I have a Child who is 9 now but will be 10

[3kidz4dis]

Was anyone else in this situation where you have a child who will be 10 when we go but 9 now? If you are on the fence as to whether or not to add the Dining plan, does this make it not worth it because your 10 year old would never eat the food on the adult plan. Do you have to use the adult plan or can you pay for the child and only order from the child menu? Also when you add the DDP does it go off of the age they are when you travel or the age they are when you add them to the plan. From what it looks like it may make the decision as to whether or not the plan is worth is to us.

Thanks!

[DisneyMomx7]

My dd just turned 10. She eats like a bird - mainly chicken nuggets and burgers. We are doing the dining plan in January and July but if she were still considered a child I would have done ahead with the deluxe dining plan. Its killing me to pay $35 a day for her to eat kids meals so I can't push myself for the $70 a day Deluxe DDP.

I'm scheduling quite a few buffets to at least feel like I'm getting some of my money's worth for her on DDP.

She's so small I'm sure I could have just said she was 9, but I just wouldn't feel right about doing that, so we're biting the bullet.

[4 DZNY NUTZ]

My sons 10th birthday was January 20th, we went to WDW the first week of Feb. We left his dining as a 9 year old. He would have never ate the amount of food that we eat. This Feb. on the other hand, He has grown so much that it will certainly pay off for him to be considered an adult!!

[beattyfamily]

Was anyone else in this situation where you have a child who will be 10 when we go but 9 now? If you are on the fence as to whether or not to add the Dining plan, does this make it not worth it because your 10 year old would never eat the food on the adult plan. Do you have to use the adult plan or can you pay for the child and only order from the child menu? Also when you add the DDP does it go off of the age they are when you travel or the age they are when you add them to the plan. From what it looks like it may make the decision as to whether or not the plan is worth is to us.

Thanks!

They go by the age they are during the trip, not when you book it.

The plan isn't the best deal for everyone. It's not always the best deal for families with a just turned 10 year old because some 10 year olds still eat very little or are very picky. You'll have to decide if it's worth it for your family or not.

I couldn't lie about their age but that's just me.

[Rylee]

I have had the opposite problem. My son, 9 this past July, has very developed taste buds, and the children's menu items are such a bore for him. We gave him some foods off our plates at some meals, or just paid out of pocket for him at others.

I'm not sure it this is still allowed, but since her credits are now adult credits, you could do a few TS meals requiring the use of 2 TS credits per adult, using her credits towards the purchase of your meals, and just pay OOP for your daughter, assuming she will be ordering a simple, less expensive meal. Perhaps some restaurants will still let you order from the children's menu for her, since you are paying OOP.

[Rylee]

My sons 10th birthday was January 20th, we went to WDW the first week of Feb. We left his dining as a 9 year old. He would have never ate the amount of food that we eat. This Feb. on the other hand, He has grown so much that it will certainly pay off for him to be considered an adult!!


Not passing judgement... just curious...

How did you do this? Whenever I call Disney for anything, all my personal info comes up. I mean, we're in their system... including the names of my children and, I think, their ages or birth-dates. In fact, the last time I called, the CM seemed slightly suspicious at first, when I said I was booking for 2 adults and 2 children, because she was looking at my info and could clearly see I have 5 children, 2 adult children, and another considered a child for room-only purposes. (Sometimes our older children can't vacation with us... work, college, etc., and the middle child has said... can you believe this... "I don't want to go to Disney again." :confused3 When we can all go, it is a great way to reconnect with one another.)

Anyway, am I correct... isn't all our info already in their computer system from previous vacations?

[pkf4bucs]

When I booked I was never asked for birth dates of my children. I even booked for a neighbor and a person in their party will turn 10 right before their trip but I stated her to be 9. They wanted the DxDDP and I just couldnt see having them pay $70 for a 10 year old.

[Rylee]

When I booked I was never asked for birth dates of my children. I even booked for a neighbor and a person in their party will turn 10 right before their trip but I stated her to be 9. They wanted the DxDDP and I just couldnt see having them pay $70 for a 10 year old.

