Is Disney contributing to childhood obesity?

[SpoonfulofSugar]

Edit to add: this is not a complaint at disney or blaming them for obesity issues or anything like that...but more a wondering/observation of how kids are being seen and treated more as adults too early. The dining plan at disney is MY example of this for myself and myself only. IMHO, I think we should have a middle category to group this age group of pre-teens/young teens into instead of just kid or adult. Again, this is just a discussion I thought would be interesting to discuss about ages and society and I used meal time as an example.

After just returning from over a week at Disney I am again wandering if Disney is contributing to the childhood obesity problem in our country. We have visited Disney World over 30 times with our children but the last few years one and now two of them have been considered "adults" according to Disney dining rules. Disney considers children "adult" eaters at the young age of 10 but I don't really see how or why a 10 year old child should be eating the same size meal as is served to a full grown adult male or female.

So my question is NOT can a child eat that size meal but SHOULD a child eat that size meal?

Disney prides itself on its Mickey Check meals for children on its kids menus but then forces children over age 9 to order an adult meal plan, and lets face it they are still children at 10.

Nothing irks me more than going to a Disney restaurant and the host asks, "how many adults and how many kids?". I reply with what I would say at any restaurant which is 2 adults and 3 kids, but then the host will ask what are the ages and I'll reply with their ages, which for this past trip were 9, 11, 14. My kids are not adventurous eaters and sometimes the 14 year old prefers a simple small meal or will usually just order an appetizer off the adult menu. He's a teenager who gets hungry at 10/11pm at night and can clean out my refrigerator overnight but may not want a large meal when we go out for lunch or dinner, so I'll let him look at both menus. So, after my answer to the host they will usually give me a look and say "so it's 4 adults and 1 child". Hold the phone, I am sorry but I refuse to call my 11 and 14 year old adults! They are not adults! I am responsible for them, they cannot get a job, they cannot enter a contract, they cannot even drive a car...heck many can't even sit in the front seat of a car yet! So now when I receive that question I reply with, 2 "real" adults, 2 kids who are "disney adults" and 1 "disney" child. I may not change the "disney" world by saying this but it does make me feel better and less old to still have kids who are kids, they'll be "real" adults all to soon for me.

Sorry for the sidetrack but it had to be said, now back to the issue. We usually do not get the disney dining plan anymore because of this age issue. By paying for four adults and one child it does not make financial sense to pay adult prices when my boys still want to order off the kids menu and the food is way too much for them to eat a whole adult meal, especially in the summer when the temps are in high 90's and they would rather have more drinks than food. I'm sure this will soon change and has already started for my oldest but I'm just not rushing him out the door into adulthood any sooner than necessary. He'll have enough time to be an adult, now he needs to be a kid/teenager.

During this most recent trip we did do a few table service meals around lunch time to get out of the heat. One of those was 50's Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios. My eleven year old cried when it was time to order, he wanted to order off the kids menu and was told no because "you are not a kid, you are too old" but that they would bring him an adult portion of the mac and cheese he wanted. He is my Peter Pan Neverland boy and loves being a kid and hates the idea of being an adult, so to have his most favorite place on earth tell him he is not kid anymore near broke his heart. So my eleven year was served an extra large portion of the mac and cheese with no healthy sides (that a kids meal comes with) and we were charged over double what the kids meal cost...and the kicker is he couldn't even eat all of it. If he had been allowed to order the kids meal he wanted he would've got a healthier balanced meal instead of a carb loaded meal he could not finish. Disney is certainly not concerned about the health of these pre-teen/young teen kids it seems, where is the healthy meal option for these forgotten about kids?

My boys are complete opposites in body shape, where the older is extremely tall and thin as a rail the younger is of average height and husky, so we watch what he eats more than our other two kids. He turned 12 during this trip so he had his annual doctor checkup when we returned home. He has a tendency to overeat or skip his fruits and veggies so it can be a struggle to keep him in check but in disney it was nearly impossible with them insisting he get an adult size portion at nearly every table serve restaurant. So he gained 4 pounds (I know this because he had a dr appt for strep throat two weeks before we left) on this trip even though we had very busy days with a minimum of 15,000 steps a day (thank you fitbit tracker for this info) and lots of swimming.

I believe that the kids menu prices should cover what the meal consists of and it should not matter what age you are to order them, especially if I am paying out of pocket for that meal. If I want my eleven year old to have a kid sized meal because that is all the food he wants and needs should I be refused? Is that meal not priced for the portion size it is or is disney claiming it is a drastically reduced priced bargain meal just for kids so adults can pay for overpriced meals that compensate for the bargain kids prices? I feel that disney is interfering with my parenting and risking the health of my child by making him order an adult size meal that he neither wants nor can or should eat all of.

