Children's meals on DDP

[annie1995]

You can email WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com or you can call 407-560-3477 and speak with April McKenzie.

Has anyone had any luck calling this number? I get bumped right into a voice mail. I am not even sure whos it is. Just curious!

 

[bayoutinksmom]

I just spent the last hour looking at menus on allears,net and I am not sure what the panic is for. There seems to be a lot of choices for children. I also saw ice cream and fruit salad listed as deserts. I agree with the sugar free jello issue. Jell-O is gross and I do not allow my DD to consume it. Many are saying that they need more choices but there seems to be plenty of choices since the menus differ from place to place. We are using the dining plan on our next trip and we will just share our deserts with my daughter because eating like that forfor 10 days can not be good. I am definitely not dropping it over kids meals because it is a good value for us since 8 of 10 TS meals will be character meals. In fact is only costing a hundred dollars more to do the dinning plan then just paying out of pocket for the character meals. I just can not see passing up such a good value over a simple issue as this.

 

[Tam1067]

Though I do not serve jello to my kids either, I see nothing wrong with getting the kids' meals and then tossing the nasty fake jello and getting ice cream or something "good" for dessert later. Or pony up a couple of dollars and buy your kid that chocolate cake at CHH if she really really wants it. Or give her yours.

And Bayoutinksmom is right that the DDP for kids more than pays for itself even if you have to purchase a few meals OOP.

I know it's changed since last summer, but we got applesauce and grapes several times for dessert because, frankly, the prepackaged CS desserts for adults are pretty nasty I think as well.

Though I really wish Disney would offer kid sized pizza at the CS pizza places in MK and AK, they don't, so we make adjustments and still have a great time and still like the DDP.

 

[skipamyb]

I agree that there is no way for Disney to please everyone. However, I also am paying for the children's meals to be eaten, not to throw out a significant amount of it or routinely share my meal, although if it comes to that I would. They may not be making a huge profit on the kids meals, but, I imagine that the profit on the adult meals is much larger and makes up for it. My kids aren't 3 or 4, they are 7 and 9 and are perfectly capable of seeing that what they get and what the adults get is much different. If it means that Disney needs to raise the cost to offer some sort of decent variety to children, then that's fine. If the dining plan doesn't require that adults need to pick from a limited menu, why then is it unreasonable to wish that Disney would just offer a few child sized portions of dishes available to adults at each particular restaraunt?

 

[bicker]

I agree that there is no way for Disney to please everyone. However, I also am paying for the children's meals to be eaten, not to throw out a significant amount of it or routinely share my meal, although if it comes to that I would.

True, but you're not really paying that much. That's really the crux of the issue. What they're providing is commensurate with the price they're charging.

They may not be making a huge profit on the kids meals, but, I imagine that the profit on the adult meals is much larger and makes up for it.

As things are, yes. You're suggesting, though, changing how things are, in which case the "making up" would be reduced.

If it means that Disney needs to raise the cost to offer some sort of decent variety to children, then that's fine.

Yes, that's the key. If young families became much more receptive to significantly higher prices for child meals, I think this whole issue would just go away.

If the dining plan doesn't require that adults need to pick from a limited menu, why then is it unreasonable to wish that Disney would just offer a few child sized portions of dishes available to adults at each particular restaraunt?

Remember: This isn't a Dining Plan issue. Young children on the Dining Plan choose from among the same choices as young children who are not on the Dining Plan.

 

[skipamyb]

Again, I am paying the price that Disney has set, not some price I negotiated or got a discount coupon for. My point entirely is that is seems that the usual attention to quality and customet satisfaction is lost on most children's meals(for everyone, not just the dining plan). I love going to Disney and I willingly pay for all sorts of things and expect to. But for that I also have come to expect being happy. The children's dining options, despite all other arguments, just remain dissappointing. Kids are what Disney has built this entire empire around, and I think with the number of people, not just me, that seem to be dissapointed it might be a good idea to for them to rethink this. Thats all.....

 

[bayoutinksmom]

Again, I am paying the price that Disney has set, not some price I negotiated or got a discount coupon for. My point entirely is that is seems that the usual attention to quality and customet satisfaction is lost on most children's meals(for everyone, not just the dining plan). I love going to Disney and I willingly pay for all sorts of things and expect to. But for that I also have come to expect being happy. The children's dining options, despite all other arguments, just remain dissappointing. Kids are what Disney has built this entire empire around, and I think with the number of people, not just me, that seem to be dissapointed it might be a good idea to for them to rethink this. Thats all.....

