would this have annoyed you?

[Friendly Frog]

I would have been super annoyed by that. I think it was completely inappropriate, no matter how well the kids behaved.

It's one thing to seat children at a different table, but other adult patrons should not have to sit with them. The adults from the other party should have dispersed themselves among the kids at the 2 tables.

I would have said something to a manager if that had happened to me.

I agree. If you don't want to sit with your children what makes you think someone else does? Shame on the adults and shame on Disney.

 

[quest4dl]

The restaurant staff should have taken care of this and have some of the adults and children swap tables.

We've taken our children to restaurants since they were very young and know how to behave. Unfortunately, this is not true of many children. My kids have had bad experiences at the kids table when the other children have exhibited disgusting table manners. When kids are grouped together they tend to behave differently than with their parents. I usually keep an eye on the kids table and walk over when necessary - but it bugs me that the other parents don't share this task!

 

[TDC Nala]

Nobody said they didn't want to see children in a restaurant. They said they would prefer not to sit at a table at a restaurant with someone else's unsupervised children.

This recalls a report from someone at Citricos regarding a large group there which had the parents seated inside a private room - and the children seated by themselves in the main dining room, where they proceeded to carry on as unsupervised kids in a group will sometimes do. At Teppan Edo I'm assuming that the parents' table was right next to the children's, but I still wouldn't want to be the adult from another party seated at the same table with this party's group of children. I would wonder why the parents wanted to sit at a different table from the children when the kids are sitting right next to them anyway. I'm guessing they thought it would be cute to have a kids' table.

 

[Belle5]

Guys on a golf outing possibly getting a little break from their own daddy-responsibilities? How about a couple of moms who want a break from the kiddos and have a girls weekend away--and they get put at the grill with other people's unsupervised kids? I DON'T THINK SO!!! How could anyone have thought this was acceptable? Two times over the years (have dined at many, many TS restaurants) our family has stood up and walked out because of unacceptable circumstances. This would have been another one of them.

Now, if OP reports that the kids were teens...I might have to say that wasn't as big a deal...

 

[DCDisney]

I really don't understand why WDW doesn't have a policy on this issue Teens no problem for me but little kids sitting at a table unaccompanied is not cool at any sit down but particularly for communal dining. We had an issue with this at Hoop this year. There was a large party maybe 18 people at Hoop. Adults and older kids sat at a table and then there was a table of 6 or 8 right next to us where the oldest kid was maybe 8 at the oldest including 2 kids in high chairs and 2 small toddlers. The parents were having a great time but did not assist their kids at all in ordering drinks or serving them. The food is all served family style and the CM ended up having to serve each child, cut up food, clean up lots of spills, etc plus so her other normal duties which was tough because the meal is paced just so. They also had a Birthday cake at the kids table that the CM also had to cut up and serve for the kids. The parents were far enough away that they didn't have to deal with anything but for the other smaller tables around the kids it was very annoying. The kids weren't even bad just at an age where they need some help and were a bit whiny. Legally it seems like WDW would be liable if a little one choked or got up and had a tray of food dropped on them etc if they are allowing children to sit by themselves.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Nobody said they didn't want to see children in a restaurant. They said they would prefer not to sit at a table at a restaurant with someone else's unsupervised children.

This recalls a report from someone at Citricos regarding a large group there which had the parents seated inside a private room - and the children seated by themselves in the main dining room, where they proceeded to carry on as unsupervised kids in a group will sometimes do. At Teppan Edo I'm assuming that the parents' table was right next to the children's, but I still wouldn't want to be the adult from another party seated at the same table with this party's group of children. I would wonder why the parents wanted to sit at a different table from the children when the kids are sitting right next to them anyway. I'm guessing they thought it would be cute to have a kids' table.

I think you're probably being very generous with that statement. My experience with kid's tables tells me they're for the benefit of the adults to have uninterrupted, adult conversation.

As for teen companions, that would totally depend on the teens. I have a teenage boy & I would never put him & 4 of his friends at a table with strangers, so I could sit with other adults. Sometimes, I have to call them down, because I have an extremely weak stomach. I definitely wouldn't expect a stranger to sit with them, so I could sit with someone else. 5 older, teen girls would probably be fine, but not with 4 grown men, who were total strangers.

IMHO, the restaurant shouldn't have allowed the adults to make these seating arrangements. Some parents put themselves first. Sadly, it's a fact of life these day. The restaurants should consider all patrons & not all it though.

 

[jess20k]

Yes, that would have annoyed me. I think those parents were very inconsiderate. They could have split themselves up. That is just my opinion, but I definitely would not have been pleased.

