Kids at food courts?

[LastminuteLouLou]

Do kids have to order from the "kids menu" at the resort food courts?

The last time we went to WDW I felt like the kids ate a lot of the same foods over and over again. For some reason in the middle of putting the kids to bed the other night I realized that they probably don't need to eat from the kids menu at the resort. Is that true?

 

[Tricia1972]

If you are using the Dining Plan Disney's written policy is very clear, you must order from the kids menu when there is one.

If you are paying OOP, you are free to order whatever you want for you child to eat everywhere in the world.

(The one exception is Victoria & Albert's, which doesn't permit guests under 10)

 

[brymolmom]

If on the DDP - just look at all the menus carefully. Yes, there is a lot of repitition, but it is possible to work in some variety. The resort food courts, IMO, are a GREAT place for variety....pasta....stir fry....hamburgers...And the breafkast options were great too.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We did the quick service plan this summer and the kids did become bored with their options. A couple of times my hubby took pity on them and swapped his meal for theirs!!! They were thrilled..! He didn't have much of an appetite due to the heat so it all worked out!!

 

[2Tiggies]

I think all (or at least the majority) of parents would prefer more variety for the kids, but there are ways to do this without "breaking the rules". I don't know how old your kids are or how much they eat, but you could always order the kids meals, the adult meals and put it all together and share. There is usually far too much food anyhow. Obviously if the kids are on the cusp, i.e. close to being considered an "adult" by Disney standards or if they have really healthy appetites you may wish to consider upgrading him/her/them.

Sunshine seasons had great Asian food on the kids menu, Earl of Sandwich allows them to order a wrap or a salad, Liberty Inn at America pavillion at Epcot does chicken salad wraps for kids as well (they used to do a chicken salad, but this seems to no longer feature on the upgraded menu). There is also Cantina San Angel which does Mexican for the kids. Columbia Harbour house does a kids chicken salad, as do several other places. A kids salad is always great as you can use it as your appetiser to share, before going on to share the entree. Then you still have your own drinks that came with the food and the kids get their as well and an adult dessert, after a meal, is usually plenty to split between an adult and a child. Experiment a bit to find what suits your family's needs, but I wouldn't worry. Just arm yourself with information about the menus in each park and make a list of the places that would suit you to carry about with you (I am referred to CS locations only - you will obviously need your ADR's for TS).

The great thing about having kids on the Child Dining Plan is that it helps reduce the quantity of wasted food by keeping portions down to relatively respectable levels. Hope you have a great time!

 

[DisneyGrampa]

Obviously if the kids are on the cusp, i.e. close to being considered an "adult" by Disney standards or if they have really healthy appetites you may wish to consider upgrading him/her/them.

:

As far as I know, you can't upgrade the dining plan unless you upgrade the rest of your package to adult also.

 

[DisneyGrampa]

If you are on the dining plan, kids 3-9 must order from the children's menu, if one is available.

"What Does the Dining Plan Include?

With the basic dining plan, you can choose to eat at more than 100 participating Disney restaurants. For each night of your package stay, the dining plan will allow each person over age 3 to get:

-- One table-service meal. For breakfast this includes juice, entree, and non-alcoholic beverage OR one full buffet and non-alcoholic beverage. For lunch/dinner this includes full buffet and non-alcoholic beverage, or entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage. Children 3-9 can also have an appetizer at lunch/dinner.

NOTE: Gratuity is no longer included unless otherwise indicated. An 18 percent gratuity will be added automatically for parties of 6 or more; a gratuity may also be added for items not included in the Dining Plan, such as alcoholic beverages.

-- One quick service meal. For breakfast this includes juice, entree and non-alcoholic beverage, OR combo meal plus one single serving non-alcoholic beverage or juice. For lunch/dinner this includes entree/combo meal, dessert, and one single serving non-alcoholic beverage.

