How would YOU fix the Childs Menu "Problem"

[starbox]

I'm another person in agreement that the children's menu should reflect the theme of the restaurant/resort. What makes Disney a fun place to eat is the theme - and the themed food is a big part of it.

I like the idea of a basic menu with 1-2 heathy (vegetarian) options, 2-3 basic "kid-food" options, and a few kid-versions of the adult menu.

The "new" kids menu was the original menu at Turf Club. We actually ate there one time specifically for that menu because my daughter eats weird food for a kid and I knew she'd like it - and it was a nice change. But, the Turf Club has the whole "healthy eating" spa theme going on - so it worked.

The new menu at the Sci Fi? That's just weird. Kid's need to be able to get a hot dog and fries.

And Tony's??? Please, it's a pasta place. How many kids get told they are eating at "The Lady and the Tramp"'s restaurant? They should offer buttered noodles and bread with the choice of spaghetti sauce or steamed broccoli to go with it and make kids (and parents)happy. It would be cheap & easy for Disney. I really don't know what they are thinking.

 

[BlindTyldak]

I think they should have reviewed the menus individually and made adjustments to a few as needed. Sci Fi could have used a couple of healthier choices, for example, but that doesn't mean they should nix all the standby's, either.

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

This is another parent that would like to have choices for her children. We are planning on just eating at buffets and family style places, since Disney is changing things. My oldest would have a severe problem with smaller portions, and from what I read to day Disney is planning on that for children also. It shouldn't be up to Disney what anyone eats, they should offer proper choices, and from there it should be out of their hands. If they keep changing everything, then the ddp won't be much fun nor worth our money.

 

[bicker]

I think the objective is to make the Dining Plan worth pretty-much what it costs. For over a year and half, there have been many guests coming back from their trips raving about how great of a deal the Dining Plan is. It makes sense that, over time, either the value would be driven to meet the price, or the price would be driven to meet the value.

 

[starbox]

I think the objective is to make the Dining Plan worth pretty-much what it costs. For over a year and half, there have been many guests coming back from their trips raving about how great of a deal the Dining Plan is. It makes sense that, over time, either the value would be driven to meet the price, or the price would be driven to meet the value.

I don't think it can be as simple as a cost issue. Kid's desserts were typically a scoop of ice cream with some topping - and meals were things like a hot dog and fries or a grilled cheese sandwich. I can't see that pita bread pizza, salad, and fried cinnamon apples is any cheaper. It's all cheap food. In some cases, it seems like the new menu is actually more expensive. That's what makes the new menu so confusing to me.

 

[Amyrlin]

I don't think it is a cost thing either.

The menus at WDW were very unhealthy, that was a time bomb, look at what the porgram "supersize me" did to McDonalds. Disney is an icon and can be argued as having some responsibility to allow children and adults to eat healthily by giving that choice.

There is a major issue with bad diet in the west and yes, it is a matter of chioce, but before this new menu WDW had hardly any healthy choices for children. Now they need to get come balance. Maybe finidng sources for the more traditional food with less transfats in.

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh my!!! I missed that!

Yeah - the "man and cheese" - I'd prefer that on the Adult Menu.

"What kind of cheese?"

I think he's two Dining Plan credits.

 

[angelmav]

This also brings back the fundamental issue of why there is a DDP, to keep people in their parks! Why stay onsite, go only to their parks and eat in their restaurants if your food choices and price arent worth it? In fact all this messing around with the menu's, Kids plan etc has caused our grand gathering to be put on hold until we see what the end result is. To Cass's comment about why not pay OOP then, well for many, having a food cost budget built in allows for either a longer trip or nicer resort, justifies staying onsite, justifies why your spending all your time only in disney brand theme parks, etc, plus we can plan our trip around the disney parks (TS restaurant ADR's for example). Staying onsite is also more expensive but can be justified if you know what your 'trip package' is running ahead of time.

 

[bicker]

I don't think it can be as simple as a cost issue.

Prices and cost always play a major role, as does the public relations value of healthier meals.

 

[VernRDH]

I agree that there should be more choices for the kids. My DD likes hot dogs and chicken nuggets like other 6 year olds, but also likes salmon, shrimp, and other "adult" foods. It would be nice as others have stated, if Disney offered a few adult items in a kid size, the hot dog/mac n cheese/nuggets items AND a few vegetarian/healthy options. I don't necessarily mind the change, but to make it universal to every restuarant is insane. While you can go to McD's BK or Wendys and they basically offer the same things, they aren't the same. So why should the kids have to eat the SAME menu items all the time? We are doing a lot of family style/buffets this time, so this should not be too much of a problem for us, but I am hoping that Disney sees the light of day and revamps the menu and offers more CHOICES, and goes back to the theme of each restuarant.

 

[ReggieB]

On top of the three static choices, they should offer three restaurant specific choices. I'm not sure that the salad choice is really a great filling meal for an energetic kid. It just seems like raw veg's and dips, what is this, a cocktail party? I think it's especially important when you are dining at the Epcot places to have some extra meals on the menu. The whole point of Epcot is to broaden your horizons of other cultures. You should also be able to mix and match, it seems very inflexible if you cannot have the starter or dessert of choice, and have to go with what is 'packaged' with your entree. I'm not so much annoyed about the menu changes, but the lack of variety and choice. However there was a certain amount of lack of variety in the previous kids menu's anyway, but at least there were a few more options.

Disney are making a big fuss about their healthy eating plan. In the press it says Disney expects to roll out new kids menus in all the restaurants at their parks by the end of 2007. Clearly they are not going to back away from this, however it would be nice if they adapt it a little, so the poor kids aren't put off by so called 'fine dining' for the rest of their lives. Plus if people perceive, even if it's not necessarily true, that the kids menu's are really limiting, there are going to be a lot of families not going to add DDP to their packages.

Okay I'm done. Carrot anyone? I'll swap it for some of that man and cheese going around.