None of them exclude children. I think the usual pitfalls of dining with a baby and young child apply. If your courteous to the other diners when there is an issue you won’t get the dirty looks or complaints. It’s mostly the parents that let their child sit and scream or run around and pretend it’s not happening that have bad experiences.
As usual there’s no definitive answer. You have to judge on how you know your kids. Do you take them out at home? If so assume you were taking them to a decent restaurant there. I do think you’ll get more forgiving diners at early seatings than later ones though.
I have this thing recently with signature dining. Enjoy your dinner! If I expected less children I MIGHT schedule for 9:00, but I always expect children (duh, it is Disney) and 5:30 to need is family dining. Enjoy!
I agree with the others I have taken my DD5 since she was a couple of months old to signatures. It is Disney and everyone expects children to be at the restaurants anyway.
Of those, I’ve only been to MP (when it was Bistro) and we didn’t bring the kids. We were there around 9pm and there were no kids in the place. It was nice and quiet. I agree; the earlier the better for kids.
I have tried to dine near a couple who did nothing to stop their baby from wailing through our meal (at another restaurant), and it was quite unpleasant.
I don’t think people expect Disney Sig restaurants to be kid-free, just maybe “screaming-free”. The fact that you are posting here for opinions tells me you won’t be like that couple and will be instead be cognizant of other diners.
It is always possible you will get a stink eye, but so long as you are conscientious about noise level, I think they’ll get over it quickly. Babies and kids are cute, when they’re not running around and/or screaming.
Think about your 4y/o’s needs too, though. Are you also booking character or other kid-friendly meals? Bring things to keep him/her occupied at the Sig’s so you can take your time and enjoy.
And consider your needs as well. Will you enjoy the experience as much if you have to babysit or possibly leave if the kids get bored or cranky? I hate rushing through a really good, expensive meal.
Good luck and remember there are lots of childcare options if you change your mind.
Like mentioned above, kids are permitted in any of them, but some of those meals can be 1.5-2 hours in length, depending on how many courses you order. If you’re not sure your child can sit quietly for 2 hours, then you might want to bring something to keep them entertained or be prepared to eat in shifts while another parent takes the child out for a walk.
The only other thing to think about is take a look at the menus and make sure that there’s something the 4yo would want to eat. For the 4 month old, getting one of those high chair covers that is padded and a little more comfortable also might be something to consider.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. @PianoMinnie We are doing lots of character breakfasts for our son and CRT at my daughter’s request. MP was the one that I was most concerned about. I’ve read other reviews that say it’s a quiet place. I think we are prepared to eat in shifts, as @mascardofamily suggested, if necessary. Babies change so much, that it’s hard for me to judge how our little one will be in a month and a half. Right now, he still sleeps a ton, which would be great for meals. I really do appreciate all of your responses, Y’all always give me lots to consider
I think it really depends on the kid, not so much the age. I have observed very well behaved 3 year olds when dining and unruly 10 year olds. I think diners at Disney expect to see children at all of the dining establishments but if you are paying for a Signature dining experience you probably won’t like it if there is a table of screaming kids next to you. Signature dining is a longer process. Will your child be ok with a dining experience that could take 2 hours or longer? And finally will YOU enjoy the dining experience. If it was me and I was worrying about my kids misbehaving or the kids crying I would not enjoy it as much. But that’s just me. I am not trying to discourage you in any way just trying to help you get the most enjoyment out of your trip!
@Conefrog I am the same way. I likely wouldn’t enjoy myself as much worrying about my children in a very quiet environment. If there’s a reasonable amount of hustle and bustle, I’m not as worried. I just don’t want to take them into a very quiet, candlelit atmosphere, where people are speaking in whispers. I’ve never been to any of the restaurants we are trying, that’s why I was hoping for feedback. Thanks so much!
I wouldn’t call ANY of the signatures “kid friendly” in that the decor is typically muted, the setting more formal, and there no entertainment; it’s really about high quality food and service - all things that will likely be lost on a 4YO. FF is probably the best for kids as it has lots of bright colors with an “amusement park” theme and is typically quite noisy. A quick exit to the BW is also easy to do. CG is a plus because of the view from the windows. You might be lucky an get a window seat at MP so the 4YO can look out; same for Narcoossee’s.
The question I would ask myself is not so much if it is OK to brings kids to these restaurants, but rather, will they enjoy them? For me signature dining is an “event”, not just a meal, and I’ve never spent less than 2 hours at one(and one time it was 3.5 hours). If you plan on going back to touring after dinner, will the kids accept the fact that a longer dinner means less time in the parks? I suppose you could sit, order an entree, and run and be out in an hour or so - but that kind of defeats the purpose of a “fine dining” event - and if you’re on the DxDP, an app and dessert is included in the meal, so unless you just skip those items, I would not plan for less than 1.5 hours.
NOT trying to say don’t eat at signatures with kids. You just have to know your kids and your family’s priorities with regards to how you want to spend your time.
For the record, I have 8 signature meals planned for my November trip…
I have taken my kids when they were toddlers to AP and CG. I would not have taken them if I feared any behavior issues. I knew my kids would be quiet and behaved, and they knew I meant what I said.
@kellybelle I respect the fact that you are seeking feedback and are prepared to remove the kids for spells for everyone. Disney doesn’t frown on kids at signature dining except for V&A and that is respectable. Like many said try and get an earlier time, also keep in mind a late time keeps the kids up and probably past their bedtime making is less enjoyable.
Back before the refurb that changed Le Bistro de Paris into Monsieur Paul, the atmosphere was almost “oppressively” formal with nothing but quiet conversation, the clink of silverware, and some subtle background music to be heard. I haven’t been since the refurb, but looking at the pictures they appear to have “lightened it up” quite a bit to more of a contemporary bistro look; perhaps the atmosphere has lightened up as well.
Le Cell, because of it’s low ceiling and lots of rockwork tends to be a bit noisier. I’ve only been at lunch, but definately more kids there than I have seen in any of the other signatures I’ve been to.
Narcoossee’s, Yachtsman, and Artist Point will all be first timers for me on my next trip, so no first-hand observations on thoses.
We did Norcossees early with the brood and it was fine. Mine eat well and the desserts were fun. Towards the end the little one had to take a stroll but such a nice evening.
Artist Point is one of my daughter’s favorite restaurants at WDW. She made a comment that it “rocked” when we ate dinner there in 2012. She was about a week away from turning 6.
Of course, it helped that she took an activity bag with coloring book and a book to read, and she’s known from an early age what we expect as far as table manners.
For dessert, they had a white chocolate Mickey puzzle that she could paint. She really enjoyed that.
@Jedilogray@bswan26@my3jakes@docmcstubbins@Muffins_Mom Thank you for your feedback. I think you’re all correct. It depends on the kids. I know my 4 (almost 5) year old will be fine. I was most concerned about the baby. But babies aren’t predictable, so we’ll just come prepared to take shifts and walks outside as needed
I agree with all the advice above, but my general view is that all Disney restaurants are fine with kids. I think that holidays are a great time to introduce young children to good food and upscale restaurants. Just take something to keep them occupied if they get bored. As for the baby - as you say they are unpredictable and you will just need to play that by ear. Have fun.
