8 Year old and Free Dining

[twokids0204]

I know if I am paying for the DDP I can choose to pay for the full DDP for my 8 year old, instead of the kids.

Can I upgrade my kid (buy an adult park ticket) and have him use the Adult (full menu) DDP - on FREE DINING?

The kids choice are very limited, and he is not a big fan of burgers and nuggets every day.

 

[CM1988]

I upgraded my 9 year old with the free dining plan. I called the Disney reservation site and told the CM that my daughter was 9 and would not like the food off the children's menu and she changed our reservation to list her as a 10 year old. We paid something like $20 to upgrade the tickets and now she is can eat off the adult menu.

 

[twokids0204]

I upgraded my 9 year old with the free dining plan. I called the Disney reservation site and told the CM that my daughter was 9 and would not like the food off the children's menu and she changed our reservation to list her as a 10 year old. We paid something like $20 to upgrade the tickets and now she is can eat off the adult menu.

I quoted it out online as him being 10, and yeah it was $20.

I just don't know if I can do it for him still being 8, or if I should just say he is 10. I'd hate to have him on file as 10 next year, and again 2 years later.

 

[Evi]

You can I think it all depends on how your 8 year old eats. Last year I was with a 7 & 8 year old and I upgraded because they don't eat junk food. Eating nuggets and noodles for 10 days was not going to happen. I'm glad I did. I also did ask the servers to make there portions a little smaller because they weren't going to finish an entire adult entree. The servers obliged and also added that if the girls wanted more of anything to let them know. At the end of the day I chose to pay for Character meals out of pocket and paid for them as kids since those are buffets and they would be able to pick what they wanted. Except Cindy's Castle I paid for them as adults. you may want to go over the menus and see what your children will and will not eat and then you can decide.

Good luck

 

[iminla]

If you upgrade to an adult - you have to also upgrade the park tickets????and after upgrading - if they want order kid's menu item - will they allow it???

 

[RMulieri]

If you upgrade to an adult - you have to also upgrade the park tickets????and after upgrading - if they want order kid's menu item - will they allow it???

If you upgrade them on the dining plan you also HAVE TO UPGRADE to an adult on park tickets.

 

[TDC Nala]

He has to be registered as 10, so he is going to go down on the resort reservation as being 10, and Disney will have him on file as being 10. Whether or not that requires lying depends on if you get a cast member on the phone who will not do it when you tell them "He is 8 but I want to register him as 10." There's no written rule one way or the other, but cast members sometimes go by what they individually think is right.

I am not sure why one would upgrade a child and pay for the adult ticket if they're just going to order off the child's menu anyway. And yes, if you register your child as 10, no matter what their real age is Disney will consider them "adults" for both tickets and dining.

 

[nicki.momof3]

He has to be registered as 10, so he is going to go down on the resort reservation as being 10, and Disney will have him on file as being 10. .

I had a very different experience than this. I will not have my kids eating the junk they have on the kids menus for 10 days.

My Kids are DD6, DS7, DS8. We are going during free dining (Dec. 16-25).

When I called I upgraded them to 10 year olds and I told the CM the exact reason. No big deal I paid about $74 extra for good food choices and adult tickets for my kids. In the same call I ordered MVMCP tickets and the CM "said since your kids are actually under 9 years old you can purchase theres for the chidrens price". Which I happily did.

Bottom line - they are upgraded to adult for due to dining but they are not in the computer file as adults.

I know this because I called a few days later and made our April 2012 reservation (not free dining) and their ages on that reservation are their exact ages.

 

[TDC Nala]

I had a very different experience than this. I will not have my kids eating the junk they have on the kids menus for 10 days.

My Kids are DD6, DS7, DS8. We are going during free dining (Dec. 16-25).

When I called I upgraded them to 10 year olds and I told the CM the exact reason. No big deal I paid about $74 extra for good food choices and adult tickets for my kids. In the same call I ordered MVMCP tickets and the CM "said since your kids are actually under 9 years old you can purchase theres for the chidrens price". Which I happily did.

Bottom line - they are upgraded to adult for due to dining but they are not in the computer file as adults.

I know this because I called a few days later and made our April 2012 reservation (not free dining) and their ages on that reservation are their exact ages.

By the vast majority of reports, at least on this board, your experience is not typical and it appears you got lucky as far as the CM you spoke to. Just going by that, I can't advise anyone else to expect to be able to get adult credits for their children while still paying child prices.