Disney, why do you not care about the health of those who are not "disney kids" but are not really adults either? These kids are the lost forgotten about age group at Disney. The Neverland Lost Boys and Girls of Disney Parks. Disney is a leader, an icon and trendsetter! How long till all restaurants follow them and force these forgotten about kids who are not quite kids but not really adults either to grow up before their time? T-Rex restaurant has already changed its menus at Disney Springs to reflect disney dining ages as has Rainforest Cafe, both Laundry's restaurants. If you visit other Laundry's restaurants that are not on disney property the menus have different ages for the kids menu and are not 9 and under. But maybe that will all change with disney's help and all 10 year olds can now be adults. Disney will you hire these "adults" to work at It's a Small World?

I know many may agree with me and many may not. Some may say my kids are adventurous eaters and the kids menu is too plain for them. I agree with you too. Many kids menus at table service restaurants are very similar and do not offer much variety. I say tell disney and then I would ask disney why can't you offer a few specialty items from the adult menu in a kid portion for these more adventurous eaters? Can it be done? If some guests want more choices for their kids and others want simple kid foods certainly there is a way.

We started going to Disney with children when my oldest was one year old. I think dining during those early years was much more personal and relaxing. When we go now it feels much more like we are on an assembly line waiting for our turn to get a full belly and rolled out the door. I feel disney has a responsibility to these Neverland Lost Boys and Girls to show the world we can do better for them and we care for their health. That they don't want to contribute to the obesity problem many of these kids face but step ahead and show the world there is need for a new category for these kids to be treated differently. Because they are not adults!

Please Disney don't forget about the Neverland Lost Boys and Girls, they love you and have not forgotten about you!

 

[ELSA711]

Some thoughts:

If you are on the Disney Dining Plan and are being forced to pick adult entrees, why don't you just order 1 meal for the kids to share? or to share with them. That's what I did.
My 10 year old DD was never forced to order an adult meal, they always let her pick a child option if she wanted it. Hurts the purse strings a bit but we liked the all inclusive feel of DDP while we were doing lots of character meals, not so much anymore.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

You are confusing the issue of thinking that Disney wants to portion control what people eat when what they are really doing is milking that dollar.
Anyone can order, with the exception of few places, whatever they care to eat including a child's meal. You just don't have the option of doing that on Disney's very regimented Dining Plan.

 

[Princesca]

My DP has had bariatric surgery, and I have to say that I have never really understood the philosophy behind not letting adults order off the kids' menu. Ostensibly, a certain amount/selection of food costs X dollars + Y profit. What difference does it make whether the person eating the food is over or under a certain age? The cost + profit formula doesn't change. It's quite possible my DP will want to order off the kids' menu in some places because she can only eat smaller portions, and I'm hoping we don't get a ton of pushback on this.

I don't even get this on the dining plan. I mean, I can see not letting a kid order off the adult menu, but if an adult wants to opt for a kids' meal, which would typically be a less expensive option, why not allow it?

 

[minnie mum]

Jeez, TLDR.

If your kid can't eat an adult meal, order him a kids meal. Almost all Disney a la carte restaurants will allow it if you explain you want the kid size portion. Or have 2 of your Disney adult kids split an adult order. Pay OOP instead of buying the DDP. Stick with a la carte restaurants instead of buffets or AYCTE meals. You as a parent decide how to best feed your kids. That's not Disney's job. The options are there for you to choose from. There are plenty of kids 10-12 who can eat a Disney adult meal without becoming obese. I don't think I've ever seen a child go from regular size to obese after a week in WDW.

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

Some thoughts:

If you are on the Disney Dining Plan and are being forced to pick adult entrees, why don't you just order 1 meal for the kids to share? or to share with them. That's what I did.
My 10 year old DD was never forced to order an adult meal, they always let her pick a child option if she wanted it. Hurts the purse strings a bit but we liked the all inclusive feel of DDP while we were doing lots of character meals, not so much anymore.

What if they don't want to eat the same thing?

 

[Disneylover99]

After just returning from over a week at Disney I am again wandering if Disney is contributing to the childhood obesity problem in our country. We have visited Disney World over 30 times with our children but the last few years one and now two of them have been considered "adults" according to Disney dining rules. Disney considers children "adult" eaters at the young age of 10 but I don't really see how or why a 10 year old child should be eating the same size meal as is served to a full grown adult male or female.

So my question is NOT can a child eat that size meal but SHOULD a child eat that size meal?

Disney prides itself on its Mickey Check meals for children on its kids menus but then forces children over age 9 to order an adult meal plan, and lets face it they are still children at 10.

