I know this sounds terrible, but would you do it?

[CathrynRose]

You can call any restaurant in Disney World ahead of time, and request whatever your little heart desires.

Ive gotten a pizza at the hoop, as well as a burger & fries there.

If what you're looking to feed your 12 y/o is yogurt, cheese, crackers, fruit - like you mentioned - I'll bet you $5 that a phone call to that place will get you exactly that, on the day you need it.

Chef Mickey's / Any Buffets - any of their items there, can be made sauceless, or unseasoned - all you have to do is ask. I even saw a UK table get pancakes one time.

And speaking of buffets, you will NOT be charged, as other's have stated. I've been to several with a non-eater - and never charged (as long as they're not eating) On that note - if you think he might just enjoy the dessert bar - there's a special charge for ONLY that, that you could pay out of pocket (I had a picky eater who I knew wouldnt be eating anything but dessert back then - so he had a cupcake. I planned on paying full price for him, and got a bill with 'dessert only' charged on it )

I have 2 picky boys - who have a picky mom. And all picky in their own special way. One doesn't even eat pizza. Weird kid. If he didn't look like me, I'd swear they gave me the wrong one. I love pizza!

They are extremely accommodating, especially when you call in advance. HTH.

 

[edk35]

Picky eaters get their way. If as a parent you don't allow it then they learn to have a healthy eating attitude.

When babies start table food you give them what you have and they will eat it,it's a simple as that.

If the kids sees a parent with hangups in regards to eating they will have the same hangups(like way earlier someone posted about their DH having Celiac disease so they avoided grains when feeding their son and now he refuses to eat grains)



So what?! It's more than a tad tacky..it's downright tacky.

It's noones fault but the parents (except for those kids with true eating issues) so why should Disney be faulted? If your kid won't eat something then as a parent you're resposible for your child and it's up to you to make concessions not others you come in contact with.

If you've allowed your kid to be catered to and eat nothing but chicken nuggets then you have to accept that there are nothing but counter service meals in your future unless there are chicken nuggets on the menu.

In my house I make one meal--you don't eat it--tough nougies. There are no PB&J sandwiches or bowls of cereal. My kids know that what I say,goes and that if I don't allow them to get over on me on something as simple as food then they wouldn't even consider trying on bigger issues.

I just had to chime in on this one. LOL So if you do all the cooking....do you ALWAYS COOK everything you like or your dh likes?? There are not too many people that LOVE every food that is put in front of them. If you always cook foods that you like then is that really fair to assume that your kids are always going to eat that same food.

I am all for having kids try new foods but I have a picky eater and I just try to have things that he will eat too. For ex. if I make enchiladas which he doesn't like then I reserve some meat for him to make tacos with. When he was little I would ALWAYS have something on the table that he would eat. I just could not ever send my child to bed hungry because he wouldn't eat what I made. He has branched out as he has gotten older but if we make something he doesn't want...then he can make something out of the freezer or pantry. I don't have a problem with that and because I don't make a huge deal about it...he has grown to enjoy new foods that a few years ago he would never eat. He is 15 and will be out on his own before i know it. There are plenty of foods I would not touch as a child that I eat now. I just don't make a big deal out of the food thing. Life is too short and our kids are grown and out the door before we know it. Sure there are things that I would not allow him to do. I don't make him a separate meal by any means. Somtimes he chooses not to go out to eat with us...and that is okay too.

I am not trying to start a war here....but the OP just asked a simple question about her TS meals and WOW this thread has gone crazy. All of us as parents raise our families completely different from the next. We all vacation differently and we can all feed our children differently too. To each his own.

 

[CathrynRose]

Oh - and neither of my boys have asperger's or are autistic or anything else. Nor am I.

We just are picky. And that's exactly what I tell them when I call. You don't need a medical reason.

Heck - the DDP - at Le Cellier they're saving money giving you some yogurt and cheese, kwim?

 

[RMulieri]

I just wanted to chime in here that non eaters not being charged at a buffet is not the norm. Maybe if the non eater is a child they may not charge you, but I have gone to disney and to several of the buffets in the past year with a Gastric bypass pt and they were charged FULL PRICE on 2 occasions regardless that they were only there to watch and not eat ( they ate in the villa because that was their preference).The buffets used to just charge an " entertainment fee" for non eaters. They told me this past time that they now charge whether you eat or not because it is too hard to police everyone.

 

[edk35]

I just wanted to chime in here that non eaters not being charged at a buffet is not the norm. Maybe if the non eater is a child they may not charge you, but I have gone to disney and to several of the buffets in the past year with a Gastric bypass pt and they were charged FULL PRICE on 2 occasions regardless that they were only there to watch and not eat ( they ate in the villa because that was their preference).The buffets used to just charge an " entertainment fee" for non eaters. They told me this past time that they now charge whether you eat or not because it is too hard to police everyone.

Our picky eater 15 year old is charged full price whether he eats just rolls and or a wide variety of foods. One trip a couple of years ago..we were at the Biergarten for lunch and he barely at a thing. Our server didn't charge him. He saw what he ate which was basically nothing and we didn't ask or expect for the server to do this but he did. VERY RARE I am sure.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Interesting thread here. It's kind of a discussion about parenting, too.

I think the bottom line, in my simplistic view, is to simply work with the restaurant you're interested in. Our experience is that Disney will do a whole heckuva lot to work with guests. Sometimes its a matter of simply asking, yes?

I can see where taking up a space at a "communal" table, like at Teppan Edo or Biergarten, might be problematic. It's denying a spot for another guest with another party.

 

[Sandy321]

we made later ADR's - 8pm or so...

we fed our picky eater when she was hungry 5 - 6pm... then during our dinner adr... at Cali Grill, or LeCellier - she would eat some of our food, but mostly, we talked about our day, joked with each other, and sometimes dd would bring a book or writing book - (I truly cant remember her bringing or reading a book, but she is always reading, so its possible!) We bought her the "how to draw Minnie Mouse" kit and I know she had that with her - a lot of the times dh and her would share back and forth in drawing...

for us, its not about the food, its about family - I will NEVER make food an issue.... I'm on vacation, I pick where I want to eat - and what I want, so I have no problem if dd does the same...

and of course, now since we've been back 3 years with free dining she wants to eat a cali grill (and we have it special made flatbread pizza!)

Like others say - the chefs are VERY accomadating!!

 

[DisneyBunny15]

I don't think that's allowed.. but I was a picky one too! My parents took everyones tastes into consideration and there were places I didn't want to go - but had to (just like others did for me).. and since my expectations were so low, I had a totally awesome time and wound up loving it all!

 

[DisneyBunny15]

So what?! It's more than a tad tacky..it's downright tacky.

It's noones fault but the parents (except for those kids with true eating issues) so why should Disney be faulted? If your kid won't eat something then as a parent you're resposible for your child and it's up to you to make concessions not others you come in contact with.

If you've allowed your kid to be catered to and eat nothing but chicken nuggets then you have to accept that there are nothing but counter service meals in your future unless there are chicken nuggets on the menu.

In my house I make one meal--you don't eat it--tough nougies. There are no PB&J sandwiches or bowls of cereal. My kids know that what I say,goes and that if I don't allow them to get over on me on something as simple as food then they wouldn't even consider trying on bigger issues.

While I somewhat agree with this, I have to say that as a picky eater myself, my mother NEVER forced me to eat anything or said "well too bad - eat whats in front of you."

My parents were completely respectful of my likes and dislikes but also had rules like I mentioned in a previous post. There were accomodations when I was younger - at 12, I couldve found somethinggg I liked. But by that age, it was more about making others happy as they did for me!

 

[kaysmommie]

Picky eaters get their way. If as a parent you don't allow it then they learn to have a healthy eating attitude.

When babies start table food you give them what you have and they will eat it,it's a simple as that.

