Kids can be caught off guard by some of the themed elements at Disney restaurants. Erin Foster’s next Disney Food for Families column describes what restaurants might pose a problem and how to cope.
When my daughter Louisa was four years old, she was already a veteran of several Disney trips. These trips included at least a dozen character meals, dinner at the raucous Whispering Canyon Cafe, and even the foot-stomping Hoop Dee Doo Revue.
She handled all these experiences with kiddie aplomb, so it never occurred to me that we would ever have any problems at Disney restaurants. I was shocked when we got to the Animal Kingdom’s Rainforest Cafe and mid-appetizer, Louisa had a full-on, quivering-lip meltdown.
As it turns out, we had been seated directly next to the life-sized, chest-thumping, screeching, audio-animatronic gorilla. In her preschooler mind’s eye, that gorilla was inches away and effectively alive. She was terrified. My husband ended up getting his meal and hers packed to go; they left the rest of the family and went back to finish eating in the hotel room.
I later learned that, of course, she had company in experiencing sensory overload at the Rainforest Cafe and that there are several other WDW restaurants that have the potential to unsettle sensitive souls. I’m going to identify some of those and then give some possible coping strategies to avoid meltdowns and keep everyone eating together. Because, seriously, that giant volcano ice cream and brownie dessert thing at the Rainforest is worth sticking around for.
Potential Trouble Spots
These WDW restaurants are those most likely to induce some sort of fear in very young children or individuals with sensory integration issues:
Any character dining situation: Just as some kids are afraid of the characters in the parks. They may also have trouble with large moving mice in a restaurant.
Rainforest Cafe, at Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney: As mentioned above, there are life-sized animals that move and make realistic jungle sounds. Several times an hour, a simulated rainstorm has faux thunder and lightening echoing throughout the dining room.
T-Rex, at Downtown Disney: BIG dinosaurs move and roar. Intense lighting.
Sci-Fi Dine-In, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Dark replica of a drive-in movie, with diners facing a screen showing clips of old-time science fiction films. The movies shown are considered by most to be campy fun, but there are a few who find them upsetting. (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, anyone?)
Garden Grill, at Epcot: In addition to the presence of characters, this is a revolving restaurant — the dining area actually moves while you are eating. The motion is extremely slow, but there are some motion-sensitive individuals who my find this notable.
Coral Reef, at Epcot: The potential for trouble is small. However, if anyone in your party has a phobia about sharks, this is one to avoid. An entire wall of the restaurant is an aquarium filled with tropical fish, rays, and yes, sharks.
Teppan Edo, at Epcot: Japanese chefs cook hibachi-style right at your table. Many of the chefs will create a table-top onion volcano that shoots flames. Those with fear of heat or fire may be wary.
Spirit of Aloha Luau, at the Polynesian Resort: During one of the dance sequences, performers juggle fire. Again, those with fire issues might have concerns.
So what could I have done differently to have avoided Louisa’s gorilla-induced panic? In my case, I should have remembered that she had a tough time at the gorilla exhibit at our local zoo and held off on the Rainforest until she was a bit older. There are a number of ways to navigate past your unique trouble spots and keep everyone happy and fear-free during your Disney dining.
Simply avoid thematically-challenging restaurants: With dozens and dozens of fantastic dining choices, there’s no need to go anywhere that might cause your little one to be upset. If your child is in a character-fear zone, save Chef Mickey’s for the next trip.
Use desensitization strategies: If you have big group that wants a character meal, but one child is wary, take small steps to get that child comfortable with characters. Visit local a local restaurant or store that has costumed characters. Sometimes seeing larger-than-life creatures is easier close to home. Similarly, for a shark phobic, try a trip to a local aquarium first. Or for a robot film fear, show a few campy old sci-fi films at home. To see how your child might react to simulated thunder/lightening in a restaurant, try taking them to the Magic Kingdom’s Tiki Room first and see how that goes.
Do your homework: If you think your child might be afraid of something, but aren’t quite sure, scan YouTube for footage of the restaurant, possibly showing the results to your child. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words of advice.
Be aware of your timing: Make sure your child is rested and fresh before your attempt dining in a potentially rough situation. Meltdowns are more likely when children are hot and overtired.
Plan your challenging restaurant visit late in your trip: If you have suspicions that your child may have issues with a particular restaurant, schedule reservations for that restaurant for the end of your Disney visit. This will give you an opportunity to poke your head into the restaurant beforehand to give your child a sneak peek. If you see signs of trouble, you have time to make alternate dining plans.
Make your server your ally: If you have a sense that your child might be able to handle a challenge with a bit of support, let the restaurant host staff and your server know what you need. Servers can explain to characters that they need to keep a bit of distance between them and the child. You can also ask to have the fire volcano portion of the Teppan Edo cook show omitted. And you can ask to be seated away from the aquarium at Coral Reef or away from particular audio-animatronic creatures at T-Rex or Rainforest.
With a realistic eye on your family’s capabilities and bit of flexibility, planning, and communication, you should all be able to have magical dining experiences throughout your Disney trip.