A Signature Dining Review/Rant

[smiths02]

1. Obnoxious, overstimulated kids and checked-out, negligent parents have always been a thing. Especially at Disney.
2. The only way to stop such behavior is to work to ensure that you and your children (if you choose to have them) never behave this way.

I think another way to stop the behavior is to complain as well. I mean politely complain, ask to move, etc. Email guest services later. Many people on here quote management as too afraid to too anything lest they offend the offenders. Management needs to learn not to offend everyone else in the restaurant.

 

[sanapp]

I started taking my now 15 year old daughter to Disney Signatures about 6 or 7 years ago. Before that I didn't think she would behave well enough to eat in a Signature without disturbing other people. It might sound funny, but we discussed proper etiquette for months before hand and really made a big deal about going to the signature places. She was a real tom boy at the time, but she was still excited to get dressed up and have nice meals. It was so disappointing to her though as many kids and parents themselves were not behaving properly. I can remember eating at Jiko with her and there was a very disruptive table next to us. It seemed like 1/2 of the kids were sleeping on the table and the other 1/2 were wining. The 2 sets of parents for the most part seemed like they couldn't be bother with their kids and when they were it was just to yell at them. You could tell that the kids were just over tired and hangry. It is funny though as my daughter to this day talks fondly about that trip.

 

[cadien]

I’m almost 50, and I assure you that this isn’t something new. My first job was at a pizza joint in 1985, and it was the most soul-deadening professional experience of my life. Kids were HELLIONS. It was a rare day when some 9 year old wasn’t standing on a table, or throwing silverware across the dining room, or even one time, crawling up to whack the video projector we had for cartoons with a red pepper shaker. And very rarely did parents do anything. My manager at the time, who had worked there since 1969, laughed at me when I expressed horror at all this, telling me, “this is the business, get used to it.”

(I won’t even go into the time when I delivered a pizza and the customer’s horrid little pre-pubescent shot a bottle rocket at my car, and the dad laughed, “That’s what you get when it’s not here in 30 minutes or less!” Do I even need to point out I was actually way early?)

Anyway, in the service industry, you get to see the worst in families. A friend of mine, she got stabbed in the leg working at a Shoney’s by a young kid with a fork. Some fun never goes out of style.

This.

Parents actually ignored their kids MORE in past decades. And it's pretty rare that you see a rant like this and anyone stand up for the kids. We still agree as a society that it's unacceptable. There's just always that % of jerks out there.

 

[smcabee]

Speak up next time. I would of complained to the management. Until people start complaining about parents not controlling their kids things will never change.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Why can’t parents make their children behave?

Well, in the past, parents used physical punishment to compel their children to behave, and society rather frowns on that now. (I'm not saying we should go back to that! - I just think today's parents really do have to be more creative to get the same results, and it isn't easy.)

Taking the child out when he or she becomes disruptive is an excellent plan, as is this one:

I started taking my now 15 year old daughter to Disney Signatures about 6 or 7 years ago. Before that I didn't think she would behave well enough to eat in a Signature without disturbing other people. It might sound funny, but we discussed proper etiquette for months before hand and really made a big deal about going to the signature places. She was a real tom boy at the time, but she was still excited to get dressed up and have nice meals. It was so disappointing to her though as many kids and parents themselves were not behaving properly. I can remember eating at Jiko with her and there was a very disruptive table next to us. It seemed like 1/2 of the kids were sleeping on the table and the other 1/2 were wining. The 2 sets of parents for the most part seemed like they couldn't be bother with their kids and when they were it was just to yell at them. You could tell that the kids were just over tired and hangry. It is funny though as my daughter to this day talks fondly about that trip.

I don't think it sounds "funny" at all, but very responsible! We did something similar by "playing restaurant" at home - to set up expectations without the pressure. (DS also knew that if he showed us he wasn't ready to eat in restaurants, he'd have a sitter the next time while the adults went without him!)

I get that it's harder at Disney than at home - there are so many extra factors at play - but then people go and do things like book meals two hours later than their kids are used to eating, and not think it's going to melt them down.


Kids today know how in charge they really are, and it's not good.

 

[marmar]

Other people’s children is why DH and I mostly eat a signature restaurants. Many of these rude folks won’t spend the extra $$$. Just remember they will probably have to eat counter service several nights to cover those 2 TS at signature.

I refuse to eat at Chef de France because of the large number of uncontrollable families. I had the child at the next table kick me as he wallowed around on the seat.

