can 10 year old pay kids menu prices?

[pagano12111]

Hi everyone,

I would like your advice; I have an 10 1/2 year old daughter that does'nt eat alot due to health reasons. What she does eat is limited to mac and cheese, pizza and nuggets. I have made all my ADR's and most of them are at buffets. Can I order the kids buffet for her? I am not willing to pay an adult buffet price if she only only eats a little off the kids buffet.

We like to eat at a sit down restaurant every day at Disney and we typically get the dining plan. Now that she is 10, I thought about saving her adult table service credits to use for the other three adults at signature restaurants and paying cash for her dinners, although I do not want to pay $30 or $40 for nuggets.

What do you think-will I have a problem paying the kids menu price in cash?

Thanks for your help, Kelly Pagano

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Sorry, I don't think so. All adults (over 10 by Disney rules) must pay the adult price for the buffets, even if they only eat chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese. You may want to reconsider your dining plans and only plan to eat at the ones that have menu service.

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[dalt01]

Nope 3-9

 

[taymaesmom]

At buffets she will be charged as an adult, however at non-buffet restraunts they may allow her to order off the kids menu. I know my dd who was 13 on our last trip was allowed to order kids meal at Sci-fi.

 

[Justsyd2]

Sorry, that's not allowed. She's considered an adult at the buffets and TS restaurants. They will charge her the adult prices. Children's prices go up after age 9. You're better off using her TS credits than paying OOP.

 

[Anal Annie]

We've had mixed results with this exact thing for DS since he turned 10. Another reason I hate making TS ADR's - IMO 10 is too young to be considered an adult for most meals. Anyway, I always give his real age when I make the ressies. Sometimes (not always), but sometimes once we get to our reservation if the server sees him only eating kids food they have only charged us the kids price. Sometimes they go by the book and charge us $26 for chix nuggets. They know when you check in for your ressie how many "adults" so it's not something I've ever tried to conceal. But it's not something I can ever predict. He's a skinny 65 Lbs and looks like he could still be 9 or 10 even though he's almost 12. If the server happens to cut us a break then they get an extra generous tip.

 

[goofy4tink]

Unfortunately, your dd will have to be charged the adult price. She can eat from the children's area though. We went twice in one year...the first time my dd was charged as a child...three months later, she was an adult!! And, she didn't have a birthday. They changed the age rules inbetween those two trips. My dd, at 15, still eats pretty much from the kids section.

 

[madalex]

She's considered an adult at the buffets and TS restaurants. They will charge her the adult prices. Children's prices go up after age 9.

She will be considered an adult only at buffets (where you are charged by age, not what you eat). At non-buffet TS restaurants, you are charged based upon what you order/eat, not how old you are. Anyone, regardless of age, is free to order if the child's menu if they wish.

 

[Justsyd2]

Thanks for that. I appreciate it. I was under the impression that the TS children's menu was only for children. I did not know that it's for anyone.

 

[Darkside]

Kelly,
I think your plan will work just fine. Unless your child is looks older than 9, I would not worry about it. I know that cast members are not allowed to ask how old children are. As one cast member mentioned to me that they see a lot of large 2 year olds getting in free to the parks.

 

[Booyakasha]

Kelly,
I know that cast members are not allowed to ask how old children are. As one cast member mentioned to me that they see a lot of large 2 year olds getting in free to the parks.

That's news to me they asked how old my son was many times in our last trip.

B.

 

[catne]

Your KTTW cards will say how many adults and how many children, if any (according to Disney)...and the system will know how many adults are on that reservation when you use your room card to pay on the Dining Plan. So make sure you specify you are paying cash for what your son orders, otherwise they will just scan the card for both the real adult and the "Disney adult" son's meals.

and yes, they will let him order chicken nuggets off the kids menu, but on the DDP they will charge those kid's nuggets the same as an adult meal.

