How do they know how old your child is?

[Aletha]

Does anyone ever check the age of your child? How would they know of you have a 9 year old (thus able to get the child's dining plan) versus a 10 year old (required to pay adult price)?

 

[missbrooke06]

No, but they will likely ask your child or ask in front of your child.

 

[DisBuckMan]

I would guess that they just assume that everyone values honesty over a dollar.

 

[GusGus77]

You would have to lie about their DOB on the reservation, when buying park tickets, AND when ordering the dining plan....Plus they may ask. They hope that people are truthful.

 

[Aletha]

Hmmmm... I know, bad mother here but my dad and I want to get the dining plan, but my son eats like a 5 year old. It's such a huge price difference! Esspecially when he will order off the kids menu. I wish you could only purchase it for two members of your party.... I forgot about the park tickets and didn't know you have to enter his birth date...

 

[jon18uk]

Just don't bother with the dining plan, put the money you would have spent aside (or even on a Disney gift card) and just use that, you probably will not spend more than you would with the plan.

 

[mco65]

Aletha,
got one of those picky eaters.. if your son is 10... I wouldn't scorn you if you put him down as 9 on your reservation.. some might but you can't win 'em all. BTW, NO, they wont ask you how old your son is unless he looks 16 or something.. i had a big 9 year old and a little 9 year old and they never questioned my big 9 year olds age (he looked like he was 12)..

 

[Aletha]

Aletha,
got one of those picky eaters.. if your son is 10... I wouldn't scorn you if you put him down as 9 on your reservation.. some might but you can't win 'em all. BTW, NO, they wont ask you how old your son is unless he looks 16 or something.. i had a big 9 year old and a little 9 year old and they never questioned my big 9 year olds age (he looked like he was 12)..

Thanks, for understanding. He's thin and not too tall. I try to get him to try new things, but I don't like to push him on vacation. Maybe we'll not worry about the plan and just pay out of pocket... I'll think about it.

 

[Lisa F]

Thanks, for understanding. He's thin and not too tall. I try to get him to try new things, but I don't like to push him on vacation. Maybe we'll not worry about the plan and just pay out of pocket... I'll think about it.

I would not be comfortable about lying about his age personally. I'm not judging just saying it would not sit right with me. I would pay OOP and not stress about what he does or doesn't eat... my kiddo is picky too and he has expanded his tastes way more when I stopped pressuring and just kept offering and left it entirely up to him.

The only time the dining plan is a savings realistically is if you have kids 9 and under and they eat a lot and you have a lot of character meals... they are the best bargain on the DDP and you can also order adult QS for the kids. If you are paying adult prices for your 10 year old, that is probably the LEAST value you can get on the DDP. Unless you are getting it for free, then it almost doesn't matter.

They will absolutely let him order off the kid menu everywhere. Unless you are doing all buffets/aycte, I would just pay oop and have him order what he likes, no pressure. At buffets it is unfortunately the rule that it is by age only... even people who have had the gastric bypass surgery and eat like 5 year olds can't get out of paying full price. It just is what it is, but you can chalk it up to paying for the overall "experience." I'd not want to be ordering my child adult entrees when he won't eat them. I did order mine adult entrees on the DxDDP but he devoured most of them so it was definitely worth it. Now I am stuck paying for the $49 filet for him OOP forever now so that was an unanticipated slippery slope!

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Here's the thing:
Are you willing to deal with the ramifications and potential embarrassment to you and your child if he slips up and tells his real age when asked?? I wouldn't want to put my child in that situation.

 

[Aletha]

I would not be comfortable about lying about his age personally. I'm not judging just saying it would not sit right with me. I would pay OOP and not stress about what he does or doesn't eat... my kiddo is picky too and he has expanded his tastes way more when I stopped pressuring and just kept offering and left it entirely up to him.

The only time the dining plan is a savings realistically is if you have kids 9 and under and they eat a lot and you have a lot of character meals... they are the best bargain on the DDP and you can also order adult QS for the kids. If you are paying adult prices for your 10 year old, that is probably the LEAST value you can get on the DDP. Unless you are getting it for free, then it almost doesn't matter.

They will absolutely let him order off the kid menu everywhere. Unless you are doing all buffets/aycte, I would just pay oop and have him order what he likes, no pressure. At buffets it is unfortunately the rule that it is by age only... even people who have had the gastric bypass surgery and eat like 5 year olds can't get out of paying full price. It just is what it is, but you can chalk it up to paying for the overall "experience." I'd not want to be ordering my child adult entrees when he won't eat them. I did order mine adult entrees on the DxDDP but he devoured most of them so it was definitely worth it. Now I am stuck paying for the $49 filet for him OOP forever now so that was an unanticipated slippery slope!

Thank-you for taking the time to answer my question! Yeah, the more I think about it the more I realize I wouldn't like lying AND I would have to coach my son on lying. I was planning on doing a couple buffets, but I had a couple other ideas too. Plus I want to do the Hoopdy doo and that would require 2 TS credit. Probably safer to just pay OOP.

