Dilemma

[momabaarjo]

Please no flaming...I really want to eat at Brown Derby and use the Fantasmic package...looking at the menu...my 10 year old will want to eat from the Childs menu...we are not doing dining plan... Should I book the ADR listing him as a child? I am paying for a Childs plate and what be will eat ... I just can't justify myself paying adult fixed price for something he won't eat... But yet I can't stand being dishonest.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Do what you think is right.

No flames.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I would book him as an adult, but I am sure they will let him order what he wants from the menu.

 

[juliemcalister]

It sounds like you have your answer. And how would you feel if through casual conversation with the staff it came out that your son was 10? My son is very talkative and I never know where a conversation is heading or what will come out of his mouth. So aside from wanting to do the right thing and be a good example as a parent, this would never work for us.

 

[soarinup]

Its no big deal....my grandma orders from childrens menus all the time. We ask the staff and they allow it. I'm sure you can order him a childs meal. Why wouldn't they allow it? Book him as an adult, then order what he wants. You have no reason to be ashamed.

 

[vicki_c]

Its no big deal....my grandma orders from childrens menus all the time. We ask the staff and they allow it. I'm sure you can order him a childs meal. Why wouldn't they allow it? Book him as an adult, then order what he wants. You have no reason to be ashamed.

I don't think that was the question - it was should the OP book him as a child since he will eat from the child's menu? Clearly, no - that shouldn't be done. But he shouldn't have any problem eating from the child's menu (my son has done this numerous times) but the OP still needs to pay for him as an adult.

 

[Pakey]

Please no flaming...I really want to eat at Brown Derby and use the Fantasmic package...looking at the menu...my 10 year old will want to eat from the Childs menu...we are not doing dining plan... Should I book the ADR listing him as a child? I am paying for a Childs plate and what be will eat ... I just can't justify myself paying adult fixed price for something he won't eat... But yet I can't stand being dishonest.

And there is your answer.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Its no big deal....my grandma orders from childrens menus all the time. We ask the staff and they allow it. I'm sure you can order him a childs meal. Why wouldn't they allow it? Book him as an adult, then order what he wants. You have no reason to be ashamed.

Looking at the package, there's a huge difference in pricing between adults and children - about $38.

Seeing that, OP, I would say - skip the package. Eat at Brown Derby. Order what you want for who you want. Go to Fantasmic! separate from your meal. Sure you'll have to line up earlier - but what if the show is cancelled that night, for weather or technical reasons? You'll have wasted your money.

 

[Maus]

I don't understand that booking as an adult?!? When I make my ADR's I make it by the number of people attending and not by age! Where do you fill in the age?
It should not be a problem at all to order from the kids menu, since when can a restaurant tell you what to order?! You are not on the dining plan, but even if you were, your son could order from the kids menu. It is the other way around that is the problem since kids credits are cheaper than adult credits.

 

[TN Hockey Mom]

When making reservations to eat at CRT for breakfast a couple of years ago, I was making small talk with the castmember as she was booking it. I told her we had 1 child and 3 adults. I went on to throw into the conversation how it was a shame that Disney charges a 10 year old as an adult because a lot of them don't eat that much and he had only recently turned 10. I never asked her to make an exception, however, she ended up charging us for 2 adults and 2 children. I was completely honest with her and she threw us a little Pixie Dust. Maybe you could try working it into the conversation and maybe you'll get a little of the same Pixie Dust. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

 

[hammie59]

I don't understand that booking as an adult?!? When I make my ADR's I make it by the number of people attending and not by age! Where do you fill in the age?
It should not be a problem at all to order from the kids menu, since when can a restaurant tell you what to order?! You are not on the dining plan, but even if you were, your son could order from the kids menu. It is the other way around that is the problem since kids credits are cheaper than adult credits.

When you book a Fantasmic! package, you have to pre pay to make the ADR. The meal is a set price with two price categories (adult and child). Brown Derby package is quite pricey for an adult OOP and takes 2 dining credits if on DDP. I agree, it's a shame a 10 yr old has to pay adult pricing in this situation.

 

[robinb]

Please no flaming...I really want to eat at Brown Derby and use the Fantasmic package...looking at the menu...my 10 year old will want to eat from the Childs menu...we are not doing dining plan... Should I book the ADR listing him as a child? I am paying for a Childs plate and what be will eat ... I just can't justify myself paying adult fixed price for something he won't eat... But yet I can't stand being dishonest.

