Eating w/ a tween - options?

[maxsmom]

So do they have to eat off the adult menu? We aren't on the dining plan. Looking at the menus our 11 yr old won't eat most of anything at most restaurants and that's a lot of food for that age. Can they still eat off the children's menu? I know at Buffet and show's they will be charged as an adult. There are a few places where they'd eat off the adult menu. At Tony's they love the flatbread. However, at Sci-Fi they like the children's size burger. They don't like big thick burgers. I'm just wondering what issues we're going to run into now that he's older. Thanks!

 

[sharonabe]

At 90% of the places, you won't have any problem. I would just prepare him for anything. Perhaps look over the menus and see if there's something you can share if they say no or if there is an app he might enjoy. Someone wrote just the other day that 50s Prime Time wouldn't let their tween order off the kid's menu, but I'd never seen that one before, so there's no way of knowing 100% sure you'll be okay, but you'll probably be okay.

 

[tsme]

I've never had trouble ordering for my teen or myself off of the children's menu anywhere in Disney. Just ask when you are seated.

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We had no trouble at Sci-Fi - I was 40 at the time and ordered the kids salmon

 

[bumbershoot]

...and that's a lot of food for that age.

Definitely a "your mileage may vary" situation. DS has been outeating us for years, and he's 12 (really need to update the signature). Thin, strong dancer with an appetite for days.


Anyway, ask the servers for what you want.

Maybe avoid Prime Time, but then again, maybe it's just a shtick that they were doing that the preteen couldn't order what he wanted. (on the themepark community page but apparently it's just a thread about how we are ignoring our preteens as a society, not about just the food)


The only time I've worried about feeding my kid (enough) at WDW is when we paid through the nose for CRT and he got a tiny cheese pizza, but his tastebuds hadn't quite gotten brave enough to try our vegetable gnocchi. We had to feed him after we left CRT.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Almost always anyone can order off kids menu (I frequently do at quick service). My tween eats tons so we don't have that problem. Sometimes they make an adult portion for her off the kids menu because she can be picky at times.

 

[TexasTSL]

My niece ordered off the kids menu at 50s in Dec. 2014, and they gave her an adult portion. I think it was chicken nuggets. She mostly ordered off the kids menu. She was 12 at the time. We had no issues.

 

[happymommy]

My daughter has many times.

We also share a lot, since the portion sizes at restaurants are in general, quite large! Even at counter service places, we share a lot of times.

Sci Fi really a good place, and we like their food. But, it is a lot of food!

 

[maxsmom]

Thank you everyone. I've ordered off the kids menus at counter service also. It was mainly the table service places I was most concerned about. His appetite is picking up at times but he still doesn't like a lot of the things on the adult menus. He's stupid picky no matter how hard I try. I didn't think about sharing. That's a good idea. Thank you for of your advice.