Child on Deluxe Dining Plan?

[queenofhartz]

Hi everyone! We are contemplating an upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan, and I have a question about how this plan works with children. We have one child - 5 years old. On the Deluxe Dining Plan, I see that you get 1 appetizer, 1 entree, and 1 dessert. Children must order off of the kid's menu when available. I've looked at several menus, and it doesn't look like appetizers are on any of the kid's menus. So, I'm assuming he doesn't get an appetizer - just an entree and a dessert...which is pretty much the regular dining plan. Is this correct?

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, the kids menus have appetizers - but they are things like vegetable sticks or a cup of chicken soup or a small salad. That's what they mean by a kids' appetizer. It's really more like a small side dish than an appetizer.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

And kids get appetizers on the regular plan as well.

 

[havoc315]

Kids get appetizers on the ddp and dxdp. The appetizers are pretty insignificant outside of the signature restaurants.

The main difference for the extra cost, is 3 ts credits versus just 1 ts credit.

 

[queenofhartz]

And kids get appetizers on the regular plan as well.

Oh, ok. I didn't even realize that. I thought the regular dining plan was just 1 entree and 1 dessert.

 

[Dizneydaz]

At many TS retaurants the kids get a choice of one appetizer (chicken soup or salad); entree; and dessert (fruit salad or ice cream sundae). The choices in () are from Kona. However, the way it was explained to us is they can choose any 2 sides. They can have soup and salad, they can have ice cream sundae and fruit salad, for example.

I'm not sure if all TS offer this, ask your server.

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh, ok. I didn't even realize that. I thought the regular dining plan was just 1 entree and 1 dessert.

It is for adults. Because Disney wants to say it supplies "balanced" meals for children, they do the three-course thing on both dining plans for kids.

 

[queenofhartz]

At many TS retaurants the kids get a choice of one appetizer (chicken soup or salad); entree; and dessert (fruit salad or ice cream sundae). The choices in () are from Kona. However, the way it was explained to us is they can choose any 2 sides. They can have soup and salad, they can have ice cream sundae and fruit salad, for example.

I'm not sure if all TS offer this, ask your server.

Ohhhh, i see. Thank you for explaining! I wish they did this with adults - I'd much rather have an appetizer than a dessert...I'm not a big sweets eater.

 

[3pletprincesses]

We did DxDDP a during our past trip and loved it. It is alot of food but soo worth it. The girls loved having different options. We had a signature meal almost every evening and they liked it.

 

[Wendy5055]

We have been doing DlxDP for a few years now...we love it!

My dd9 began going to disney at the age of 5 and has gotten a meal plan each and every time.

The kids menus are set up so that they can either order a pre-set meal or they can choose indivdual items. My dd9 always chose individually...she also orders the fruits for appetizers and we order a seafood appetizer and whatever else...we place everything in the middle of the table and we eat the appetizers family style.

Character buffets are great for kids as they can opt for more variety...my dd9 rarely ever chose the kid items and enjoyed having more choices.

My dd9 also enjoys the snacks and I don't need to worry about every single penny (DlxDP gets 2 snacks per day). She usually chooses things like ice cream, popcorn, water, lemonade slushies, bakery items. We can get snacks for poolside as well.

Dinner Shows are also something we do more frequently on the DlxDP as we have enough credits...my DD9 loves Hoop De Doo Review.

Just a note...we normally eat 3 meals per day at home so it does not feel like we are eating an exhorbitant amount of food. We eat what we are comfortable eating and I don't feel the need to worry about getting my moneys worth out of the dining plan.

 

[brymolmom]

Ohhhh, i see. Thank you for explaining! I wish they did this with adults - I'd much rather have an appetizer than a dessert...I'm not a big sweets eater.

I wouldn't count on this at many TS locations for kids meals. Many kids 'appetizers' consist of tomato soup or celery/carrot sticks. And often the desserts are much 'better' than that. It doesn't hurt to ask - but I have never had it explained as 'two sides' other than at a CS location. So I wouldn't count on it.

 

[squirrel]

The restaurants we ate at let my niece (5 yrs) order two desert type items instead of the appetizer. She won't eat vegetables, salad or soup. She got fruit salad and tofutti ice cream (lactose intollerant).

They don't allow this on the adult menu.

 

[DCDisney]

Even though they call the kids apps apps they often were just served with the regular meal unless we also ordered adult apps. If you get deluxe you shouldn't have to worry about that. We were never allowed to get mixed fruit and ice cream since they were both considered desserts. If they had apples as a side though they would often let us sub apples for the app. We often did ask because my kids didn't like soup. It never hurts to ask and it seems like the nutritional balance stuff isn't being emphasized like it was where they wanted to serve kids a veggie/soup with veggies even if they wouldn't eat it