10 yr old at buffet

[my2boyz]

Do they ask kids ages at buffet? I would not lie or have my child lie about their age but I think its ridiculous to charge a 10 yr old the same amount as an adult. Are they strict about this? I know our 10 yr old does not eat enough to warrant being charged an adult fee.

 

[maltdizzy]

Do what you think is fair.

If a dining reservation or its billing is tied into a DLR hotel/package, they may know the child's age already. Otherwise, they have no reason to doubt what you claim. I have no had them ask to check a park ticket or anything, but then my child isn't 10 yet.

 

[my2boyz]

Like I said I will not lie about his age, I just didn't know if CM would consider putting him down as a child still when we check in to restaurant. I'm thinking we will skip any buffets just for this reason Anyone know if they still have a la carte menu at Storytellers breakfast?

 

[NannyBeBe]

I know what you mean, my2boyz. I am a light eater and never get my money's worth at a buffet. But my 8-year-old grandson can eat me under the table (and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him). I figure if there are members of my party that eat a lot, then it makes up for the little that I eat.

 

[3Gsandme]

We were never asked, but it was very clear which of my three were over nine and which were under. With kids on the line, they may ask his age. If you've made a reservation through Disney and they already have all your information, they will probably know his age already.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

They no longer do the a la carte menu at Storyteller's for breakfast.

 

[smitch425]

I know plenty of 10 year olds that out eat me at buffets. They have to set it at an average age, and they chose 10. Just avoid the buffets, and you can avoid the 10+ pricing.

 

[Malcon10t]

They will ask "How many 9 and under?" I have witnessed a family of 4 come into Storytellers with a son (10), a teenage daughter, mom and dad. When the hostess asked dad "How many 9 and under?" dad said 1. To which the son says "Dad, I'm 10!" and teen daughter got upset and said "Dad, if we can't afford to eat here without cheating, let's just go back upstairs." So, dad said "All adults."

My thing is if I don't think the price is right, I don't cheat, I just don't go there. If it isn't worth it to pay $x for your son's meal, don't go there, there are plenty of other places to eat.

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

Kids pricing is until 9 at Disney. If you say your child is 10, they will charge you an adult price. Simple as that. I know it bites to be right at the age cut off, but buffets are not a requirement. They're very expensive, in general. I would just recommend avoiding them if money is an issue. If the CM puts your child down as under 9 and you do not correct them, then you are indirectly lying. Staying silent and hoping that they don't charge your child the price they qualify for = lying.

 

[CT Disney]

They will ask "How many 9 and under?" I have witnessed a family of 4 come into Storytellers with a son (10), a teenage daughter, mom and dad. When the hostess asked dad "How many 9 and under?" dad said 1. To which the son says "Dad, I'm 10!" and teen daughter got upset and said "Dad, if we can't afford to eat here without cheating, let's just go back upstairs." So, dad said "All adults."

My thing is if I don't think the price is right, I don't cheat, I just don't go there. If it isn't worth it to pay $x for your son's meal, don't go there, there are plenty of other places to eat.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

I have a friend who took her 3 kids to a character buffet in WDW a few months ago. All 3 kids are over the age of 10. She told the waitress that her kids were triplets...all age 9. So she paid the kid's price for all three kids. When she got home and told me this story, she was actually proud. She said that it was ridiculous to have to pay an adult price for her pre-teens. When I asked her why they ate there she said, "Well, because we love the restaurant and the characters and the food." Ugh.

Needless to say, we got into a bit of a debate. Here's the thing, for kids over nine you are paying for more than just the food. You're paying for the wait staff, the character interactions, the overhead associated with the operations of the restaurant, etc. I think my friend was completely rude to walk into that restaurant and proclaim that because she didn't think the set price was fair then she was going to set her own price.

If you can't afford to dine somewhere, or you think the pricing isn't fair...then don't eat there. It's Disney's restaurant, they get to set the price. And, you get to decide whether or not you want to eat there.

OP...this frustration isn't directed at you. I've just been frustrated about this whole incident since my friend told me about it. I think that openly lying about your child's age is tantamount to stealing. Just my opinion. In fact, I think that if your kid is 10 you should tell the wait staff honestly so they aren't left guessing.

 

[Zbugz]

When my kids were on the edge of "adulthood" in restaurants, I was forthright and told the waiter/waitress their age. Often they would allow them to have kid pricing. I also know that sometimes the wait staff at Disney will make a judgment call and charge the lesser price based on the child's appearance. This has happened more than once to a friend of mine who has late blooming children.

 

[smitch425]

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

I have a friend who took her 3 kids to a character buffet in WDW a few months ago. All 3 kids are over the age of 10. She told the waitress that her kids were triplets...all age 9. So she paid the kid's price for all three kids. When she got home and told me this story, she was actually proud. She said that it was ridiculous to have to pay an adult price for her pre-teens. When I asked her why they ate there she said, "Well, because we love the restaurant and the characters and the food." Ugh.

Needless to say, we got into a bit of a debate. Here's the thing, for kids over nine you are paying for more than just the food. You're paying for the wait staff, the character interactions, the overhead associated with the operations of the restaurant, etc. I think my friend was completely rude to walk into that restaurant and proclaim that because she didn't think the set price was fair then she was going to set her own price.

If you can't afford to dine somewhere, or you think the pricing isn't fair...then don't eat there. It's Disney's restaurant, they get to set the price. And, you get to decide whether or not you want to eat there.