IMO the Fantasmic! package is not "all that". They seating isn't really great and I don't think it saves you a lot of time. So, if you're thinking about eating there just for the seating package, I would recommend that you just find seats for the show about an hour ahead of time and save your money. If you still want to eat at Brown Derby, I would simply make a regular reservation and order off the regular menu. Your son will be able to order off the kids menu and you won't have to pay "Disney Adult" pricing for him. My fussy vegetarian 11-year old DD orders off the kids menu all the time. Her appetite is just starting to get a little bigger and we will probably have to order adult meals for her in December.

 

[Music City Mama]

If I had a 10 year old, I'd probably be pondering the same thing. However, like you, it would just really eat at me to be dishonest. Maybe you can do what the poster below suggests and hope to get some pixe dust thrown your way.

When making reservations to eat at CRT for breakfast a couple of years ago, I was making small talk with the castmember as she was booking it. I told her we had 1 child and 3 adults. I went on to throw into the conversation how it was a shame that Disney charges a 10 year old as an adult because a lot of them don't eat that much and he had only recently turned 10. I never asked her to make an exception, however, she ended up charging us for 2 adults and 2 children. I was completely honest with her and she threw us a little Pixie Dust. Maybe you could try working it into the conversation and maybe you'll get a little of the same Pixie Dust. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

 

[aubriee]

Please no flaming...I really want to eat at Brown Derby and use the Fantasmic package...looking at the menu...my 10 year old will want to eat from the Childs menu...we are not doing dining plan... Should I book the ADR listing him as a child? I am paying for a Childs plate and what be will eat ... I just can't justify myself paying adult fixed price for something he won't eat... But yet I can't stand being dishonest.

I don't think that was the question - it was should the OP book him as a child since he will eat from the child's menu? Clearly, no - that shouldn't be done. But he shouldn't have any problem eating from the child's menu (my son has done this numerous times) but the OP still needs to pay for him as an adult.

However, personally in your case I would not go with the Fantasmic pkg.

 

[kaytieeldr]

When you book a Fantasmic! package, you have to pre pay to make the ADR. The meal is a set price with two price categories (adult and child). Brown Derby package is quite pricey for an adult OOP and takes 2 dining credits if on DDP. I agree, it's a shame a 10 yr old has to pay adult pricing in this situation.

I'm not sure you actually prepay. You do have to give a credit/debit card number to hold the reservation, and if you don't cancel the reservation by a certain time the card is charged (a lesser, fixed amount, I think) per person. It's possible, but not likely, that the OP would be charged for a no-show adult.

 

[kaytieeldr]

My fussy vegetarian 11-year old DD orders off the kids menu all the time. Her appetite is just starting to get a little bigger and we will probably have to order adult meals for her in December.

Maybe you convince her to order a customized (meatless) Cobb salad? Relatively inexpensive, and good - at least, that's why I go to the Brown Derby

 

[ElizabethB]

My opinion is Disney has the age for adults at 10 years old and up, because they know everybody stretches that. So, by cutting it off at 9, they end up catching everybody 12 and up 'cause people won't try to pass a 12 year old off as a 9 year old. And, age 12 seems to me when kids' appetites really kick into adult mold anyway.

If the cut-off for adults were 12 years old, everybody would stretch it to 14.

Just be prepared -- the CMs may casually ask your child his/her age as they are seating you at your table.

For what it's worth, we would NEVER do Fantasmic without reserved seating. And, having done it with reserved seating, we'll never bother with it again. In our opinion (and to borrow liberally from Shakespeare), it's a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

 

[3pletprincesses]

I just booked F! at Brown Derby and you don't need to prepay, simply have to give credit card number as a garantee when booked online. That being said, I would probably book for a child if I had a 10yo who doesn't eat much and I am a very honnest person. what about calling Disney to book it and mention to the CM that your son doesn't eat much. you might have some pixie dust your way and might book for a child.

 

[robinb]

Maybe you convince her to order a customized (meatless) Cobb salad? Relatively inexpensive, and good - at least, that's why I go to the Brown Derby

I guess I would ... if she ate vegetables . She's really a "carbitarian" who also eats tofu and beans. She isn't wild about salads or fru-fru vegetarian meals. Which is kind of a problem at WDW. When we went on the free DDP in August we met with the chef a couple of times to order her something off-menu because we had plenty of adult TS credits to go around.

 

[Eastern]

In our opinion (and to borrow liberally from Shakespeare), it's a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Once was enough for me