I am not trying to be rude but you do not have to pay that price. You can simply just not participate in the Dinning Plan. If I recall correctly there was a ton of talk last year about how unhealthy the children’s menu was and how children needed better choices then the usual fare like hotdogs, burgers, and fires. So Disney offers healthier choices and now they have another group of patrons who are upset. People keep referring to lot of choices but a child’s menu is limited most places you go. GO look at a menu from some of your chain restaurants. They all include the same thing. The only restaurant with a child's menu that really impresses me is Chilli’s.

 

[Angela Kay]

I am not trying to be rude but you do not have to pay that price. You can simply just not participate in the Dinning Plan. If I recall correctly there was a ton of talk last year about how unhealthy the children’s menu was and how children needed better choices then the usual fare like hotdogs, burgers, and fires. So Disney offers healthier choices and now they have another group of patrons who are upset. People keep referring to lot of choices but a child’s menu is limited most places you go. GO look at a menu from some of your chain restaurants. They all include the same thing. The only restaurant with a child's menu that really impresses me is Chilli’s.

Whether or not you're on the dinng plan has nothing to do with it. The childrens menu's are still lacking. I agree with a healthier choice for children...but make it a choice. When I go to Pecos Bill's and I'm eating a burger and my child doesn't even have that choice, that's just not right. How is a sloppy joe a healthy option?

Our family will go with the dining plan this June. It's still a great deal. We'll just be paying OOP for an adult meal for my childs CS at most places. We'll use the CS credit for breakfast.

 

[Katiebell]

Remember: This isn't a Dining Plan issue. Young children on the Dining Plan choose from among the same choices as young children who are not on the Dining Plan.

I agree, although the two separate issues do overlap somewhat. It is a DDP issue in this: any family that wants the DDP for the adult members of their party must purchase the child's DDP for every child in their party aged 3-9. For families that would buy the kids' meals anyway, the amount of food is appropriate for their children, and their kids don't mind the choices, it's completely a non-issue.

Other folks are unhappy about the unappealing choices offered for kids, the lack of variety, or the limited quantity/smaller portions. Unfortunately, that's kind of the definition of a kids' meal, and not just at Disney. People compare to typical fast food or chain restaurants and the non-Disney selections are often much more kid-friendly and appealing -- even though fast food kids' meals are typically very limited: burger or nuggets, fries, drink, sometimes other sides or milk offered as an alternative. Kids like them, but would be bored to tears if they had to eat that for a week, twice a day. Disney isn't expected to include a junky toy surprise, so you'd think they could come up with something better within budget, especially at the CS most notorious for awful children's meals. These guys are geniuses, and they make magic happen every day -- they can certainly sprinkle on some pixie dust and come up with a meal that won't make kids go "eeewww!" but also won't have grownups clamoring to buy one for themselves.

 

[Katiebell]

I am not trying to be rude but you do not have to pay that price. You can simply just not participate in the Dinning Plan. If I recall correctly there was a ton of talk last year about how unhealthy the children’s menu was and how children needed better choices then the usual fare like hotdogs, burgers, and fires. So Disney offers healthier choices and now they have another group of patrons who are upset. People keep referring to lot of choices but a child’s menu is limited most places you go. GO look at a menu from some of your chain restaurants. They all include the same thing. The only restaurant with a child's menu that really impresses me is Chilli’s.

This is absolutely true If the problems with the kids' meals outweigh the benefit and enjoyment your family will get from the DDP, then it's not going to be a good purchase for you. You have to make the best decision for you, as a consumer. (And if you got the free dining offer...STOP COMPLAINING, IT'S FREE! We all would like to be so lucky! )

If a family was NOT on the DDP and didn't like the kids' menus, what would they do? They would purchase adult menu items instead (at a much higher cost), and/or they would share their own often huge meals with their kids. Some people have asked about upgrading their 10 year old to an adult on the DDP, but unless you have a 10 year old gourmet or linebacker, it's really hard to justify the additional $28 a day it would cost -- not to mention the cost of upgrading your child's ticket to an adult ticket.

So, if your family wants the DDP but you are not happy with the choices/variety/volume of food for the kids' meals, there are several simple solutions:

1. Choose your CS restaurants carefully. Read the menus ahead of time to know if your kids will like what's there. Don't just pick a CS based on adult appeal, only to find out your kids hate both entrees on the menu. Not all CS meals are the same choices, some are better, and the TS meals are better yet.