 

[Belle5]

I really don't understand why WDW doesn't have a policy on this issue Teens no problem for me but little kids sitting at a table unaccompanied is not cool at any sit down but particularly for communal dining. We had an issue with this at Hoop this year. There was a large party maybe 18 people at Hoop. Adults and older kids sat at a table and then there was a table of 6 or 8 right next to us where the oldest kid was maybe 8 at the oldest including 2 kids in high chairs and 2 small toddlers. The parents were having a great time but did not assist their kids at all in ordering drinks or serving them. The food is all served family style and the CM ended up having to serve each child, cut up food, clean up lots of spills, etc plus so her other normal duties which was tough because the meal is paced just so. They also had a Birthday cake at the kids table that the CM also had to cut up and serve for the kids. The parents were far enough away that they didn't have to deal with anything but for the other smaller tables around the kids it was very annoying. The kids weren't even bad just at an age where they need some help and were a bit whiny. Legally it seems like WDW would be liable if a little one choked or got up and had a tray of food dropped on them etc if they are allowing children to sit by themselves.

Don't you just know that all those adults went home and told their friends, "Oh, yeah...at Disney, you can go to a restaurant and put your kids at a different table and the server will totally take care of them and give YOU a break! They'll even cut your kids' food up for you and clean up after them!"

 

[Tara922c]

I would have been PISSED. If I go out to eat without my child I do not want to babysit someone elses kids. I would have gotten the manager and demanded something to be done. Make the four adults who belonged with those kids sit with them, and give me their seats.

 

[BLTLDZ]

Yes. That would annoy me. Very much so....If their own parents chose to sit away from them, what the heck makes them think a bunch of adults would want to sit with their kids?? I mean, even if they were well behaved, it is just plain weird. I probably would not mind soo much if they were well mannered, but even so..

 

[BLTLDZ]

I think you're probably being very generous with that statement. My experience with kid's tables tells me they're for the benefit of the adults to have uninterrupted, adult conversation.

Right, and that is why they have programs implented such as the Neverland club in the Poly.

 

[kirkson]

Nobody said they didn't want to see children in a restaurant. They said they would prefer not to sit at a table at a restaurant with someone else's unsupervised children.

This recalls a report from someone at Citricos regarding a large group there which had the parents seated inside a private room - and the children seated by themselves in the main dining room, where they proceeded to carry on as unsupervised kids in a group will sometimes do. At Teppan Edo I'm assuming that the parents' table was right next to the children's, but I still wouldn't want to be the adult from another party seated at the same table with this party's group of children. I would wonder why the parents wanted to sit at a different table from the children when the kids are sitting right next to them anyway. I'm guessing they thought it would be cute to have a kids' table.

I don't know if this was my report, but this DID happen to me at Citricos several years ago and it was absolutely infuriating. The restaurant eventually got the parents to corral the kids, but it went on for quite a while before anyone took any action at all. Totally unacceptable in a restaurant like Citricos

 

[PEANUT1]

annoyed..yes

these parents should go and eat at one of the high end restaurants at the swan and dolphin..they will babysit your kids for free for 2 hours while you eat and feed them dinner to boot!!! That's what we did..and it was fabulous.

 

[TeacherDL]

Definitely would have been annoyed at the parents. I would not have let my kids sit away from me with a group of adults I didn't know..Very odd.

 

[2girlsmom]

Absolutely, I would not have been happy with the parents or the restaurant staff. I do realize they have limited options, but would think the liability of having unsupervised children seated with strangers would be enough reason to change this.

 

[juliebug1997]

My husband just got back from a guys weekend of golfing at Disney. There were 4 of them. They had reservation at Teppan Edo. There was a party of 8 adults and 5 children that were there. The adults all sat at their own table and the 5 kids were seated with my husband and his friends. My husband found this very annoying and requested to be moved but they had nothing available. They did not have a good time. I just think it’s odd to sit 4 adult men with 5 children whom they don’t know. Does anyone else find this odd? I’m sure the parents had a great time since their kids were seated somewhere else. I could see doing this at a regular sit down restaurant but not at one where the kids would be seated with other people.

This actually happened to us last year there. It was very awkward and the kids were annoying because no one was in control. It annoyed me and I did complain to the hostess as I left but I guess.....

 

[NancyIL]

I think all 5 kids plus 3 of the adults should've been at one 8-top - with the other 5 adults seated at the table that was shared with the other group. If that wasn't acceptable, then the large group should've been divided between 2 tables, with the kids seated with their parents.

 

[juliebug1997]

AND....
The adults were not at the table next to us. They were catty-cornered. One of the kids started crying because she wanted to be with her mother and it just descended from there. And this was with two teenage girls with them.

 

[DaisyMaisie]

Well if they had two teenagers who were old enough to be babysitters with them Disney could not have stopped the parents from sitting elsewhere. I still might have tried talking to the parents though.

Disney should have have every effort to accommodate the men who were unhappy with their seating arrangements.

 

[Colleen27]

My reaction would depend on the ages of the kids. If they were teens, well, I was going to restaurants with my friends at that age and I wouldn't think twice if they sat apart from the adults.

But like Juliebug's scenario? A child young enough to cry for her mother is clearly too young or just not ready to be seated spearately.