Character Meal as a Single Parent

[wendlle]

I will be visiting in September as a single parent of two kids this year (4 and 7) we've been to DL and WDW many times. BUT this is the first time I will be taking my kids alone.

We love character meals but I see they are all buffets. This is an issue because it's way too hard to get everyone food when I'm the only Adult.

Any advice??

 

[RoseColored97]

Would you trust the 7-year-old to stay in their seat while you ran up to the buffet with the 4-year-old? If so, you could do short quick trips to get everything at the beginning with the 4-year-old. There shouldn't be a problem with them being by themselves for a short time by the CMs because 7-year-olds can ride by themselves. If not, I would just have everyone go at the same time. Your table is saved, but I would also take your purse/backpack with you if all of you leave the table.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

At Storyteller’s, they have seats right in front of the buffet that you can request. We were seated in one of them last time and I could see the table the entire time I was at the buffet. I would go through the buffet with your 4 and 7 year old. Help them get their food and carry it back to your table. Get them settled and then go back for your own food. Our seating was at noon and the place was pretty packed but I was able to get my food and sit back down in under 5 minutes without missing my kids interacting with any characters.

 

[wendlle]

Thank you. I was hoping for Storytellers so that sounds like a great option to be seated near the buffet.
It's not so much just about seeing my kids it's juggling everyones food etc.
Just love Family Style at WDW so much for this reason. It's so much easier.

 

[ttintagel]

I have clear memories of getting my own food at buffets by the time I was seven. Granted, I was tall for my age, but your older kid might just surprise you.

 

[Pluto468]

When I've done those meals with my kids, we'd all get our food together at the same time. Then if they wanted seconds I'd peek at how the lines were and if it didn't look too crowded I'd let my kids go back themselves, as long as my table was close enough to keep an eye on them. They were 5 and 9 when we did the Stitch breakfast and they were ok going up alone. When we did Goofy's they were 7 and 11.

As other posters have suggested, you could request a table close to the buffet, and just bring your bag with you if you decide to all go up for seconds at the same time.

 

[MissDisney21]

Don’t be afraid to ask another parent might for help. Maybe there will be a full table of parents & grandparents next to you and 1 can take 5 minutes to help watch kids while you do a few quick food runs or help grab you a plate. I would certainly help if I were there! Good luck!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I took my two boys ages 7 and 3. I actually left them at the table alone and got two plates of food that we all shared. I also ordered items from our server (chicken tenders, fries, donuts), which the server brought out. My 3-year-old was great sitting at the table with my older son. I could see them the entire time and could have easily went back over to the table if there was an issue.

 

[monkeypat83]

I have done it with two kids but only one of them was really eating (the other was 6 months old and ate a bit off my plate) and even then we did one round and got her food and then dropped it off at the table and went back a second time to get me food. When we wanted seconds we went around with one plate and got everything both of us wanted and then separated it onto our individual plates when we got back to the table. Not the most time efficient but it worked for us.

 

[ballarinamom]

I would recommend they each carry their own empty plate though the line and they tell you what they want to try. You have two plates to fill with different things. When you go back to the table, serve it family style from the plates that you loaded. You can always go back to get more or the items that you missed. It may take a few trips to try everything they want. Deep breathes, relax and enjoy

 

[Dismama2boys]

I always ask for a table as close to the buffet as possible, so I can see them, and then we all go together through the first time. After that, I get up alone or take the youngest with me (I have 3 kids). I feel comfortable as long as I can see them. I do a lot with my three and just me, not just Disney, so we often just have to make it work. Yours are about the ages I finally felt comfortable leaving the table if they were within my view. That all goes out the window, though, if someone has to go to the bathroom (I won’t leave them that long and don’t want to risk my table being cleared), so we always make a bathroom trip just before going to the restaurant.

 

[chezcurrie]

I recently did Plaza Inn with my (then) 6-year old. We went together to get our food and I used a tray/he used a plate. I then I sat him down at our table and I went back for drinks/supplementation. I could see him while I was at the buffet and he was focused on his food and the characters walking around. As long as your 4-year old is ok with his older sibling this strategy could work. I also would think any of the cast members would be willing to stay by your table if you need to go back solo.