2. Plan on a buffet or character meal every day. Your kid will be getting an "adult" meal for the kids' price. Enjoy this perk while you can, because once they turn 10, you will have to pay the adult price for them anyway, and it isn't cheap Along the same lines, patronize the few CS restaurants that don't even offer a kids' menu, and your child will be able to pick from the adult choices.

3. Order what's on the kids' meals anyway for what your child will eat -- your child may like the CS entree (especially if you choose the restaurant with them in mind), can eat the sides, will definitely drink the beverage. The snack credit is never a waste. The TS menus are definitely better for kids, and of course there are always those buffets.

4. Ask for a substitute for the sugar free Jello (try, "Do you have a kids' dessert without artificial sweeteners? My child can't have them."). Ask politely with a smile. The worst they can say is "Sorry, no substitutions." Many menus specifically state "fries and soft drinks on request", so you can always ask to sub those, too.

5. Share some of your meal with your children. A LOT of people have said there is just too much food for them to finish, or that a family of 4 routinely shares 3 CS meals amongst themselves. Many parents have said they order a double cheeseburger, order a second bun for less than $1, and split it into two sandwiches that way.

6. Buy your children an extra treat if they want it -- you are at Disney World, for goodness' sake! You don't even have to pay OOP -- use a snack credit. Again, a LOT of families report they have leftover snack credits at checkout, so use them up during your trip. Worst case scenario? You will run out of snack credits, thereby getting your money's worth, and will have to pay OOP for Dole Whips on your last day.

7. Call, write, or email Disney to express your displeasure with the kids' meals as they are. Expect a canned answer, but if you are contacted by phone by someone who will actually listen, make sure you've done your research and are able to give them facts and specific examples (ie "CS restaurants A, B, and C only offer sugar-free Jello; we don't think that's healthy, and would like an alternative for our kids"). If you make broad statements that may not be entirely true -- "The only thing listed on any of the childrens' menus is chicken liver tacos with a side of brussel sprouts, and my little princess will have a fit!" -- they will not take you seriously. I know; I work in customer service

 

[ronirp]

I agree. These are all good options and I plan to use all or most of them. I appreciate the healthy choices, but again, want to have some options. Most places (non-Disney) have more choices than I see in WDW. Typically 5-6 choices. If the choices are limited it is typically more attractive (meaning less healthy) choices. However, there is another issue here with regrads to variety which is the number of meals the kids will have. If I am at home, and resturants only have 2 choices on the menu, well, we do not eat out every day. But in WDW, you are more likely (or even forced) to eat most of the meals in a resturant. That is the reason more variety is needed.

 

[Disneyolic]

I have researched the kids menus and find no problem with most of them for my kids. I guess the only thing I would like to really see if just 1 more option for DS dessert than the Jello. I thought even a cookie would be a nice choice. That wouldn't break the bank on Disney at all.

 

[jodifla]

I have researched the kids menus and find no problem with most of them for my kids. I guess the only thing I would like to really see if just 1 more option for DS dessert than the Jello. I thought even a cookie would be a nice choice. That wouldn't break the bank on Disney at all.

The TS menus aren't bad, now that they've been revamped after the October "Dip-It" debacle, but the CS meals are really pretty bad. There's no variety at all, and the choices are very limited at each restaurant.

 

[dsnymomof4]

Katiebell,
What a wonderful post. You offer some really good suggestions - some of which I have already done and others that I will definitely do when we go in one month from today! I did e-mail Disney about the lack of "choices" for children. However, having been on the dining plan before, there is a LOT of food and if we are not able to sustitute fries for carrots or chocolate cake for the jello, I know there will plenty of adult food to share with them. My biggest dissapointment in the past with counter service is that you cannot seem to get a kid's hamburger anywhere in the parks. My kids love hamburgers and I hate having to pay $8 for an adult hamburger for them. So, I guess the ideal for me would be if they offer more choices (including healthy ones) for the kids, along with kid-size versions of the adult choices. Again, I am glad they are offering healthy alternatives, but wish they would make them a "choice" so that if they want to splurge while they're on vactation, they can do so - just like Mom and Dad!

 

[bayoutinksmom]

I agree. These are all good options and I plan to use all or most of them. I appreciate the healthy choices, but again, want to have some options. Most places (non-Disney) have more choices than I see in WDW. Typically 5-6 choices. If the choices are limited it is typically more attractive (meaning less healthy) choices. However, there is another issue here with regrads to variety which is the number of meals the kids will have. If I am at home, and resturants only have 2 choices on the menu, well, we do not eat out every day. But in WDW, you are more likely (or even forced) to eat most of the meals in a resturant. That is the reason more variety is needed.