Maybe I'm mistaken, and only our names came up, not ages, but I'm sure she was calling the children by name, before I even mentioned them.

Regarding the DDP, it doesn't matter for us, as my 9 year old, as tiny as he is, wants to order from the adult menu. It's not the amount of food that's a problem with the child's menu, it the selections. We don't get the DDP for the savings, we liked it for the convenience... but haven't decided about next year because of the changes to the plan.

[beattyfamily]

Not passing judgement... just curious...

How did you do this? Whenever I call Disney for anything, all my personal info comes up. I mean, we're in their system... including the names of my children and, I think, their ages or birth-dates. In fact, the last time I called, the CM seemed slightly suspicious at first, when I said I was booking for 2 adults and 2 children, because she was looking at my info and could clearly see I have 5 children, 2 adult children, and another considered a child for room-only purposes. (Sometimes our older children can't vacation with us... work, college, etc., and the middle child has said... can you believe this... "I don't want to go to Disney again." :confused3 When we can all go, it is a great way to reconnect with one another.)

Anyway, am I correct... isn't all our info already in their computer system from previous vacations? ;)

Yes, I had the same experience. They did ask the name and ages of everyone in the room and they do have that info in the computer for when I booked future trips. It was like they had ESP or something.

[Rylee]

;)

Yes, I had the same experience. They did ask the name and ages of everyone in the room and they do have that info in the computer for when I booked future trips. It was like they had ESP or something.


I know... the last time I called, the CM called me by both my first and middle name! Only my Mom does that. :) Obviously, I've given them that info at some time. (I probably did because my husband's sister has the same first name as I, and until she was married about 3 years ago, she had the same last name, too. So, we were in the habit of including our middle names, since we live in the same small city.)

It occurs to me that if people are on the dining plan, it means they have a package, so they are also getting the park tickets at the child price, for a child 10 or over. Not that it is my business, as I am only concerned with me and mine.

[bleeps]

Yesterday we booked our 2008 trip, which will be our 5th trip but the first with our DS as a 10-year-old. We did book the deluxe DP, having had very good experiences with the DP in the past (and we went deluxe because we enjoy so many of the signature restaurants so we'll still make out well).

Our DS is not a big eater, but on past trips he has burned out almost immediately on the limited items available on the kids' menus. So, we are actually glad to have him with us on the adult plan, since it will mean he can order whatever he wants (in the past, we'd sometimes pay OOP when he really wanted, say, salmon for dinner and not nuggets again!). Will food get left on his plate when he is being served adult meals? Most likely. Will the quality of what he eats, and the variety of what he eats, improve? Absolutely. But regardless, we couldn't misrepresent his age as a matter of ethics/honor -- asking him to lie about his age (or having him watch us do it) and then expecting him to be an honest, trustworthy person would be hypocritical (in my opinion).... Not trying to upset anyone, just saying how we view it.

[drag n' fly]

Was anyone else in this situation where you have a child who will be 10 when we go but 9 now? If you are on the fence as to whether or not to add the Dining plan, does this make it not worth it because your 10 year old would never eat the food on the adult plan. Do you have to use the adult plan or can you pay for the child and only order from the child menu? Also when you add the DDP does it go off of the age they are when you travel or the age they are when you add them to the plan. From what it looks like it may make the decision as to whether or not the plan is worth is to us.

Thanks!

Your cost is based on the age of the child on the day you check in. So even if your child turns 10 the next day you only pay the children's rate for the whole trip unless you choose to upgrade to the adult plan.

[Deb & Bill]

When I booked I was never asked for birth dates of my children. I even booked for a neighbor and a person in their party will turn 10 right before their trip but I stated her to be 9. They wanted the DxDDP and I just couldnt see having them pay $70 for a 10 year old.

Gosh, how exciting to have a member of the Disney family right here on the boards! ;) Could you see about getting ticket prices reduced at the parks for all of us as well??

[Mickiethepooh]

Your cost is based on the age of the child on the day you check in. So even if your child turns 10 the next day you only pay the children's rate for the whole trip unless you choose to upgrade to the adult plan.

