Can we order the adult Dining plan for an 8 yr old?

[DVCPAM]

I have been looking for an answer to this question everywhere. Can you pay for the adult dining plan for an 8 year old? The child dining plan is very limiting. Thanks for your help.

~Pam

 

[Deb & Bill]

You may have to purchase an adult ticket for the child if you want the adult dining plan.

 

[Katiebell]

Besides upgrading to adult park tickets, which are quite a bit more expensive than kids' tickets, the adult dining plan is $39 a day vs $11 for the kids' plan. That's a $28 a day difference. The biggest hit you'll take on this is at buffets and all-you-care-to-eat meals (especially character meals, but also places like Boma. At buffets, kids get the exact same choices as adults, and can eat as much as they want.

Another option is to buy the kids' dining plan for $11/day, use the kids' vouchers for what your child will eat -- the snacks, the beverages, some of the sides, some of the entrees, and the TS desserts. Then either share some of your meals if there's a lot, or pay OOP for a few items to supplement -- or use snack credits to buy them treats. For CS, some places don't have a kids' menu and your child can order off the adult menu.

 

[pixiepower1971]

Yes you can buy the adult dining plan for your 8 year old. You do have to upgrade the ticket for the child. You can buy one day base tickets and upgrade everybodys after check in. You can use the one day for the child and buy whatever child ticket you want later.

We used a one day adult ticket from last years free dining to upgrade DD8s to her ap. Hers ap is a childs ticket...no problems.

I agree that the child plan is limiting. There is very little on the kids menus that my DD8 wants any more.

 

[always on vacation]

I didnt realize that we'd have to upgrade park tickets in order to get the adult dining plan for our soon to be 9 year old nephew but I'm really concerned that he will be very disappointed in the children's menu especially since I've just found out that he enjoys watching the Food Network. We were thinking that he could probably just order a gourmet appetizer in addition to the child's meal but the selections seem really yuck. It seems that all of the counter service places have the same menu no matter what type of restaurant it is. I just figured that since I am a really small eater we could share our counter service meals unless the portions are really small.

 

[Katiebell]

It's true that a lot of the kids' CS selections are pretty bad, but there are quite a few that are different and more varied. You have to hunt around a bit, and not automatically choose a CS based on what the adults in the party want. Several of the CS that offer better kids' options are good choices for adults, too.

MK --
Casey's Corner: has no kids' menu, kids have same options as adults.
Pete's Doggone Good Dogs: no kids' menu, same choices as adults
El Pirata y el Perico: taco, cookie, and beverage
Main St Bakery: doesn't look like there's a kid' menu, so same options as adults.

AK -- CS not great options for kids
Flame Tree: chicken wings or hot dog (may be ok)
Tusker House: mac and cheese or chicken drumstick (may be ok)
Pizzafari: cheese quesadilla may be ok, but there is no pizza for kids! If your kids want pizza, go to Pizza Planet in MGM, WPE in DTD, or Tangierine in Morocco (isn't that funny?? ).

MGM -- CS options not great for anybody, but...
Catalina Eddie's: don't see kids' menu? same options as adults?
Toy Story Pizza Planet: no kids' menu, same options as adults
ABC Commissary: doesn't get reviews, but kids' meals includes fried fish and vegetable noodle stir fry, specifies fries and soda available on request

Epcot -- some really unique and appetizing-sounding CS options for kids:
Cantina: beef burrito and soft drink
Electric Umbrella: standard chick nuggets and mac & cheese, but also turkey and cheese pinwheels, at least it's something different...soda and fries on request
Fountain View: don't see kid's menu -- same choices as adults?
Sommerfest: no kid's menu -- same choices as adults
Sunshine Seasons: sweet and sour chicken, mac & cheese, mini sub, chicken leg (this is a very popular CS for great adult choices, too)
Yorkshire Fish Shop: no kid's menu -- same choices as adults
Lotus Blossom: egg roll and beef fried rice
Tangierine: burger, pizza, or chicken tenders, all with fries and drink
Yakitori: teriyaki chicken w/veggies, rice, and soft drink

DTD
WPE: chicken fingers, mac & cheese (the GOOD stuff), cheese OR pepperoni pizza
EOS: PB&J, grilled cheese, turkey and swiss, pizza sandwich
Food Quest (in Disney Quest, requires admission): pasta, burger, hot dog
Cooke's: fish, battered chicken skewer, baby sausages, all with chips (fries)

If you just want your kids to be able to order off the adult menus everywhere, and the cost isn't a problem, then yes, upgrade their park tickets, and pay the extra $28 per day for the adult plan. If I had the money, that's probably what I'd do, because it's less planning and less hassle. If money was no object, then it wouldn't bother me if they wasted a lot of those 3 course adult dinners, or if they wanted to eat mac & cheese at Le Cellier.

But if you are a bit more budget minded, it's a lot cheaper to order the kids' plan and share some of your meals with them (especially since so many people say there's way too much food on the DDP), use snack credits to supplement, or order extras for them OOP. You can buy a lot of little extras for much less than that $28 difference every day (plus whatever the park ticket upgrade costs).

 

[DCDisney]

My 9 year old isn't an adventureous eater but I worried that the small quantities on the kids meals wouldn't work but I actually ended up paying for less extras OOP than I expected. By sharing and mixing and matching a few extras we paid for it mostly worked out. The other issue to consider is that if you age a child up on the ticket and DDP and then purchase a meal OOP they will be charged the adult price too (unless you don's show your KTTW card). Buffets and family style meals really helped matters plus picking a few TS that had some different options.

