Strollers and Restaurants

[DrummerAlly]

We have dining reservations at Kona Cafe, 1900 park fare, Boma, and garden grill for our upcoming trip. We are brining our 3 month old (too young to go in a high chair) in a light weight stroller. Can we leave her in her stroller at the restaurants or will they make us remove her and hold her?

I assume we can just park the stroller next to the table, but thinking about it, I've never seen it done. Thanks!

 

[MissingDisney]

I actually searched our pictures from previous trips and found a few with small strollers or strollers with infant seats attached to them in the background at 1900 Park Fare, Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's and CRT. I'm sure Boma and Kona Cafe are no different. I would just tell them at check in so you have enough room.

 

[cornandacobb]

Obviously, a stroller/car seat combo would be the most convenient for both you and her.
Just pop her in and out...stick her in a booth, on the floor, etc.

Now, assuming that's not an option in your plans, we've had a stroller brought into a restaurant when my son was 2.5 years old. This was in 2006, but I specifically remember San Angel Inn and Flying Fish. He was sleeping both times (woke up at FF and was a cranky heathen).
If your child is awake, they may or may not frown upon it. But if your table can accommodate it, they will try and accommodate you. Just don't be surprised if they can't and/or don't.

I'm going next month with my 20 month old. I hope/pray she'll be zonked through a meal or two and we can slip a stroller in.
Or I really just hope she'll be awake and enjoying her meal as much as we're enjoying ours with minimal fuss.

 

[DrummerAlly]

Thanks! The car seat combo isn't going to work for us because it will be too bulky too deal with, so we're going with an umbrella stroller for her. Hopefully they won't make us take her out - that would make our meals so much more difficult. Glad to hear it's an option!

 

[Gabe1]

and a side bar........

I had really good luck with auto load rides HM, SSE, the longer ones, putting my small babes to sleep. I gave them a bottle while riding the attraction and *poof* down for the count. Then slipped them into stroller and off to dinner we went. They were 2 months and 14 months during their first trips. I just can't recall now what we did with the kid during dinner. Can't remember holding them asleep, so I'm guessing we left them in strollers.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

You definitely will not be able to bring the stroller to Garden Grill. They aren't allowed in the Land pavilion at all.

 

[DrummerAlly]

You definitely will not be able to bring the stroller to Garden Grill. They aren't allowed in the Land pavilion at all.

Whoa! Thanks for that reminder! Having never been with a baby, that never registered! I think I might change that reservation now. Tough to enjoy a meal while holding a squirmy baby!

 

[buseegal]

at Park Faire, short of pushing stroller under table i do not see being able to have a stroller. with characters walking around and kids moving to get pics your stroller will be bumped. i upset one family years ago at Liberity Tree when i was brought in thru a side door with ECV, stroller slightly bumped because they refused to move it waking the baby. you can have wheelchairs and ECV's moving around and there is not enough room between tables to put stroller beside the table as other table will need to be able to exit their table. so i guess it will be hard to get stroller in unless a very late ressie.

 

[Gabe1]

I saw this on AllEars:

We found that if we asked very nicely we were often able to bring her into restaurants and attractions right in the stroller. Cast members seemed only too willing to accommodate a sleeping infant in a stroller -- she strolled right up to the table at Liberty Tree Tavern, Akershus and Crystal Palace and into the Flight show at AK (we stood in the back). We learned that if we were polite about including her stroller (and discreet so as not to annoy those who had left their strollers behind), she was able to sleep peacefully through some wonderful meals and times for us. We know that December is the least crowded time at WDW, so this may not be possible in July -- but it can't hurt to ask -- you might be pleasantly surprised. When we were leaving Cinderella's Royal Table, the hostess mentioned that we could have brought her stroller upstairs -- we didn't even think to ask there (and we all would have had a better time)! (Karen, Ken and Baby Elizabeth)

 

[MissingDisney]

at Park Faire, short of pushing stroller under table i do not see being able to have a stroller. with characters walking around and kids moving to get pics your stroller will be bumped. i upset one family years ago at Liberity Tree when i was brought in thru a side door with ECV, stroller slightly bumped because they refused to move it waking the baby. you can have wheelchairs and ECV's moving around and there is not enough room between tables to put stroller beside the table as other table will need to be able to exit their table. so i guess it will be hard to get stroller in unless a very late ressie.

While it is a bit tight there, they definitely allow strollers. I have pics of my kids standing with each character with a stroller parked right next to them in every single one. Those are from Dec '11. The stoller wasnt in the way as it was parked in between 2 tables and we just went around the other side. Pics from PF from '10 had strollers in the background parked in between a wall and a table. I think if you tell them your needs without being demanding, they are wonderful at accommodating. They dont want to listen to a fussy baby either!