Buffets with a two and a half year old?

[jessanic]

From our last WDW trip, I know that we won't need to worry about using a TS credit for my son (2.5) at places with family style dining (like Ohana, Liberty Tavern, presumably Garden Grill). I know it is a CS credit to get him a kids meal at a CS place and presumably the same if I ordered him a kids meal at a TS restaurant with a menu. How does it work for a buffet and a less than 3 year old? Is it no charge, like the family style TS locations or will we pay? With an unpredictable toddler appetite (ravenous one day, won't touch a thing the next) and his age, we didn't book the dining plan for him but wanted to be prepared so we could plan appropriately and not use up a TS credit for his meal at a buffet without realizing it (since m pretty it would be more cost effective to pay out of pocket and save that TS credit for an adult meal). We wasted a CS credit on a kids meal on our last trip inadvertently (not a huge deal, but not the most cost effective use of our dining plan) and I don't want to make that mistake again. He'll mostly be sharing food with us when we eat since he doesn't like typical kids menu fare, unless his appetite changes drastically by then.

Hope this makes sense?

Thanks!

 

[aneyland]

When we went last time we had a 2 year old and a 3 year old. We had the dining plan and never had to pay for my 2 year old at a buffet. I don't think we even paid for her kids drink. She got a plate and drink just like the rest of us. We asked at Crystal Palace and 1900 park fare but were not charged for her meal.

 

[gratefulfred]

Someone correct me if I'am wrong, but I believe there is no charge for a 2 yo at a buffet.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you order something at counter service or table service for the under three year old, you will pay for it. If you don't order anything for them, you can share from your plate. But at buffets and all you can eat, the child can eat off their own plate.

You will be limited to the number of people on the dining plan when ordering and paying for food. So you can't use your TS credits for the little one unless one of you are not eating.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Two-year-olds are free and do not have their own dining credits. They share at buffets and family-style restaurants. At a menu-service table-service restaurant, if you order a meal for them, you pay for it OOP. You can't use more credits than your ID card shows you have guests using a dining plan (i.e., if your ID card says 2 adults, 1 child, you can only use a maximum of 3 credits at a time). You can't "save" kids' credits to use on adult table-service meals - they are tracked separately.

 

[dsneprincess]

Someone correct me if I'am wrong, but I believe there is no charge for a 2 yo at a buffet.

Correct, 2 year olds eat and drink free at buffets, not sure how they work at counter service. We didn't have dining plan, but 2 year old was free at Chef Mickey's and Whispering Canyon, but we bought his meal at Sci-Fi Diner.

 

[Gracie09]

Your best bet money wise is to pay out of pocket for any cs or ts kids meals he eats. (Not biffets or family style). He will not have his own dining plan so no kids credits. If they allow you to use an adult credit for a kids meal you would have to pay for an additional adult meal or you will run out of credits before te end of the trip.

 

[Crystal824]

two year olds are free at family style and buffets...if you order a meal for them a CS or menu table service places, you pay for that.