Change in pricing for people over 9 ordering from kids menus

[Simba's Mom]

They should just refuse children’s meals to anyone over 9 and eliminate this problem

As someone else said above, I thought they did this at TS restaurants. I never knew any TS restaurants where teenagers or adults wanting small portions (like me) had that option. However, I've often ordered kids' meals at CS, and would be interested to know whether anyone's been refused doing that or charged differently lately.

 

[HopperFan]

As someone else said above, I thought they did this at TS restaurants. I never knew any TS restaurants where teenagers or adults wanting small portions (like me) had that option. However, I've often ordered kids' meals at CS, and would be interested to know whether anyone's been refused doing that or charged differently lately.

When one walks up to order at QS they have no idea who is eating the food. You would have no issue ordering a kids meal - we've done it a couple times this summer.

The only time folks have been refused a meal different from their "age" that I have seen (and happened to us) was when using the DDP and trying to upgrade. When and if it comes back I would expect any loops folks used there to be closed. But then again it is Disney/IT.

 

[Mle8308]

What's so funny Denise W? People are just stating that they can't eat adult menus for whatever reason, and that kids of 10 can't either. Some have medical problems that affect how much they eat too. Can't see what' so funny everytime someone says something like that.
I don't like that the laugh emoji is used a lot as an insult to the poster. Wish they have another one besides that laugh emoji.

 

[notatallmagic]

As a family with a recent weight loss surgery (limited to 3-4 ounces of food at a time and no drinking while eating); a T1 diabetic; and a kid with food allergies, this is a bummer. We know exactly what places we can eat, and what to order. Jungle Skipper is one of our favorites, because we ALL order off the kids menu. The steak is our go-to meal for 2 of us - the kid's size chicken is still huge, and more than enough food. The sides have some cute options that are allergy friendly and very tasty. We don't drink soda, so we don't care about the beverage - we always order water even if the beverage is included. I always tip based on the adult meal price too. But I cannot waste food - so the smaller portion sizes and healthy options on sides have been perfect for us. Sigh. Not sure what the alternative will be - ordering one "adult" meal and a side and splitting it three ways? Shakes head.

 

[notatallmagic]

This should fire people up...

Picky eaters are a parenting decision.

Or an allergy issue. Or a diabetic issue. Ignorant comment. My kids eats vegetables and dishes that most adults have never tried. But they don't/can't eat chicken nuggets or pizza.

 

[Jangles]

As a family with a recent weight loss surgery (limited to 3-4 ounces of food at a time and no drinking while eating); a T1 diabetic; and a kid with food allergies, this is a bummer. We know exactly what places we can eat, and what to order. Jungle Skipper is one of our favorites, because we ALL order off the kids menu. The steak is our go-to meal for 2 of us - the kid's size chicken is still huge, and more than enough food. The sides have some cute options that are allergy friendly and very tasty. We don't drink soda, so we don't care about the beverage - we always order water even if the beverage is included. I always tip based on the adult meal price too. But I cannot waste food - so the smaller portion sizes and healthy options on sides have been perfect for us. Sigh. Not sure what the alternative will be - ordering one "adult" meal and a side and splitting it three ways? Shakes head.

I don’t think there is any suggestion that you can’t order from the children’s menu, just that you will be charged differently. Perhaps Disney should rebrand the children’s menu as ‘lighter options’ or something similar?

 

[Kmk2]

Yeah, I feel like if more and more adults get kids meals Disney is going to prix fixe everything. See BOG and California Grill. There is such demand for table service - they could do it. At least in the short term.

It would be great if they made an adult smaller portion of some of the healthier options. But not at kids meal prices. You can’t have a table of adults ordering kids steak at yachtsman for example.

Even the kids meals are wasteful. My kids get them. I’m assuming the adults with health issues are not eating the wildly unhealthy sugary desserts that often are included?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Or an allergy issue. Or a diabetic issue. Ignorant comment.

You don't seem to understand what a "picky eater" is.

Someone who can't eat gluten because they have celiac disease isn't a picky eater.

 

[notatallmagic]

I don’t think there is any suggestion that you can’t order from the children’s menu, just that you will be charged differently. Perhaps Disney should rebrand the children’s menu as ‘lighter options’ or something similar?

I've always like the idea of a smaller portion option - many places around here offer a "Senior" menu with smaller portions (one chicken breast instead of two; one egg/bacon/slice of toast instead of two or three etc).

I also think it's crazy though to charge the same for a 4 ounce steak as for a 10 ounce steak. Or to charge the same for one side vs. two. I get that Disney wants to make money, but the cost for a 4 ounce steak and one side (Jungle Skipper) should be roughly half of what an 8-10 ounce steak and two sides costs. I'm not cheap, and we tip well, but I have a strong aversion to wasting food (that's another story ) and simply won't order huge meals and throw 2/3 of the food away; or carry around food leftovers all day at Disney in the crazy heat (we do lots of "to go" boxes when we eat out at home). Curious how this plays out.

 

[notatallmagic]

I

You don't seem to understand what a "picky eater" is.

Someone who can't eat gluten because they have celiac disease isn't a picky eater.

I appreciate the clarification. Thank you

But much of this discussion centers around who can/should order off the kids' menu and at what age someone should "graduate" to the adult menu. I don't at all understand the logic of someone wanting a smaller portion and being able to order/pay accordingly Like I just said in another post, the cost for a small steak and one side should be proportionately smaller than for a huge steak and two sides. One of my favorite "kids" meals is the small salad at Regal Eagle. I could never eat the "adult" sized salad - the kids' size is about half - and priced accordingly. I also love the "kid's" portion at Satuli - I can't even finish that! Luckily, Quick Service meals don't seem to be a problem - yet...