Yvonne

 

[Akelaknowsbest]

If you are hoping for free dining.....You can still upgrade your child to an adult.
we did this. we got free dining through the bounceback promo. we bought our 9 year old an adult park ticket so he could have the adult dining plan. It cost us about 35 dollars total. that's it....sooooo worth it to have a happy kid for the week. I was up front with them when i did it, told them I was willing to pay and they were fine with it. they just changed his birthdate in the computer to make him 10 instead of 9 He is sooooo excited.

 

[Katiebell]

double posted...hours apart...weird!

 

[MelaBella]

The other issue to consider is that if you age a child up on the ticket and DDP and then purchase a meal OOP they will be charged the adult price too (unless you don's show your KTTW card). Buffets and family style meals really helped matters plus picking a few TS that had some different options.

Yvonne

I am not sure how to quote from a previous post yet, so please excuse the above if it does not appear correctly??

I began to consider upgrading my DD today too. But, I am confused by this coment? If I pay the extra to upgrade her ticket to adult and we go to a restaurant where she only wants to eat off the kids menu (thereby, saving 1 table service credit) will she be allowed to do so? Or will I be forced to order from the kids menu. Can't we just say to the waiter "The two of us are on the dining plan and we will pay for hers OOP?


Thanks for your help
Melanie

 

[pixiepower1971]

The other issue to consider is that if you age a child up on the ticket and DDP and then purchase a meal OOP they will be charged the adult price too (unless you don's show your KTTW card). Buffets and family style meals really helped matters plus picking a few TS that had some different options.

Yvonne

I am not sure how to quote from a previous post yet, so please excuse the above if it does not appear correctly??

I began to consider upgrading my DD today too. But, I am confused by this coment? If I pay the extra to upgrade her ticket to adult and we go to a restaurant where she only wants to eat off the kids menu (thereby, saving 1 table service credit) will she be allowed to do so? Or will I be forced to order from the kids menu. Can't we just say to the waiter "The two of us are on the dining plan and we will pay for hers OOP?


Thanks for your help
Melanie

Yes, you can and you should be able to.

 

[always on vacation]

If you are hoping for free dining.....You can still upgrade your child to an adult.
we did this. we got free dining through the bounceback promo. we bought our 9 year old an adult park ticket so he could have the adult dining plan. It cost us about 35 dollars total. that's it....sooooo worth it to have a happy kid for the week. I was up front with them when i did it, told them I was willing to pay and they were fine with it. they just changed his birthdate in the computer to make him 10 instead of 9 He is sooooo excited.

How do you get "free dining" ?

 

[DCDisney]

restaurant where she only wants to eat off the kids menu (thereby, saving 1 table service credit) will she be allowed to do so? Or will I be forced to order from the kids menu. Can't we just say to the waiter "The two of us are on the dining plan and we will pay for hers OOP?


Thanks for your help
Melanie

That would be fine EXCEPT at restaurants that are buffets or family style. If you try and use the DDP for some people it will show her as an adult even though technically she shouldn't be.

Yvonne

 

[Ladybugsy]

Bringing this thread back up....

I tried to call Disney today to upgrade my daughter to an adult on the FDP. I realize I'll have to pay for an adult ticket for her. We are only getting one day base tickets as we plan to buy season passes when we get there. They wouldn't let me. They said she was already in the system as an 8 year old, and that couldn't be changed...

Is it because it's free dining, or just a CM who didn't want to do it?

 

[Katiebell]

Bringing this thread back up....

I tried to call Disney today to upgrade my daughter to an adult on the FDP. I realize I'll have to pay for an adult ticket for her. We are only getting one day base tickets as we plan to buy season passes when we get there. They wouldn't let me. They said she was already in the system as an 8 year old, and that couldn't be changed...

Is it because it's free dining, or just a CM who didn't want to do it?

It might be because it's free dining? If you were paying OOP for the DDP, then it would cost $28 more per day for your daughter, so they may not allow it. Seems like some people have been able to do this...but maybe not if the computer already lists your child as 8 years old? One way to find out (since I don't think there is anything in writing about whether or not you can do this) would be to try calling another CM. They might tell you the same thing, or tell you that it's no problem. You could also email Guest Services, but I've rarely gotten a personalized answer from them; it's usually a cut and pasted form letter.

 

[pixiepower1971]

I would keep calling until you get a CM that will do it for you. They will just go into the computer and update her age.

 

[Ladybugsy]

Had a great CM today when I called to check for availability of POP for FD. I asked him if I paid for an adult ticket for my daughter would she be able to get the adult plan. He said that he would put whatever I wanted him to put into the computer, and that's how old she'd be "at Disney"... and although it took about 15 minutes, he (happily) adjusted it for me, and now I"m buying my dd an adult ticket, and she can eat whatever she wants on vacation just like everyone else. This makes me SO HAPPY! I was planning to eat mac and cheese and SF Jello myself for 2 weeks

 

[annieb727]

Had a great CM today when I called to check for availability of POP for FD. I asked him if I paid for an adult ticket for my daughter would she be able to get the adult plan. He said that he would put whatever I wanted him to put into the computer, and that's how old she'd be "at Disney"... and although it took about 15 minutes, he (happily) adjusted it for me, and now I"m buying my dd an adult ticket, and she can eat whatever she wants on vacation just like everyone else. This makes me SO HAPPY! I was planning to eat mac and cheese and SF Jello myself for 2 weeks

that's great! I'm glad you got it all worked out! I know in the next couple of years my oldest will need to be marked as an adult - he can already eat more than me and he's not even five yet!!! He's just really active (and VERY Skinny)

 

[Ladybugsy]

LOL...DD isn't much for chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. She wants a STEAK! She will eat kid food at home and such, but if she had to order macaroni and cheese while I was eating filet mignon she would be sad. And who wants a sad child at Disney? It may not seem like a big deal to lots of people, but to us, it was important. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.