10 year olds and children's menus

[tomzpc]

We will be paying OOP and won't be doing the DDP on our next trip. Will my 10 yo DD be able to order from the children's menus since a)that would be her preference anyway and b)it will save us a lot of money?

If it matters, we currently have ADR's at Rose & Crown, Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Teppan Edo. We also have ADR's at Cape May, Biergarten and Hollywood & Vine (Fantasmic package) but obviously we will have to pay adult price for those since they are buffets. Very frustrating since it's near impossible for a 10 year old to eat their meal-value's worth.

 

[2Tiggies]

At CS and most TS you won't have a problem. As you are aware, buffets and all you can eat require her to pay full adult price. My DD is going to be 9 on our next trip so her last visit as a 'child'. For this reason we are not likely to be doing buffets and all you can eat on subsequent trips for quite a while. We do QSDP so our TS are also OOP.

 

[hildarumpole]

My daughter was 11 and 12 on our last two trips and usually ordered off the kids menus. She always orders the steak and Wave at Coral Reef, but every place else, she orders kid food. Most places ask her which menu she preferred before seating. I agree about the adult charges at buffets. DH loves Biergarten and the kids still want to do a character meal, which are all buffet or family style, so we've had to bite the bullet and pay the adult rate for my daughter who still has kid tastes and eats like a bird.

 

[team disney]

Too funny! I just posted a similar question and now I found yours!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2641750

This is our 6th family trip and my oldest is now 10! We use the ddp but I have a similar issue with the fear of "getting my money's worth" as well as hoping my child enjoys his meal. Some restauraunts have very grown up, adult menus (Yachtsman) and I can't see myself forcing him to (a) order something that he will not like and (b) that would be a waste of money.

I will be interested in the advice we both will get.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Our DS14 always orders from the kids' menus at TS places, and they are always very nice about it. If they don't give him a kids' menu when they seat us we just ask for one. He is very small and usually won't finish the kid portion, so ordering an adult portion is silly. He loves calamari so he will get that as an appetizer from the adult menu, then do steak or fish from the kids' menu as his entree. Sometimes he gets dessert, sometimes not, depending on how full he is. I keep thinking eventually his appetite will increase, but until then, we will let him order from the kids' menu. (We don't do dining plans - we have a TIW card.)

Obviously we pay the adult price at the buffets. Nothing like $30 for a waffle and a handful of grapes.

 

[pixarmom]

We have three boys - a pre-schooler and two pre-teen "Disney adults." We currently have APs so we've visited more often than usual lately, and our pre-teen boys have been able to order from the kids' menus at every TS and CS restaurant we've been to over the past year. I've read about occasional difficulties here on the board, but we haven't experienced that. CMs often offer our boys both the regular and children's menu and tell them they can order from either. One of them almost always orders from the children's menu and the other usually shares an adult entree with me or orders and appetizer and soup as his meal.

And like others, we carefully select our fixed price (buffet and family style) meals given the cost for two pre-teen Disney adults who don't eat a lot!

 

[team disney]

Great information & advice!

Thanks!

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Wait it will happen. I have a DD who will be 16 days before we leave for our trip in the spring. She looks like she eats like a bird. They always offer her the childrens menu as she is very petite. She is a cheerleader. Have you ever seen a bunch of cheerleaders eat. You would think you were watching a bunch of truckdrives packing it away for a long haul. I swear they burn if off while they are eating.

 

[jenny-d]

not that i'm into not telling the truth, but how will they know at Crystal palace that my dd is 10 and not 9? she will literally eat 5 chicken nuggets and maybe a scoop of mac and cheese and a bowl of ice cream for dessert. i never thought that maybe her age is on the reservation? that stinks. luckily that is our only buffet!

 

[deedeetoo]

My dd is now 12 and we have never had a problem with her ordering off the children's menu. She does waiver back and forth between the adult menu and the children's menu depending on how hungry she is and what is on the menu.

 

[Mary T in PA]

My kids are very tall for their ages and so DD11 looks to be about 16. Sometimes we get strange looks when she wants to order off the childrens menu. I know that a few TS places will give her what she wants off the childrens menu but is brought an adult size portion so we get our money's worth as she is charged as an adult.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

My dds (13 and 12) usually order off the kids menu (except for buffets and a few other places). The only restaurant that absolutely would not let them order off the kids menu was Tutto Italia, last summer.

The year before they ordered off the kids menu there with no problem.

Now that they are "Disney adults" we found that the TIW card works better than the DDP.