Disney has 5-6 choices of kid’s meal they are just spread out through the park. You cannot expect a CS restaurant in the park to offer 5-6 choices for a child and very few have that many options for an adult. Offering 5-6 choices for a child deals with a lot of product and production and I bet they simply do not have the room for it in most of their CS kitchens. So while there only maybe 2-3 choices per CS restaurant there are at least 5-6 choices park wide.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Has anyone had any luck calling this number? I get bumped right into a voice mail. I am not even sure whos it is. Just curious!

If you are put into voice mail, leave a message and you will get a return call.

 

[Mobed]

Disney has 5-6 choices of kid’s meal they are just spread out through the park. You cannot expect a CS restaurant in the park to offer 5-6 choices for a child and very few have that many options for an adult. Offering 5-6 choices for a child deals with a lot of product and production and I bet they simply do not have the room for it in most of their CS kitchens. So while there only maybe 2-3 choices per CS restaurant there are at least 5-6 choices park wide.

Well, how can the same restaurant have lots of choices for adults? If they make adult hamburgers, they can use the same space in their kitchen to make some smaller burgers. If the restaurant has pizzas on the menu (ie. Pizzafari), isn't it actually EASIER for them to give the kids a kids sized piece of pizza instead of a quesadilla? That's where it doesn't make any sense at ALL!

 

[Katiebell]

Katiebell, What a wonderful post. You offer some really good suggestions - some of which I have already done and others that I will definitely do when we go in one month from today!

I am glad you found it helpful! My boys are all (practically) grown now -- 16, 21, and 23 -- and I don't have any DGK's yet. But less than 10 years ago we were staying off-site (at DL), eating packaged donuts and bananas from home in our room for breakfast, divvying up trail mix in little ziploc bags for the boys to carry in their pockets as snacks, and leaving the park to hike across Katella for a dinner we could afford. It's perfectly fine if a family chooses to do that, but it's not a lot of fun when you have to do that in order to afford the vacation at all.

Now, DH and I make it to DL about once a year, and money isn't such a big issue anymore, but we still have to save up for our trips, and we still compromise on our meals -- "OK, you ordered steak, so I'll get the chicken because it's $10 less than the salmon I really want, but then we are getting creme brulee for dessert and you can't complain..."

The DDP is not for everyone: if you don't eat TS, if you have really picky or light eaters in your family, if you usually economize by buying groceries, if you are fortunate enough to be eligible for the DDE (although some families use both the DDE and the DDP successfully), you may well be better off without it. But for other families, it can be a great savings, and make their vacation much more enjoyable, allowing them to try nice restaurants they might not otherwise be able to.

BTW, you can try the double-cheese-burger-buy-an-extra-bun plan to get burgers for your kids (a lot of people have reported that worked very well for them to share). Kids' burgers are ridiculously hard to find, but are currently listed on the menus at: Tangierine (Epcot), Food Quest (in Disney Quest, requires admission, but if you happen to be there...), Hurricane Hannah's (BC), and at a few TS restaurants as well.

 

[bayoutinksmom]

Well, how can the same restaurant have lots of choices for adults? If they make adult hamburgers, they can use the same space in their kitchen to make some smaller burgers. If the restaurant has pizzas on the menu (ie. Pizzafari), isn't it actually EASIER for them to give the kids a kids sized piece of pizza instead of a quesadilla? That's where it doesn't make any sense at ALL!

Oh I agree that it makes no sense that they do not have hamburgers and pizza for children at CS restaurants that serve that. In fact I wish someone could explain why. I am just saying that 5-6 choices per CS restaurant is to much. It would be nice to see two regular (hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza) selections and two healthy selections (grilled chicken salad, ham/turkey sandwich) per CS. I also think you should have a choice between fries and veggie sticks/fruit. My DD does not like potatoes so this would help us out.

 

[bicker]

Again, I am paying the price that Disney has set, not some price I negotiated or got a discount coupon for. My point entirely is that is seems that the usual attention to quality and customet satisfaction is lost on most children's meals(for everyone, not just the dining plan).

Perhaps I wasn't clear about what I meant. Sorry about that. I was trying to point out the clear relationship between the value Disney provides and the price it charges: That's a given. Value and price are going to be related to each other. Given that, Disney's forte is giving the customers what they want, and in this case, just read the board and you'll find many many customers want low prices so they can afford dining at WDW.

I also have come to expect being happy.

Precisely, and if the vast majority of guests are made happy by a more affordable vacation, then that's what Disney has to accommodate.