Fretting over trying to feed the kids decent food...

[mrodgers]

So, Wifey doesn’t want anything to do with organizing a trip to Disney. I’m stuck doing it. I’ve already discussed the crappy kid’s menus in another thread. I think I’ve gotten a few of them figured out, but was looking for some critique or suggestions.

My kids, girls 6 and 9, are use to eating normal dinners, not mac n cheese and chicken fingers. Also, I am on the dining plan with 1 table service, which is what I’m trying to figure out. I will have the hopper, so travelling here to there for dinner is no problem. I am mostly looking for buffet so maybe the kids can eat something off our plates instead of being forced with mac n cheese and chicken nuggets every night.

We are 6 nights with the first day (Sunday) arriving around 1-2 pm. We don’t plan on using a table service this day and will save it for a 2TS dining. Here is what I have outlined not organized by day (June trip, so I don’t have park hours to decide what to do when.) I don’t know what day we will be where, but this is in general what I plan….

My definite want-to-do’s

• Sunday – Definitely jumping to MK upon arriving/checking in but no dining. Will just grab a counter service for dinner with lunch probably on the way in somewhere in Florida.

• 1 day at MK – 1900 Park Fare for dinner to see the princesses.

• 1 day at AK – Mickey’s Backyard BBQ for our 2TS since I’ve heard AK closes early

• 1 day at Epcot – Le Cellier – definitely want to do this – kids steak menu

Looking for comments on these to finish out 2 dinners….

• 1 day at Hollywood Studios – Hollywood and Vine buffet

• Boardwalk and DT in one or two of the evenings
  • Planet Hollywood
  • Raglan Road
  • Wolfgang Puck Café
  
  Boma and Garden Grill looks good and I’m reading good comments, but I don’t think these are part of the dining plan. Is that correct?
  
  I have Ohana on the list as well that I could fit in somewhere.

Any thoughts on these for feeding the kids normal foods? Anyone have suggestions for something different?

Thanks, this is the toughest part of the planning I think and have been going over it all for a week now.

[kiwicassie]

Boma and Garden Grill are on the dining plan I believe

[newrygirl]

we have been to both Boma and garden Grill and they are great, Boma's is really amazing and they are both on the dining plan, if I had to pick one or the other I would go with boma as there is something for everyone where garden grill you get a set menu.

[TillyMarigold]

The kids' food at many of the "nicer" restaurants will include at least one item that's a smaller version of an adult meal, like steak, grilled chicken, or grilled fish. The little boy at the table next to us at Kouzzina (on the Boardwalk) seemed to be enjoying his fish. (If you go there, I recommend the pomegranate lemonade as your non-alcoholic drink. It's made fresh.)

[EvilQueenT]

we did narcoossee's (at the grand floridian) with a large very mixed group and did great. my granddaughter seldom eats the typical kids menu fare (not a picky eater but more of an adult palate) and she did great here. our mixed group of adult eaters were able to have a great meal as well. the same group also did well at wolfgang pucks. my advice is to do what we did and scan the menus before you make reservations keeping in mind the type of eaters you have going with you. good luck.

[Hannathy]

Why are you fretting so much? Relax and enjoy your vacation. Even if they ate popcorn for lunch for an entire week (which one of mine did!) it won't hurt them.

I'm sure they will find many things other than nuggets and Mac n cheese. I don't think my DS had nuggets at all when we were there. I think most of the rest. have something on their kids menu that is in line with what type of food they serve. ie fish at Coral reef, a mexican selection at San Angel's, etc.

[larsnshan]

I encountered the same issue when I went to Disney this past September with free dining plan. I have a husband with high cholesterol and a horrible family history of heart disease, so I make a point of making very healthy meals and we rarely ever eat fast food. Therefore, my boys would prefer salads, fish, and grilled chicken to hotdogs and chicken strips anyday. Luckily my oldest is 12 and he qualified as an "adult" on the dining plan, whereas his 5 year old brother got "stuck" with the childrens menu. Finding a decent counter service meal was like a scavenger hunt as far as I was concerned, but we did the best we could. We ate at the following places for dinner:

(1)Le Cellier - as you said steak on the kids menu
(2)1900 Park Fare & Chef Mickey - buffet with decent salad bars and carved meats
(3)Chef de France - really nice grilled fish
(4)Reglan Road - unfortunately we really disliked our meals here but they had lots of choices for kids
(5)Teppan Edo - steak, shrimp, or chicken cooked on the grill
(6)Ohana - buffet with grilled meats and a wonderful starter salad
(7)Maya Grill at CSR - steak and fish options

This year I am taking my youngest son and paying the extra $33 to upgrade him to deluxe dining (we have free dining with our bounceback), so he can have whatever he desires for counter services too.

