Is Disney contributing to childhood obesity?

[cruisingtwins]

Off topic, but have you ever had not so fresh food at Sunshine seasons? I got chicken there with what looked to be fibers from a towel on the chicken leg and dried out looking veggies. They didn't want to take it back either

Eww no We have been lucky I guess.

 

[HarleenQ]

I don't think it's too complicated at all. There's a local franchise in our area that has 2 different porton offerings on their kids menu. one is meant for young young kids, the other for elemenary age+. They are the same menu offerings, just different portion sizes. I would even think it would save money, as there would be less food wasted and a better ability to more accurately order ingredients in the first place.

But why? Honestly... I can't figure out how this is THAT beneficial. What's the difference in not having a senior menu, a WLS menu, etc?

I could see it being kind of an irritating issue if you were forced to order off of one or the other, but since Disney lets adults order off the children's menu and children off the adults menu (unless on the DP) I don't really see where the big hoopla is. Even on the DP they allow someone else to use those particular credits or a mix of DDP/OOP. I think that's kind of catering enough for the issue of a small appetite.

A local company, IMO, is a bit different that a a place with 100+ plus restaurants in a single setting. Didn't McDonald's have some kind of Might Kids Meal or something like that for in betweeners? I don't think it's still there? We're not real worried about leaving food on our plates, so at least for us, getting an adult meal for someone who will eat 3/4 of it isn't that big of a deal.

 

[Angel Ariel]

But why? Honestly... I can't figure out how this is THAT beneficial. What's the difference in not having a senior menu, a WLS menu, etc?

I could see it being kind of an irritating issue if you were forced to order off of one or the other, but since Disney lets adults order off the children's menu and children off the adults menu (unless on the DP) I don't really see where the big hoopla is. Even on the DP they allow someone else to use those particular credits or a mix of DDP/OOP. I think that's kind of catering enough for the issue of a small appetite.

A local company, IMO, is a bit different that a a place with 100+ plus restaurants in a single setting. Didn't McDonald's have some kind of Might Kids Meal or something like that for in betweeners? I don't think it's still there? We're not real worried about leaving food on our plates, so at least for us, getting an adult meal for someone who will eat 3/4 of it isn't that big of a deal.

If you read my previous post, my comments were referring to purchasing a fixed price dinner + fantasmic dining package for our 3 y/o that was 23.99. That is ridiculously high, even for Disney standards, for a child dinner even with the attached event. The portion size (and price) was absolutely appropriate for older children (like 6+), but not so much for a 3 y/o. Do I care about leaving food on the plate? Nope, we did exactly that. But we did not have any flexibility in ordering for her...not even the option of her splitting food with DH and I..due to the fixed price nature of the package.

As I said, we don't regret our choice. We had a great time at F! and at Blue Bayou. was it worth 23.99 for dd? Nope...and we won't likely be repeating a package like that (at that price) until she's a bit older.

 

[HarleenQ]

If you read my previous post, my comments were referring to purchasing a fixed price dinner + fantasmic dining package for our 3 y/o that was 23.99. That is ridiculously high, even for Disney standards, for a child dinner even with the attached event. The portion size (and price) was absolutely appropriate for older children (like 6+), but not so much for a 3 y/o. Do I care about leaving food on the plate? Nope, we did exactly that. But we did not have any flexibility in ordering for her...not even the option of her splitting food with DH and I..due to the fixed price nature of the package.

As I said, we don't regret our choice. We had a great time at F! and at Blue Bayou. was it worth 23.99 for dd? Nope...and we won't likely be repeating a package like that (at that price) until she's a bit older.

No, I didn't realize that's the only thing you were referencing.

But they do offer FP+ for the show as well, so it's still not forced. I'm in the same boat with the package with my 10 year old. She's special needs so we do the package to avoid all the hoopla with the lines and FP+ and we can get settled. I still don't think a middle range is necessary for that type of a thing, but different strokes.

 

[Angel Ariel]

No, I didn't realize that's the only thing you were referencing.

But they do offer FP+ for the show as well, so it's still not forced. I'm in the same boat with the package with my 10 year old. She's special needs so we do the package to avoid all the hoopla with the lines and FP+ and we can get settled. I still don't think a middle range is necessary for that type of a thing, but different strokes.

I didn't say it was necessary. I said it would be nice, and that it seems to work well for a local restaurant chain where I live and that it might possibly save Disney money in the long run. Never said it was necessary.

