Will I need table top activities for my kids?

[ABE4DISNEY]

Hi all!
Please check out my ADR's below--will I need to bring coloring books, crayons, activity books to keep my kids entertained at these TS restaurants so DH and I can eat in peace?? My kids are 3 and 7 years old. TIA

Boma
50's Prime Time Cafe
Le Cellier
Tutto Italia

 

[madalex]

Can't speak specifically to those restaurants, but virtually every WDW TS restaurant has a kid's menu that can be colored on and hands out crayons for that purpose. Only you can determine whether that will be sufficient to keep your kids occupied for a whole meal or whether you should bring your activity books, stickers, etc. for the kids to play with.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

I never did and I had 5 all around the same age. It really depends on your kids. Have A Great Trip

 

[dvcdisney]

I agree with those who say that it depends on your child.

We have been taking our young children since they were 9 mths old. I find that 2-3 years of age is the most challenging in terms of keeping them occupied while we finish our meals. However, we rarely brought anything extra. The kid's meal menu has room in the back for drawing and we find that once they are bored with that, we discussed the fun rides we went on or give them a park map to go over. My son (now 10) has each of the maps memorized and he still enjoys going through it. Also, my children can play with a napkin if they needed to. Sometimes, my children do not even have a lot of time to do any drawing/colouring. They take some time with it before we receive our meals, but we all tend to finish eating at the same time or in some cases, we end up waiting for them.

Another helper for us is our camera. If we let them, they will sit quietly together going over the photos and video that we've taken for a long time. We usually only do this if the wait is long. We tend to leave this activity for long line ups for rides.

Again, I think most will suggest that it really depends on your children. Some children are great at occupying themselves even without anything in front of them while others need constant activities to keep them occupied.

 

[aksivers]

My kids are 2 and 8. When we went in Sept I brought activities for my 2 year old. We are going again in January and I plan on bring small items she can play with (stickers, play dough etc...). I have found it depended on the TS type.

 

[soontobewed07]

I am glad someone started this thread. Our 2 year old gets a little antsy while waiting for us to finish our meals

Here is what I bring ideas are always helpful ALWAYS

My Iphone with a nice selection of TV shows and a movie or 2

Crayons or those markers that only write on certain papers.

toy cars (be careful these can always turn into projectiles if overtired)

I usually stock dollar store Items that I will take out of our park bag to keep him occupied.

 

[MSLRAC]

Our kids get bored with children's menus really quickly here at home so when I saw little Disney coloring sheet and marker packs at Target, I snatched up two for each kid. It's 8 little markers and 80 3x5 coloring sheets for like $5 bucks. They are fairly compact and fit nicely in the front pouch of our backpack. They had Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Pixie Hallow, The Princesses and a couple of Nick Jr. sets.

 

[perriwinkleblue]

Hi all!
Please check out my ADR's below--will I need to bring coloring books, crayons, activity books to keep my kids entertained at these TS restaurants so DH and I can eat in peace?? My kids are 3 and 7 years old. TIA

Boma
50's Prime Time Cafe
Le Cellier
Tutto Italia

Boma: my kids are fine here because they can go up and choose their own food immediately - no boring waiting.

50's PT: Entertaining enough unless you get a server that is just not into it

LeCellier and Tutto: I would bring a quiet activity. Tutto was one place that we felt uncomfortable with kids. The servers were nice enough but the atmosphere is quiet and "serious".

FYI - for some reason my kids always liked drawing on index cards. A couple of those 4 color pens and a pack of index cards and they are happy -- add in a pocket stapler (a fascinating grown-up piece of machinery!!) and they are quiet for hours.

 

[cbg1027]

Hi all!
Please check out my ADR's below--will I need to bring coloring books, crayons, activity books to keep my kids entertained at these TS restaurants so DH and I can eat in peace?? My kids are 3 and 7 years old. TIA

Boma
50's Prime Time Cafe
Le Cellier
Tutto Italia

I might try to bring a coloring book to Le Cellier and Tutto Italia. I feel like they would be more occupied at Boma because it's a buffet, so once you're seated you don't have to wait to eat. There are TV's and the entertaining servers at 50's Prime Time so I would guess they would be ok there.

 

[soontobewed07]

Tutto brought out a bowl of grapes for DS when we went. I always carry snacks with me goldfish are amazing!!!

Now 50's my DS was very overwhelmed the 1st time and the 2nd he fell asleep so they made a nice meal for him for free since he didn't get to eat from my plate.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Service at most TS know that kids are a factor so we have always found, for the mos part, service to be very quick. (of course this isn't always the case)As others said, depends on the kids, but I always packed some *emergency* distractions.

DS6 has autism so I am always looking for things to keep him occupied while waiting. (waiting is definately NOT one of his favorite things to do)
Some of my favorite things:
Bendaroos are a great thing to pack to play with at the tables.
A little baggie of legos for him to build with.
A small dry erase board to color, draw or play tic tac toe.
A deck of Go Fish Cards.
He loves small animals so I always pack a little bag of dinos or safari animals.
A small book of stickers.
Walmart sells a little magnetic book. They have a couple of different themes with the little magnets to create different *scenes*.
I also cut up 4x4 pieces of paper and staple about 4 or 5 pieces together and write the name of the park we are at that day. Then he spends his time making his own little *book* of what he saw and liked that day.
Obviously because of DS I probably need to go a little *overboard* ...but hopefully some of these ideas might help others.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

We always carried a couple of small toys in our bag that our kids ONLY played with at restaurants. My nieces and foster girls would play with betty spaghetti or poly pockets and the boys small action figures or hotwheels. I also carried lego pens for drawing on the menus.

My kids are older now and we no longer have foster children but my 13 year old son still carries a couple of action figures to restaurants along with his cell phone and ear plugs to hear his phone mp3/tv.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

Wow! I love my Dis friends! Thanks for all the fabulous suggestions!! Now I just need to swing by a store tomorrow and gather some goodies for the kiddos.