Hope this helps a little.

[DisneyWisher]

I'd do Hoop dee Doo review over Mickey's BBQ since the BBQ is outside and you never know how the weather might be. HDDR is fun for everyone and has typical picnic food. First time we went DD was 9 and after going 7 times she still loves it.

Starters: Tossed salad, loaf of bread and honey butter

Feature Items

Ma's Delicious Fried Chicken
Smoked Barbecued Pork Ribs
Mashed Potatoes
Country Style Baked Beans

Strawberry Shortcake

Included with the meal: Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Root Beer, Sprite, Orange, Pink Lemonade, Iced Tea, Apple Juice, Milk, Chocolate Milk, Hot Tea, Coffee, Draft Bud Light, Chardonnay, Rose, Sangria, and Merlot

[kaytieeldr]

I am mostly looking for buffet so maybe the kids can eat something off our plates

Not necessary. Any Guest in a buffet is allowed/entitled/able to choose and eat any foods from any section. Simply because the buffets have 'childrens' fare' or a kids' section does NOT mean children are required to choose food from only that section.

Also, MOST park and resort restaurants are on the Dining Plan. Downtown Disney venues are more iffy, i.e. lower percentage of the restaurants participate. But in the parks, the only restaurant that doesn't accept the Dining Plan is Bistro de Paris, and among the Disney-owned resorts only Victoria & Albert's doesn't participate.

[Eeyore2003]

Of the ones you asked about I think the girls would like Ohanas. They have coconut/broom races and hoola hoops which is fun. It's all family style.

We did not care for Raglan Road at all.
Wolfgang Puck Cafe is one of our "not to be missed". Mainly because I like the Pumpkin Ravioli and DH likes the Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken.

We've never eaten at Planet Hollywood. Never seemed to get the greatest reviews and we'd rather not eat at something "nationwide" when we're at Disney World.

[snookiedoodles]

I do mostly the buffets because my children can eat anything, not the childrens mac and cheese.

Your ADR are great!!

[HeatherC]

You don't need to worry. There will be plenty of healthy options for everyone. My kids also don't eat the chicken nuggets, mac and cheese either. My dd prefers the grilled salmon! How strange is that?

The buffets are great because everyone can choose off the entire buffet. So that means you don't have to feed them off your plate. They can get their own prime rib if they want.

Wanted to also mention that even at the counter services you can get a side of carrots with dip or grapes. You don't have to by the kids meal.

Sunshine Seasons in Epcot is good because it has a ton of healthy options.

Have a great trip and happy eating!

[dixonsontour]

Akershus princess meal in norway does chicken or pasta foe children according to allears and has a starter buffet of fish, salads etc. Includes a picture and costs only 1 TS.

[mrodgers]

Originally Posted by Hannathy

Why are you fretting so much? Relax and enjoy your vacation. Even if they ate popcorn for lunch for an entire week (which one of mine did!) it won't hurt them.

Well, not really fretting, but just trying to figure everything out. We are booking as soon as the Disney Visa comes (soon) and our 180 days will come next month.

Missed Boma and the Garden Grill on the dining pdf file because they are listed with characters first. I see they are there now.

Didn't realize the kids could just go for any selection on the buffets. Thought folks were just feeding them from their plates. That's good to know. It's not that we don't want to feed them mac n cheese and nuggets every day, it's that they wouldn't eat them every day (oldest LOVES mac n cheese, but will only eat Kraft.)

I'll stick the Garden Grill on my list of definites and will look into the Hoop de doo as we haven't had fried chicken in years. Love fried chicken, but we are mostly a family of grillers, so we eat off the grill often. All winter long with 2 feet of snow I am out on the back porch grilling even. So, some fried chicken sounds good.

Thanks all. I think I'm ready to call when the time comes as well as having a small selection of backups if I can't get what I want. I wanted to find something in every park/area, but with the hopper pass, I guess I don't have to worry about that. I have 3 choosings in/near the parks I want to be in, and 3 that I would have to hop over too from further away. By the time I'm doing that, I should be a Disney expert down there, LOL.

[KateMW]

Personally I would try more of the resort TS restaurants vs. buffets. I couldn't eat a week of buffets without going nuts, no matter what my dd had to eat. She doesn't eat chicken nuggets at home and prefers pork tenderloin and grilled fish to most things{she even eats skate wing!}, but she is so excited about Disney I think she'd eat anything. We're doing two buffets, Boma and Chef Mickey's. We're only doing CM for the Fab 5, but I've heard great things about Boma. We're also doing Ohana, Cali Grill, Biergarten, and the Princess dinner in Norway. Good luck in your planning, but they probably won't die if they have to eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese for a couple of days. It almost never happens...