Kids' meals are lousy

[sukhakuli]

1st of all there is no $9 meal at Disney CS..you have to add another $3+ for a beverage. So that $9 meal is really a $14 meal with tax and drink. So, yes...I would prefer a $7 combo meal at Burger King over a $14 Disney CS.

But, why would I want to do that? I do the simple thing. I spend my money on the exceptional table service restaurants that Disney has to offer. I wouldn't eat at Burger King at home and I wont eat CS at Disney unless I have to. My point is that Disney could EASILY step up their game on CS and provide truly healthy and different alternatives to the over 90% fried crap that they serve at CS. The very few options that they do provide that are not fried could be of a much higher quality. They are already making a 3000% profit on every soft drink that they sell. They do not need to make as much money on the meal itself.

I see my tastes are obviously different from the people posting here. I forgot that anything negative about Disney is met with Flames and Arrows. I truly thought that there could be a discussion about where improvements can be made. I was mistaken....
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** fixed 2 typos **

It's obvious you are more in to food than a lot of people here are, and more than most children are. So you are going to have to understand that your opinions, while valid because they are yours, are not going to be everyone else's. People are going to disagree with you.

I have to say, who buys a drink? My kids get water with their meals at home, or milk, but that's it, and it's the same on vacation. If we do buy a drink, we buy one and share. No one needs a full soda at every meal. And I think most people who are paying OOP aren't buying a $4 soda for their kids' meals. If they are, then they are not concerned with price anyway.


BTW, as I went through some menus, they included the drink.

Here's some counter service with non-fried options for kids (and grown-ups, too!):
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=149
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=152
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=147 (and only 5 bucks, for a turkey sandwich AND a drink!!)

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=144

And that's just the MK, which is always thought of as having the worst CS options. There's tons of stuff in Epcot that is not a hamburger, chicken nuggets, or hot dog, so I didn't go through there. But you can easily get your kid a chicken salad, or a turkey sandwich for 5 bucks including a drink. So not nearly as dire as you thought.

 

[JoanneDisFan]

We will be heading to WDW in a little more than 3 weeks. If I upgrade my son to adult menu, the cost is $23. But my TA didn't ask and wasn't sure if there would be a late change fee this close in time. Does anyone know? She thought that might be an additional fee of $15 if they charged that when she called back to upgrade me. I almost asked her to call back first, and I may, but I thought I would ask here first to see if anyone knows. Thanks.

I believe as long as you are adding to your existing reservation there is no charge. If you were to drop or remove something they would charge you a change fee and I think it's like $200.

 

[MightyDuck001]

I can see why they wouldn't do it, since I would be the adult ordering from the kid's menu if they had better options. It generally speaking saves me money, and I've found the adult portion sizes to be way too much. At the CSR, I'd get the kids breakfast and even split it because it came with two waffles, fruit, and a bottle of water we could take with us to the park that day all for under $6.

TS restaurants will say no, though, or say they give you the kids meal but have to charge for an adult and will give you a bigger portion, or at least that's what I've overheard.

 

[DJFan88]

I think part of the problem is that the kids food is just gross. Have you ever tried the "meaty macaroni" they serve at almost every restaurant? I tried it last night at LeCellier and it was disgusting! The chicken nuggets are also pretty gross, they're almost like dark mystery meat. We're paying OOP right now on our trip & it kills me to pay $9.00 a meal for this stuff. I'm trying to just have the kids split our meals with us or get an app off the adult menu. My kids love "kid" food and they also like some adult food but they just find a lot of the kid food here is jus not good. Give them some Kraft Mac & cheese or a grilled cheese and they'd be pretty happy. Even a decent kids pizza would be nice.

I think you've hit on a good point here. Sure, what you can get are all these varied selections -- just one thing, the quality will not be what we would serve your parents, okay? The mystery nugget will be a nicer coated chicken strip for your 11 yr. old brother, okay. Oh, and this nice little frozen box circle of bread and sauce that's cooked kinda weird and we call it pizza, well we'll just give your 12 yr. old sister a fresh slice from this nice baked one we just made.
Table service is fine, buffets are great. But honestly the counter service even for me I wince at. However, I will try and find the best options out there, because there are some good ones. You just gotta have a game plan and not when you're hungry. I like using the CS credits at a resort where they have the different stationsfor the adults because of the choices. But I wince, when I see the kids own section and it has the obvious lower quality foods for them.

