the kids were acting out.

 

[ducklite]

I believe that your use of the anology of eating at a trough could be taken in no other way than as a reference to these children being farm animals. I am not commenting on their behaviour but rather your's. Your tone and descriptions throughout this thread are certainly not acceptable.

Your opinion.

How about if I refer to them as over tired, poorly mannered brats who don't know how to use silverware? Same idea.

In all honesty, it's the parents who are to blame, and I am not blaming the kids, even if they are brats.

Anne

 

[faindrops27]

I saw the tone at the first post. Even though disney caters to honeymooners etc. You are not that blind to know that Disney markets mostly to children. There are children all around. Even those honeymooners make the choice. And know full well that Disneyworld is full of children. You toss the coin, anywhere you go, you will encounter children, misbehaved, or not. Either, deal, or keep it moving.

 

[ducklite]

I saw the tone at the first post. Even though disney caters to honeymooners etc. You are not that blind to know that Disney markets mostly to children. There are children all around. Even those honeymooners make the choice. And know full well that Disneyworld is full of children. You toss the coin, anywhere you go, you will encounter children, misbehaved, or not. Either, deal, or keep it moving.

And like I said, I have no problem with kids. In fact I believe in my first post I even mentioned a table of well behaved children next to us!

My problem is with people who bring their over tired, over stimulated kids in meltdown mode to dinner at a full service restaurant where even a fast meal will take an hour.

If the kids are melting down before you're even seated, why on earth would you subject them, yourself, and everyone else to that?

If they lose it during the meal, why would you not have it all wrapped and leave?

Why do parents think it's OK to subject everyone else to their kids inappropriate behaviour?

Anne

 

[Allison]

This is where Anne sort of lost me too......

And me. Even if there is truth in the message it is lost with the hateful attitude and the attitude of looking down on others who apparently aren't as "refined" as the OP would like them to be.

 

[ducklite]

And me. Even if there is truth in the message it is lost with the hateful attitude and the attitude of looking down on others who apparently aren't as "refined" as the OP would like them to be.

How was I hateful? Because I refered to parents who did something as obviously selfish to their kids and others as the people I was referring to did as ignorant? Can you think of a better term? It sure seemed to fit the bill. I wasn't commenting on their manner of dress, their looks, their resort. I was commenting on their lack of parenting skills and selfishness.

Anne

 

[goofy4tink]

Have to agree about those unruly kids at the more upscale restaurants. However, it really isn't about class or farm animal type behavior. My dh has a brother and sister in law who are well educated (Harvard no less!!) are both high power attorneys, travel extensively both abroad and here in the US. They have an 11 y/o son who goes everywhere with them...has been to increibly upscale type places. However....he is the most boorishly behaved little boy. Even when he was younger, his parents allowed him to run around the restaurant, yelling and screaming, after all..he was just 6 y/o and had to let off steam. That was their reaction believe it or not. Still, to this day, this young man yells at the top of his voice, stuffs food in his mouth with his fingers, slurps his drinks...it is incredibly embarrassing when other diners stare and make comments. Meanwhile my dd, almost 13 now, sits and is well behaved. Granted, she doesn't have the 'palate' her cousin has, but she is well behaved and a welcome diner as she sits and eats her chicken strips, while her cousin makes scenes as he sort of eats his lobster!!
It is up to parents to raise their children to be welcome members of the community....the kids aren't going to learn it on their own.
I, for one, would love to see the more upscale restaurants in WDW change their seatings to allow for families with youngsters eating earlier, while those who are older and looking for a quieter dining experience can book after say, 7:30 or so. I travel to WDW as a solo adult and really do appreciate meals where it is quiet later in the evening. I'm dying to give Citricos a try, but for the time being, since my dd isn't going to enjoy it there, I don't go....plain and simple.

 

[ducklite]

Have to agree about those unruly kids at the more upscale restaurants. However, it really isn't about class or farm animal type behavior. My dh has a brother and sister in law who are well educated (Harvard no less!!) are both high power attorneys, travel extensively both abroad and here in the US. They have an 11 y/o son who goes everywhere with them...has been to increibly upscale type places. However....he is the most boorishly behaved little boy. Even when he was younger, his parents allowed him to run around the restaurant, yelling and screaming, after all..he was just 6 y/o and had to let off steam. That was their reaction believe it or not. Still, to this day, this young man yells at the top of his voice, stuffs food in his mouth with his fingers, slurps his drinks...it is incredibly embarrassing when other diners stare and make comments. Meanwhile my dd, almost 13 now, sits and is well behaved. Granted, she doesn't have the 'palate' her cousin has, but she is well behaved and a welcome diner as she sits and eats her chicken strips, while her cousin makes scenes as he sort of eats his lobster!!
It is up to parents to raise their children to be welcome members of the community....the kids aren't going to learn it on their own.
I, for one, would love to see the more upscale restaurants in WDW change their seatings to allow for families with youngsters eating earlier, while those who are older and looking for a quieter dining experience can book after say, 7:30 or so. I travel to WDW as a solo adult and really do appreciate meals where it is quiet later in the evening. I'm dying to give Citricos a try, but for the time being, since my dd isn't going to enjoy it there, I don't go....plain and simple.

I'd much rather have a well behaved child next to us eating chicken strips than a food throwing banshee eating fois gras with truffle oil.

Anne