DDP for kids is terrible!!!!!!

[chorlick]

We are just back from our trip. We did DDP for 7 A's and 1 child. The adult meals were ok, except for our favorite place O'Hana. It was not up to what we have always expected from them. BUT....the children's menus, expecially counter service was not good at all. The Chilled Chicken as they call it was cold, mushy and in little blobs. We ended up buying him an adult meal where ever we were. He got a little tired of eating macaroni and cheese all the time. They should really improve that part of the menu.

I don't see why they can't put hot dogs and hamburgers on the menus for kids.

Other than that, we thought the food was good.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Agreed, the kids CS menus arent' spectacular and more burgers would be nice. There are quite a few places to grab a kids hot dog. While I'd like a little more in the way of kids CS options it's hard to say the DDP for kids is terrible. Hit a character meal and have a snack and you've already gotten more than your money's worth out of the kids plan.......the disappointing CS meal is just gravy.

 

[chorlick]

Hitting a Chatacter Meal is an option, however, when you are in one certain section of DW and you aren't going to walk to another section due to crowds, or Fast Past times, etc., the choice you have to make is right where you are. This happens to us A LOT. Sometime you have to eat at a certain spot.

You are right though, at TS meals, it is ok. It's just the CS meals that stink!

 

[robinb]

Hot dogs and burgers wouldn't work for everyone. My DD is a vegetarian and she lived off of macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza and PB&J uncrustables onour last trip. We simply packed our own PB&Js every day and gave her the option of the CS meal or her PB&J.

ETA: My DD hated the TS mac n cheese at the Coral Reef and at ... I can't remember where else. She said it tasted "funny". No problem, she just ate her dessert instead.

 

[missypie]

My problem with the DDP for kids is that they don't have a "junior" rate. My two youngest - ages 11 and 14 - eat very little, esp. the 14 year old. To pay for her to eat adult meals (and then take a couple of bites) would be such a waste.

My own "personal DDP" is my Disney Visa. Last trip we had $1005 to spend and it lasted for 7 days, paying for whatever we wanted to eat for all meals. Even though I started out with a "sky is the limit" attitude, we found that, especially during the day, we did not WANT to eat multi-course meals....who wants to wait for the dessert to arrive, when the Magic Kingdom is right outside!!! Also, we would much rather skip dessert in most restaurants, and grab a Dole Whip or a churo an hour or so later.

 

[Tink3Belle]

Maybe with all the compaints they will change it back or make it ha happy medium between the old and new. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[jodifla]

Thanks again for your honest, on the scene report. Too many here don't want to hear the reality: The CS kids menus are just horrific for a family theme park of the caliber WDW claims to be, and WDW should be ashamed to try to pass off these offerings to kids as meals.

 

[jakenjess]

My problem with the DDP for kids is that they don't have a "junior" rate. My two youngest - ages 11 and 14 - eat very little, esp. the 14 year old. To pay for her to eat adult meals (and then take a couple of bites) would be such a waste.

That's exactly my thought! I expressed that to the woman from customer relations who called me after I e-mailed them about the new kids' menus. We are definitely doing fewer buffets and character meals now that DS is an "adult". We're lucky if he eats five bites!

 

[Minnie & Me]

Why don't Disney just offer kids bread and water! At least we won't be thirsty and my kids will eat the bread!

 

[chorlick]

Thanks again for your honest, on the scene report. Too many here don't want to hear the reality: The CS kids menus are just horrific for a family theme park of the caliber WDW claims to be, and WDW should be ashamed to try to pass off these offerings to kids as meals.

Thanks for not flaming me! I know everyone doesn't eat like everyone else so the vegetarians should have what they want to eat too. But, we are just a normal everyday family and we DO eat meat, junk food, etc. (BTW, we are not overweight or have health issues.) We thought the chicken kids meal was just plain gross. Plus, when a child goes all day like we do in the parks, that isn't enough food to fuel them.

 

[The Sweetness]

Just out of curiosity... With all of the comments etc about the portion sizes of CS foods being too big, ample to share etc... With 7 A and 1 c, wasnt there enough for the 1c to share? I am not trying to be rude. It's just that my 15y old and I have no prob sharing (esp if we are getting dessert, and maybe a soup or onion rings on the side) and my 22m old is a non-eater. Some may say that its impossible for a 22m old child who is healthy to not eat at least 1 good meal a day, but my lil precios insists on living on carnation instant breakfast (only choc, no van or strbry) We've tried everything that we can think of, but I do a victory dance if the girl eats 2 bites of chicken at dinner time

 

[jakenjess]

I would have no problem sharing with my DS, but he would never eat what I order, except maybe if mine came with french fries!

 

[Caren]

We are just back from our trip. We did DDP for 7 A's and 1 child. The adult meals were ok, except for our favorite place O'Hana. It was not up to what we have always expected from them. BUT....the children's menus, expecially counter service was not good at all. The Chilled Chicken as they call it was cold, mushy and in little blobs. We ended up buying him an adult meal where ever we were. He got a little tired of eating macaroni and cheese all the time. They should really improve that part of the menu.

