2 1/2 year old and DP?

[karemore]

How do you work it with a child under 3? The prices are for children 3 and up.

We want to slip one more trip in before our daughter turns three.

She would need her own children's meals at least twice a day.

 

[beattyfamily]

Dining plan or not it works the same way.

Kids under 3 are free at all you can eat, buffets and family style restaurants.

At regular restaurants with a menu, you would pay for anything you order for your under 3 year old off the menu or you can share with them.

There is SO much food on the plan, I doubt your 2 1/2 year old will go hungry even with sharing.

Or you can just buy their meals when needed.

 

[n2mm]

We just returned from a big family trip and granddaughter is 2 1/2. We paid for all of her meals OOP. She's a big eater and wasn't interested in our food. I have no problem paying for her meals as long as she eats them, which she did. The only places we didn't pay for her were at WCC (skillet for breakfast) and Trails End. We didn't do any other buffets since she has NO interest in the characters. We only paid for her meals at TS locations. She has no interest in filet or shrimp or fish. So she ate the kids pasta, grilled cheese, pizza, and nuggets. She was happy!! During QS meals, the food was more familiar to her and there we shared. After all 8 adults on the DDP, that was alot of french fries and chicken strips. Most of the TS kids meals are less than $8.00, which includes drinks and deserts, a real bargain IMHO. Plus we also have the DDE discount card too, so that little bit helped too.

 

[texasteacher35]

I am traveling w/ DS2 (barely 2) in Oct. and he will be eating off of my plate, or his sister's DD12, or DH...Mostly mine...At all the character buffet breakfasts/lunches/and dinners he will get his own plate...I think there is soooo much food, that no one will be left hungry...even if you have multiple kids <3...

 

[dr&momto2boys]

We contemplated getting the DDP for our 2 yr old who eats alot, but when we saw how reasonably priced the kids meals are, it didn't make any sense to get the DDP. Some of the time, he'll eat free (we're doing a lot of buffets.) The other times his meals are so reasonable it wouldn't really save any money to do the DDP.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

We contemplated getting the DDP for our 2 yr old who eats alot, but when we saw how reasonably priced the kids meals are, it didn't make any sense to get the DDP. Some of the time, he'll eat free (we're doing a lot of buffets.) The other times his meals are so reasonable it wouldn't really save any money to do the DDP.

No it wouldn't because to put the child on the DDP you would also have to buy him a park ticket.

 

[PA Princess]

We just returned from a trip last week and we traveled with our 2 1/2 year old dd (plus dd 7, ds 12, and ds 13).

In our 6 days we did 4 character buffets (2 breakfasts and 2 dinners) and two non buffets - Coral Reef and Mama Melrose. We opted to purchase a kid meal for dd 2 at those two restaurants...she is old enough to want her own plate (and the kid plates are often so cute... in a big Mickey head, etc).

This desire for her own is not one I would give into at home, but on vacation I allowed it...it was $20 well spent for the joy and nurishment they brought

My dd has older sibs getting their own to give her the idea...perhaps with an only they would be happy to share. Last September when she was 18 months we did share exclusively with her and this worked fine at that time.

I agree that the cs are easier to share...there is more than enough to go around is what we found.

 

[julm26]

We are leaving in 5 days and we have a DD2.5 also, we will let her eat off of our plates - she is not a big eater and it would be a waste to buy her her own meal. Even sweet stuff she will only take 2 bites. We got the Free DDP and it will be quite enough for all 3 of us. (me, DH, DD2)

 

[ljcrochet]

I'm planning on having my almost 2 1/2 year old twins share. I figure with 4 adult appitizers, plus my meal (and grandma) they will have plenty to eat. I think we only have one or two ADR that are not buffet or pre plated all you care to eat.

 

[homedad]

When we went in 2005 on DDP, DD was 2 1/2 and I think they gave her her own plate even at JIKO. I may be wrong but it was never an issue, maybe I paid OOP and forgot. Now that I read this I'm not much help!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Last summer, I added my daughter...then 2.5, to the dining plan. I asked Disney if I could make her three on the reservation and they said no problem. I did have to buy her a one day pass as well. My DH and I and our 6 year old already had APs that trip and we all ended up with the one day pass...which we used the next year to upgrade to APs.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

My son was 23 months last year and will be 35 months this year and he shares off out plates with no problem. We actually only paid out of pocket once last year. That was in Italy at Epcot because we both ordered spicy sauce dinners. I think you will be fine sharing. When I did the math it was chaper to book mostly buffet/family style meals and then pay oop for the rest. Even at Ohana they gave him the childs meal and never charged us.

 

[Elmo888]

We just shared with our DD2 (she was 26 months at the time). Between the bread, appetizers, buffets, free meal at CRT, milk, and sharing, she was fine. I also brought snacks (nuts and goldfish) and little boxes of cereal for between meals and early mornings. On the DDP, you can go to the gift shop in your resort and buy a large milk (larger than at the CS place in the resort) with a snack credit. It is a much better value than the milk in the CS place. I kept that milk in the fridge in our room (fridge is free in mods and deluxe resorts), and DD2 could drink it in the mornings.

Unless your 2 yo is a big eater, I wouldn't worry about it. If she is, you can buy kids' meals as needed.