DOes anyone else have a problem with "kid food?"

[minniefan65]

Does anyone else have a problem with the kid menus at WDW? Lat time we went our youngest was 7. We had the dining plan and ended up going to buffets most of the time. How many times can a kid be expected to eat nuggets, pb&j (ds is allergic), and mac and cheese? Our son doesn't care for any of the foods on the kid's menus. He will be 9 on our next trip and I can't even find a way for Disney to let him eat off the adult menu. Is this a problem that only our family has?

 

[Puffles]

Why don't you order him meals from the adult menu ?

 

[ktlm]

Yes! The counter service kids meals are terrible!!! DD (4) won't even eat them. She had never met a chicken nugget she didn't like until we went to WDW. We have to order the chicken strips from the adult counter service because the kid's nuggets are disgusting ( I know we aren't the only ones either, because I learned that trick from another MOM at WDW). We have had better luck at TS. We have found pasta and grilled chicken which works well for us. We also do several buffets, and usually she only eats from the adult selections on those. My DD does not eat PB&J, or Mac and Cheese, and she thinks that Cheese Pizza is incomplete because pizza is supposed to have toppings. If you aren't on the dining plan, you can order off the adult menu for them.

 

[TDC Nala]

I can't even find a way for Disney to let him eat off the adult menu.

Don't use the dining plan, then you can order him whatever you want.

If you must use the dining plan, you can consider listing him as 10 years old on the reservation, then paying the difference between the child and adult dining plan plus the difference between child and adult tickets if you are on a package. If you're on free dining, it's only the difference in ticket cost you have to pay.

 

[ilovepete]

My kids don't like the kids items either. We just do the best we can with things but I do wish they had more options, not just assume all kids eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.

And yes we can and do order off the adult menus for them even though they are 2 and 5.

 

[MariDisney]

When my DD was 9 we simply bought her the adult DDP (actually that trip we did the deluxe plan) and because of that also had to buy adult park tickets for her. It was well worth it as she has a larger appetite and much prefers "grown up" type foods. Alternatively, you could just pay OOP for those meals where he'd prefer one of the adult meals.

 

[bangzoom6877]

It was OK for my kids on our trip this past July, but they are only 3 and 5. Still, it felt very repetitive and we ate at mostly a la carte restaurants. DS5 enjoyed Le Cellier because they had steak on the kids' menu, and that is his favorite food. DS3 was fine with mac and cheese all the time, or chicken nuggets but that's how my older one was on our first trip when he was that age.

Next time we go, they will be 5 and 7. The kids' menus should still be fine for my little one, but for my older one I'm not so sure. Luckily we pay OOP with the TIW card, so the DDP won't be an issue for us. If both of them have the same taste (they're starting to now), then we can always order an adult entree they both want and have them share.

Another option (if paying OOP) is to order an appetizer from the adult menu for a child who is more of an adventurous eater. Some restaurants have some interesting appetizers, and you can maybe order a side dish to go with it to make a meal out of it. I myself ate an appetizer as my lunch meal at San Angel Inn at Epcot. The chicken tostadas looked very good so I had to have them, and it was perfect for lunch! Good example of something that would make a good meal for a child.

Of course, when you go to a buffet anyone can eat anything they want off the buffet, no matter how young or old. That's a good opportunity for children to try new things and have more variety than the standard WDW kids' menus.

 

[EvilQueenT]

my 6 y/o granddaughter is the same way. she has a pretty adult palate so the never ending pizza, chicken nugget, pb&j just doesn't cut it. we peruse allears.net for the menus before we make adr's, it really helps.

 

[disney1990]

We usually get an adult meal for our 2 granddaughters and have them share it. The kids meals are just awful.

 

[MSLRAC]

I don't really have a problem with the kid foods offered because it is the same offerings of most chain restaurants like Chili's, Applebee's, etc. But I also know my kids and know that they prefer more adult/regular type foods so I make a real effort to make sure that we have a mix of buffet and TS locations (we do 3TS meals a day) that offer more than the typical kid foods. During our last trip, my kids didn't have to eat a single nugget, pizza or bowl mac & cheese the entire trip. So there are other things offered for kids at Disney but you have to look for it.

