Separate table for children at California Grill

[abzorba]

We'd originally planned for my wife and I to eat at California Grill on the night of our Crystal (15th) Wedding Anniversary and for our two daughters (11 and 9) to spend the night at the Pixar Play Zone in the Contemporary.

We have a 7:30pm reservation for two booked at California Grill but it's now confirmed that Pixar Play Zone will finish on 31st March so won't be available to us as an option.

As a result, we've today made a booking for another party of 2 for 7:35pm on the same night.

Will they allow our 9 and 11 year old daughters to sit on a different table to us if we're in the restaurant as well or will they make us sit 1 parent/1 child per table?

Update:
We've decided to cancel the 7:30 and 7:35 bookings and go for an earlier dinner with the kids and then spend the rest of the evening on our balcony at AKL with some duty free Dom Perignon and a couple of packs of Cheetos.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[markpwa8]

I would try to contact them directly to ask if they can convert it to a table for 4. (unless you want to sit away from the kids)

[abzorba]

Sitting on a table 'near' them would be the preferred option so we don't have to listen to them saying Urghh or Yuck any time we mention anything remotely romantic...

[bloominadversit]

Would it potentially be an option to request in room childcare?

[abzorba]

Originally Posted by bloominadversit

Would it potentially be an option to request in room childcare?

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I tried selling the idea of using KidsNiteOut to my wife but she wasn't keen on having someone we didn't know looking after them (I realise we wouldn't have known the staff at Pixar Play Zone either).

[bloominadversit]

Originally Posted by abzorba

I tried selling the idea of using KidsNiteOut to my wife but she wasn't keen on having someone we didn't know looking after them (I realise we wouldn't have known the staff at Pixar Play Zone either).

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That’s a shame - I think it’s the only way of guaranteeing a date night for the two of you! I would contact Disney and ask if there are any age restrictions on bookings. I guess the issue would be that there may not be 2 tables of 2 near each other, so you either spend ages waiting or sit as a 4 anyway.

[floridasgirl]

I think I would feel strange my children being in the same restaurant but a different table!
I would be phoning to convert to a table of 4.
I would be surprised if they would want them sat by themselves anyway!

[Ridersmom]

I think that having the two children alone at a table is not the best idea. Unless they are adjacent to your table, they would be unsupervised in an upscale restaurant. I don't know of anyone who does that.

If your kids need a sitter, contact a sitting service or have them at your table.

ETA: If you feel uncomfortable with thier "yucks" and "urgh" no one else should be subjected to it. Maybe have a talk with the girls and ask them to respect your special night and be on their best behavior with perfect manners.

[Shani]

Even if the restaurant would allow it, it's not really fair on the staff or the other diners really, is it?

My children are my responsibility, anniversary or not.

[abzorba]

They'd still be under our supervision. I'm wanting them on a table near us, not over the other side of the restaurant starting a Bugsy Malone style food fight and sampling the 40 year old Cab they've found on the wine list.