Hi there, Thomas!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. I think it's wonderful you are planning to expose your toddler to fine dining! As parents of a three year old, we have taken our son to many of the fine dining establishments throughout the Disneyland Resort. It's actually where we feel the most comfortable taking our son when we want to explore this type of cuisine, because the Disneyland Resort is truly a family destination. You most likely will see other families with small children at all of the restaurants located throughout the theme parks and Disneyland Resort Hotels. My son has enjoyed the Carthay Signature Fried Biscuits with apricot-honey butter at
Carthay Circle Restaurant and the gumbo at Blue Bayou Restaurant.
Sometimes if we want fine dining cuisine but are unsure of our son's behavior, we opt for a lounge experience instead of the restaurant itself. For example, at
Napa Rose Lounge located in Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, you can order the same wonderful food as the actual Napa Rose restaurant but in a more relaxed and casual setting. Another plus is that reservations are not required to dine in the lounge. These fine dining restaurants are also extremely accommodating when it comes to children. When the waitress asked my son what he wanted for dinner in the lounge, he said, "salmon with mashed potatoes and broccoli." Even though this was not explicitly on the children's menu, they were able to make him a custom children's portion with exactly what he wanted!
I think you will be very pleased with your experience, and I look forward to your fantastic fine dining meal!
-Jennifer