 

[sandym718]

While my kids did eat some nuggets and mac n cheese - they definitely ate a lot of other things, too. What I can remember - pasta (with tomato sauce) at both Wolfgang Puck Cafe and Le Cellier, the standard family-style servings of meat and sides at Ohana, various buffet offerings at CM and CP, chicken wings at Flame Tree, grilled cheese and ham at Earl of Sandwich, roasted chicken at Sunshine Seasons

 

[Laurin612]

The last time we visited WDW my son was almost 4 and my daughter was 8. Kids meals were fine for them then, but the food options did get to be a bit repetitive. However, DD is now 12 (and an adult on the dining plan) and DS is now 8. He may be 8, but he often eats more than me! 4 chicken nuggets, carrot sticks and grape juice would be an appetizer for him!

Knowing this, we upgraded his age to 10 on the dining plan for the difference of the cost of the park tickets (which for 8 day Parkhoppers was about $35), as TDC Nala mentioned above.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

Does anyone else have a problem with the kid menus at WDW? Lat time we went our youngest was 7. We had the dining plan and ended up going to buffets most of the time. How many times can a kid be expected to eat nuggets, pb&j (ds is allergic), and mac and cheese? Our son doesn't care for any of the foods on the kid's menus. He will be 9 on our next trip and I can't even find a way for Disney to let him eat off the adult menu. Is this a problem that only our family has?

we always up our 2 to disney adults they are 9 and 6 makes life much easier for all of us. I won't feed them that kind of junk at home so there isn no way I will feed it to them for 2 weeks on vacation.

 

[Bork]

Yes, the QS kids meals are terrible, especially with allergies. Can't have PB&J, mac and cheese or chicken nuggets. That leaves hot dog or hamburger. That's why we upgraded the free QS dining to the regular dining. More options at TS.

 

[Disneyof3]

I totally agree with all of you on the QS meals for kids What were doing next year is having 3 kids 14/11/9, the two oldest are adults but the 11 year old is a smaller eater then the 9 year old. So we are letting them both decide once at the restaurants which will use the kids menu and which will use the adult one. They will share all foods and that way the youngest gets a variety and the older one gets what she wants too. If I had only the one child, then I would pay the extra and make them a adult, as long as they could eat that much food.

 

[tony67]

Yes, the QS kids meals are terrible, especially with allergies. Can't have PB&J, mac and cheese or chicken nuggets. That leaves hot dog or hamburger. That's why we upgraded the free QS dining to the regular dining. More options at TS.

Yeah the QS stuff is awful.
Some places seem to just have prepackaged peanut butter sandwiches.
We just don't get peanut butter in Europe.
We did not grow up with it and just don’t like it.
There are other options, but they seem limited for the most part.

The TS stuff varies by location.
A lot of places seem to be mac and cheese aned chicken nuggets.
But you can get mahi mahi at coral reef, so it depends.
Some places have steaks as I recall.

I do wish it was better, but we have to keep in mind that kids pay about 1/3rd what an adult pays for the DDP.
The restaurant does not make much on the adult plans, so they really can’t count on that to subsidize the kids meals like they do at places outside the parks.

I'd like to see a kids option somewhere in the middle.
Make it for ages 16 and under and charge a little more.
How many people pay for an adult DDP for a kid that orders off of the kids menu.
Disney is for kids first and I'd like to see better options.

 

[Tricia1972]

For anyone wondering about what you get where for kids meals, I have this from the Kids Credit FAQ in the DDP forum.