And by the same token if the child turns ten the day you arrive you pay adult ticket and adult dining plan for that child. THAT is how is works.
Now once you have paid the adult fee they have no problem letting you order for that child off the child menu. but you pay the adult price.

[pkf4bucs]

Gosh, how exciting to have a member of the Disney family right here on the boards! ;) Could you see about getting ticket prices reduced at the parks for all of us as well??

Excuse me?

[Colleen27]

They go by the age they are during the trip, not when you book it.


To be even more specific, they go by the age the child is at the time of check-in. We're going for DS's 10th birthday, checking in 3 days before his actual b-day and staying for 11 nights, and I was told that he'd still be a child for the purposes of the package because it is the age on check-in day that counts.

[beattyfamily]

To be even more specific, they go by the age the child is at the time of check-in. We're going for DS's 10th birthday, checking in 3 days before his actual b-day and staying for 11 nights, and I was told that he'd still be a child for the purposes of the package because it is the age on check-in day that counts.

:thumbsup2

[Deb & Bill]

Excuse me?

I'm sorry. :confused: I thought you were a member of the Disney family because you could change the rules for guests. I was mistaken, I guess. :wave2: Nevermind.

[pkf4bucs]

No but at times I wish I was.....especially for the advantages. My neighbor asked me and my wife to help her with her and her families booking for their first ever trip to Disney. Needless to say that was a looooong night as booking a week trip to Disney for 1st timers is not easy......:lmao:

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

Its simple if your child is 10 or over you pay adult price.

[3kidz4dis]

Its simple if your child is 10 or over you pay adult price.

Yea, that is simple but where it gets tricky is to whether or not to do the Dining Plan at all because the cost is now so much higher but the amount of food they eat at that age in most cases does not justify the cost. Doing the plan last year for us was a "no brainer"...this year we really have to do the math.

I just wish that Disney would let us choose...the 10 year old can go with the kids menu for the lower price but has the option of paying more and then the child has more adult chooses. Maybe at 12 or 13 that option goes away and then they have to order as an adult. Just my thought:confused3

[melomouse]

I think it's hard for all of us when the kids grow up! Especially at Disney prices!

DD turned 11 in August, and this Jaunuary will be the third time we'll use DDP. One of the things I did when she wasn't a big eater was book more Signature Dining, use her TS credit, buy her a kid's meal OOP and enjoy.

Sometimes the three of us have just shared everything. Sometimes I wouldn't order for her at all, just using my and DS's credits. There's lots of flexibility.

This past August, she started eating like an "adult". No more chicken fingers - we are on to Prime Rib~:thumbsup2

While it might be tempting to lie about ages because we are frustrated by how Disney defines "child" and "adult" - it is important to report the ages accurately and pay accordingly.

What I will share with you is that as my 2nd child turned 10, it was easier to swallow than when DS became a Disney "adult" 4 years earlier!:scared1:

[Mickiethepooh]

You know when I was ten I would have killed to be able to order Adult meals at a restaurant. We hardly EVER went to them in the first place but when we did there was no way my parents were paying for a real meal for me. At least with the dining plan a child can order and try things that parents would seldom foot the bill for under other circumstances.

[noahdove]

My granddaughter is a pickey eater, but I am doing the ddp and I will make ressies for ts for character breakfast as I know she will eat lots of food there:) She loves her breakfast....

[Kaler131]

I just wish that Disney would let us choose...the 10 year old can go with the kids menu for the lower price but has the option of paying more and then the child has more adult chooses. Maybe at 12 or 13 that option goes away and then they have to order as an adult. Just my thought:confused3

I absolutely agree! When my daughter was 10 she still ate like a child (now that she's 13 she eats like a horse....LOL) and she would always order from the children's menus at places (not WDW) that had 12 & under kids menus. But, my DS10 TOTALLY could eat an adult portion and would order off the adult menu everywhere. I think that if a child is under 12 they should have the option of ordering off the kids menu because they still are, after all, kids. :thumbsup2