 

[HopperFan]

I see the complaint on the "junk food" for the kid's menu. Do we all remember when Disney overhauled the kid's menus and made them almost all healthy meals. People lost their minds and screamed and complained .... "I don't care what my kid eats on vacation" "Vacation is not the time to teach my kid's how to eat" "I have a picky eater" "Don't tell me how to feed my child". It was insane, one of the worst backlashes I've seen. So most places went back to offering Mac & Cheese, Nuggets etc. And some kept a few healthy more adult palate options. They really can't win, always someone not happy, so you go with the majority.

Disney has numbers to hit with finite number of guests served ... and if they don't hit that number they will adjust. Whether it is a firm 9 and over eat adult meals or more prix fixe locations or higher prices (clearly from the ADR availability their prices are not too high) ... I think for sure Free Dining is dead and maybe DDP is too?

No one is forced to eat 3 meals at Disney locations, or forced to eat Table Service ... we have to be prepared that they are moving towards real world parameters and we will have to select where we eat based on that. I don't know why so many think Disney has to run their restaurants so different from real world.

Yeah, I feel like if more and more adults get kids meals Disney is going to prix fixe everything. See BOG and California Grill. There is such demand for table service - they could do it. At least in the short term.

It would be great if they made an adult smaller portion of some of the healthier options. But not at kids meal prices. You can’t have a table of adults ordering kids steak at yachtsman for example.

Even the kids meals are wasteful. My kids get them. I’m assuming the adults with health issues are not eating the wildly unhealthy sugary desserts that often are included?

Very much this. BOG opened a disaster from day one. Massive venue, huge overhead and they let people split a cupcake and coke among a table full. They had to continuously raise the price of the breakfast, all the complaints, but still didn't solve the problem. Had they made required prix fixe at a reasonable price the venue would have been full and money in the bank. I feel like at lunch more people ate, we used it for our big meal of the day often. But Disney is a business, they are not building a cool dining venue for guests to take up space without spending. And now with Chapek, everything will be considered based on income generated.

It is interesting they are playing with a la carte kids food ~ perhaps it is just a step towards being firm on the 9 and over. If they see enough folks balk at this added cost and order adult meals they just might drop the option. I have often not wanted the adult sized meal at the Disney price. I have found many good options in the appetizer menu. Most appetizer salads will fill you up. I think they have showed their hand they are playing with options to give some choices but still meet their profit margin. If they don't meet, likely things will change again until they find the sweet spot for them.

 

[Canadian Tom]

My wife(72 years old and I(71) cannot eat the portions that Disney puts out. We are now forced to share a meal or eat the kid's menu or waste a ton of food.

 

[daisylovesdisney]

We just came back from WDW a couple of weeks ago and my mother ordered kids meals at several locations. She prefers simple foods and has a small appetite. We didn't encounter any issues but good to know this may happen on future trips.

 

[DisneyHardin]

My wife(72 years old and I(71) cannot eat the portions that Disney puts out. We are now forced to share a meal or eat the kid's menu or waste a ton of food.

What other option did you used to have?

 

[SirDuff]

My wife(72 years old and I(71) cannot eat the portions that Disney puts out. We are now forced to share a meal or eat the kid's menu or waste a ton of food.

How did this make a difference to your options?

 

[Canadian Tom]

What I am saying is if they don't allow us to eat from the kids' menu, we will be forced to just share meals. Maybe they should entertain the idea of a seniors' menu/portions.

 

[Canadian Tom]

Sometime we don't always want to eat the same thing. Sometimes my wife would like to try something different that I don't eat.

 

[SirDuff]

What I am saying is if they don't allow us to eat from the kids' menu, we will be forced to just share meals. Maybe they should entertain the idea of a seniors' menu/portions.

But you aren’t being stopped from ordering from the kids menu - you are being stopped from only paying the childs’ price (which, as noted, is often a loss leader or, at the least, a much reduced profit margin).

 

[Kmk2]

But you aren’t being stopped from ordering from the kids menu - you are being stopped from only paying the childs’ price (which, as noted, is often a loss leader or, at the least, a much reduced profit margin).

Yeah, for the tweens I think this is a taste issue (a 10 year old may often prefer a Mac and cheese).

But for many adults I think it’s generally a cost issue masquerading as something else. The kids meals are still a lot of food - much more than the average appetizer they could just order - or if you ordered a main with no sides, split the meal etc

And I see no reason that adults couldn’t order Mac and cheese etc for some increased cost. But to expect it at kids meal prices as a policy is never going to happen.

 

[Moliphino]

I also think it's crazy though to charge the same for a 4 ounce steak as for a 10 ounce steak. Or to charge the same for one side vs. two. I get that Disney wants to make money, but the cost for a 4 ounce steak and one side (Jungle Skipper) should be roughly half of what an 8-10 ounce steak and two sides costs. I'm not cheap, and we tip well, but I have a strong aversion to wasting food (that's another story ) and simply won't order huge meals and throw 2/3 of the food away; or carry around food leftovers all day at Disney in the crazy heat (we do lots of "to go" boxes when we eat out at home). Curious how this plays out.

They aren't charging the same for a small steak. The OP paid $17 for the smaller kid's sized steak and two sides. The adult steak meal is $38.