I don't see why they can't put hot dogs and hamburgers on the menus for kids.

Other than that, we thought the food was good.

A big problem is that many counter service restaurants specialize in foods that kids love, but then don't put them on the kids' menu. So you have situations like the burger place where kids can't get a burger, a pizza place where kids can't get pizza, and a fried fish-and-chicken place where kids can't get fried chicken fingers. If you're on the dining plan, you wind up either buying the kid a meal out of pocket or sharing your own meal.

 

[skuttle]

We just returned from WDW last night. While we had to sign TWO seperate receipts at TS meals...one for DS and one for us (adults), we didn't at the CS places. One CM actually told me that a CS meal is a CS meal...doesn't matter if it's child or adult. They are lumped together.

We stopped one day to eat at Pecos Bill and there was NOTHING on that children's menu DS would eat. Outside was a cart selling hot dogs and chips, so I went there to get DS's lunch. I planned on paying for it (charging to the room). When I ordered the "meal"...hotdog, chips, and a drink...I gave the CM my card. She said she could do it as a CS meal. I told her it was for a child (my son was with me) and she said it didn't matter because all CS meals were the same.

Later that week, we stopped at Columbia Harbor House and DS wanted chicken so I ordered him the adult meal and it wasn't a problem.

 

[Ilovestitch]

Yeah, that's true- your family's CS credits are all pooled together so it doesn't matter if you get an adult or kids meal.

 

[waltsgirl]

We just returned from WDW last night. While we had to sign TWO seperate receipts at TS meals...one for DS and one for us (adults), we didn't at the CS places. One CM actually told me that a CS meal is a CS meal...doesn't matter if it's child or adult. They are lumped together.

We stopped one day to eat at Pecos Bill and there was NOTHING on that children's menu DS would eat. Outside was a cart selling hot dogs and chips, so I went there to get DS's lunch. I planned on paying for it (charging to the room). When I ordered the "meal"...hotdog, chips, and a drink...I gave the CM my card. She said she could do it as a CS meal. I told her it was for a child (my son was with me) and she said it didn't matter because all CS meals were the same.

Later that week, we stopped at Columbia Harbor House and DS wanted chicken so I ordered him the adult meal and it wasn't a problem.

Exactly.... Too many people get hung-up thinking they have to get the kids meal... if you child won't eat it then don't get it, get something they will eat even if it's the adult CS meal.

 

[rubberband1293]

I have found that the DDP is leaps and bounds better than the Universal meal plan - THAT plan is all you can eat but you can only get one serving per visit to the counter. What this means is, if you have children 10 and under, they get a three inch hot dog (I swear I'm telling the truth) and 8 french fries. Two days into THAT dining plan, and we left the tickets in the resort and paid for all meals. Not bashing US at all, (loved the resort, parks and restaurants after I started just paying for our meals!) but between the two meal plans, I'd take Disney's any day!

 

[The Sweetness]

Actually, from recent reports, it seems thatthere is now a distinction btw kids and adults credits (and its only fair that there would be)But if a CS doesnt specify which meals are for the kids, maybe it can be charged as a kids meal? It makes sense, until there is a kids meal at that CS that whichever meal is ordered is for the kids. Once all CS have *soem* kids menu, maybe they will then try to make the choices a bit more fair. Offering half-sized portions of the food on the regular menu sounds fair to me. But then, how do you keep adults from ordering kids meals because they are cheaper, albeit smaller

 

[goofyforlife]

But then, how do you keep adults from ordering kids meals because they are cheaper, albeit smaller

and is there anything wrong with that?.... What if an adult is truly not all that hungry and just wants something small. I know it was so hot when we went to the parks in May that none of us really wanted to eat much at all....

 

[D L and K's Mom]

She doesnt eat any meat though (only chicken fingers....she doesnt think they are meat and Im not telling her different). I found that many places would let us substitute. I can't remember where the speicific restaturants were but I know at Coral Reef she had pasta with butter, vegetables and yogurt with berries. She loved it! She had a really nice fruit plate at the BBQ place in Animal Kingdom. I can't remember what she had at Le Cellier but I remember she ate every bit of it...I think cheese soup, veggies and lots and lots of bread sticks. and dessert. I know that there were many choices at the POR food court. She had plenty of food and the only time she had an adult meal was in Animal Kingdom when she had the fruit plate. I ate her kids meal. We were there 9 days. The CMs were very nice about letting her choose. A few times she was not supposed to get dessert as she ordered the "complete" meal in the Mickey shaped plate. I think almost all let her get ice cream for dessert and didnt charge us. I know that at the Steak Place in the Comtemporary she had a chicken pizza minus the chicken, veggies, yougurt and then she wanted teh make your own sundee. It was not part of her dinner but they let her get it anyway and we didnt pay for it. I know the CM talked about how we could get smoothies as our beverage but we all thought that they would be to filling so we didnt. Maybe that is why she let DD get a sundee? We did all have drinks though. I guess maybe the best thing would be is to have both...the plans they have now and some hamburgers and FF's. I know my older DD would never have eaten as well as my little on does. She only ate hots and hams when we were out.