DD 12 going on 13 paying adult prices????

[MrsPete]

I understand your frustration with the buffet pricing; however, I think they're using only two amounts for simplicity. Three separate prices would cause confusion (and probably some cheating on ages) for many people. I know, I know, it should be simple, but I've learned that many people just plain can't -- or don't want to -- understand the most obvious facts.

Remember that you don't have to eat at buffets. If you think that a place with a children's menu would suit your family's needs better, you have LOADS of fast-food and sit-down places from which to choose. Perhaps you could choose your 1-2 favorite buffets, then plan on ordering off the menu for your other meals.

 

[ducklite]

I notice most of the people complaining have girls, my son started to pack it on at about 12 1/2 - 13, and hasn't stopped, he's 17 now and eats more than DH and myself combined.

Anne

 

[catheren]

How about we suggest WDW weigh our teens prior to eating at buffets and shows.

Then weigh them after they have dined and have a fix price per each pound gained.

 

[DisOrBust]

What I have noticed in our area buffets are charged on price per year of age up to 15yo. That is more reasonable. I know when my DD turns 12 it will be hard to eat at Boma's. As much as we love it, I am having a hard time now justifing 10.00 for mac&Cheese let alone 25.00.

 

[Kallison]

I feel your pain, my 13 year old eats like a bird. But my 10 year old eats like a horse and still gets kid's prices, so I figure he will make up for it!

 

[CindyKansas]

Our DD just turned 14 and I hate paying adult prices for her too when it comes to buffets. She is not an eater. When we go out to eat she usually just has something off of my or DH's plate. We have been to the Hoop De Doo and the Luau but that was when she was still considered a child. Last year when we were at the world she ate off the childrens menu a lot, we didn't ask for a childs menu, they asked if she wanted the childs menu. We are fortunate that we are past the character meal stage now. Been there, done that, don't have to do it again.

 

[DebbieB]

It's just not teens. When I take my 60+ mother to WDW, she eats very little. The last straw was we went to 1900 Park Fare before MVMCP a couple of years ago, I paid $20+ for her to eat a few bite fulls. So we don't go to dinner buffets anymore and split meals at sitdown restaurants. She even gets kids meals at some of the counter places.

 

[cindala]

Originally posted by WDWorld2003
... I wouldn't even mind paying Jr. rates for 12-16 years old - should be some kind of ramp up.

I agree! You will notice that on many package travel brochures there is also a breakdown in price for Juniors, I think it says 11-17.

If a buffet is $9.95 for children, and $21.95 for adults, then $14.95 would be reasonable for the 12-16 age range.

 

[sha_lyn]

The only problem with the Jr prices is that from my experience and from the prices I listed earlier, Jr prices are for 8-12 yr old. So in reality it would cost many parents more to have Jr prices than it would to have a set childs price for 3-11 yr olds, and the Jr price is about 3/4 of the adult price.

 

[Belle5]

Sha-lyn,
I'm not sure if you saw my earlier post but Grand Floridian Cafe has already set a precedent for what a WDW Jr. Adult menu could look like. It is for ages 12-16.

 

[sha_lyn]

last time I was at the GF the Grand Flordian Cafe was not a buffet. Sorry but to compare a entree to an AYCE buffet is comparing apples to oranges. I do not know of any buffet any where that charges less that an adult price for a 12 yr old. If a buffet has more than one childs price it usually broken up as 3-7 and 8-12 (or 11), unless they charge an amount per yr of age. That also ends at the latest at 12. They are going to charge according to what an average child, teen eats.

 

[Belle5]

I wasn't suggesting that the Cafe was a buffet-- only that Disney has shown that it can offer three different prices when it wants to. Obviously, the pricing would change based on the kind of restaurant that your talking about. As I mentioned in my original response to this thread-- my teens do eat more now than when they were kids. But they still tend to gravitate toward the "cheaper" items like mac n cheese and pizza. DH and I are the ones filling our plates with salmon and peppers, flank steak with horseradish sauce and so on. (The teens do sample a few more exotic items occasionally but still go with the familiar foods for the most part.)
Realistically, I don't see WDW adopting this pricing structure across the board. It would be nice but I won't hold my breath. We're dreaming here...