Age 9 cut off for childrens menu?

[bicker]

You are correct: They should remove those from the Dining Plan, so as to avoid the conflict you're highlighting.

 

[jdm]

It's been a while but to answer the question- no, it was the childs chicken strips with the childs portion. Very expensive, and she didn't eat anything else in the family style entrees because I told her she'd have to choose. I never thought they would charge me the $25 and I thought it unfair to order her a kids meal because she didn't like (most) of what they were serving and then let her help herself to the chicken wings and pineapple (the two things she liked). In hindsight, I kicked myself because they were obviously trying to accommodate her tastes, but were still charging me full price. Lesson learned.

Jenn

 

[jjohnson]

I don't know if anyone read this review but it looks like WDW is enforcing the 9 & under for children's menu more often.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1050262

 

[westjones]

I don't know if anyone read this review but it looks like WDW is enforcing the 9 & under for children's menu more often.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1050262

Wow! It does sound like that doesn't it! That is too bad. Now we can't go to TS restaurants. My twin DDs (12) will not eat off the adult menu (they want mac and cheese all the time) and they don't eat enough to make it worth paying for TS.

I sure hope the CS places don't become strict.

Has anyone had problems ordering kids meals at CS places for children over the age of 9?

DJ

 

[kcashner]

I went in December with two teens...not on dining plan as we are DVC members. At one meal, the girls ordered off the adult menu and I ordered off the kid menu (dieting, don't eat much.) I didn't say anything to the waiter, just ordered what I wanted. Was charged the regular child's price...no upcharge.

I don't know if this is policy...just personal experience.

 

[Lewisc]

You are correct: They should remove those from the Dining Plan, so as to avoid the conflict you're highlighting.

The conflict is guests over 21 get adult beverages and guests who are 10, 18 and even 20 pay the same price but don't get adult beverages. The dining plan is a red herring.

 

[bicker]

Ah. So this has been the case at those specific venues long before there even was a Dining Plan.

 

[jjohnson]

Wasn't there at one time a junior price for the dinner shows? I seem to remember reading it somewhere.

If the restaurants start enforcing the 9 & under for the CM, it will stop users of the DP to have to ability to pay OOP for the children & use the credits elsewhere.

 

[bicker]

They're surely trying to strike a good balance between enforcement and reasonable expectations of compliance.

 

[Lewisc]

Ah. So this has been the case at those specific venues long before there even was a Dining Plan.

I'm not sure the wholesale price for the tap beer and low end wine that is served in these types of restaurants is that much more expensive than milk that's served to kids.

 

[bicker]

Indeed!

 

[CathrynRose]

Completely disappointed in Disney and their *10 & up is an adult* rule.

We're going to be missing out on quite a few buffet's and Character meals because of this - and my (going to be) 11 year old eats no where NEAR an adult menu price. And - he only eats "cheap food" - mac * cheese, rolls, etc.... doesnt even care for meat.

The thought of paying an adult price for him, is too much!!! It was bad enough doing it for my 14 year old (who also, doesnt EAT like an adult) but now my 10 year old, too?? What were they thinking???

 

[bicker]

Keep in mind that the #1 expense for running a restaurant is the cost of labor. Remarkably, macaroni and cheese takes about the same effort to prepare and serve as roast turkey. The #2 expense for running a restaurant is the cost of customer acquisition, which at WDW is very often biased towards the children, so in effect children should be paying more in that regard. At many of these restaurants, the cost of ingredients is fourth on the list, behind the cost of facilities (rent, power, supplies). How much someone eats has very very little bearing on how much they should pay at a restaurant.

Folks need to remember that discounts for children 9 years old and under is just that -- a discount. Older children and teenagers pay "regular" price, simply because they're not eligible for the discount. Discounts are not required, nor are they expressions of generosity -- rather they are deliberate offerings intended to put forward a loss-leader in the expectation that that will increase overall revenues. When the amount of revenue gained by offering the discount fails to exceed the amount of revenue that would be generated without the discount, there is an obligation on business managers to not offer the discount. Evidently, the point beyond which the discount actually harms the company is somewhere around 10 years old.

 

[DianeV]

I'm sorry but pretty much every restaurant you go to anywhere has a kids menu and many are 12 and under..I dont think its a matter of it being something "nice" for them to do....and I doubt they would lose any money if they put it back to at least 12 or offered a Junior category for 10-13 maybe

 

[Growing up DISNEY]

I agree with DaineV on a Junior plan. My teens don't like all the adult menus and Disney needs an option for them. We have been treated like cheapos when they ordered from the children's menu. We wouldn't do Disney vacations if we were trying to be cheepos, now would we.....

 

[Lizzybee]

I'm using this kinda stuff as an excuse to go within a yr since my DD8 just turned 8 yesterday. She lived on chicken strips our last trip and I don't think that's gonna change soon so I'd be pretty upset if I had to pay double for chicken strips. I guess we'd just have to skip TS because anyone can walk up and order whatever at a CS and not get an "upcharge" for the age of the person eating the food. My DS11 won't order of a kids' menu if he's "too old" by that restaurant's standards. When we were at WDW with the free dining plan he very happily had salmon at every TS and so with him it doesn't bother me as much even though he is very small for his age, he can sometimes have expensive tastes. Sometimes at pricey restuarants where I'm not willing to pay for an adult sized entree for him, he will order an appetizer, that way he's not "illegally" ordering from the kids menu (in his mind) and I'm not paying through the nose for something he may or may not eat.

 

[Mermaid4me]

For my upcoming trip, I think I will order 2 kids meals for my 3DS ages 10, 8 and 3. We are on the DDP and I did pay for my DS10 as an adult. With that being said, my DS 10 doesn't eat much and they all 3 like the same food, so I will just order 2 meals for the 3 of them to share. I will save DS 10 adult meal for later. I know he will be charged as an adult for the buffets but that is okay. I too wish their was a "happy medium" between children and adults. Hopefully Disney will consider this!

Mermaid4me

Poly Apr 2006
CR 2005
ASMO 1999
Offsite 1986
CR 1979

 

[Pluto's Honey]

Keep in mind that the #1 expense for running a restaurant is the cost of labor. Remarkably, macaroni and cheese takes about the same effort to prepare and serve as roast turkey. The #2 expense for running a restaurant is the cost of customer acquisition, which at WDW is very often biased towards the children, so in effect children should be paying more in that regard. At many of these restaurants, the cost of ingredients is fourth on the list, behind the cost of facilities (rent, power, supplies). How much someone eats has very very little bearing on how much they should pay at a restaurant.

Folks need to remember that discounts for children 9 years old and under is just that -- a discount. Older children and teenagers pay "regular" price, simply because they're not eligible for the discount. Discounts are not required, nor are they expressions of generosity -- rather they are deliberate offerings intended to put forward a loss-leader in the expectation that that will increase overall revenues. When the amount of revenue gained by offering the discount fails to exceed the amount of revenue that would be generated without the discount, there is an obligation on business managers to not offer the discount. Evidently, the point beyond which the discount actually harms the company is somewhere around 10 years old.

I wish that their was a junior level but most of that fly would have to pay adult price for a plane ticket for over 2 year olds. but do you not let them fly. therefore do you not enjoy all od disney because of few dollars . This is vacation...at disney...enjoy.

 

[bicker]

I dont think its a matter of it being something "nice" for them to do....and I doubt they would lose any money

Well, we'll just have to defer to Disney on this, since they have the actual data on this, as well as the expertise to evaluate it.