Which restaurants do not have a childrens menu?
• Toluca Turkey Legs (Disney Hollywood Studios)
Turkey Leg
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Minute Maid Light
Lemonade, Nestea, Hi-C Punch
SmartWater
Dasani Bottled Water
• Casey's Corner (Magic Kingdom)
Hot Dog Meal - served with apple slaw or french fries
Hot Dog
Corn Dog Nuggets
Brownie
Cracker Jack
Soft Drinks - Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Orange, Light Lemonade &
Iced Tea
Chocolate or Whole Milk
Hot Tea, Hot Cocoa
Nescafe Coffee - regular or decaffeinated
Bottled Water
• Pete's Doggone Good Dogs (Magic Kingdom)
Hot Dog, Chips and Large Beverage
• Sommerfest
Bratwurst served with sauerkraut and roll
Frankfurter served with sauerkraut and roll
Black Forest Cake Roulade
Seasonal Crumble Cake - with whipped cream
Bavarian Cheesecake
Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Iced Tea, Lemonade
Bottled Water
Hot Tea or Hot Chocolate Coffee
• Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Fish & Chips 2 strips of fish served with chips
Shortbread
Soft Drinks: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Orange, Light Lemonade, Peak Iced Tea
Coffee - Regular or Decaf
Hot Tea
Bottled Water
• Main Street Bakery (Magic Kingdom)
Assorted Sandwiches and desserts – menu varies
• Golden Oak Outpost (Magic Kingdom)
All Entrees served with Apple Slices or French Fries
Fried Chicken Breast Sandwich
Chicken BLT Flatbread
Vegetable Flatbread
Chicken Breast Nuggets (6 pieces)
French Fries
Triple Chocolate Cake
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Lt Lemonade, Iced Tea
Bottled Water
Smart Water
Hot Coffee or Hot Tea or Hot Cocoa
• Boulangerie Patisserie (EPCOT – World Showcase)
Ham and Cheese Croissant
Ham and Cheese Quiche
Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Coca Cola, Dt Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange Soda, Nestea
Bottled Water
Orange Juice
Milk, Chocolate Milk or 2% Low Fat Milk
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tea
Hot Cocoa

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Kids Menus:
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Flame Tree BBQ
For Guests Ages 3-9
All meals include choice of 2 sides: grapes, carrot sticks, applesauce or fruit punch gelatin Choice of: 1% milk, Small Bottled Water or Apple Juice
Baked Chicken Drumstick $4.99
Hot Dog $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie or Soft Drink substituted upon request
04/10


Pizzafari
For Guests 9 & Under
All meals served with choice of 2 sides
Grapes, Carrot Sticks, Applesauce or Fruit Punch Gelatin
Choice of Beverage: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water, or apple juice
Macaroni and Cheese $4.99
Child's Cheese Pizza $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie or Soft Drink substituted upon request
03/10

Yak & Yeti
All meals include choice of 2 side items: Carrot Sticks, Applesauce, Fruit Punch Gelatin or Chicken Fried Rice.
Choice of 1% Mickey Milk, Small Bottled Water or Apple Juice
Cheeseburger $4.99
Chicken Bites $4.99
Pork Egg Roll $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie, French Fries or Soft Drink upon request
04/10


DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

ABC Commissary
For guests 9 and under
All meals include choice of two side items: grapes, carrot sticks or applesauce
Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, 1% chocolate milk, small bottled water or apple juice box
Chicken Nuggets $4.99
Cheeseburger $4.99
Ham and Cheese Wrap $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie, French Fries and Soft Drink available upon request.
07/09

Backlot Express
All meals include choice of two side items: grapes, carrot sticks, or applesauce
Choice of 1% Mickey Milk, 1% chocolate milk, small bottled water, or apple juice box
Chicken Nuggets OR Meaty Macaroni $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie, Chocolate Pudding, French Fries and Soft Drinks substituted upon request
04/10

Fairfax Fare
All meals served with applesauce, carrot sticks, and choice of 1% milk, bottled water, or juice
Peanut Butter & Jelly $4.99
Macaroni and Cheese $4.99
02/10

Starring Rolls Bakery
Peanut Butter & Jelly - Smucker's Uncrustable with grapes, applesauce and milk $3.99
09/09

Studio Catering Company
All meals include choice of two side items: grapes, carrot sticks, or applesauce
Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, 1% chocolate milk, small bottled water or apple juice box
Macaroni and Cheese $4.99
Peanut Butter and Jelly $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie or Soft Drinks available upon request
03/10

Toy Story Pizza Planet
for guests 9 and under
includes grapes and applesauce, plus choice of 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water, or apple juice box
Cheese Pizza $4.99
Chocolate chip cookie or soft drink substituted upon request
07/09



