Buffets with adults that are 10 years old!

[wearegoingtoDisney]

Just back from Disney where we enjoyed so many wonderful meals but I just have to say it...what a rip off it is for a 10 year old to be charged an adult price for the buffets! Of course I paid it because with our variety of ages or children we do like the character meals and in the grand sceme of the entire cost of the vacation it is a drop in the bucket but really? I think my son paid 25.99 plus tax and tip for a drink and some mac and cheese!

 

[6disneykids]

While I think it would great to have a "junior" tier for meals that are buffets, or family style, maybe something for kids between 10-13. However, that being said, I am not sure how this could be administered, unless you were using a dining plan, if not, I guess at each meal the server would have to ask how old everyone is. There has to be an end point, just not sure what age it should be. Maybe 12? 13? Unfortunately, whatever the cut off point is, someone will think that too is too much for what their child choose.

I am in a similar boat, I have 6 kids: 2 are now "Disney Adults" (DS15, DS13) and 3 are "Disney Kids" (DD9, DS7, DS4) and one that is under 3 (DD2), we are still doing character meals, but my older 2 often eat more than I do.

 

[aaarcher86]

Yeah, it stinks if your kid doesn't eat much. But every 10 year old boy I know eats as much as an adult man!

I feel like 12 would be a more realistic age - right before they hit the teenage years... but I think on average most 10 year olds eat more than a child portion. Even at 12 you'd have people that disagreed.

 

[buzzrelly]

Yeah, it stinks if your kid doesn't eat much. But every 10 year old boy I know eats as much as an adult man!

I feel like 12 would be a more realistic age - right before they hit the teenage years... but I think on average most 10 year olds eat more than a child portion. Even at 12 you'd have people that disagreed.

You haven't met my 11 year old DS then! I guess he hasn't gone through his growth spurt yet but I haven't noticed a significant difference between the way he eats now and the way he ate at 9.

Plus, we're paying adult prices for both 10 year old boys AND girls, not just boys.

I think 12 would be a more appropriate age since it is typically the beginning of puberty and they may start eating more. 10 is crazy young to be considered an adult, IMO.

 

[buzzrelly]

Just back from Disney where we enjoyed so many wonderful meals but I just have to say it...what a rip off it is for a 10 year old to be charged an adult price for the buffets! Of course I paid it because with our variety of ages or children we do like the character meals and in the grand sceme of the entire cost of the vacation it is a drop in the bucket but really? I think my son paid 25.99 plus tax and tip for a drink and some mac and cheese!

I totally agree with you! We will be doing this in April as well, with my DS11. It's such a waste, but thankfully with the dining plan, we don't have to think too much about the costs while we are there. We also like to do a lot of character meals and buffets.

 

[smitch425]

DD10 eats twice as much as I do, but we don't do TS meals anymore because they are overpriced and not that good. We eat out a lot at home, so it's not like it is a big splurge to have a TS meal on vacation. The characters pics are better without diners in the background, too.

 

[cmdknw]

DS will be 10 2 weeks after we get home from Disney, I'm honestly thinking of just paying for the adult level, b/c he doesn't like pb&j and mac and cheese...he's super stoked about the ribs at Flametree though! lol

 

[6disneykids]

My older boys were each thrilled when they turned 10, so they could be "Disney Adults". Two years ago when my 2nd son was 11 he tried duck, and loved it. My DD9 is rather grumpy the she will be ordering off of the kids menus this trip, but I told her I am not ready to pay for an adult plan for her yet. I guess I am lucky I have adventurous eaters

Due to our large family size we very rarely go out to eat, so dining at WDW is a real treat.

 

[clanmcculloch]

This is just the kind of thing that you have to take into account as your child ages up. When my youngest turned 10 we no longer paid for the DDP and we also stopped going to many if any fixed price meals until her tastes and appetite increased. Now that both my kids like steak, shellfish and sushi among other expensive foods (my oldest always liked these types of foods), I have no problem paying adult prices for my kids (I'd be happier if the adult prices were cheaper in general but that's a whole different discussion) for a couple fixed priced meals per trip.

 

[ktnryansmom]

one thing we do on vacation at any restaurant...especially buffets is my kids have to try 2 new items they've never had before.

I've been pleasantly surprised that they find new things to eat beyond the mac & cheese...and then I never feel like my money has gone to waste.