 

[MartDM]

I agree that some options that aren't junk would be nice. My DS4 doesn't like chicken nuggets, bad pizza, and only eats hot dogs on occasion. He's a really good eater & gravitates toward healthier options rather than packaged food. The only real option we have for him at CS restaurants is the mac & cheese.

While I do understand that we unfortunately live in a fast food world & WDW is catering to the majority of kids (who tend to prefer the crap that's offered), I do think they could incorporate some of the healthier options my DS eats and easily do so in a CS environment: veggie sticks with hummus, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cheese sticks, or thick sliced turkey cut into sticks.

I'll keep hoping but, in the meantime, we'll probably continue to stay in a Villa so we can have a kitchen & fridge, which allows us to make sure he has healthy breakfast & lunch options he'll like.

 

[patsfan101]

This is precisely the reason that we never got the dining plan when the kids were younger! When we went to restaurants at home they would get an adult meal and share it (of course this sometimes led to discussions of chicken vs. steak, but at least they got good food!)

When we first went to Disney with them, the kids were 5 and 7 and I knew that eating off of the kids menu for every meal was a definite no-go for them. We didn't get the dining plan until they were both considered "adults". It's been a pet-peeve of mine for a long time that restaurants assume kids under 12 don't like real steak or grilled chicken. My kids actually prefer brocolli to french fries ( I know, they're weird, but they're healthy!)

 

[HunnyJar]

There are some CS options for kids that aren't bad.. Flame Tree BBQ offers a baked chicken drumstick. Sunshine Season offers a chicken leg and mashed potatoes, sweet and sour chicken and a panini as options. CHH offers a tuna sandwich. Both Cosmic Ray's and Pecos Bill's both offer turkey sandwiches.

As far as resort CS - looks like the Mara at AKL has baked chicken, spaghetti and meatballs is an option at Pepper Market at CSR and there looks like a fish basket at Riverside Mill at POR.

Options are out there if you are willing to take a look around..

 

[maxiesmom]

There are some CS options for kids that aren't bad.. Flame Tree BBQ offers a baked chicken drumstick. Sunshine Season offers a chicken leg and mashed potatoes, sweet and sour chicken and a panini as options. CHH offers a tuna sandwich. Both Cosmic Ray's and Pecos Bill's both offer turkey sandwiches.

As far as resort CS - looks like the Mara at AKL has baked chicken, spaghetti and meatballs is an option at Pepper Market at CSR and there looks like a fish basket at Riverside Mill at POR.

Options are out there if you are willing to take a look around..

Exactly. If you look at the menus on-line ahead of time, you can see there are healthy choices for kids at WDW. But you have to seek them out.

 

[Patience]

I guess I didn't seek out the better options for kids meals. My 4 year old ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly at counter service restaurants. We loved the buffets because she could eat much better food. At Boma, she loved the salmon and the black olive hummus (we all did!). At 1900 Park Fare, she ate 4 pieces of sushi. At Akershus, she ate a lot of the peel and eat shrimp off the cold bar.

 

[Colleen27]

I guess I didn't seek out the better options for kids meals. My 4 year old ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly at counter service restaurants. We loved the buffets because she could eat much better food. At Boma, she loved the salmon and the black olive hummus (we all did!). At 1900 Park Fare, she ate 4 pieces of sushi. At Akershus, she ate a lot of the peel and eat shrimp off the cold bar.

Unfortunately seeking out the better kids menus often comes at the expense of trying the better adult CS options.

Starring Rolls, for example - we love it for breakfast pastries and for sandwiches/sushi for lunch, but the ONLY kids' option is an "uncrustable" PB&J. Kringala Bakery too - good adult choices, good reviews, but just the token PB&J as a singular "kids pick" thrown up on the board so they no longer fall under the "no kids' menu" umbrella where kids can order real food.

That sort of thing is a big part of why we've all but quit doing counter service - at TS meals at least there's usually one or two better options, whether basic grilled fish/chicken or a kids' portion of one of the restaurant's signature dishes, but at CS the choices are frequently downright dismal and I am not interested in seeking out good kids' menus when that means eating at places that don't really appeal to the adults.

 

[sukhakuli]

I guess I didn't seek out the better options for kids meals. My 4 year old ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly at counter service restaurants. We loved the buffets because she could eat much better food. At Boma, she loved the salmon and the black olive hummus (we all did!). At 1900 Park Fare, she ate 4 pieces of sushi. At Akershus, she ate a lot of the peel and eat shrimp off the cold bar.