I’ve seen folks complain here about how hard it is to get adrs for large groups. I personally think that this may be Disney’s passive aggressive solutions to large uncontrollable groups. Even at our large family Thanksgivings we end up with multiple tables. You can’t have pleasant dinner conversations with folks all shouting over each other.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I’m almost 50, and I assure you that this isn’t something new. My first job was at a pizza joint in 1985, and it was the most soul-deadening professional experience of my life. Kids were HELLIONS. It was a rare day when some 9 year old wasn’t standing on a table, or throwing silverware across the dining room, or even one time, crawling up to whack the video projector we had for cartoons with a red pepper shaker. And very rarely did parents do anything. My manager at the time, who had worked there since 1969, laughed at me when I expressed horror at all this, telling me, “this is the business, get used to it.”

(I won’t even go into the time when I delivered a pizza and the customer’s horrid little pre-pubescent shot a bottle rocket at my car, and the dad laughed, “That’s what you get when it’s not here in 30 minutes or less!” Do I even need to point out I was actually way early?)

Anyway, in the service industry, you get to see the worst in families. A friend of mine, she got stabbed in the leg working at a Shoney’s by a young kid with a fork. Some fun never goes out of style.

I agree. This is nothing new.

My worst experience with a rowdy family was at Ruth Chris is Philly. The waiter apologized numerous times. The kids were throwing food, going under the table, yelling, running around the table, etc. And they were on their way to The Lion King broadway show next door.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Other people’s children is why DH and I mostly eat a signature restaurants. Many of these rude folks won’t spend the extra $$$. Just remember they will probably have to eat counter service several nights to cover those 2 TS at signature.

I refuse to eat at Chef de France because of the large number of uncontrollable families. I had the child at the next table kick me as he wallowed around on the seat.

I’ve seen folks complain here about how hard it is to get adrs for large groups. I personally think that this may be Disney’s passive aggressive solutions to large uncontrollable groups. Even at our large family Thanksgivings we end up with multiple tables. You can’t have pleasant dinner conversations with folks all shouting over each other.

Respectfully, I'm not sure socio-economic status has any relationship to entitled and/or rude behavior. To be sure, it's unacceptable across the board. But I've seen it at signatures as much as I've seen it elsewhere.

 

[Disneytam]

This is why I try very hard not to eat at restaurants that have tables with a bench seat along the walls. My husband and I were on our first Disney trip without kids. We had dinner at the old Alfredo restaurant in Italy. Shortly after we were seated a couple with 2 children were seated along the wall right next to us. The little boy who was around 4 years old had several plastup toy animals that he was racing up and down the wall and across the table and under our table. I twice gave the mother "the look" but she could have cared less. Half way through our meal the little boy started throwing his toys in the air. I asked his mother to please ask him to stop and was told he was just having some fun. When a toy dinosaur ended up in my plate and the little boy grabbed it back I nearly lost it. My poor husband was like it's time to go. The mother turned to me and said " If you don't like children why would you visit Disney"!! Hubby took my hand and we went looking for a server to settle our bill or I think I would have throttled her! That was years ago and I'm not surprised things haven't changed.

 

[KPeterso]

This is why I try very hard not to eat at restaurants that have tables with a bench seat along the walls. My husband and I were on our first Disney trip without kids. We had dinner at the old Alfredo restaurant in Italy. Shortly after we were seated a couple with 2 children were seated along the wall right next to us. The little boy who was around 4 years old had several plastup toy animals that he was racing up and down the wall and across the table and under our table. I twice gave the mother "the look" but she could have cared less. Half way through our meal the little boy started throwing his toys in the air. I asked his mother to please ask him to stop and was told he was just having some fun. When a toy dinosaur ended up in my plate and the little boy grabbed it back I nearly lost it. My poor husband was like it's time to go. The mother turned to me and said " If you don't like children why would you visit Disney"!! Hubby took my hand and we went looking for a server to settle our bill or I think I would have throttled her! That was years ago and I'm not surprised things haven't changed.

I would be the horrible person who would not give it back. You threw it on my food, it is mine now. Now granted if his behavior improved, the kid would have probably gotten it back when us or them left, but it would be mine in the meantime. I would thank him for the gift of the dinosaur and say something about just who I would give it to. Not that it would teach him (or the parents anything).

 

[KenHutch]

Sorry you had a less then great experience because The Brown Derby is such a great experience. If I had done any of that growing up afterwards I would have gone to the backyard and dug a grave and just waited on my dad. But you would probably be embarrassed by me as well if I was dining with you. I am a retired Marine and I have stood up in restaurants gone to parents and tell them to control the future felons that are their children. It is sort of amazing to see clueless parents being dressed done in Marine Command Voice. I have done this 3 or 4 times and not one parent has ever done anything but look and me then get their children.

 

[MamaJessie]

Many of these rude folks won’t spend the extra $$$. Just remember they will probably have to eat counter service several nights to cover those 2 TS at signature.

I’ve seen folks complain here about how hard it is to get adrs for large groups. I personally think that this may be Disney’s passive aggressive solutions to large uncontrollable groups. Even at our large family Thanksgivings we end up with multiple tables. You can’t have pleasant dinner conversations with folks all shouting over each other.