 

[sukhakuli]

By the vast majority of reports, at least on this board, your experience is not typical and it appears you got lucky as far as the CM you spoke to. Just going by that, I can't advise anyone else to expect to be able to get adult credits for their children while still paying child prices.

But they are paying adult prices for the tickets. Let's say it's not free dining, and they buy an adult ticket and pay the adult dining plan prices for their child, they should get adult credits, right? Is it only not "allowed" because dining is free?

I don't think things are set in stone forever in the Disney system, either. They didn't know my kids' names and ages, even though this was not our first trip.

Have you called Disney Dining and asked about the policy? I was going to call and upgrade my 8 (will be 9 at the time of travel) to the adult plan during the free dining part of our trip, because she really does not like hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. And the size of the meals are not going to be enough for her, either. She's not a fat kid, either, her BMI is almost too thin, she just has a high metabolism. She really prefers good adult food. My other 2 live off kid type foods, but she doesn't like it.

I think I'm going to call and ask.

 

[ccbayly]

I upgraded my 7 and 9 year old to be adults (10 year olds) for free dining in sep. I was completely honest with the customer service rep and did NOT lie. I explained that I wanted them to be able to order off of the regular menu and he said no problem, we just have to upgrade them to adults. Cost me about $30.00 a piece for 10 day trip. Well worth the cost in my book.

 

[jrhwmr]

So glad to read this. Hopefully it isn't too late to change our reservations. My 9yo would love to eat off of the adult menu.

 

[momtoccc]

I upgraded my 8yo to adult for meals for our upcoming March trip. Cost $20 extra - I'm sure it will be worth it!

 

[WrenNCuckoos]

My 6 year old is upgraded to an adult for this reason on our trip in February. He can out-eat me, despite being very slim, and will get sick of the kid's meal options pretty fast. The 4 year old will be in heaven living on kid's meal choices, sadly. She's a picky little think who would live on chicken nuggets if allowed.

 

[TDC Nala]

But they are paying adult prices for the tickets. Let's say it's not free dining, and they buy an adult ticket and pay the adult dining plan prices for their child, they should get adult credits, right? Is it only not "allowed" because dining is free?

I don't think things are set in stone forever in the Disney system, either. They didn't know my kids' names and ages, even though this was not our first trip.

Have you called Disney Dining and asked about the policy? I was going to call and upgrade my 8 (will be 9 at the time of travel) to the adult plan during the free dining part of our trip, because she really does not like hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. And the size of the meals are not going to be enough for her, either. She's not a fat kid, either, her BMI is almost too thin, she just has a high metabolism. She really prefers good adult food. My other 2 live off kid type foods, but she doesn't like it.

I think I'm going to call and ask.

the poster above apparently said they were allowed to buy adult dining plan for their children while still registering them as children under 10 for room and tickets, and from what she wrote it appeared she was even able to pay the child price for the adult dining plan. Really, I'm not sure how they were able to do this. If you pay for the adult tickets then you can get the adult plan, but the kid has to go down on the reservation as being 10 years old, because the computer won't give them an adult dining plan unless they're at least 10.

Most cast members are fine with this if you explain you want the adult stuff for the kids. But they are putting your kid down as 10 years old. Not saying you can't change it back to their real age at whatever point. But for the reservation you're upgrading them, they have to be entered as being 10.

 

[jcemom]

When I called to make free dining reservations last year (for this past February at CBR) the CM on the phone asked if I wanted to upgrade DD8 to the adult dining plan, and explained that I would need to pay the adult ticket price as well. I didn't ask about it, she suggested it.

Next year we're staying at a value resort, and will upgrade from the QSDP to the DDP. I will pay child price for DD (who will then be 9) -- because once I pay for the ticket upgrade and the adult DDP upgrade, it will be less expensive for me to just buy her all the adult CS meals she wants. She doesn't need adult TS meals; it's only the kids CS meals that we feel are lacking.

$16.50 per night upgrade to DDP x 8 nights = $132 + $20 ticket upgrade = $152 if I upgrade her to an adult for free dining

I can buy her 8 adult CS meals for around $65. She may want a kids meal or two during the week (but I doubt it). When she doesn't, we will share the dessert and drink from my CS meal that's covered by the DDP, and order her an adult entree OOP. At TS she will be fine with the kids meals as we book a pretty good variety of restaurants, and I will be paying the tip on the kids price vs an extra adult meal.

I just wanted to give anyone who is staying at a Value and upgrading to free DDP another option to consider. If you're staying at a mod or deluxe then you're only paying the $20 ticket upgrade, plus the extra tips.