If the kids sees a parent with hangups in regards to eating they will have the same hangups(like way earlier someone posted about their DH having Celiac disease so they avoided grains when feeding their son and now he refuses to eat grains)



So what?! It's more than a tad tacky..it's downright tacky.
It's noones fault but the parents (except for those kids with true eating issues) so why should Disney be faulted? If your kid won't eat something then as a parent you're resposible for your child and it's up to you to make concessions not others you come in contact with.

If you've allowed your kid to be catered to and eat nothing but chicken nuggets then you have to accept that there are nothing but counter service meals in your future unless there are chicken nuggets on the menu.

In my house I make one meal--you don't eat it--tough nougies. There are no PB&J sandwiches or bowls of cereal. My kids know that what I say,goes and that if I don't allow them to get over on me on something as simple as food then they wouldn't even consider trying on bigger issues.

How judgmental of families you know nothing about. The OP asked a question not for your parenting advice.

 

[jm106]

just wondered if OP got scared off or I missed it- was a decision made? And I was also curious, what does the picky son actually like to eat?
Hope you found a way to make everyone happy

 

[annie1995]

I agree, just let him eat early and get him a dessert or something. I'd bet the Chocolate Moose would be a hit! Word of advise, my kids hated the hot dog kids meal at LeCellier, and my kids love hotdogs.

 

[crisi]

Our picky eater 15 year old is charged full price whether he eats just rolls and or a wide variety of foods. One trip a couple of years ago..we were at the Biergarten for lunch and he barely at a thing. Our server didn't charge him. He saw what he ate which was basically nothing and we didn't ask or expect for the server to do this but he did. VERY RARE I am sure.

I don't know if its very rare, but I would think that not getting charged for buffets, being given a free meal for your under 3 child at a non-buffet restaurant, and being permitted to bring in outside food all need to fall into the category of "Disney Magic." It happens often enough that a lot of people on a heavily trafficked message board will have experienced it - but it shouldn't be an expectation or something you plan on happening, since in all cases Disney can charge anyone at a buffet, can change you for any meal your toddler orders unless its specified that toddlers eat free, and can refuse allowing you to bring your own food in.

Disney is really good at Magic - Disney often disappoints guests who assume that means that they will always get their way.

My guess is that under the current revenue pressure (lots of people AT Disney, but not enough people buying), CMs will be instructed not to "magic" their guests in revenue a reducing manner until spending picks up.

 

[eandesmom]

I would not do it and I do think it's tacky. For me the bigger issue though (and yes I may get flamed for this) is that at that age, assuming no developmental or allergic or other sensitivity issues, it teaches the kid that they will always be catered to and not have to figure out for themselves how to find something they can work with on a menu.

I'm not saying a child should have to eat something they don't like, not at all. But I do think that kids who are picky, need to be taught how to deal with their likes and dislikes and take ownership for the experience. I just don't think the solution under consideration teaches them anything that will help them navigate situations properly on their own, be it at a friends house or later in life.

We have a large family, some of our kids are pickier than others and what each likes is vastly different. I can't, nor will I, make different items for each person. They do get what they get. They don't have to eat it but I am not making separate meals. They don't have to eat a certain portion size but we do have a "no thank you bite" rule, where they have to take 1 bite of each thing made, at a minimum. There are a few exceptions to this, if someone has a true aversion to a particular food we will let them opt out, but those are rare.

My skids, when I first met them, 6 years ago were very very picky eaters. They ate maybe 4 things. Dh was convinced they wouldn't eat the kinds of foods I made. And yet, they did, and continue to. He had a preconceived notion of how inflexible they really were and wasn't willing to test it. Now they eat well and branch out and can always find something on a menu that will work. They are still pickier than my 2 but they can always make it work.

Sometimes it might mean that the 12 year old and the 9 year old trade menu items so the 9yo can order from the adult menu and the 12 from the kids, sometimes they get creative with items off of the appetizer menu to create a meal that will work. But they can always find something.

I agree that if you call you should be able to get a concession made that will work for all but I'd also empower my child to try and ask for that themselves. Our 12 year old is the queen of special orders but she always gets something that will work, with what that restaurant has to offer and is willing to do.

