Dinning Options for 9 Year Old????

[blue-butterfly]

Hi, so heres my question....
My husband, two kids, age 4 and 9 and myself will be visiting Disney World for the first time this September and are so excited. We booked with the Free Dining Plan.
I've read that the childrens menu may not be appealing to my 9 year old who isn't really "into" eatting chicken nuggets, apple sauce and grapes from a mickey shaped plate!
But, I've also read that you could get any counter-service food you wanted and just not tell the cashier it is for a child because for counter-service Disney dosen't keep track of whether it is for a adult or child.
Is there any truth to this? And is there any resturants, counter-service or table-service that DON'T offer a childrens menu?
Any advice to this question would be very helpful. Thank-you so much!

[tricia]

I would call Disney and see about upgrading your child to an adult for this trip. I would only cost you the difference for the ticket, since it is free dining, and that could be only about $37 or so.

There are rules on the DIS about discussing getting around things on the dining plan. Disney says that a child on the dining plan must order from the childrens' menu.

[RMulieri]

Official Disney Policy ( and the disboards can't discuss how to get around Disney policy)is if you have a child and there is a child menu, they must order off the childs menu.

[TDC Nala]

The above posters are correct - the official policy is CS credits for which you paid a child's price must be used to order meals from the children's menu, where one exists. There are a few CS with no children's menu. There is a list in the sticky thread on this forum titled "Everything You Always Wanted to Know"

If it's still a concern, call Disney and have this child listed on your reservation as a 10 year old and pay the difference between a child and adult park ticket. Then he will have adult credits.

[blue-butterfly]

Awsome thanks for the quick response!

[serene56]

Please check allearsnet.com click on dining to view the menus from the various Table Service and Counter service- You'd be suprise on what the kids can eat.

[brymolmom]

With planning your 9 year old can stay far away from nuggets for your vacation. We use some credits on breakfasts, share some adult CS meals (very easy to do at some places, especially if you use a snack credit or two to supplement), and be sure to hit all the places with the most variety. For us on this trip, that will be:
POP food court (stir fry, turkey sand, pasta - all on kids plan)
Sunshine Seasons OR any CS in World Showcase (lots of different options)
Wolfgang Puck Express
Main St. Bakery

Also keep in mind that buffets are your friend - a 9 year old can eat anything on the buffet and there's a ton of variety at most of them!

It can be done!

[DCDisney]

Besides not being appealing to 9 year olds often there was not enough food for my 9 year old boy particularly the protein portion was quite small (1 small chicken leg or 4 nuggets). We ended up using many of the child credits for breakfast which was a very nice meal 2 small mickey waffles, choice of bacon or sausage, choice of fruit, and milk or juice. Then I would just buy what he wanted for CS. It was never more than $6 and we just shared the big drinks we had from our adult credits and the big desserts. It worked out GREAT that way as both my kids could nibble on the breakfast and we had refillable mugs where we were getting coffee and cocoa anyway. There were a few days where he was fine with kids meals like at Wolfgang Puck Express but on the other days they really liked the breakfast.

[deedeetoo]

In my experrience this June, the kids QS meals are small. Think McDonalds small size Happy Meals. Sometimes I ended up giving my son some of my meal because he had finished his in a flash.

But the TS meals were actually quite large. At most restaurants the size of the kid's meal was really not that much smaller than the adult meal, though it was kid style fare. Also, you can always go to buffets for your TS meals. Then your son can get whatever he wants and as much of it as he wants.