Kids choices on dining plan

[Kparks]

I am so very disappointed by the kids choices at the restaurants. We are staying at WL and the only choices are chicken nuggets or PB/J. I feel this is fine for one or two meals, but seriously for a week vacation. Has anyone asked if you can pay extra to get them a sandwich that is on the menu at the hotel CS, or do you just end up paying the whole thing OOP?

 

[TDC Nala]

You can buy anything you want in addition to or instead of the dining plan meal allocation, and pay cash for it.

I don't believe you could substitute regular menu items for the kids' menu items, but you could always buy a regular menu item.

Are you planning on eating all your CS meals at Wilderness Lodge?

 

[Kparks]

No but I noticed similar themes throughout the park, alot of nuggets and hot dogs. I guess I should have looked at the menus better before doing the dining plan. It is great for my hubby and I, but I think my kids are going to be disappointed. We do have TS at Teppan Edo, Ohana, PTC, and CRT-just disappointed in the counter service.

 

[Katiebell]

There are other CS restaurants that have different options for kids, it's not all nuggets and hot dogs, but you really have to look around and be flexible -- chicken wings at Flame Tree, spaghetti and meatballs at Pizzafari, cheeseburger or egg roll at Yak & Yeti CS, burger or pizza at Tangierine, teriyaki chicken at Yakitori, sweet and sour chicken or sub sandwich at Sunshine Seasons, pizza or pasta at Wolfgang Puck Express, sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich...

The DDP for kids is only $11 a day -- compared to $39/day for the adult plan, so of course the kids' choices will be not as exciting as the adult menus, and the selection and portion sizes will be a lot smaller. But if you bought the DDP for your family, the kids under 10 are required to order from the kids' menus. If you have kids under 10 that aren't thrilled with the kids' choices, you might try:

- going to CS restaurants without kids' menus like Casey's, Sommerfest, and Pizza Planet, so the kids have the same choices as the adults.

- use kids' CS credits for breakfast because it's a lot of the same items as adult meals, just smaller, then pay OOP for their lunches.

- use kids' CS credits for your children, and order larger adult CS meals with your adult CS credits (like the chicken and rib combo at Cosmic Ray's), then share at the table (like kids do in the school cafeteria! )

- use kids' CS credits and buy them an extra item OOP or use a snack credit to round out their meal

- For TS, stick to buffets and AYCE family style, so the kids will have the same choices as adults

Honestly, though, if your kids are under 10 and really hate the kids' menus, you might not want to buy the DDP until they are over 10 and you are paying full adult price for them -- $39 vs $11.

 

[3boys4me]

I am so very disappointed by the kids choices at the restaurants. We are staying at WL and the only choices are chicken nuggets or PB/J. I feel this is fine for one or two meals, but seriously for a week vacation. Has anyone asked if you can pay extra to get them a sandwich that is on the menu at the hotel CS, or do you just end up paying the whole thing OOP?

I am disappointed as well. I scheduled mostly buffet's and family style meals. It's not my first choice to have all buffets, but my kids would be miserable eating off the the kids menu for every meal. We can handle cs lunches and hopefully find some differnet things for them, or even let them choose the regular meal and I will take a childs meal a couple of times. I wish they could get a small portion of certain items on the regular menu.

 

[Picabo]

We'll be doing mostly buffet/AYCE places. Our youngest will be 2 1/2 when we go and not on the dining plan yet. What WE plan to do for CS meals is try to find some places that do not offer kids meals....figure a few days of burgers and nuggets are fine but that way it breaks up the monotiny. And we'll all just share our food so that DD2 will have enough to eat as well. At dinner, everyone can choose from the buffets/AYCE foods...thus reducing the boring kids choices.

 

[Kparks]

There are other CS restaurants that have different options for kids, it's not all nuggets and hot dogs, but you really have to look around and be flexible -- chicken wings at Flame Tree, spaghetti and meatballs at Pizzafari, cheeseburger or egg roll at Yak & Yeti CS, burger or pizza at Tangierine, teriyaki chicken at Yakitori, sweet and sour chicken or sub sandwich at Sunshine Seasons, pizza or pasta at Wolfgang Puck Express, sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich...

The DDP for kids is only $11 a day -- compared to $39/day for the adult plan, so of course the kids' choices will be not as exciting as the adult menus, and the selection and portion sizes will be a lot smaller. But if you bought the DDP for your family, the kids under 10 are required to order from the kids' menus. If you have kids under 10 that aren't thrilled with the kids' choices, you might try:

- going to CS restaurants without kids' menus like Casey's, Sommerfest, and Pizza Planet, so the kids have the same choices as the adults.

- use kids' CS credits for breakfast because it's a lot of the same items as adult meals, just smaller, then pay OOP for their lunches.

- use kids' CS credits for your children, and order larger adult CS meals with your adult CS credits (like the chicken and rib combo at Cosmic Ray's), then share at the table (like kids do in the school cafeteria! )

- use kids' CS credits and buy them an extra item OOP or use a snack credit to round out their meal

- For TS, stick to buffets and AYCE family style, so the kids will have the same choices as adults

Honestly, though, if your kids are under 10 and really hate the kids' menus, you might not want to buy the DDP until they are over 10 and you are paying full adult price for them -- $39 vs $11.

Thanks for the great ideas. I agree that the price isn't bad, it's just I would rather pay maybe $20.00 for kids and have more choices. My fault though for not looking at the menus first. I really like the breakfast idea. Thanks