10 yr old is considered adult for pricing purposes??

[Missyrose]

And one more thing I sure wouldn't mind paying for it if I wasn't a single mom of 3 saving every extra penny I can for years to take my girls on a great trip so unfortunately I have to watch every penny and cut any corner I can but hey thanks anyway

No need to get snippy with someone who was trying to help. I think you'll find most of us here on the boards have to budget and save for our Disney trips. Everyone wants to find ways to spend a little less. So why not plan for a la carte meals instead of the set-price meals or buffets? You can still have nice meals (and pay for what your twins eat instead of one set price)and the meet the characters in the parks. Just an idea.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I can't comment on the food age limit.

However, with tickets you are paying for the ability to experience all of the attractions and shows. The average 10-year old is tall enough to experience everything, just like an adult. Therefore they get charged the same as an adult. If the 10 year old chooses not to experience rides that is not Disney's problem.

A child under 10 has a higher probability of not being tall enough to experience all attractions, therefore Disney charges them less to enter.

 

[martinezmom3]

No need to get snippy with someone who was trying to help. I think you'll find most of us here on the boards have to budget and save for our Disney trips. Everyone wants to find ways to spend a little less. So why not plan for a la carte meals instead of the set-price meals or buffets? You can still have nice meals (and pay for what your twins eat instead of one set price)and the meet the characters in the parks. Just an idea.

Well said. I don't think anyone was trying to be judgmental, just trying to offer advice. We've been saving for five years for our trip and have a DD that will be 10 and 3 months when we go. It is sometimes hard not to feel attacked when reading other posts, but it didn't sound like anyone was trying to be mean spirited, just stating the facts. It is quite a financial burden for some( probably most), but they do have rules, and they do capture us with the magic! Hope everyone has great trips!!!!

 

[gtpoohbear]

And one more thing I sure wouldn't mind paying for it if I wasn't a single mom of 3 saving every extra penny I can for years to take my girls on a great trip so unfortunately I have to watch every penny and cut any corner I can but hey thanks anyway

Unfortunately, Disney is not a charity, they are a business and they exist to make money. The are under no obligation to make their product affordable to any particular person. Some of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford a long vacation at a Deluxe resort, eating at the most expensive restaurants. Some of us have to pinch pennies just to stay at Value for a couple of nights and share CS meals. Some of us can't afford to go at all. That's not Disney's problem to solve.

We all have to make reasonable choices that reflect our personal budget and lifestyle. But it is NOT up to Disney to make that any easier for us. That is our own burden, if we choose to buy their product.

I would not even consider lying to about the ages to save money. To me, that's no different than stealing a souvenir from the gift shop (not saying you (OP) were going to do this, but I know that some people DO, unfortunately). I can't possibly lie in front of my kids, and then expect them to be honest with me when I have set that kind of bad example.

If the buffet meal situation is pushing your budget too much, do something different. Eat more CS or a-la-carte where they can order off the kids' menu. There are so many choices and ways to have fun that any ONE thing should not be a deal-breaker.

 

[Hopefully]

And one more thing I sure wouldn't mind paying for it if I wasn't a single mom of 3 saving every extra penny I can for years to take my girls on a great trip so unfortunately I have to watch every penny and cut any corner I can but hey thanks anyway

You sound both sarcastic and angry
PP have pointed out your options. The fact that you are a single Mom with 3 kids saving every penny, doesn't change the fact that kids menus for dining are for 9 and under. Your twins are 10 and therefore adults.
You can vote with your wallet and not go to the buffet, you can write Disney and complain, or you can tell your twins to lie.
Being mean here doesn't change anything.
Sorry you are unhappy

 

[maxiesmom]

You sound both sarcastic and angry
PP have pointed out your options. The fact that you are a single Mom with 3 kids saving every penny, doesn't change the fact that kids menus for dining are for 9 and under. Your twins are 10 and therefore adults.
You can vote with your wallet and not go to the buffet, you can write Disney and complain, or you can tell your twins to lie.
Being mean here doesn't change anything.
Sorry you are unhappy

I'm sorry you are unhappy too, but as has been pointed out, Disney sets the rules. And yes, a huge part of character meals is meeting the characters, that is why they can charge people so much and still have restaurants full, full, full.

I'm not wealthy by any means, and have to scrimp and save for my trips to WDW. Most of us do, you are not special in that respect. Heck, I've even paid the $$$ for breakfast in the castle and not eaten! We sat down, and I had the video camera shoved at me and was told to start filming the kids! I ate later.

