When will Disney stop serving crappy kids food?

[CaoilinnsMom]

Maybe it's just me, but my daughter won't eat any of the "kids" items. Chicken nuggets, pizza, orange macaroni and cheese, etc. This is one of the reasons I will never get DDP while she is still technically a child. Being forced to order from the menu"where available" would be a waste of money. Why don't they offer smaller portions of adult entrees to the kids? Why does the kids menu include inferior food items as a rule? We go to the buffets so she has a better choice, it's not like she is going toeat that much anyway. Disney seems way behind on this...

 

[deakam]

I have often thought the same thing. How many cheese pizzas can one kid eat in a week. The mac and cheese is terrible and the nuggets are just gross. I have noticed that several places are now serving a salad and spaghetti. If I am not mistaken I think we actually got a turkey sandwich this last trip. I think they are slowly but surely catching up. When I serve kids at my house they do get the same food as the adults. Just not as much.

 

[wilkeliza]

Maybe it's just me, but my daughter won't eat any of the "kids" items. Chicken nuggets, pizza, orange macaroni and cheese, etc. This is one of the reasons I will never get DDP while she is still technically a child. Being forced to order from the menu"where available" would be a waste of money. Why don't they offer smaller portions of adult entrees to the kids? Why does the kids menu include inferior food items as a rule? We go to the buffets so she has a better choice, it's not like she is going toeat that much anyway. Disney seems way behind on this...

I think the kids menu is beginning to change. Unless there changed it I believe BOG serves salmon and pork on their kids menu.

Unfortunately I think the kids menu issue is because a large portion of families don't feed their children anything but these "staples". As a World Showcase CM I couldn't tell you how many times I would e asked where I could suggest that had "real food". I always sighed (inly started sighing after the 100x time i heard this) and said well this is the World Showcase we have food from 11 countries some of the best including Italy, Japan, an our hidden gem Morocco. Then they would scoff and say no pizza or chicken you know kid food. I would then roll my eyes (not always) and say America. It is a sad situation and I ha this happen at least once a day and as high as once an hour. Honestly this and the question is this where we meet perry, sign up for the show, enter the ride are the only time I let my sass come out to guests because it was just when you wanted to be done with it all.


Edit: I don't want to sound like a bad CM but this was one of the questions I always hated because I felt so bad for the kids. I also loved during F&W when a guy asked where he could get a beer. I informed him most of the Botha would have it since it was F&W and he replied no I want real beer you know like a Bud light. I almost died.

 

[bluejasmine]

I agree that after 5-7 days of eating Mac & cheese & nuggets it gets tiresome & not healthy at all BUT that is what the majority of kids want & unfortunately parents feed it to them.

Have noticed several restaurants now serving other & healthier options for dinner but I gotta be honest my kids are grown now but as a kid they would never have picked meatloaf or anything like that on vacation they eat those type of things at home..

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[AJKMOM]

Unfortunately for Disney, the place is full of "picky eaters" who only eat pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc. There are a lot of threads complaining that BOG doesn't serve those things, wanting to know if they can get something different or change the menu somehow.

You can't blame Disney, they are serving what a bunch of people want.

 

[TDC Nala]

Several years ago, I think it was right before or soon after the introduction of the dining plan, Disney tried totally revamping the kids' meals, with all selections containing baked or grilled items (nothing fried) and raw or cooked vegetables as a side. No french fries. Desserts were a choice of yogurt, fruit or sugar-free gelatin. It didn't last long, there was an uproar of parents complaining that their kids would not eat chicken pita pizza, garden salad or grilled chicken strips and they wanted a "real" dessert, not fruit. The menus were returned to "kids' favorites."

The experiment continues with Art of Animation and Be Our Guest, which do not serve any "kids favorites." Don't know how it works in actual practice but this board gets a lot of complaints that the kids won't eat anything on the menu, and some of the parents even want to buy chicken nuggets or pizza elsewhere and carry them in. Some would like BOG to somehow provide their kids with chicken nuggets.

Disney serves that kind of food because that's what the majority wants.

As for why they don't offer smaller portions of adult entrees to children...for that I think all you need to do is look at the price of the children's dining plan.

Buffets and the family style meals are a good option for parents who prefer their children to eat more "adult" food, as everyone eats the same food at these places.