Rude parents exist in all demographics. And large families don't mean 'uncontrollable groups'.

Sorry OP had a poor experience at HBD - people should be expected to be polite at all levels of dining. Grapefruit martini does sound good, I am thinking of trying it next trip!

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

I used to be a server as did my husband way back when. I had a nightmare table of my own once. The people at the table across from them tipped me $20 extra for how well I handled the craziness. That being said, when my children little we took them to restaurants of all types to teach them how to properly behave in restaurants. If they started to misbehave they were taken outside immediately until they could behave properly. We only ever received compliments on their behavior and table manners. I have 4 children that were born within 5 years of each other. It is not rocket science. People need to pay attention to their children. In your case I would have asked to be moved when away from that nonsense.

 

[skorpie]

Sorry for the terrible experience. As a retired teacher of over 30 years, kids have changed. No, it is the parents who have. Someone previously posted that what goes around, comes around. Someday those parents will have a terrible dinner somewhere! I probably would have tried to give the kids the "teacher eyes"! Not that t would have made a difference.

 

[Poor Gail]

That being said, when my children little we took them to restaurants of all types to teach them how to properly behave in restaurants.

Same here. My parents had the philosophy that there should never be any place they were ashamed to take us to, and we did the same with our daughters. I think too many parents don't take their kids to anything but fast food places or just the drive thru, and they are never taught the proper way to behave in a real restaurant.

 

[cedricandsophie]

My adult daughter with Down syndrome has way more Sense of right snd wrong than these brats. We have always taken her to nice restaurants since she was small. At Cali Grill yeArs ago about age 6 she acted up. I immediately took her to the elevator area and told her if she didn’t stop we were going and dinner was done. She calmed down and dinner went on. It never happened again. A few years ago she had a tantrum before her dad and I were taking her and our granddaughter to a park. She wouldn’t stop, her dad left, I stayed. She was shocked. It has never happened again. Parenting is hard. The major key is consistency and follow through. Sometimes you have to endure a little pain but if you’re consistent just two times in a row there is a behavior change. I wish young parents understood that.

 

[Nancyg56]

I just came back to share my own DGD serving experience this week. She is 17 years old, and has been working in a local ice cream and light meal restaurant. A family with 5 kids came in for ice cream, and one of the kids ordered a specialty sundae but changes all of the toppings witht eh exception of the banana, and all of the specified ice creams. DGD explained it woudl no longer be that specific sundae, and the boy was okay with that. She delivered the ice cream a dn teh Mom went nuts! I mean she was all over DGD, and the kids were asking to her to please stop. The manager and the district manager, who happened to be there got involved, and there was no calming the woman down. DGD was mortified, and spent time with ther rest of the customers, making sure that they were no incoincenienced. One guest who had just had a scoop of ice cream gave her $20 and told her what she observed was unacceptable and no one should be treated that way.

My point is that out of control people exist in every age group. In this case the children tried to control the adult and of course could not. DGD said she felt bad for them, from their conversation it seemed this was a regular occurance for her.

 

[shh]

I think another way to stop the behavior is to complain as well. I mean politely complain, ask to move, etc. Email guest services later. Many people on here quote management as too afraid to too anything lest they offend the offenders. Management needs to learn not to offend everyone else in the restaurant.

this really nails it...the problem is that everyone around them suffers in silence and pays good money for a ruined experience. You can glare all you want - these type of people truly don't care. The concept of embarassment or shame is non-existent for them.

I was one of those people that just sat and fumed until a few years ago. But no more. Managers will only help those who insist upon it. Say nothing and they'll never get involved - they'll be relieved that they don't have to.

I am the nicest, friendliest person who rarely sends stuff back and tips very generously. But this is one area I have zero tolerance for. I WILL make the manager do their job. They will either move me to a different table or give me a full refund (if I'm already midway through the meal.) If I've just sat down and they won't or can't relocate us, I'll just leave.

If they give me an attitude like I'm the one that's being difficult, I'll leave and write a letter to the owner or corporate office later.

No meal is that important - I'll grab something off a cart before I throw away the money it costs to eat a TS meal next to any rude, disruptive group - kids or adults.

 

[samsteele]

What is the take away here? I don't know. Maybe if it were to happen again, I have asked to move tables.

I also loved my food here years ago but sadly watched families run amuck on the main floor. Luckily I was seated on an outside, maybe raised? perimeter, and so wasn't right in the middle of the chaos. I agree asking to be moved once the crazy starts is a possible. Whether they can accommodate you when crowded is another thing. They should try. If an upcoming ADR, perhaps ask to be seated in a quiet(er) section and avoid the middle of the main floor. Sorry you had such a rough experience.