 

[dalt01]

on the DDP if child is not 3-9 they pay adult prices for the plan!!! sit down or buffet. if you are 50 and want to order of the kids menu, fine, it is still 1 adult TS credit. if you are 50 and are not on the DDP you may order off the childrens menu and pay the price listed on the menu . simple

 

[n2mm]

Sorry, adult prices for buffets. When they changed the age when my grandson was 10 the price use to be up to 11. We had booked several buffets prior to arriving. The week we arrived, they changed the age to 9. I was told that since I made my ADR before the change it would be honored. It wasn't. I stopped by Cape May and asked and was told he would be charged adult prices, so I cancelled all buffets that trip. Like your child, my then 10 yo grandson only ate nuggets, pizza, and mac/cheese. Hardly adult fare or amount. So for 2-3 years we avoid all buffets when he traveled with us (except Trails End which was priced reasonably). Now that he's 15 we will visit buffets again. Looks like you'll either have to decide to pay adult price for your nibbler or avoid buffets until they eat like an adult. TS locations will most likely let her order the child's meal.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There is no such thing as a "kids buffet" or even an "adult buffet" at Disney. They have buffets with one section lower to the floor which has on it items that kids tend to enjoy (such as pizza, hot dogs, chicken strips, mac & cheese, etc.). Any person at the buffet (including children less than age three who are free) can get anything from any part of the buffet.

Once a person has reached age 10 they are charged adult prices at all Disney buffets. (The only exception to this is if the child has their 10th birthday after the first day of the stay; then they are considered to be nine for the entire trip.)

 

[ga9497]

When my son turned 10 we stayed away from buffets for a couple of years because he really didn't eat enough that we felt comfortable paying those prices. Now he is 12 and his appetite and tastes in food have changed and we will be trying a couple of buffets again this summer

 

[aubriee]

Kelly,
I think your plan will work just fine. Unless your child is looks older than 9, I would not worry about it. I know that cast members are not allowed to ask how old children are. As one cast member mentioned to me that they see a lot of large 2 year olds getting in free to the parks.

Not true. This past Sept I was fourth in line behind a family of four waiting for DS to open. The CM behind the turnstyle was talking to the family and asked the kid in the stroller how old he was. The tiny kid promptly told him he was three. Mom spoke up and said, no he was only two. The kid glared at her and said in no uncertain terms how old he was and even knew when his birthday was. He had apparently turned three months before and was actually closer to four than two. The CM pointed the family over to guest services to get a ticket for the kid. A couple of years ago I felt really sorry for a kid in Crystal Palace. The waiter was just making conversation with the family sitting next to us and asked how old a little boy was. He said 10 y/o, then promptly got flustered, put his hands over his mouth, then said he was 8 y/o, got even more flustered, then said he was 9 y/o, then finally looked at his dad and said, "sorry, I forgot! How old am I supposed to be this trip?" It was hilarious, but at the same time very sad. His dad really glared at him and after the waiter left really tore into the kid.

To the OP: your daughter will have to pay the adult price at any buffet or all you can eat restaurant (WCC's all you can eat skillet come to mind), but at a regular TS meal you will be allowed to order her a kid's meal and just pay OOP, saving her adult TS credits.

 

[pagano12111]

Thanks everyone for your help. I think I need to rearrange my dining plans to table service. My daughter has a connective tissue problem called Marfan which makes her extremely tall (5'4" at 10 years old) and thin so she looks much older than her age so I am pretty sure they will assume she is much older. My son (12years old and 5'7") had the same problem and we were questioned about his age alot when he was younger.
Again, thanks for your input.

I CAN'T WAIT TILL APRIL!!

 

[summermac]

Does everyone in your travel party have DDP? Keep in mind you can't use DDP credits for people not on DDP. I think you're trying to do it the right way but am not sure.

I'd totally pay OOP for the kids meal and use the dining credits for real adult meals.

 

[Tricia1972]

Hi everyone,

I would like your advice; I have an 10 1/2 year old daughter that does'nt eat alot due to health reasons. What she does eat is limited to mac and cheese, pizza and nuggets. I have made all my ADR's and most of them are at buffets. Can I order the kids buffet for her? I am not willing to pay an adult buffet price if she only only eats a little off the kids buffet.

We like to eat at a sit down restaurant every day at Disney and we typically get the dining plan. Now that she is 10, I thought about saving her adult table service credits to use for the other three adults at signature restaurants and paying cash for her dinners, although I do not want to pay $30 or $40 for nuggets.

What do you think-will I have a problem paying the kids menu price in cash?

Thanks for your help, Kelly Pagano

If you are using the DDP you will pay the adult price for the DDP. This may work because buffets do (as previously mentioned) charge adult prices for anyone over 10.

At any regular restaurant you will be able to order for your daughter off of the child's menu.

If you pay OOP, you should be able to pay the child price for the meal.

If you use DDP credits, you will use an adult credit to pay for her child's meal.


If you are paying OOP - You will pay the adult price at buffets for her. You will be able to order a child's menu item for her at other TS locations.