California Grill with kids?

[sonamae80]

I am looking into ADR's for our upcoming trip in May and we have never tried California Grill. We always try to eat somewhere we've never ate before on each trip! This trip there will be two 10 year olds, a 6 year old and a 3 year old - I'm just curious as to the atmosphere of CG? Really nice? Quiet? I know they offer a kids menu, which looks great, but I was just curious to know opinions before booking.

PS:
Our kids aren't rambunctious and loud, but they are kids and have kid-like tendencies! LOL! And I'm very conscientious about other patrons of restaurants, so if the majority dine here don't have kids, then please tell me! LOL!

[SBETigg]

The majority who dine here do not have kids. It's a more elegant and quiet setting, though not too fussy or too quiet. I have seen plenty of kids here, though not the majority, and as long as you are conscientious adults, I can't imagine they would present a problem for your fellow diners. If your kids like to get out of their seats and ramble around, or fuss a lot, probably not ideal for you, but kids are welcome and usually present in small numbers. I hope this helps?

[sonamae80]

The majority who dine here do not have kids. It's a more elegant and quiet setting, though not too fussy or too quiet. I have seen plenty of kids here, though not the majority, and as long as you are conscientious adults, I can't imagine they would present a problem for your fellow diners. If your kids like to get out of their seats and ramble around, or fuss a lot, probably not ideal for you, but kids are welcome and usually present in small numbers. I hope this helps?

Yes! This helps a great deal! Thank you so much!

[faline]

We've been to California Grill with a two year old. Granted, his dad did need to take a walk with him when sitting became too much for him but, overall, it went well. We've often seen children at California Grill and have never had a meal interrupted due to their presence.

[ThanxForNoticin]

The majority who dine here do not have kids. It's a more elegant and quiet setting, though not too fussy or too quiet. I have seen plenty of kids here, though not the majority, and as long as you are conscientious adults, I can't imagine they would present a problem for your fellow diners. If your kids like to get out of their seats and ramble around, or fuss a lot, probably not ideal for you, but kids are welcome and usually present in small numbers. I hope this helps?

I would agree with this analysis 100%. It's a restaurant with a more adult feel, but it's Disney and 99% of the restaurants will have kids there to eat! Calif Grill is no exception.

[Basket Mommy]

I took my youngest two to Cali Grill in 2002 and there was no problem. It was a very nice restaurant then, but IMO, is much more elegant now. However, I would still take my kiddos there if they were small, because, like yours, they were typically very behaved at restaurants. If not, they'd be removed from the table until they could return without bothering anyone else. That said, not all parents care that their kids are wild and unruly and think that the restaurant is their personal playground. I took my 18 year-old daughter there for a special dinner in August and a huge party was seated next to us near the end of our meal. They insisted on pushing 2 large strollers up to the table instead of asking for high chairs, and one of the kids kept kicking my chair from his stroller. They were loud and annoying and would've ruined our meal had we not been almost finished. I just ate dinner there on Sunday night with my entire family of 6 and noticed a few children in the restaurant, but not many.

[Kairi_7378]

I think that if you know the kids can sit for a 90 minute meal, and are aware that they will have to be on their best behavior, they will be fine. We stick to mostly signature restaurants in Disney because my husband prefers the (relatively) quieter atmosphere. We have taken my son to the CA Grill 3 times... when he was 3, 4, and 7. Before each visit, we remind him that this is our "fancy" meal of the trip. He loves being able to look out over the World and take photos on the observation decks. The decks provide a great place to get up and walk around between courses. We tend to eat early with him in Disney, and this allows us to eat relatively quickly. During his first visit, he fell asleep in his stroller. The hostess allowed us to roll the stroller up to the table next to the high chair, which we transferred him to when he woke up. He was a little disoriented when he woke up, and the waiter brought him a fancy dish of Goldfish crackers, which fix everything.

[MrPeetrie]

We went there once for dinner to coincide with the MNSSHP fireworks. Our children were aged 9 & 2 at the time -- a very rambunctious 2, as well. As soon as we're seated, my DS2 put hit toy in the glass of water. The waiter laughed and brought us a new one. A few minutes later, he threw another toy and it went under a neighboring diner's table. They laughed and handed it back. I then took him to watch the kitchen as I held him. He really enjoyed it. After dinner, we went outside and watched (and listened) to the fireworks.

Truthfully, I was probably much more embarrassed than were diners or staff upset. Everyone was very accepting of an energetic 2-year-old. It is Disney after all.

[cspenc28]

We took our 2 (almost 3) year old on our last trip. He enjoyed himself, we were seated at a booth right next to he kitchen (he loved seeing all the hustle and bustle) and we opted not to have a booster seat or high chair as it was a late dinner and I knew he would probably fall asleep. They do have a kids menu, but he chose not to eat anything. Our waiter was wonderful and offered to bring him some strawberries as they were on the kids menu as a dessert. Our waiter also brought over a cup of Mickey confetti for my son to play with, he loved it!
My son is a normal toddler/preschooler, he can be loud and rambunctious, but he was as good as gold-we go out to eat a lot, so he knows how to act at restaurants.
We will definitely take him back.

[Dulcee]

We took our son at about 18 months. We'll take him again at almost three. We just stack the deck, bring lots of things to occupy him and know we may need to take a walk if he gets antsy.

[amorillo]

We have dined here several times with our youngest children. (youngest was 2 on her first visit) We have never had a problem. Highly recommend bringing a little snack and something to occupy them, as dinner can take time. We have planned a few of our trips around the fireworks and our children loved watching from the outside balcony! Definitely a wonderful vantage point to see at least once.

[deedee73]

I was taken to the Cali Grill (at that point it was Top of the World) many times as a youngster and have gone back many times since as an adult. I have seen many kids mostly dressed up & well behaved. I truly believe if the kids are prepared by being told it is a fancy dressy meal in which they need to act like we'll behaved young adults that they will especially if they are promised a great view and fireworks following the dining experience as a reward.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk