Food for 10 year old

[arinmasonsmom]

Just wondering what to do. Last time we went to disney we had 2 boys--ages 6 and 2. Now we have 3 kids--our boys will now be 10 and 6 on this trip and our daughter will be 3 1/2. Needless to say--a MUCH more expensive trip. I know that my oldest son is now considered an adult, but he sure doesn't eat like one. He has never eaten off of an adult menu in his life and I hate to pay adult prices for food I know he won't eat--it's bad enough I have to pay higher ticket price--I mean, just my opinion, but an adult at age 10?? Of course, it also irks me that he will have just turned 10 3 months before we go--anyway, I rant--so, what should I do--thanks, Ilisa

 

[theflowerladee]

I am in total agreement with you I have a son who will be 12 on my next trip and the idea of paying 38$ a day for the adult price dining plan is killing me, i may not do the dining plan just because of him. I think 13-15 is more like an adult. To be quite honest, and I know alot of people will not agree with me,
by I have passed my son off as 9 when he was 10/11. As far as the pass, if you buy it in advance nobody will question his age at the gate unless he is
very tall. I know it doesn't set a good example to "lie" but I would say he is 9 all around if he can look the part. I mean really how many 10-12 year olds eat off the adult menu, my son still kids chicken fingers from kids menu.

 

[tcolbert]

So get him a kid's meal. If you're standing in line to get food for everyone, they aren't going to ask the age of your kids when you order. There are many other people behind you to get to. Besides, it's not like he'll be 13 and you're passing him off as being 9.

 

[beattyfamily]

I am in total agreement with you I have a son who will be 12 on my next trip and the idea of paying 38$ a day for the adult price dining plan is killing me, i may not do the dining plan just because of him. I think 13-15 is more like an adult. To be quite honest, and I know alot of people will not agree with me,
by I have passed my son off as 9 when he was 10/11. As far as the pass, if you buy it in advance nobody will question his age at the gate unless he is
very tall. I know it doesn't set a good example to "lie" but I would say he is 9 all around if he can look the part. I mean really how many 10-12 year olds eat off the adult menu, my son still kids chicken fingers from kids menu.

To the OP, you can order off the child's menu for ANYONE, even an adult. The only time you'll have to pay the adult price for you 10 year old is at buffets and all you can eat...like Character meals, HDDR, or the Poly Luau etc... A sit down place that has a child's menu will let you order off of it.

IMHO, if you don't like paying adult prices for your 10 year old, then wait to go to WDW till you feel it will be worth it to pay the adult price for them.

They have to set a cut off at some point and they chose 10. I agree that most 10/11 year olds still eat like a kid still but Disney chose age 10 and that's their prerogative. Oh well. I'm still debating the dining plan for our next trip since I have a then 10 year old. Its a tough decision but I'd NEVER lie to save money because my 10 year old is VERY smart and that's just not a lesson I want to teach her.

 

[sl_underwood]

I have a 13 yo and a 9 yo and thats why we didnt go with the dining plan. We were all set to do it and then changed our minds because neither of our dds will eat much and my 9yo will turn 10 the day before our trip so we will essentially have 4 adults, even though my 9 yo is extremely small. She was a preemie and is barely out of the preschool sizes. I could probably claim she was under 10 but I dont want to teach her to lie. Also both girls are likely to share a meal pretty much everywhere they eat and much to my dismay neither one of them really cared about the character meals (personally I am the only one who wants to go to one, weird, huh?)
Lora

 

[tjmw2727]

If your not on the dining plan just have him order what he likes, kids menu or adult. My 11yo dd ordered off the kids menu in Dec 05 and Feb 06 and never had an issue either TS or CS. Alternately both my dd's will often choose a soup, salad or appetizer instead of the kids offerings as they get sick of the kids stuff.

If your on the dining plan you will be charged the per day price for an adult but your son can still order anything he likes. Some have reported saving $ despite the higher per day charge but I don't have the details. Check the restaurant board for other suggestions and information.