 

[alisha123]

I apologize if I sounded rude or catty. I am a happy person and am honestly just upset that the rules are like they are and it came out wrong

 

[dansamy]

I apologize if I sounded rude or catty. I am a happy person and am honestly just upset that the rules are like they are and it came out wrong

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but your earlier post sounded a lot like the single mom that went out to a dinner, had a large bill & then stiffed the server out of a tip with a note that said "Single mom on a budget, sorry". Even as a single mom, probably struggling on just one income with limited/no child support, when you choose to patronize an establishment, you must budget accordingly. If that means your kids are charged the adult buffet price because they're 10, it gets added in to your budgeting & accounted for. If you can't afford the meal unless you lie about their ages to pay the child price, then you can't afford the meal. Make a different choice. You don't HAVE to eat at TH to see characters.

 

[maxiesmom]

I apologize if I sounded rude or catty. I am a happy person and am honestly just upset that the rules are like they are and it came out wrong

I know the pricing can seem crazy! However for every 10 year old who eats like a bird there is a 9 year old who eats as much as an adult! A buffet's pricing is never fair to everyone. We still go to buffets, and I think the most I have ever eaten was 2 plates, and not very full ones. Usually I skip dessert too. I don't like eating until I am stuffed, and then touring the parks.

 

[disnut8]

Whenever I see these threads I just flash back on my grandson last weekend. He ate six slices of pizza by himself. It wasn't at Disney but he has his father's appetite and will eat anything he can. Oh - my grandson is six years old.

So, some kids are picky eaters and some kids are garbage disposals. You have to work out the logistics for your family for wherever you are.

Me? I order an appetizer and am fine. Therefore, I avoid buffets since I don't get my money's worth.

Choose wisely - there are TONS of Disney restaurants to enjoy.

 

[ahself]

I'm resurrecting an older thread because it's the closest match to what I was searching for - curiosity over how others have handled having to pay adult meal prices for a 10-year old. I've read every post and completely understand Disney's policy. I'm just not all that happy since my DD is picky, rail thin, and eats like a small bird, i.e. I'm not going to get my money's worth out of her meals.

However, I have a different question - Have many others been successful asking at the restaurant for them to consider your 10-year old as a child rather than an adult? I was successful doing this in the summer with the hostess at a Hollywood & Vine since it's a buffet and I knew my DD wouldn't eat more than one plate of food. I'm sure I was somewhat lucky, but am curious if others have had similar success.

I'm with a party of 11, over half are adults and I have the only 10-year old. Unfortunately for my wallet, 6 out of our 7 planned meals are buffets with set prices. Thus my question on others' experiences.

 

[mom2of2]

I'm resurrecting an older thread because it's the closest match to what I was searching for - curiosity over how others have handled having to pay adult meal prices for a 10-year old. I've read every post and completely understand Disney's policy. I'm just not all that happy since my DD is picky, rail thin, and eats like a small bird, i.e. I'm not going to get my money's worth out of her meals.

However, I have a different question - Have many others been successful asking at the restaurant for them to consider your 10-year old as a child rather than an adult? I was successful doing this in the summer with the hostess at a Hollywood & Vine since it's a buffet and I knew my DD wouldn't eat more than one plate of food. I'm sure I was somewhat lucky, but am curious if others have had similar success.

I'm with a party of 11, over half are adults and I have the only 10-year old. Unfortunately for my wallet, 6 out of our 7 planned meals are buffets with set prices. Thus my question on others' experiences.

Not exactly sure what you want to hear? How to get out of paying adult prices because your dd doesn't eat much?
Even guests who can't physically eat pay full price.
The "nice" CM at H&V wasn't being nice...she was being stupid. She risked her job by stealing from both her employer and her co-worker.
H&V and other character buffets you aren't just paying for the food, your paying for entertainment and character interaction

 

[Granny square]

I'm resurrecting an older thread because it's the closest match to what I was searching for - curiosity over how others have handled having to pay adult meal prices for a 10-year old. I've read every post and completely understand Disney's policy. I'm just not all that happy since my DD is picky, rail thin, and eats like a small bird, i.e. I'm not going to get my money's worth out of her meals. However, I have a different question - Have many others been successful asking at the restaurant for them to consider your 10-year old as a child rather than an adult? I was successful doing this in the summer with the hostess at a Hollywood & Vine since it's a buffet and I knew my DD wouldn't eat more than one plate of food. I'm sure I was somewhat lucky, but am curious if others have had similar success. I'm with a party of 11, over half are adults and I have the only 10-year old. Unfortunately for my wallet, 6 out of our 7 planned meals are buffets with set prices. Thus my question on others' experiences.

It is pretty cheeky to ask. When you go to a restaurant you are not at a street vender in Tijuana.