 

[minushka72]

My kids eat the mac and cheese and chicken nuggets occasionally at Disney but we love buffets because they can eat regular food too! My DS loves the shrimp and chicken and Ohana and both DS and DD loved the food at Garden Grill and Liberty Tree Tavern.

My DD will try just about anything. DS is pickier but picky in an opposite way than most kids. He prefers Clam Chowder and Shrimp Scampi but will not eat things like Pizza or Spaghetti. He loves Columbia Harbor House.

We don't usually do the DDP because the QS credits just don't work for us as far as what my kids eat and we only do about 3 TS during our 5 day visits.

I think parents need more choices of regular food for their kids. I really don't think all these parents are making different meals for the kids at home like short order cooks!

 

[jennylyn_b]

I read these type of posts all the time and I understand the frustration but I don't agree. We go to Disney twice a year for 11-16 nights per trip which equates to a lot of cs lunches and Ts dinners. Our dd doesn't eat yucky pizza and nuggets the whole trip in fact this will be her fourth trip in May and she's never had a Disney kids nugget or pizza! Well she has had Via Napoli pizza but thats different pizza then the kids pizza elsewhere. I don't think it's too hard to find healthy alternatives. It does take some extra planning on my part to know what cs have the best options for her but its worth it. She ends up eating pasta with sauce, fish, grilled chicken, steamed veggies etc.

 

[Three cats]

Just look on this very board at the "outrage" over the BOG kkids menu. I think that right there tells the story.


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[Emteach]

I understand why Disney serves those picky eaters (we have one in our house) but I don't understand why every restaurant does not have both options. I think that they should have mac and cheese, grilled cheese and nuggets but also fish options, chicken dishes and grilled meats. To me this would be the best of both worlds. I am glad to see some making the switch to include both options and I am sure with some planning you could find restaurants with more options.

 

[thisismyusername]

I think the table service restaurants are improving. I am really happy to see the Mickey Check meals with grilled chicken and grilled fish and veggies and fruit, and have tried to select as many of those restaurants as possible for our ADRs.

What is sorely lacking in ALL of Disney (except, perhaps, Epcot, the resorts, and DTD) are healthy choices at counter service restaurants. The kids menus here are all typical fast-food fare, and the adult entrees, sadly, are also more of the same, just bigger portions. I don't understand why CS locations can't offer more wraps, salads and soups.

 

[pigletto]

While I agree that the kids menus were pretty abysmal, they are definitely changing for the better.
As others have pointed out, it's a no win situation for Disney because we have one group lobbying for healthy and more varied kids choices, while we see another who is outraged at Jr. not having pizza, nuggets, and hot dogs within 15 ft of their little finger tips at all times.

I have what some would characterize as a picky eater. He can't stand sauces or things mixed together etc. However, that doesn't mean he wants processed junk all the time. The choices seem to be getting fresher and more healthy so for that I am grateful.

 

[brymolmom]

There are plenty of adult foods for kids at Disney...Just not on the kids' menu at CS places. Families aren't forced to get the DDP...so if the kids menu choices don't work for your family - pay OOP and just get adult meals.

It is obvious why the kids' menu selections can't all be smaller portions of adult meals - the kids DDP is CHEAP - No way could they serve half portions of 'regular' entrees for that price - they would have to make the price SIGNIFICANTLY higher. And I doubt they want to do that.

SO....

For the families whose kids like kids meal stuff - They can buy the DDP. OR families like mine - whose parent will research so that the kids don't get all nuggets or pizza. Between sharing adult CS meals, using kids credits for breakfast, using kids credits at food courts for things like pasta or chicken & broccoli, using kids credits at places like the old Main St bakery and using kids credits at WS places at EPCOT - my kids barely had a nugget the whole time. For TS we do several buffets so the kids get all adult and kid choices and we usually do 1 signature where there is rarely a nugget on the kids menu. So it is doable. Just takes time and planning.

OR

Other families who don't care to do that or who don't care for the kids menus - well, they can just pay OOP and get whatever they want.

There's an option available for everyone!

 

[DLgal]

"When will Disney stop serving crappy kids food?"

Answer: When parents stop buying it. The bottom line is, the food is cheap for Disney, cheap for parents, kids like it, and it sells.

I have a question for YOU, though:

"When will parents just start buying the kind of food they want their kids to eat?"

Kids don't have to eat kids meals. Parents just seem unwilling to either split meals with their kids or pony up a little more money for "better" food for their kids.