OP...this frustration isn't directed at you. I've just been frustrated about this whole incident since my friend told me about it. I think that openly lying about your child's age is tantamount to stealing. Just my opinion. In fact, I think that if your kid is 10 you should tell the wait staff honestly so they aren't left guessing.

Ugh...I would have a hard time keeping that friend. It amazes me how people can do these things to begin with, but to then brag about it is just disgusting. Kudos to you for letting her know it was wrong.

 

[CT Disney]

Ugh...I would have a hard time keeping that friend. It amazes me how people can do these things to begin with, but to then brag about it is just disgusting. Kudos to you for letting her know it was wrong.

To be honest, I still feel annoyed every time I see her. I am big on honesty and this was totally wrong in my book. I asked her what she would do if she walked into a store and saw that they were charging twice what she thought was fair for an item. Would she take two and only pay for one? Let's just say, it wasn't a pleasant conversation.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I've had gastro surgery and eat more like a toddler than an adult. I don't do buffets for this reason. Disney allows anyone to purchase a child meal at a CS location, or to order child's menu items at a la carte restaurants, so that is what I stick to. I have done character meals when I am traveling with my sister's kids or with friends and I have really enjoyed them, but I get my money's worth in character interaction, not food.

 

[bumbershoot]

I know what you mean, my2boyz. I am a light eater and never get my money's worth at a buffet. But my 8-year-old grandson can eat me under the table (and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him). I figure if there are members of my party that eat a lot, then it makes up for the little that I eat.

Exactly.

I used to eat more and DS ate less. Now it has swapped. I'm not sure that any of us really eat the cost of a character buffet, but DH and DS enjoy the character interaction so we do them IF the food is really good. (which means at WDW it's Tusker House and at DLR, as far as I know without having been there recently, it's Surf's Up) We are not the people going up time and time again for full plates, that's for sure! But it all evens out, and if we take a long view of how long we've been going, it definitely evens out.

I know plenty of 10 year olds that out eat me at buffets. They have to set it at an average age, and they chose 10. Just avoid the buffets, and you can avoid the 10+ pricing.

Yep.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I've had gastro surgery and eat more like a toddler than an adult. I don't do buffets for this reason. Disney allows anyone to purchase a child meal at a CS location, or to order child's menu items at a la carte restaurants, so that is what I stick to. I have done character meals when I am traveling with my sister's kids or with friends and I have really enjoyed them, but I get my money's worth in character interaction, not food.

That's the best way to look at it.

The real entertainment at a character buffet is just that - the characters. Everyone is paying to occupy a seat in the restaurant and interact with the characters. The food is really secondary, and it's impossible for a restaurant to quantify consumption for each individual. Some kids under 9 eat more than those 10 and over, and vice versa. Some adults eat very little. Some can put a serious dent in the buffet line. Some people have specialized food requirements, whether post-surgical, medical, or personal preference. I supposed I could walk in and say, "I'm on a diet and I'm only going to eat one bowl of fruit and one dry bagel. How much do I have to pay?" Imagine if every person did that! The restaurant has to set its prices and arbitrarily set the child vs. adult cut-off somewhere. We can either abide by the policy, or eat elsewhere.

 

[707MickeyGirl]

When I take my DGD7 we always do at least one character meal, usually breakfast at the Plaza Inn with Minnie because they have the most characters. I know going in that I'm going to be paying way too much for her to eat 2 bowls of Fruit Loops. So I tell myself I'm not paying for Fruit Loops, I'm paying for memories - and there have been so many priceless ones.

 

[ADLFAN]

Wouldn't it be nice if the kid / adult cut off was more like 12 instead of 10? I don't often have kids in tow on my trips, but when I do, I am always confused by the different age cut offs! Haha, I used Super Shuttle and accidentally put us down for 2 kids, but their age cut off is 2 years old for 'kids'!

 

[maltdizzy]

Wouldn't it be nice if the kid / adult cut off was more like 12 instead of 10? I don't often have kids in tow on my trips, but when I do, I am always confused by the different age cut offs! Haha, I used Super Shuttle and accidentally put us down for 2 kids, but their age cut off is 2 years old for 'kids'!

I look at it as every kid develops differently. They all grow different, they all have different body shapes, etc. Not all 10yo's wear the same shoe size or pants size and not all are even in the same grade.

The Disney Dining cutoff is 10 because the ticket cutoff is 10. If someone has a small child who is just a few months past 10, I don't care if they claim a 9yo. That's why my advice above is "pay what they feel is fair." I do not disagree with anyone above, the cost is for the experience and they didn't have to offer any discount for children (they don't on AP's). The above example about the woman claiming three 9yo triples...that's not fair, she knew it wasn't fair, that's crooked. I suppose the issue is, most people these days take advantage of trust.

 

[maxiesmom]

Do they ask kids ages at buffet? I would not lie or have my child lie about their age but I think its ridiculous to charge a 10 yr old the same amount as an adult. Are they strict about this? I know our 10 yr old does not eat enough to warrant being charged an adult fee.

Yes, they are strict. If you think the cost is ridiculous and don't wish to pay it, the best thing is to avoid restaurants that have that sort of pricing. At age 10 my nephew could put away a lot more food than I could. And now at age 23 he still does!

If you can go, pay what it costs and not what you wished it costs, and have a great time, then go. If you would be upset at the cost and be dwelling on that the whole time, then skip it.