Table service restaurants with a 5 year old?

[Danauk]

We are taking my 5 year old nephew to DLRP in the summer (along with my SIL). We have been to DLRP many times before and have our favourite places to eat, but for the 1st time I am having to look at children's menus. To be honest, I am not that impressed! We like to have 1 sit down meal a day when on holiday, so need 3. We would prefer dinner, but would do lunch if needed. We are booking Cafe Mickey for the characters. I have enjoyed Inventions in the past, but am not sure SIL would want to pay that much. We also like Blue lagoon, but the child's menu there is disappointing. We also like Walt's, but am not sure that is the best bet for a 5 year old (although he is used to eating out and would sit well at the table through the meal.) So where would you recommend? Places in the Village that you do not need to book for? We are not on a super tight budget, but it is not a California Grill and Inventions trip either lol! We want this trip to be special. It is our 1st time taking our nephew to a Disney park and SIL has only been once for 1 day when there was only 1 park!

 

[DLPdaft]

My girls have always enjoyed Annettes when they ate from the kids menus (roller-skating waiters etc).

I prefer a good value buffet with kids to be honest - La Grange at Billy Bobs, or Plaza Gardens, Restaurant des Stars, or any of the onsite hotel buffets from the Sequoia Lodge up.

Are you going to order pizza etc to share at Cafe Mickey? I find that much better value compared to buying a kids meal there.

 

[rugrats]

Have to agree with DLPdaft, in my experience, the buffet style restaurants are definitely best for children. However, mine also liked Annette's and Planet Hollywood.

 

[fairydustmummy]

My girls have always enjoyed Annettes when they ate from the kids menus (roller-skating waiters etc).

I prefer a good value buffet with kids to be honest - La Grange at Billy Bobs, or Plaza Gardens, Restaurant des Stars, or any of the onsite hotel buffets from the Sequoia Lodge up.

Are you going to order pizza etc to share at Cafe Mickey? I find that much better value compared to buying a kids meal there.

sorry to hi jack your post, can i ask in cafe mickey do they mind if you do this order to share, we as doing this as a birthday lunch for my mum (her idea just so the kids can enjoy it too) but will have a meal in evening so dont want a huge lunch

for evening meal my son enjoyed rain forest with the animals in it.

 

[kizzabel]

We shared in January at CM and had two pizzas, one chip and a garlic bread between 2ad & 1ch. The portions were huge. There was no need for the extra pizza. We waddled back to the HNY stuffed and the waiters were fine with us sharing. It saved us a good bit aswel and the pizzas were fab. The garlic bread is as big as a pizza too.

 

[fairydustmummy]

We shared in January at CM and had two pizzas, one chip and a garlic bread between 2ad & 1ch. The portions were huge. There was no need for the extra pizza. We waddled back to the HNY stuffed and the waiters were fine with us sharing. It saved us a good bit aswel and the pizzas were fab. The garlic bread is as big as a pizza too.

Thats great i would not have thought of this had i not heard it here there will be 5adults and 4children so will save a good bit

 

[tennisfan]

My girls have always enjoyed Annettes when they ate from the kids menus (roller-skating waiters etc).

I prefer a good value buffet with kids to be honest - La Grange at Billy Bobs, or Plaza Gardens, Restaurant des Stars, or any of the onsite hotel buffets from the Sequoia Lodge up.

Are you going to order pizza etc to share at Cafe Mickey? I find that much better value compared to buying a kids meal there.

Have to agree with DLPdaft, in my experience, the buffet style restaurants are definitely best for children. However, mine also liked Annette's and Planet Hollywood.

I agree with these 2 posters in that the buffets are good value. I love Restaurant des Stars and La Grange which is Tex mex

 

[Danauk]

Thanks for the suggestions, I hadn't thought about Plaza Gardens. I think we will book there as it would be nice to have at least 1 sit down meal in the parks. Then I think we will go to Annettes. Walts and Blue Lagoon can be saved for the Halloween trip with my parents!

 

[HappySlinky]

We've just been with a 4.5 year old, we didn't always get him a kids meal, in a couple of restaurants we both ordered 3 course meals and he just shared ours. We found the counter service very bad (uninspiring) for kids meals too, so again we just shared from the adults menu.

 

[Ms Poppins]

I agree, the buffets are great - we like the one at the Parkside Diner in HNY.

I worried about going into Walts too, with my then 5yo DS, but he loved looking out the windows into Main St and there were plenty of other kids about

Agree that it's fine to share pizza etc in Cafe Mickey, that's what we do and then have a spluge on a tasty desert

My ds liked Blue Lagoon, as he loves salmon, so we didn't have a problem there - he also loved the surroundings.

Rainforest Cafe in the Village is also great for lo's - loads to look at