Nothing irks me more than going to a Disney restaurant and the host asks, "how many adults and how many kids?". I reply with what I would say at any restaurant which is 2 adults and 3 kids, but then the host will ask what are the ages and I'll reply with their ages, which for this past trip were 9, 11, 14. My kids are not adventurous eaters and sometimes the 14 year old prefers a simple small meal or will usually just order an appetizer off the adult menu. He's a teenager who gets hungry at 10/11pm at night and can clean out my refrigerator overnight but may not want a large meal when we go out for lunch or dinner, so I'll let him look at both menus. So, after my answer to the host they will usually give me a look and say "so it's 4 adults and 1 child". Hold the phone, I am sorry but I refuse to call my 11 and 14 year old adults! They are not adults! I am responsible for them, they cannot get a job, they cannot enter a contract, they cannot even drive a car...heck many can't even sit in the front seat of a car yet! So now when I receive that question I reply with, 2 "real" adults, 2 kids who are "disney adults" and 1 "disney" child. I may not change the "disney" world by saying this but it does make me feel better and less old to still have kids who are kids, they'll be "real" adults all to soon for me.

Sorry for the sidetrack but it had to be said, now back to the issue. We usually do not get the disney dining plan anymore because of this age issue. By paying for four adults and one child it does not make financial sense to pay adult prices when my boys still want to order off the kids menu and the food is way too much for them to eat a whole adult meal, especially in the summer when the temps are in high 90's and they would rather have more drinks than food. I'm sure this will soon change and has already started for my oldest but I'm just not rushing him out the door into adulthood any sooner than necessary. He'll have enough time to be an adult, now he needs to be a kid/teenager.

During this most recent trip we did do a few table service meals around lunch time to get out of the heat. One of those was 50's Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios. My eleven year old cried when it was time to order, he wanted to order off the kids menu and was told no because "you are not a kid, you are too old" but that they would bring him an adult portion of the mac and cheese he wanted. He is my Peter Pan Neverland boy and loves being a kid and hates the idea of being an adult, so to have his most favorite place on earth tell him he is not kid anymore near broke his heart. So my eleven year was served an extra large portion of the mac and cheese with no healthy sides (that a kids meal comes with) and we were charged over double what the kids meal cost...and the kicker is he couldn't even eat all of it. If he had been allowed to order the kids meal he wanted he would've got a healthier balanced meal instead of a carb loaded meal he could not finish. Disney is certainly not concerned about the health of these pre-teen/young teen kids it seems, where is the healthy meal option for these forgotten about kids?

My boys are complete opposites in body shape, where the older is extremely tall and thin as a rail the younger is of average height and husky, so we watch what he eats more than our other two kids. He turned 12 during this trip so he had his annual doctor checkup when we returned home. He has a tendency to overeat or skip his fruits and veggies so it can be a struggle to keep him in check but in disney it was nearly impossible with them insisting he get an adult size portion at nearly every table serve restaurant. So he gained 4 pounds (I know this because he had a dr appt for strep throat two weeks before we left) on this trip even though we had very busy days with a minimum of 15,000 steps a day (thank you fitbit tracker for this info) and lots of swimming.

I believe that the kids menu prices should cover what the meal consists of and it should not matter what age you are to order them, especially if I am paying out of pocket for that meal. If I want my eleven year old to have a kid sized meal because that is all the food he wants and needs should I be refused? Is that meal not priced for the portion size it is or is disney claiming it is a drastically reduced priced bargain meal just for kids so adults can pay for overpriced meals that compensate for the bargain kids prices? I feel that disney is interfering with my parenting and risking the health of my child by making him order an adult size meal that he neither wants nor can or should eat all of.

Disney, why do you not care about the health of those who are not "disney kids" but are not really adults either? These kids are the lost forgotten about age group at Disney. The Neverland Lost Boys and Girls of Disney Parks. Disney is a leader, an icon and trendsetter! How long till all restaurants follow them and force these forgotten about kids who are not quite kids but not really adults either to grow up before their time? T-Rex restaurant has already changed its menus at Disney Springs to reflect disney dining ages as has Rainforest Cafe, both Laundry's restaurants. If you visit other Laundry's restaurants that are not on disney property the menus have different ages for the kids menu and are not 9 and under. But maybe that will all change with disney's help and all 10 year olds can now be adults. Disney will you hire these "adults" to work at It's a Small World?

I know many may agree with me and many may not. Some may say my kids are adventurous eaters and the kids menu is too plain for them. I agree with you too. Many kids menus at table service restaurants are very similar and do not offer much variety. I say tell disney and then I would ask disney why can't you offer a few specialty items from the adult menu in a kid portion for these more adventurous eaters? Can it be done? If some guests want more choices for their kids and others want simple kid foods certainly there is a way.