Certainly the option of feeding the child before your ADR works as well. I am not offering parenting advice, every family is different and I respect that. I am just saying why I would never consider it.

It's tough, there are restaurants I would love to go to with DH while at the world and not all were quite the fit for the full group's tastebuds. We tried to balance our reservations with something that was a hit for at least one person and the rest could deal with it, as they'd get "their" turn. For us, it worked. There were some that were not one persons favorite, but was the bomb for another. Next night, vice versa.

Could you let your child look at a bunch of the menus and help you choose where to go? Just a thought. Best of luck and have a wonderful trip!

 

[kaytieeldr]

don't have to eat a certain portion size but we do have a "no thank you bite" rule, where they have to take 1 bite of each thing made, at a minimum. There are a few exceptions to this, if someone has a true aversion to a particular food we will let them opt out, but those are rare.

Now that you mention it... there are foods I don't eat, because we had them SO frequently growing up (I loved my mom, but I think she only knew how to cook seven meals).
Occasionally, one sibling or another will invite for dinner. Most recently, dinner was roasted pork loin. I ate about half of what I was served. Why? I don't like pork. It's been about thirty years since we lived in the same house; as the guest, it wasn't my place to dictate the menu OR refuse to eat. I ate it to be polite

 

[HighClass]

As a parent with a child who was very picky all his young life (and now eats everything exotic!), might I add something?

My kid, at that age, would have been MORTIFIED that we brought food into a restaurant. They dined at nice restaurants since they were very young, and know it is not a thing people do.

There was always something on the menu that my "MR Picky" would eat at WDW- Le cellier has an AMAZING cheese soup-will your teen eat that?

 

[Cinderella3]

I know when we went 4 years ago, our friends kid wanted a hotdog and the waitress said not a problem and we seen her go across the street and got a hotdog from another restaurante. You are at disney, where all dreams come true, hope it helps

 

[dottiegirl]

I have a picky eater too. in most of the restaurants, including ohana and the more popular places, I have been able to ask for pb&j- not only did they accomadate us, but fixed a platter with veggies and fries. you just have to ask. I agree it is very tacky to bring food in.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

just wondered if OP got scared off or I missed it- was a decision made? And I was also curious, what does the picky son actually like to eat?
Hope you found a way to make everyone happy

My response to what we might do is post #44 on pg. 3. I hadn't planned to post anymore but your suggestion that I might be scared off has challenged me.

When I asked this question I never thought it would generate so much conversation. I really just wanted to know what others' experiences or opinions were of taking food into a Disney restaurant.

I'm surprised at all the commentary this has brought about regarding picky eaters. I know that a previous poster asked the question "how do you raise a child to not be picky" and many have responded to that with some helpful suggestions.

This is not directed to you- you just seemed genuinely hopeful that we will resolve this and have a good vacation.

However, I am appalled that someone would judge me as a bad parent because I have a picky eater. I feel the need to justify myself by saying that he is a straight A student, a brown belt in karate, on Student Council, and sings at church among many other accomplishments. We are raising a wounderful, well-rounded young man who just happens to not like trying new foods. By the way his sister is a good eater.

So thanks to those of you who tried to help answer my question and to those that sent encouraging the PMs. I probably won't respond again since this is resolved for me.

 

[Tissa]

OP just do what is right for your family. My friends ds is very picky so she brought yogurt or snacks for him to eat while they ate and nothing was said.

My 11 year old ds only eats a few things too. We were on the dining plan so at some places I just ordered fries for him and paid OOP and saved his credit for later. Now I know some here will just die when I post this but anyway....

We were staying at CSR and I got him some chips and salsa from the gift shop to eat back in the room. Walking back to the room we decided to eat at Maya Grill there. I just ordered him some fries and while we were waiting he pulled out his bag of chips and salsa and opened them up at the table. At first I was mortified and told him to put them away but the waitress kind of chuckled and said it did look pretty good and joked that she wanted some so I left him alone.

We did not get kicked out, the world did not end, life went on.
Get over it people! Unless you have walked in our shoes then you have no idea.