A very annoying dining policy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UltraJoshua]

"A child under 3 can eat for free if they eat from another persons ordered plate."

The Stomach in an adult is bigger then the stomach of a child.

If the child and adult split whatever was on the plate in half, then the child eats more then what's expected for a child and the parent eats less.

Children under 3 deserve a individual free meal.

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Children under 3 deserve a individual free meal.

Uh, personally, I don't think anyone should be dining out for free.

 

[pperfectmom]

Nobody said they have to split it in half.

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Nobody said they have to split it in half.

I highly doubt ANY 3 year old can eat half an adult entree. *I* can hardly eat an adult entree.

 

[UltraJoshua]

Uh, personally, I don't think anyone should be dining out for free.

Children crave food 24/7

 

[msmayor]

If the concern is that the under-3-year-old will eat too much off the plate, leaving not-enough-food for the adult...then order the child his/her own meal and pay for it, just like you do the adult meal.

I agree with another poster...no reason to believe a child is 'entitled' to eat free. Its a bonus at buffets.

 

[BeckWhy]

Children crave food 24/7

All the more reason to have to pay... if your child wants food all the time... buy snacks before you leave and pack them with you. And if you want your child under 3 to have his own meal... order him one off the kid's menu or adult menu if you want. I don't think they will tell you "no."

 

[ljcrochet]

Go to the pre-plates places or buffets. I don't think i even needed to get my girls(twins) a kids meal at disney when we ate dinner since we did alot of pre-plated and buffets. DH loved the all you care to eat skillet at whispering canyon..

 

[Sleepy]

Wow, how much does your toddler eat? Most toddlers eat a couple bites and run. That is why they let your kid eat from your plate for free. If your child is capable of eating half an adult's entree, I would suggest buying he/she their own meal.

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

Just buy a kids meal. We were down there with my 2 yr old the other day and bought him a meal at every restaurant except for buffets. Buffets he just ate off of our plate since its all you can eat LOL. At regular restaurants, I just bought him a kids meal (which even a kids meal at Kona is big enough for me and a 2 yr old to split and much went to waste ;( wish I would have known how big a plate is there LOLOL)

 

[UltraJoshua]

NOTE: this post was only posted to see the opinions of other fellow DISers.

The person who posted this thread, Joshua , 13, is a true disney fan and always goes to DisneyWorld more than once a year. Joshua is also a huge Mickey Mouse fan and calls him, "his hero"

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

Joshua, you may want to edit your post and remove your last name.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Umm ... okay

I think you have a nice cross section of opinions here - hope they help

 

[Lehuaann]

I assume the policy is there for reasons that some will do just about anything to get an extra plate of food for nothing. Therefore, sharing is a much better alternative to being automatically charged for children under 3.

Disney serves very hearty meals (TS & CS) and I could not help but notice all the wasted food around me...so unless you like toting to-go-boxes around the parks why not share the rest with your lil one! Have Fun!!

 

[Heidict]

Wow, how much does your toddler eat?

I was thinking the same thing. My 2 1/2 year old could hardly put a dent in an adults plate. Well, unless it's hotdogs.

 

[Kath2003]

Good lord, how much do children honestly eat?!

If my toddler ate half my entree, they sure as heck wouldn't be getting any of my dessert!

 

[Tricia1972]

I don't think that anyone is entitled to a free meal. I consider it a nice 'gift' that my child under three can eat from the buffets and family style restaurants for free.

If you don't get enough of a meal when sharing with your child, you are always free to order more food so everyone is full.

OR you can save the room for yummy snacks later on!

 

[dogodisney]

My DGD is almost 5 and hardly eats. She definately doesn't eat a whole kid's meal no matter where we go. Sometimes we'll all share a little off our plates with her and she ends up with a decent meal.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Perhaps the op was talking about the free dining promo in August/September, in which case a child under three would not qualify for 'free' dining, unless the meal is at a buffet...whereas, a child over three does qualify for a 'free dining', and gets their own meal.

Another solution to the situation is to buy an extra appetizer. Sometimes something small like a cup of soup costs less than a kid's meal even.

Or conversely, it has been discussed that adults with smaller appetites can share kid's meals, two small kids can share a kid's meal sometimes, etc.

Another option is to get an extra side of something: veggies, rice, potato.

My sister is a vegetarian and uses this option to fit her needs all the time. Often, it costs far less to order three side items; like two veggies and a starch - than it is to order an entree made without the meat. Say, "The chicken stirfry hold the chicken." If she orders the meal hold the meat, they charge it as a meal and sometimes they even charge EXTRA because she was the meal modified from how it appears on the menu! It depends on the place though. Sometimes a la catre veggies are pricey,too.

 

[melcan]

Joshua, You REALLY need to remove your last name from that post