HTH
TJ

 

[3mickeys&me]

When we went this past Nov, my son had just turned 10. I was a little nervous about him ordering him an adult meal for the dining plan. It ended up working well for us. That boy ordered the adult meals he liked and ate pretty well. Maybe he was going through a growth spurt or something LOL. One TS dinner we had in Mexico (Epcot) he didn't like the adult meal and he did order from the kids meal without a problem..

Edited to add: its $38. per day. Are you considering that breakfast (counter svs) lunch (counter service) Snack and dinner (table svs) all this and it already includes your tip. We actually would of spent more for our 10 yr old with out the dining plan. Per day!!! Just saying.

All these things add up.

 

[OurMsBrooks]

I was a very small child, and my parents often instructed me to lie about my age when it came to kids' meals, movie tickets, etc. I can tell you that even now as an adult I remember that discomfort very clearly. I was always nervous that I would get caught and embarrassed to be lying (remember that everything is a big deal to a kid). I promised myself that I would never ask my kids to lie.

Believe me, I'm not happy about paying full adult price for lunch at Cincerella's Royal Table for a 50-pound vegetarian DD who will turn 10 only one week before our trip this summer. But I'm going to do it.

Just my two cents...

 

[tjmw2727]

I was a very small child, and my parents often instructed me to lie about my age when it came to kids' meals, movie tickets, etc. I can tell you that even now as an adult I remember that discomfort very clearly. I was always nervous that I would get caught and embarrassed to be lying (remember that everything is a big deal to a kid). I promised myself that I would never ask my kids to lie.

Believe me, I'm not happy about paying full adult price for lunch at Cincerella's Royal Table for a 50-pound vegetarian DD who will turn 10 only one week before our trip this summer. But I'm going to do it.

Just my two cents...

Just to be clear we never lie about my 11yo's age nor did she! We simply asked for a kids menu in addition to the adult menu at every restaurant - no need to lie.

A few times she ordered the kids meal and was charged the kids price, most times she orderd a soup and salad or a salad with appetizer to split with my ohter dd and a few times she ordered from the regular menu.

At the buffets and pre-plated all you can eat meals we, of course paid, the adult price for her.

TJ

 

[poohraedopey]

We are going Nov 25th DS will turn 10 Sept 18th. I decided to do the meal plan with our package even if we waste a few of the kids TS meals like when we go to Coral Reef I am sure the kids won't eat much. I know in the long run it will be in our favor to go that route. Heck just our Crystal palace dinner will be $100 for the family and 1/6th roughly of the cost of the meal plan. As far as counter service it really won't matter, snacks either. I would never ask DS to lie about his age, although he is now smaller for his age and often does get the kiddy menu he gets upset LOL. I figure he'll be due for a growth spurt by Nov.

 

[CleveRocks]

To the OP, you can order off the child's menu for ANYONE, even an adult. The only time you'll have to pay the adult price for you 10 year old is at buffets and all you can eat...like Character meals, HDDR, or the Poly Luau etc... A sit down place that has a child's menu will let you order off of it.

Exactly. Except for the buffets and anywhere else there is a flat rate PER PERSON charge, ANYONE can order off the kids menu. Period. No lying necessary, no hiding necessary. My wife and I did it a bunch (at some places the regular portions were H-U-G-E). We had some nice laughs about this with the CMs at times. Laughs, not lectures.

 

[Schmeck]

They do have it printed out on the menus "For Children aged 9 and under"

 

[tjmw2727]

They do have it printed out on the menus "For Children aged 9 and under"

Not always - my 9yo dd saved her menu from Le Cellier. It was a Peter Pan activity sheet and she loves Peter Pan! Dosen't have an age printed on it at all.

If I am honest about my 11 yo dd's age and the server still offers her the childs menu I am fine with that. YMMV

We found the choices more limited on the childs menu on our last trip. No more pizza or hamburger choices, more mac & cheese, grillled cheese hot dog type stuff. They didn't always have the chicken strips either. I think they are discouraging older kids and adults from choosing kids meals by not offering much.

My 11 you did better, like I said earlier, by making a smaller meal for herself from appetizers and soups. For us its about the choices and portions not just the prices.

TJ