EPCOT

Future World
Electric Umbrella
for guests 9 and under
All meals: $4.99 each
with choice of two: applesauce, grapes, carrot sticks or fruit punch gelatin and a beverage: 1% milk, bottled water or apple juice box
Cheeseburger
Turkey Pinwheels
Kid's Cheeseburger
11/09

Sunshine Seasons
Breakfast
Kids' French toast - with sausage $4.09

Lunch/Dinner
Sweet & Sour Chicken and Beverage $6.49
Macaroni and Cheese with Beverage $4.99
Make your own Mini Sub and Beverage $4.99
Chicken Leg with Mashed Potatoes and Beverage $6.49
Smuckers PB&J Uncrustables Lunch Kit $4.49
05/10

World Showcase

Liberty Inn
For Guests 9 and under
All meals include Grapes and Carrot Sticks
Choice of: 1% milk, small bottled water or Apple juice box
Chilled Chicken Wrap - $4.99
Chicken Nuggets - $4.99
Peanut Butter and Jelly - $4.99
03/10

Lotus Blossom Cafe
Beijing Barbecue Drumstick - with 1% milk, small bottle of water or juice $6.95
03/10

Tangierine Cafe
All kid's meals are served with choice of 1% milk, bottled water or juice. Kid's meals are served with Carrot sticks and apple slices.
Hamburger $7.99
Chicken Tenders $7.99
Potato Chips and Soda available upon request
04/10

Yakitori House
Teriyaki Chicken with mixed vegetables, steamed rice and a child size soft drink $6.89
05/10


MAGIC KINGDOM
Columbia Harbor House
For Guests 9 and under
All meals include choice of two sides: grapes and carrot sticks. Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water or apple juice.
Mixed Greens with Chicken $4.99
Chicken Nuggets $4.99
Macaroni and Cheese $4.99
Peanut Butter and Jelly $4.99
Applesauce, Cookie, French Fries, or Soft Drink substituted upon request
03/10

Cosmic Ray's
(Children 9 and under)
(All Sides of Restaurant)
All meals include grapes and carrot sticks and choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water or apple juice
Chicken Nuggets $4.99
Peanut Butter and Jelly $4.99
Turkey Sandwich $4.99
04/10

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
For Guests 9 and Under
All meals include grapes and carrot sticks Choice of: 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water or apple juice.
Chocolate Chip Cookie, applesauce, Fries or Soft Drink available on request
Hamburger $4.99
Mixed Greens Salad with Chicken $4.99
03/10

Pinocchio Village Haus
For guest 9 and under
All meals include carrot sticks, grapes and
Choice of 1% Mickey Milk, small bottled water, or apple juice
Peanut Butter and Jelly $4.99
Macaroni and Cheese $4.99
Cheese Pizza $4.99
Applesauce, Cookie, French Fries or Soft Drink substituted upon request
05/10

 

[DEA]

Does anyone else have a problem with the kid menus at WDW? Lat time we went our youngest was 7. We had the dining plan and ended up going to buffets most of the time. How many times can a kid be expected to eat nuggets, pb&j (ds is allergic), and mac and cheese? Our son doesn't care for any of the foods on the kid's menus. He will be 9 on our next trip and I can't even find a way for Disney to let him eat off the adult menu. Is this a problem that only our family has?

There is a lot of bad food around, definitely, but there are some great standouts. Someone already mentioned Le Cellier with their steak on the kids' menu. Sanaa was wonderful for our family. Our DD5 had a sustainable fish dish which was done very well, and which she enjoyed. DD3 had the pizza, which rather than being pulled out of a freezer, was made fresh with their naan dough. She is a picky eater, and we had to ask how it was possible that they had gotten her to eat when most other restaurants, even those serving pizza, could not. The chef let us in on the secret.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

Yep, the kid's selections are terrible!

For 3-6 year olds it's probably fine but for 7 and 8 year olds on the dining plan it's miserable.

When paying OOP ordering an appetizer works well.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

yes, I have a problem with the kids selection. My son doesn't eat Mac&Cheese, hot dogs, chicken nugget and PB&J. He loves grilled chicken and grilled vegetables. Loves sushi, edemame, veggies and fruits. We tend to eat TS instead of CS at least with TS they have grilled chicken or pasta.