We started going to Disney with children when my oldest was one year old. I think dining during those early years was much more personal and relaxing. When we go now it feels much more like we are on an assembly line waiting for our turn to get a full belly and rolled out the door. I feel disney has a responsibility to these Neverland Lost Boys and Girls to show the world we can do better for them and we care for their health. That they don't want to contribute to the obesity problem many of these kids face but step ahead and show the world there is need for a new category for these kids to be treated differently. Because they are not adults!

Please Disney don't forget about the Neverland Lost Boys and Girls, they love you and have not forgotten about you!

The dining plan is definitely not for you.

 

[Princesca]

Plus I do have to say that the kids' meals at Disney leave a whole lot to be desired, just based on the cursory looking I've been doing. Though heck, the CS meals at Disney for adults leave a lot to be desired, with some notable exceptions, unless you are a huge fan of burgers, chicken tenders, and fries.

 

[gatormom2tots]

And I am one of those that eats from the child's menu MOST of the time....because I am just too cheap to spend that kind of money on food, especially when we eat mainly CS and character meals- neither of which is 5 star dining. I'll save that money and add on days at the park!

But I think its ludicrous to imply that Disney is responsible for childhood obesity. That's up there with me suing McDonalds if I have a heart attack from eating too many Big Macs.

 

[ELSA711]

What if they don't want to eat the same thing?

Well, I typically shared with DD. As a mother I've become accustomed to eating the scraps anyway, and just accepted to eat whatever she wanted.
If my DD wanted the kids meal they always allowed it. Not hurting them at all in the bank, I was the fool who bought the DDP with her at adult prices. LOL

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I don't know that I would say they're contributing to childhood obesity, but I do think it's crazy to call a 10 year old an adult. We stopped getting the dining plan years ago, we prefer to just order what we want which may be a salad and appetizer instead of an entree, prefer an ice cream walking around the park to dessert with our meal, etc..

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I do think tweens should have the option of ordering kids meals if they want them.

 

[mom2rtk]

TLDR

Ultimately if the choices aren't right, it's the parents' responsibility to find something that is.

You can share meals. You can leave and eat offsite. You can pack a lunch.

And it's a vacation. I assume that people don't always make the same eating choices on vacation that they do at home day in and day out.

 

[Disfan1968]

The dining plan works great for some folks, and NOT for others. As the poster above says, the plan really does not suit your needs, so pay out of pocket. You'll save money in the end, if that matters.

 

[ELSA711]

I don't know that I would say they're contributing to childhood obesity, but I do think it's crazy to call a 10 year old an adult. We stopped getting the dining plan years ago, we prefer to just order what we want which may be a salad and appetizer instead of an entree, prefer an ice cream walking around the park to dessert with out meal, etc..

Agreed, this is our last year on the plan and only because we received FD this year. When we were doing character buffets with the kids and they were little it worked out, but not so much anymore that we are choosing new al a carte restaurants for the first time

 

[married2mm]

I'm sorry but your username and the thread title -what a mix

 

[wilkeliza]

If Disney was somewhere the average joe visited every day then maybe I would say they are contributing. However, Disney is a vacation spot. If you are obese you are over eating more than just at Disney or have a medical condition. Neither of these Disney controls.

At the end of the day if you are on the DDP and thus don't/can't order a kid's meal (most Disney locations let you order a kid's meal if you are an adult) or you are at a all you care to eat location and feel like you must get your value how much you or your children eat is up to you. Food waste is an unfortunate part of eating out and if you care about that portion of not eating everything on the plate then ask the waiter nicely if he/she will serve a smaller portion for your child. They'll charge the same but not waste. Not every meal can be served as a smaller portion but sides usually can be.

 

[ravenclawforever]

I do not know about table service restaurants, but at Universal, at quick service they do not ask for ages to order a kids meal (not on the dining plan, just regular pay as you go). I might be in line by myself ordering for 3 kids waiting outside, so how would they know? At table service (not in Disney, but at our local Rainforest Cafe for example), I am often asked if I want any kids menus (I have a 17 year old daughter who is 4 ft 8, but they never ask her age). As long as they offer me the menu, she usually orders off of it. We also have some restaurants locally that will allow an adult to order off of the kids menu for a higher price than the kids price. I am OK with that too, as it is usually still cheaper than the adult menu price and a portion of food that I am more likely to want to finish.

 

[Dani C]

I am an adult and I rarely eat everything provided on my plate at Disney if I order an adult meal. There is no reason to eat more than you need or want. That applies to kids as well. As the parent, feel free to portion the food on their plate if needed. Otherwise, order a child's meal but know that you may pay the adult price and will pay it at buffet or fixed price options.

 

[Eandbmom]

Actually we have had more luck in Disney ordering off the kids menu for older kids than we do in real life. Most of the restaurants around here are very strict UNDER 10 only ( not a 10 year old). That said my 11 year old can and does eat a full adult meal when we go out.