Would you take a baby to the California Grill?

[GEM]

Hi again! Just wanted to pop back in here as the original poster. I didn't mean to start a debate or anything. This will be our first trip to Disney as parents, but our 12th time visiting - so we have been many times as a childless couple. I agree thatwhen vacationing at Disney you should expect to encounter children pretty much anywhere. I also agree that parents should make sure that their adorable little darling isn't somebody else's annoying brat! If our baby was to cause any sort of disturbance, we would not hesitate to take him outside, and I would hope that others would do the same. If we have to miss out on part of our meal, so be it. That's part of being a parent. Thanks again for all the opinions. I guess I just wanted to get other people's feelings on the subject.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Hope you have a wonderful time Gem! Was your son actually a pound and a half when born? Wow! He is a miracle baby!

 

[Terk-1]

Am I missing something? If one's purpose for vacation is to not be bothered by children, shouldn't one choose to vacation at a place exclusively for adults. If one chooses to vacation at a place geared for families with children, even though one may not have children, shouldn't one expect to encounter children in the theme parks, restaurants, and other public areas? AND shouldn't those who have children be responsible for them and make sure that they a) behave approriately or b) remove the child from the situation????

Ok. One should not be flamed or be told where one should go or not go on vacation. Also, I do not believe anyone here said that they did not expect to encounter children in the theme parks, restaurants, and other public areas. AND yes, people should watch there kids AND most do, but there are those who do not, which is probably why several attractions that do their safety/don't stuff also have added "parents, please watch over your children".

No, I do not have kids. Yes, I love to go to WDW and know that I will encounter children there. No, I do not have a problem with that. Yes, I will typically have a child start a conversation with me on the monorail, or wave to me, or ask me what my favorite ride is and I enjoy answering them. I also enjoy stopping and asking people if they would like to be in the picture they are taking. Yes, I do have a problem with people who either let their kids misbehave (one kid punched one of the characters for "fun", while the adult just smiled), scream and/or have a meltdown (while the adult(s) just ignores it), or are rude to cast members and fellow guests (have seen kids push other kids down, speak very rudely to cast members, curse, etc.).

Ok, so let's get back to the topic at hand. You're going to love the California Grill. The food is excellent, as is the service and the views. Dined here for the first time on my last visit and LOVED it!!! When we took my nephews when they were little guys, we did do what another poster recommended, which was to dine later in the evening. By this time, they were asleep. Also, if you choose a night with fireworks, you can view them from several tables in the restaurant. We also brought small toys and such for them to play with while we waited either in the parks or in restaurants. Now that they are older, they still bring things with them, such as GameBoys (with the sound off, so as not to bother anyone), small pads to color, do puzzles in, etc. This helps pass the time while dining or waiting for a show or parade to start. If you have a carrier, there are some toys that attach to the handle for the kids to grab, look at, etc. that I found alot of little one's enjoying.

 

[GEM]

Yep, he really was 1 pound and 7 ounces at birth. He was 12 weeks early. Now he is 8 1/2 months old and almost 12 pounds. Other than still being small for his age, he is totally fine now. He's working hard on crawling, which is lots of fun. Our trip in May is to celebrate his first birthday, which is definately going to be a big celebration! There were some very scary times associated with his birth and we want to replace them with some happy Disney birthday memories!

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

My heart goes out to you. I had a couple scary moments already w/ my DS and once w/ my DD already, but the scary moments didn't last long and both kids turned out to be just fine, although the scary moment could've been life threatening if they went the other way. I was lucky. Can't imagine going thru something really tough.

I am sure this will be a very special trip for you. Hope your DS and you have fun celebrating his b-day in WDW. I'll send some pixie dust your way!!!

 

[Terk-1]

Congratulations!!! This should be a fun trip then!! Make sure to pick up a badge at the entrances to the park and let the CM's know about the birthday! If you are staying on-property, make sure to let the resort know about the birthday. I did this for my brother-in-law and when my family arrived at their resort room, there was a Mickey cake, balloons & a birthday card for him from Mickey.

 

[LvsTnk]

Originally posted by GEM
Yep, he really was 1 pound and 7 ounces at birth. He was 12 weeks early. Now he is 8 1/2 months old and almost 12 pounds. Other than still being small for his age, he is totally fine now. He's working hard on crawling, which is lots of fun. Our trip in May is to celebrate his first birthday, which is definately going to be a big celebration! There were some very scary times associated with his birth and we want to replace them with some happy Disney birthday memories!

Excellent Idea!!

The only problem that I can report with exposing your young children to fine dinning is the fact that they grow up to LOVE it

 

[MPLsDad]

Originally posted by Terk-1
Ok. One should not be flamed or be told where one should go or not go on vacation.

Just so we're clear here, I don't believe anyone was flaming on this topic and no one was told where to go on vacation.

That being said, Gem - good for you for making new memories. We've made it a tradition to bring our 3 yo to WDW for his birthday. Make sure when you go to each park you ask for a birthday button at Guest Services (I think all but Disney Studios has a unique button). Characters will make a big deal, most cast members will say happy birthday, and perfect strangers will wish your little one well, making Disney an ideal place to make a wee one feel important on the big day! In Test Track, we got to ride 2x in a row because of my son's birthday button!

 

[Hollymom1229]

Gem, no worries, you sound like great parents and I hope you enjoy your meal completely. My DH and I are currently childless, but we both loved well-behaved babies in restaurants because it gives us someone to make funny faces at other than each other. CG is a wonderful restaurant.