Do the children's menus seem more limited since Dining Plan began?

[ptrbryant]

I was revisiting deb's website (and have another more specific post about this) and noticed that some of our favorite counter service places (Columbia Harbour House, Pinocchios, etc.) have only 2 or 3 choices now under the children's menu and they're not options DS would want (i.e. chilled chicken cubes, turkey wraps, etc.) I know last year, he loved the tenders at CHH. We're signed up for the Dining Plan, but I need to take a fresh look at the children's menus, I guess, to make sure he'd actually eat anything on them! I'm glad WDW is offering healthier options, but wish the old standards (chicken tenders, hot dogs, etc.) were still there, too.

Karla B.

 

[luv2nascar]

Honestly I think most of the kid's menu items are the same - pathetic but the same. My DD is a chicken strip and cheeseburger kind of kid. We didn't find either of those on the kids menu anywhere. She ordered from the adult menu if that was what she was hungry for.

 

[ptrbryant]

So, if DS needs to order off the adult menu all the time in order to get the food he'll actually eat, I wonder I should forget the Dining Plan...?

Karla B.

 

[Pedler]

So, if DS needs to order off the adult menu all the time in order to get the food he'll actually eat, I wonder I should forget the Dining Plan...?

Karla B.

We ran into a similar thing regarding the kids menus. The pizza CS places don't even have a kids Pizza. Since when we went in August and I think it ist still the case that there are no kids or adult credits just credits pooled together we would order an adult CS meal for the kids. Typically DW and the kids would be getting a table and I would be getting the food and it was never a problem. We generally ordered only 3 CS meals between the 4 of us and split them. This is the one are were I think the Disney Dinning menus really fall down. The kids meals at CS places are extremely limited.

 

[patsal]

Sometimes DD liked the offerings sometimes she did not. If she did not we either ordered three CS mals plus a hot dog and paid OOP for it. Most of the time 4 CS meals with dessert were just too much food so we ordered three and split. The resorts were the best places to use the child credits as she could order a pizza with no problem. Some of the children's offereings are just gross and we wouldn't make her choose them and watch us eat something that looked good.

 

[crisi]

They've always been pitiful - pretty much one or two choices per counter service - and have never made much sense (fish sticks at CHH would have made sense). But they DO make the logistics of feeding that many people much easier, with only on choice in kids meals you don't have families reaching the front of the line with a kid who will change his mind seventeen times while you stand behind the family ready to scream.

 

[ptrbryant]

That would be great, I'd thought they were tagged. Anyway, I guess even if we paid OOP for the CS situations as needed, we'd still come out ahead on the DP.

Karla B.

 

[MomofKatie]

That would be great, I'd thought they were tagged. Anyway, I guess even if we paid OOP for the CS situations as needed, we'd still come out ahead on the DP.

Karla B.

We were at WDW on the DP in October with DD7. We usually didn't order any kids' meals- just split 2 adult CS between the 3 of us. The only place we got a bit of static from was Tusker House in Africa- they at first told us we needed to order a kids' meal for DD, but we explained we were only ordering the 2 adult meals we were entitled to and that DD was going to share with us, and they were OK with it.

 

[zippehsmom]

I also want to add that your card will indicate how many adults & children are on the plan. I can't remember which place, but one cm made a comment about how many adult & children's meals we were allowed to order. I got the impression if we tried to order 3 adult meals, then she would have said something. As it was we were only ordering 2 adult meals.

Just a little FYI to keep in mind when ordering your food.

 

[shellybaxter]

That would be great, I'd thought they were tagged. Anyway, I guess even if we paid OOP for the CS situations as needed, we'd still come out ahead on the DP.

Karla B.

The meal credits are not tagged as adult or child however the plan clearly states that children must order off the child's menu and your cards will say how many adults and how many children are on the plan. Because of this many of the counter service (all??) places will not allow you to order more adult meals than there are adults in your party.

 

[patsal]

The meal credits are not tagged as adult or child however the plan clearly states that children must order off the child's menu and your cards will say how many adults and how many children are on the plan. Because of this many of the counter service (all??) places will not allow you to order more adult meals than there are adults in your party.

They are not tagged as adult/child but if you try to order for your whole party you will be told that the kids needs to be used for kids meal. I did learn that the credits went through either way though when we (DH and I) went to Moracco and ordered two adult meals and the kids went to American Adventrue to get their food--we were going to meet them at American adventure to eat together--they both got adult meals and no problems. So to sum up they are not tagged A or C, but if all are ordered together the cashier will press the child's meal issue.

 

[ptrbryant]

back to Plan L by this point: I'll order 2 adult cs meals for DH and myself and either split them with DS OR POO for his when the children's options aren't suitable.

Thanks for all the information!

Karla B.