 

[goofyernmost]

Let's not start a stroller debate as well!

Yea, I suppose that it seems that was what I was saying, however, I have nothing against strollers being there, my objection is who is in them. To make it more personal my own daughter used a double stroller for her 10 year old and 8 year old. She never had that when she was growing up, she like her sister walked with us. I don't understand it. If anyone needs to ride in a stroller it is us older people. We get actually tired faster and in pain more then any healthy kid, but, as usual the world is the opposite of what makes sense. I can't tell you how many times I had to listen to my kids whining about how tired they were and as soon as they got back to the hotel and were told they could use the pool it was amazing how much energy they were able to come up with. Just amazing!

Anyway, like I said, it's not the strollers that bother me, it's blaming establishments for childhood obesity instead of the obvious reason it exists. Disney doesn't force feed anyone. The charge a lot for the food and to say that they give one too much for the fee's that they charge, is just, well, I can't even describe it. But, I took my meds and I'm feeling much better now. So we can move on.

 

[GaryDis]

Obviously, many people here didn't have depression era parents who taught that leaving over food was a bigger skin than cutting school or staying up past your bedtime. And it wasn't children starving in Africa, it was "Do you know how hard your father worked to put that food on the table? Show some gratitude and eat it!"

But that suggests that Disney should update the shtick at 50s PT, maybe even renaming it to 70s PT. Things like "No, I'm not making fried chicken, do you know how much fat there is in that? It's boiled chicken for you." Or maybe "No, you can't have dessert, that's for special occasions. Your not on vacation!" (Yeah, that will go over well with the bean counters.)

Seriously, how many people here teach their kids portion size by deliberately putting too much on their plates? And how many deliberately portion out what they think their kids will or should eat? Because recognizing portion size is a learned skill, and it's unreasonable to treat it as something that parents and kids should just know automatically. Parents who don't take their kids to sit down restaurants frequently won't have the habit of recognizing when to encourage their kids to leave over food.

 

[HarleenQ]

I didn't say it was necessary. I said it would be nice, and that it seems to work well for a local restaurant chain where I live and that it might possibly save Disney money in the long run. Never said it was necessary.

I think you're taking my words a tad more absolute than I'm meaning them.

 

[HarleenQ]

Obviously, many people here didn't have depression era parents who taught that leaving over food was a bigger skin than cutting school or staying up past your bedtime. And it wasn't children starving in Africa, it was "Do you know how hard your father worked to put that food on the table? Show some gratitude and eat it!"

But that suggests that Disney should update the shtick at 50s PT, maybe even renaming it to 70s PT. Things like "No, I'm not making fried chicken, do you know how much fat there is in that? It's boiled chicken for you." Or maybe "No, you can't have dessert, that's for special occasions. Your not on vacation!" (Yeah, that will go over well with the bean counters.)

Seriously, how many people here teach their kids portion size by deliberately putting too much on their plates? And how many deliberately portion out what they think their kids will or should eat? Because recognizing portion size is a learned skill, and it's unreasonable to treat it as something that parents and kids should just know automatically. Parents who don't take their kids to sit down restaurants frequently won't have the habit of recognizing when to encourage their kids to leave over food.

I don't think anyone is learning any lasting life skills regarding their food portions at their week long trip to Disney.

And I do think parents, even those that eat out infrequently, can still recognize the portion sizing being too big or too small based on what their used to. I'm sure you've ordered something somewhere for a kid and it came out looking like something the Hulk would eat and still had a reasonable expectation of what they would eat.

 

[AngiTN]

Obviously, many people here didn't have depression era parents who taught that leaving over food was a bigger skin than cutting school or staying up past your bedtime. And it wasn't children starving in Africa, it was "Do you know how hard your father worked to put that food on the table? Show some gratitude and eat it!"

But that suggests that Disney should update the shtick at 50s PT, maybe even renaming it to 70s PT. Things like "No, I'm not making fried chicken, do you know how much fat there is in that? It's boiled chicken for you." Or maybe "No, you can't have dessert, that's for special occasions. Your not on vacation!" (Yeah, that will go over well with the bean counters.)

Seriously, how many people here teach their kids portion size by deliberately putting too much on their plates? And how many deliberately portion out what they think their kids will or should eat? Because recognizing portion size is a learned skill, and it's unreasonable to treat it as something that parents and kids should just know automatically. Parents who don't take their kids to sit down restaurants frequently won't have the habit of recognizing when to encourage their kids to leave over food.