I would not be comfortable about lying about his age personally. I'm not judging just saying it would not sit right with me. I would pay OOP and not stress about what he does or doesn't eat... my kiddo is picky too and he has expanded his tastes way more when I stopped pressuring and just kept offering and left it entirely up to him.

The only time the dining plan is a savings realistically is if you have kids 9 and under and they eat a lot and you have a lot of character meals... they are the best bargain on the DDP and you can also order adult QS for the kids. If you are paying adult prices for your 10 year old, that is probably the LEAST value you can get on the DDP. Unless you are getting it for free, then it almost doesn't matter.

They will absolutely let him order off the kid menu everywhere. Unless you are doing all buffets/aycte, I would just pay oop and have him order what he likes, no pressure. At buffets it is unfortunately the rule that it is by age only... even people who have had the gastric bypass surgery and eat like 5 year olds can't get out of paying full price. It just is what it is, but you can chalk it up to paying for the overall "experience." I'd not want to be ordering my child adult entrees when he won't eat them. I did order mine adult entrees on the DxDDP but he devoured most of them so it was definitely worth it. Now I am stuck paying for the $49 filet for him OOP forever now so that was an unanticipated slippery slope!

 

[WhispyPixie]

We have dealt with this situation when our twins were this age and then again with our youngest. It is SO HARD not to want just claim them the younger age to fit their eating habits. With that said, WDW asked us the majority of the time. We were quite thankful that we signed them up for their correct age. We have always taught them...."what is your integrity worth?" OOP is definitely the way to go!! Sometimes they are hungry, sometimes not..and sometimes they just wanna crash at the table and sleep haha...Have a great trip!

 

[Calee]

I was asked almost every time I checked in at the hostess stand how old the children were...they were small 4, 6 and 8 and don't look anywhere close to the cut off.

 

[ErinsMommy]

My now 10 year old has an appetite of that of a child half her age, and looks to be a few years shy of 10 as well. However, its just one of those expenses that we have to take into account - and trust me its a large expense since we're on the deluxe dining plan. I personally wouldn't lie about my kids age, and that applied too when we went to Disney for the first time and she looked under 3 and could've been 'free', but she was what she was.

 

[brockash]

No, but they will likely ask your child or ask in front of your child.

Lol...a server is not going to ask your child or you how old they are. Before magicbands or if you don't have one, the hostess may ask how many adults/children, but no one is going to be quizzing your child on their age. If you're on the dining plan, they're going to go by whatever is says when you scan your band (whatever's on your reservation). They rely on the honor system.

 

[missbrooke06]

Lol...a server is not going to ask your child or you how old they are. Before magicbands or if you don't have one, the hostess may ask how many adults/children, but no one is going to be quizzing your child on their age. If you're on the dining plan, they're going to go by whatever is says when you scan your band (whatever's on your reservation). They rely on the honor system.

I'm glad you had that experience. I was asked a couple of times - including once when I said my kids were 1 and 4 and the oldest was quick to tell the hostess that his brother was actually 11 months old.

Just giving OP a variety of experiences.

 

[Thing 1]

My boys have been asked many times how old they are. They have been asked at the gate and at restaurants. We have never lied about it so no worries, well except my then four year old answering 14 or 21 a few times!

 

[LilyWDW]

I wouldn't be willing to lie about it. Just don't get the darn dining plan.

Also, just a FYI but discussing ways to get around Disney's policies are against the rules of this board. Lying about a child's age would fall into that I am sure.

 

[Aletha]

I wouldn't be willing to lie about it. Just don't get the darn dining plan.

Also, just a FYI but discussing ways to get around Disney's policies are against the rules of this board. Lying about a child's age would fall into that I am sure.

Thank-you for your input and to all those who answered my question. I wasn't originally asking if I should lie. I was just asking how they would know and if they would ask. Now I know that they will. I respect the rules and if someone wants to delete this thread that's fine.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank-you for your input and to all those who answered my question. I wasn't originally asking if I should lie. I was just asking how they would know and if they would ask. Now I know that they will. I respect the rules and if someone wants to delete this threat that's fine.

I did not think you were trying to get around any rules. I did think you were trying to work out the logistics of a child who is not going to make the cost of meals pay off. I remember when we used to go to buffets and my nephew would have one dish of white rice. YIKES! How do you calmly ask a kid why he did not just say that was what he wanted before you ordered the buffet for him? LOL! We laugh now but back then? Not so much.

You know your child, so before you add a dining plan check out the menus and prices, make a spreadsheet and include what you think that you all will likely order. I know that there are some online, but I find that just making a quick on of my own and then adding up the actual costs of what I think we will want is more accurate for us. Once a child hits 10, unless they like to order off of the adult menu the plan loses a lot of value, but you will have a clearer answer if you do the math.