Personally, I appreciate Disney's kid's offerings most of the time, and I have self restricted eaters (Autism related). But, you know, one day at Kona Cafe, my 7 year old wanted the Pan Asian Noodles with Chicken and a fruit smoothie. His lunch ended up costing us $17.99 plus $4.99. So, $23. I had no issue paying that, but I know MANY parents would balk at that amount of money. That's the problem. People want to have their cake and eat it too.

 

[pigletto]

There are plenty of adult foods for kids at Disney...Just not on the kids' menu at CS places. Families aren't forced to get the DDP...so if the kids menu choices don't work for your family - pay OOP and just get adult meals.

It is obvious why the kids' menu selections can't all be smaller portions of adult meals - the kids DDP is CHEAP - No way could they serve half portions of 'regular' entrees for that price - they would have to make the price SIGNIFICANTLY higher. And I doubt they want to do that.

SO....

For the families whose kids like kids meal stuff - They can buy the DDP. OR families like mine - whose parent will research so that the kids don't get all nuggets or pizza. Between sharing adult CS meals, using kids credits for breakfast, using kids credits at food courts for things like pasta or chicken & broccoli, using kids credits at places like the old Main St bakery and using kids credits at WS places at EPCOT - my kids barely had a nugget the whole time. For TS we do several buffets so the kids get all adult and kid choices and we usually do 1 signature where there is rarely a nugget on the kids menu. So it is doable. Just takes time and planning.

OR

Other families who don't care to do that or who don't care for the kids menus - well, they can just pay OOP and get whatever they want.

There's an option available for everyone!

Agreed. There are other options. Due to the way we eat and what we eat we're not going with a dining plan but are going to use Tables in Wonderland from now on.
The other nice thing about that is that ds who is 9 has an adult meal appetite some days and a kids meal appetite on other days. This way he can just get what he wants.

 

[aaarcher86]

Just look on this very board at the "outrage" over the BOG kkids menu. I think that right there tells the story.


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I was thinking the exact same thing!

It'd be nice if they changed it up and added more adult options for kids, but they did that at ONE restaurant and it's caused a huge stir! Imagine if they did it everywhere!

 

[mommyrosa2]

I think it depends on where you're eating. When my kids were younger, we purposely chose places that had a good variety so they weren't eating that junk the entire trip. There are still plenty of places that have better options for kids and agree with some of the buffets. I also found that most of CS restaurants in the parks are awful with the exception of Epcot that is why we never eat at any of the CS in the parks. We prefer to either go to DTD or one of the resort restaurants. Don't get me wrong, my girls who are now young adults still like some of the "junk" but wouldn't eat every day.

 

[ttintagel]

When will Disney stop serving crappy kids food?

When guests stop demanding it. Honestly, every other thread on this board is some variation on, "My kid won't eat anything but chicken nuggets - and not the white meat kind, they have to be the pressed-meat kind like they have at McDonald's. How DARE they serve something WILD and EXOTIC and ADVENTUROUS like meatloaf and turkey sandwiches at Be Our guest?!? I'll have to buy the nuggets somewhere else and bring them in with me or he'll STARVE TO DEATH! WHY DOES DISNEY WANT ALL CHILDREN TO STARVE AND DIE?!?"

 

[BringingUpDisney]

Everyone is different and what works for one family doesn't always work for another. We usually travel with two adults (me and my best friend) and my DD who will be 3 our next trip. None of us are big eaters and my DD doesn't eat the "standard" kids food, so for us DDP doesn't work.

Instead for us we are going with APs and TIW card. That way we can order a few appetizers or one entree to share for the three of us. My DD only wants to eat what I eat, but she will try any type of food.

I think the choices are there, just not always obvious, you just need to find what works for your family.

 

[kaybird]

My now 29 year old son and I just had this discussion the other day. I read on these boards constantly the complaints from parents about their "picky eaters". My father took me to DL when it had been open 2 years. I know for sure if I had complained about food when my folks took me on a fabulous vacation, it would have been the last. My kids felt the same way. They were not picky eaters because they had 2 choices. Take it or leave it. Disney has many options, including buying an adult entrée (which we usually did, my kids never ate chicken strips, nuggets, mac n cheese), sharing from an adult and the buffets. They will not starve, there are plenty of choices, and when parents stop letting their children dictate what they would/should eat, there will be more options.