Oh, I grew up with parents who said to eat all the food on the plate.
Didn't do it then, didn't do it to DD.
I was told when I was a brand new Mother that kids do a good job of knowing what they need to eat and how much.
Reminded that no child willingly starved themselves to death so to never force DD to eat.
Now, that doesn't mean you leave dinner and then get dessert, it doesn't work that way but it does mean, you eat what you want and you leave what you don't. If you eat a nice balanced meal you get a treat, if you don't, you don't.
DD has a very healthy relationship with food and she's using the same technique with DGD.
But I don't see how being used to eating out has any bearing on knowing what is a correct amount to eat at a meal. You know what amount you serve at home, being out doesn't change that. You'll get more 99% of the time. Just don't eat it. Do what many who teach nutrition suggest, take half the food off your plate right away, put it in a to go box. Now, we know at Disney that you aren't taking it with you but it doesn't mean you can't take it off your plate.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yea, I suppose that it seems that was what I was saying, however, I have nothing against strollers being there, my objection is who is in them. To make it more personal my own daughter used a double stroller for her 10 year old and 8 year old. She never had that when she was growing up, she like her sister walked with us. I don't understand it. If anyone needs to ride in a stroller it is us older people. We get actually tired faster and in pain more then any healthy kid, but, as usual the world is the opposite of what makes sense. I can't tell you how many times I had to listen to my kids whining about how tired they were and as soon as they got back to the hotel and were told they could use the pool it was amazing how much energy they were able to come up with. Just amazing!

Anyway, like I said, it's not the strollers that bother me, it's blaming establishments for childhood obesity instead of the obvious reason it exists. Disney doesn't force feed anyone. The charge a lot for the food and to say that they give one too much for the fee's that they charge, is just, well, I can't even describe it. But, I took my meds and I'm feeling much better now. So we can move on.

I hear your point. That's really funny about the magical energy that appears once they are back at the hotel pool LOL

 

[Angel Ariel]

I think you're taking my words a tad more absolute than I'm meaning them.

To be honest, I felt the same way about how you were taking my words So perhaps it's better to just leave it here

 

[JimmyV]

Seems like a very long post and a very long thread to come to the simple conclusion that one has to think long and hard about buying the Dining Plan. I can never, (and I mean EVER) do any calculations where we come out ahead on a Plan. Apparently others do. But one thing remains irrefutable. While many people praise the "freedom" that the Dining Plan offers, the true freedom comes from ordering OOP. You can order as much or as little as you want, have a salad as your entree, eat only appetizers, etc. You pay for what you get and you get what you pay for. Seems like this level of freedom is what the OP desires.

And I have to add that I did detect some irony in the title of the thread given the OP's username.

 

[Magical2017]

Yes and no about Disney contributing to childhood obesity. We try to go for moderation. It's hard. On the one hand, as parents we must teach our kids to make good choices. On the other hand, it is easy to indulge on vacation! The temptation of fries and goodies is near impossible to resist. We try to make sure the kids gets some fruits and veggies each day, and only one sweet treat a day. I gave up soda a year ago but let the kids choose between one juice or Sprite a day on vacation. Between that, as well as a Mickey bar, they have far exceeded the recommended sugar allowance for children their age. We only go on vacation once a year, so the rest of the year we worry about nutrition.

 

[goofyernmost]

Yes and no about Disney contributing to childhood obesity. We try to go for moderation. It's hard. On the one hand, as parents we must teach our kids to make good choices. On the other hand, it is easy to indulge on vacation! The temptation of fries and goodies is near impossible to resist. We try to make sure the kids gets some fruits and veggies each day, and only one sweet treat a day. I gave up soda a year ago but let the kids choose between one juice or Sprite a day on vacation. Between that, as well as a Mickey bar, they have far exceeded the recommended sugar allowance for children their age. We only go on vacation once a year, so the rest of the year we worry about nutrition.

One thing to remember is the week or two that you spend in Disney is not making them obese. It takes a lot longer then that. Not even worth thinking about actually. Vacations and fun theme park visits are what we 1st world people use to give us a reason to feel guilty. Kids are not burdened with that affliction unless forced on them. Let them have a good time, let them break a few rigid, at home, rules. I'll guarantee you that it will do them no lasting harm for the other 50 or so weeks of the year. They will know that it only applies in certain venues and then will look forward to being in them even more.