Disney Dining Plan for Children?

[TivoQueen]

My son will be 9 years old when we go to Disney in October. We have our reservations and have included the Disney Dining Plan. We went to the world in June 2007 and also had the dining plan. My son was not too thrilled with the menu choices that he had to choose from off of the childrens menu, expecially the counter service meals. It also wasn't enough food for him. Does anyone know if I can upgrade just his dining plan to the adult plan and pay the difference in the kids plan and the adult plan? He would rather eat off the adult menu for the variety (he got real sick of chicken fingers, mac n cheese, and pizza) and for the amount of food that you get.

 

[mommycrawford]

I have gone during free dining periods, and upgraded my daughter's park ticket so she could have adult meals: her dad's a chef, and chicken nuggets would never do She also needs more than a little food.

If your table service meals will be mostly at buffets, it might be less expensive to keep his plan as it is and pay out of pocket for any additional dishes he might like to try. Also, for CS at MK there is no kids menu at Main street bakery, so that improves options a little ( I believe)

I don't know what the policy is regarding upgrading only meals, but depending on the length of your trip, and what he likes to eat, $29. extra per day might be spread out well in other ways.

If you go to only some non-buffet meals, he could use some other adult's credit for a day or two, and maybe you could use CSs in EPCOT exclusively.
Sunshine Seasons has great choices for children: perhaps you could all use kid credits there. The countries also have better kids choices.

I've been there! Good luck!

 

[ReggieB]

From what I understand you would have to upgrade his park ticket also, as it's all interlinked. If that's something you want to do, you can. Just going to cost!

 

[TDC Nala]

If you upgrade his dining from child to adult, you would also have to upgrade his park ticket.

 

[divawife]

May I suggest booking mostly buffets? He does not have to stick with the kids buffet part at all, he will be very welcome at the adult buffet.

We did Chef Mickey dinner, Crystal Palace breakfast, Tusker House lunch (awesome).

 

[srwarden1928]

I hated kids menus as a child. Upgrading both the dining and the park ticket may be more expensive than letting him order from the adult menu and paying out of pocket.

 

[tazdev3225]

We went in 2006 with DGS who was 8 at the time. He is a big boy and definitely eats more than your avg child. The only place he had to eat off of the children's menu was at TS meals. I just gave hime some of my food when we ate there. Do buffets and he will get his fill as DGS ate off the adult and childrens buffets. We went to Pecos Bill and he had a dbl cheeseburger not the childs menu which was the case at all the CS places. I am sorry that I will have to pay adult prices for him on our next trip because the kids menu is out of the question and he will turn 10 right before we go.

 

[Alesia]

We went in 2006 with DGS who was 8 at the time. He is a big boy and definitely eats more than your avg child. The only place he had to eat off of the children's menu was at TS meals.

That used to be the case but they have changed the rules. Now children's cs credits can only be used for meals on the children's menu. Unless, of course, you are at a restaurant that doesn't have a children's menu.

 

[fall08CP]

I thought all the CS credits were pooled- as in, not child or adult, but all the same? I assume you could also do some family style meals (Ohana or WCC for example) and everyone would be eating the stuff. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

 

[mom2my3kids]

This is why we are doing mostly buffets and family style..

 

[Alesia]

I thought all the CS credits were pooled- as in, not child or adult, but all the same? I assume you could also do some family style meals (Ohana or WCC for example) and everyone would be eating the stuff. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

They changed it sometime within the last year, I think.

 

[mom2my3kids]

Yep, people were abusing the system so they got smart. They are now labeled as child credits and adult credits..

 

[TDC Nala]

The DIS does not advocate using child meal credits to purchase adult meals, as this is a violation of the policy set for the Disney Dining Plan. The brochure is clear in stating that children must order from the child's menu where one is available.

At buffets and preplated family style meals, everybody eats the same food.

 

[audrey2580]

Ok - so I understand the rules, If I have 2 adult CS and 1 Child CS and my child is sleeping and doesn't eat lunch so I use my 2 adult CS leaving 1 Child CS left. That night if I go to a CS for dinner for me (no one else ordering) - do I have to use that left over CS as a child or an adult?

 

[mom2my3kids]

Ok - so I understand the rules, If I have 2 adult CS and 1 Child CS and my child is sleeping and doesn't eat lunch so I use my 2 adult CS leaving 1 Child CS left. That night if I go to a CS for dinner for me (no one else ordering) - do I have to use that left over CS as a child or an adult?

A child, you have already used the adult so the computer knows and you will have a child CS left!!!!!

 

[Davey-D-99]

On our trip three weeks ago we ran into the exact problem at first...my DS (9) did not like the CS choices and the small portions.
Three days in I asked when we got to Pizzafari if I could just pay the difference to upgrade his meal...Instead she let him chose from the adult menu without dessert or sides for no extra charge. I asked if they would let me do this at every CS, she said I would have to ask each time...so I did.

They let me two other times..."Toy Story Pizza" (I don't even think they had a kids menu) and I believe "Lottawatta" at BB.
Riverside at POR and Electric Umbrella would not let us upgrade.

Just something to consider.

 

[audrey2580]

A child, you have already used the adult so the computer knows and you will have a child CS left!!!!!

Thanks - I'm an honest gal and am not trying to cheat the system. Just don't want to go up to a CS and try to order a burger for me and end up having to get chicken strips and apple sauce! I also don't want the child CS to go to waste.
I thought from other posts I read that the computer didn't know the difference.

 

[maj42169]

I am in that same boat...my daughter doesn't like chicken nuggets, hotdogs, or mac n cheese..........we always try for buffets or make sure we study the menu before making ADRs for TS. The CS is another story, it is hard to be creative here...........I usually end up paying OP for food, which I don't mind because I feel we got our moneys worth on the plan for the TS meals!

 

[Magic2000]

I have the opposite problem. My DD is 12 and would rather eat off the children's menu. She is a very small (and picky) eater. She could live off chicken nuggets and hot dogs and be very happy. For us, the dining plan is not a good value because she'd pay the adult price but would rather eat off the kids menu.

 

[srdipert]

Thanks - I'm an honest gal and am not trying to cheat the system. Just don't want to go up to a CS and try to order a burger for me and end up having to get chicken strips and apple sauce! I also don't want the child CS to go to waste.
I thought from other posts I read that the computer didn't know the difference.

CS credits are not seperated in the computer therefore with the situation that you described later in the night you could order adult CS and the computer would not know.

You are supposed to keep track of it yourself and not use the CS credits for all adult meals but it is possible. For example... if you have 2 adults and 1 child for 5 nights your receipt will show 15 cs credits it will not divide them like it does for the TS. Each time you go through a CS line you can only use 2 adult credits at a time but it would let you order all 15 credits as adult as long as you don't order more than 2 at a time.