 

[eangel12]

I'm resurrecting an older thread because it's the closest match to what I was searching for - curiosity over how others have handled having to pay adult meal prices for a 10-year old. I've read every post and completely understand Disney's policy. I'm just not all that happy since my DD is picky, rail thin, and eats like a small bird, i.e. I'm not going to get my money's worth out of her meals. However, I have a different question - Have many others been successful asking at the restaurant for them to consider your 10-year old as a child rather than an adult? I was successful doing this in the summer with the hostess at a Hollywood & Vine since it's a buffet and I knew my DD wouldn't eat more than one plate of food. I'm sure I was somewhat lucky, but am curious if others have had similar success. I'm with a party of 11, over half are adults and I have the only 10-year old. Unfortunately for my wallet, 6 out of our 7 planned meals are buffets with set prices. Thus my question on others' experiences.

I pay full price for my mother in law and she eats LESS than 1 plate of food because she is always watching her weight. She'll eat a little fruit, a piece of chicken and that will be it. I pay for her because you have to pay full price. I also look at it like this...it is Disney. The prices are the prices and I'm paying for the experience more than the food.

I would not try to talk CM into anything...it is their job on the line so you can save $$. If it is that big of a deal, don't do buffets and order your child an appetizer to keep cost down or let her share with you at a table service meal!!

 

[jennylyn_b]

No you pay the full price. It's the rules and it's against the boards policy to discuss ways to get around the rules. Period

 

[Ali]

You need to make a decision on what's more important, eating at buffet restaurants or paying less for your child who eats lightly by going to TS and paying oop for what the child eats instead of using a dining credit. I choose to eat at TS places and use my non eating child/adult credits at more meals. He eats barely nothing and I won't waste the money in character buffets any more since we've done them.

You chose buffet and you'll have to pay for the adult prices.

It's vacation, prices aren't supposed to matter, or so they say.

 

[rwdavis2]

Oh, I showed DH the math. He is unfazed.
He is completely sold on the DxDP.

With the Deluxe plan do you realize how much food you are going to get and how long all those sit down meals will take? I thought the regular plan was too much food.

 

[disnut8]

I'm resurrecting an older thread because it's the closest match to what I was searching for - curiosity over how others have handled having to pay adult meal prices for a 10-year old. I've read every post and completely understand Disney's policy. I'm just not all that happy since my DD is picky, rail thin, and eats like a small bird, i.e. I'm not going to get my money's worth out of her meals.

However, I have a different question - Have many others been successful asking at the restaurant for them to consider your 10-year old as a child rather than an adult? I was successful doing this in the summer with the hostess at a Hollywood & Vine since it's a buffet and I knew my DD wouldn't eat more than one plate of food. I'm sure I was somewhat lucky, but am curious if others have had similar success.

I'm with a party of 11, over half are adults and I have the only 10-year old. Unfortunately for my wallet, 6 out of our 7 planned meals are buffets with set prices. Thus my question on others' experiences.

Did you have a say in where the group would be dining? If so, then you kind of backed yourself into a corner knowing your daughter's wants/needs and also knowing her age and Disney's policies. If you didn't have a say in the dining plans, I would suggest you make your own arraignments and have your family dine where you can be happy. Then meet up with the group later.

As others have stated, there are adults who don't eat a lot at buffets but still get charged the full price anyway. And as I said in an earlier post, my grandson (who is now seven) would get charged a kids price and eat more than his 15 year old sister who would be at the adult price. So we would "save" with him and "lose" with her but that's not the only purpose in having a dinner on vacation. Another purpose is to have a good time with the others at the table.

 

[gtpoohbear]

With the Deluxe plan do you realize how much food you are going to get and how long all those sit down meals will take? I thought the regular plan was too much food.

We have done the Deluxe plan 3 times (with 3 TS meals every day) and both DH and DD are always starving by the next meal. For people who are used to eating 3 real meals a day, it's not an unusual amount of food.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[ahself]

Not exactly sure what you want to hear? How to get out of paying adult prices because your dd doesn't eat much?
Even guests who can't physically eat pay full price.
The "nice" CM at H&V wasn't being nice...she was being stupid. She risked her job by stealing from both her employer and her co-worker.
H&V and other character buffets you aren't just paying for the food, your paying for entertainment and character interaction

I was pretty clear with what I wanted to hear - other's experiences. In addition, I said that I had read every other reply and understood Disney's policy. Try reading fully before replying in such a condescending tone next time. Your reply provided no value at all, other than to talk down to me and try to make me feel stupid.

Thanks to everyone else for the polite replies.

Trust me, I've considered everything everyone else replied back with, e.g. picking other restaurants, sucking it up, etc. In addition, I've been to WDW many times before this. As I mentioned, now that my DD is 10 and after experiencing what I did at H&V in the summer (which actually had no character dining for that meal), I was just curious if others have had similar experiences.