 

[maxiesmom]

Just back from Disney where we enjoyed so many wonderful meals but I just have to say it...what a rip off it is for a 10 year old to be charged an adult price for the buffets! Of course I paid it because with our variety of ages or children we do like the character meals and in the grand sceme of the entire cost of the vacation it is a drop in the bucket but really? I think my son paid 25.99 plus tax and tip for a drink and some mac and cheese!

Most 10 yr olds I know eat more than me! It just depends on the person, there is no clear line where all 12 year olds eat significantly more than kids 11 years of age and under. It doesn't exist.

In reality, I think very few people eat their money's worth of food at Disney buffets. Most of what we are paying is for the characters and ambiance. I know I would never eat $29 worth of eggs and bacon at the Crystal Palace, but I still willingly pay what they charge. You can't look at it as we paid X and only at Y amount of food. It will make you crazy.

 

[shoney]

When we went last year the boys were 10 and 12. We only ate at Ohana because we had the free dining plan. (we just don't enjoy buffets so i didnt' consider them) I could never justify the price if it was OOP. My ds10 ate 3 chicken wings and was full and didn't touch anything after that. DS12 ate a little bit of everything.

 

[ItsNotMuchofaTail]

I also think 12 would be a better "adult" age. But it has to start somewhere.
The DP has always been a value for me with a disney child, especially when we just went 3 months before her 10th birthday, but I suspect if we go again, OOP will be better. She just doesn't eat like an adult yet. We shared the CS credits most of the time, which worked out great.

 

[danceintherain]

I also think 12 would be a better "adult" age. But it has to start somewhere.
The DP has always been a value for me with a disney child, especially when we just went 3 months before her 10th birthday, but I suspect if we go again, OOP will be better. She just doesn't eat like an adult yet. We shared the CS credits most of the time, which worked out great.

It's probably just easier to lump the tickets and dining together. While a 10 year old may not eat as much as an adult, they're very likely tall enough to ride Space Mountain.

I can definitely understand being frustrated with paying that much for barely anything, which is part of the reason I don't like scheduling buffets at Disney.

 

[buzzrelly]

It's probably just easier to lump the tickets and dining together. While a 10 year old may not eat as much as an adult, they're very likely tall enough to ride Space Mountain.

Most 4 year olds are old enough to ride Space Mountain, so I don't understand your point?

 

[ElizabethG]

Yeah, it stinks if your kid doesn't eat much. But every 10 year old boy I know eats as much as an adult man!

I feel like 12 would be a more realistic age - right before they hit the teenage years... but I think on average most 10 year olds eat more than a child portion. Even at 12 you'd have people that disagreed.

Yes, I agree. My DS is 11 now, but has eaten more than me since well before he turned 10.

I've heard this complaint from adults who have restrictive diets. Maybe they had a gastric bypass and can't eat much. Maybe they pay the adult buffet price for a salad. It is what it is.

 

[TruBlu]

We upgraded our kid at 9 to the adult plan (had to pay more for park tickets, too), but he couldn't have survived on Disney kids meals at 9 - he was eating more than me & eating expensive foods - filets, not nuggets.

Sent from Tracey's iPhone using DISBoards

 

[2Tiggies]

This is why we didn't eat at any buffets once DD turned 10. The last buffet we had when she was 9 was at CP and I watched her play with a bit of mac & cheese on her plate and eat 2 cookies from the dessert table and actually said to her at the time, until she eats something substantial at a buffet, that would be our last one for a while. It's crazy because when we're at home she eats non stop, but take her into a Disney restaurant and all she wants to do is get out and enjoy the parks. Usually within the hour of leaving a TS restaurant (and leaving most of a plate of food behind on the table!) she is hungry! That's kids for you! Fortunately, because I only have one, my decision for now doesn't impact unfairly on any younger children. I understand that this is a big challenge for those with a 10 year old light eater and other little ones who want to have breakfast with Pooh. I don't really see any way around the problem.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

I agree that 10 is young, and at ten my kids weren't eating like adults. By 12 they were. Once they turn 10 though, it just puts paying OOP for the DDP into a ridiculous category, which is a shame. It would cost me $275 a day for the DDP OOP for the five of us now and there's no way I'm spending that much without appetizers, alcohol and tips. Crossing my fingers FD comes out this year, but I have a bad feeling those days may be over