-- One snack: Eligible snacks will be indicated on the menu with a Disney Dining Plan symbol. Some examples of snacks: frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar; box of popcorn; single piece of whole fruit; single serving bag of Frito-Lay's chips; 20 oz. bottled drink (Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite) or water; 12 oz. coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate; medium fountain soft drink or single serving prepackaged milk or juice.

(Note that children age 3-9 must choose from a children's menu, if one is available.)

These credits activate as soon as you check in to your resort and can be used at any time, in any combination, during your stay. They expire at the end of your stay."

 

[2Tiggies]

As far as I know, you can't upgrade the dining plan unless you upgrade the rest of your package to adult also.

Yes, that is true. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. Therefore if you consider going that route, don't forget to factor in the cost of the difference between and adult and child park ticket and add that to the difference in price between child and adult DDP. I don't know that it is worth it if you are doing the DDP purely for a cost effective method of dining. It would only pay off if your child/children are either REALLY adventurous/don't like the typical kids meals at all, have very good appetites or the adults in your party are likely to be able to "help" swallow down the extra meals. It is the way to go for some, but it depends on your individual group's eating habits. The key is knowing your eating habits and lots of number cruching.

 

[ShannonMB]

I feel bad that DD always has to order from the kids' menu, because most of the time, the choices aren't that great. It's been fine in the past, as DD would rather have had chicken nuggets than about anything else. Now that she's almost 9, I think she WOULD enjoy more variety in her choices (though she's still far from eating a reasonable portion of an adult meal). I kind of made a deal with her that if she is REALLY wanting to try something from the adult menu, I would order it and she could have what she wants from it. Especially desserts, which can be pretty over the top awesome for adults and sometimes less than stellar for kids (one more melty make-your-own-sundae?).

 

[2Tiggies]

The portion sizes are usually the deciding factor. Most children under 10, even when they prefer variety, will never manage a full adult portion. I can't even manage one most of the time - even without the dessert! What you are considering is, in my opinion, the best way to go and if cost is a factor, certainly the most cost-effective.

I do this successfully with my DD(7). All I do is order her kids meal (usually a salad if available - many CS do this, you just need to check out the AllEars.net menus to find them) and we use that as an "appetiser" to share, then share the adult entree. Even then, we don't always manage to finish. The adult dessert, well we often (usually) leave that behind, unless we swap it for a bottle of water/fruit if permitted. You could also let your DD pick the dessert that goes with the adult CS to make her feel like she has some say in the matter. Of course, as I said before, it also depends whether you have at least one other person in your group with a good appetite who is likely to help finish the child's excess food if you purchase an adult plan. I am a single mom with one daughter so we don't have this option and that could perhaps make my advice less practical with a differently structured family or group. All I am saying - yes, I know, I seem to have had a lot to say - is consider very carefully before upgrading.

 

[LastminuteLouLou]

Thanks Everyone!

You've pointed out that there is some variety to be had if we just work on it a little. I've also been meaning to check out which restaurants serve "family style" (anyone?) because I think that would help. I don't think my DD really minds all of the nuggets, but *I* do. I guess I just need to realize that one week of freaky nutrition isn't going to make a lick of difference in the long run.

 

[cyesutis]

Thanks Everyone!

You've pointed out that there is some variety to be had if we just work on it a little. I've also been meaning to check out which restaurants serve "family style" (anyone?) because I think that would help. I don't think my DD really minds all of the nuggets, but *I* do. I guess I just need to realize that one week of freaky nutrition isn't going to make a lick of difference in the long run.

We also found some great options with places that didn't have kids meals. Our daughter loved getting the Chicken Caeser Salad at Friar's Nook in Fantasyland and also the lunch sandwiches at starring roles in DHS--I believe she had the black forest ham sandwich.


As for family style--my kids loved the dinner buffet at Cape May--We were there last week and my 5 year old loved the crab legs on the buffet (as did I!) and our kids enjoy Ohana--which is AYCE and brought to the table. Both my kids loved the salad there and the bread pudding dessert.