When my dd was younger, we never got her a kids meal. We always shared our meals with her, not because we're cheap (even though we are ) but because she has always loved adult food, and I definitely don't need a full meal, KWIM? Then she always got healthier food that she liked. She's my adult food eater, which can be just as difficult when you are traveling, because you can be out in the middle of nowhere, and the only place to eat in 500 miles is Mc Donald's, and she won't eat anything there except the fruit parfaits. We've had a few meltdowns in Nevada, Utah, Texas, and New Mexico because we are only finding fast food places. The only time we eat fast food is when traveling, so it doesn't come up often, thank goodness.

So, that's an option for you. As a grown-up, I should definitely be eating less anyway, lol. Now my oldest was upgraded to a Disney adult for our next trip, so she can order anything.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

I agree the selections are terribly limited for our DS6, especially when we are encouraging him to eat different food besides pizza, chicken nuggets, and spaghetti. Vegetables are hard to come by at Disney... and that's one of the reasons we prefer table service for lunch and dinner... because I will ask for items not on the kids menu for DS. I'm prepared to pay for it but on the dining plan, I've never been asked to pay extra.

Strawberries are sweet at WDW (awful at home) so DS always gets a bowl of fresh strawberries as appetizer or dessert. Never charged extra.

DS loves broccoli, peas, beans, etc... strange kid, I know... Sometimes hard to get plain veggies at restaurants.

 

[quigs3]

My niece will be ten when my brother takes the family back to WDW, and the first thing she said was, "Yay! Now I'll be able to eat real food at Disney! Their kids meals are awful!".

 

[Colleen27]

My niece will be ten when my brother takes the family back to WDW, and the first thing she said was, "Yay! Now I'll be able to eat real food at Disney! Their kids meals are awful!".

Both of my olders were the same way. At 9 they were "over" kids menus and excited for their first trips as adults. Even with sharing from our plates and sometimes getting to choose our appetizers (DxDDP) they were bored/disappointed with kids' menus. That's why I think it is so funny that there are so often threads posted wishing the "child" age range extended another year or two - even if it did I can't imagine many 10-11-12yos would be happy with what passes for kids' meals at Disney.

 

[LilyWDW]

Both of my olders were the same way. At 9 they were "over" kids menus and excited for their first trips as adults. Even with sharing from our plates and sometimes getting to choose our appetizers (DxDDP) they were bored/disappointed with kids' menus. That's why I think it is so funny that there are so often threads posted wishing the "child" age range extended another year or two - even if it did I can't imagine many 10-11-12yos would be happy with what passes for kids' meals at Disney.

That is the thing... for every one post I see where people want "better" kids meals, I see one that wants to know if their 12 year old can order off the current kids menu.

To put it simple, more options = more money. I am sure Disney has done a lot of research about it (including surveys and looking at sales numbers) and they have found that the current menu is the one that sells the best. Disney is a for profit company so costs will be a factor. It's not like Disney does things willy nilly and without thought. There is a lot that goes on when making business decisions.

 

[DJFan88]

While I appreciate what the people are trying to do here when they tell us to just look at the menu's and you'll see the variety, they are doing just that, looking at paper. Yes, there is variety and a couple of suggestions here have actually been legitimate good ideas. And, it may be hard to believe, but the vast majority of us who have the time to look and reply to this board, also know enough to seek out good options by looking at the menus. However, all spaghetti is not the same, as all nuggets are not the same and all pizza is not the same. Folks, quality matters -more so I believe than what the item is.
For people who are actually living this life, I would love the suggestions.
Also, the poster who said unfortunatly seeking out better kids menus sometimes comes at the expense of the adults menu - I know exactly what you're talking about. Some CS adult food is garbage too (don't worry menu looker uppers, I certainly didn't say all here!).
It's true, we all have different tastes. So be it. I just want the kids quality to be on par with the adults. Then, if it's a sub par place we'll just skip it, and if it's a good quality place, it'll be good for all.

 

[maxiesmom]

Unfortunately seeking out the better kids menus often comes at the expense of trying the better adult CS options.

Starring Rolls, for example - we love it for breakfast pastries and for sandwiches/sushi for lunch, but the ONLY kids' option is an "uncrustable" PB&J. Kringala Bakery too - good adult choices, good reviews, but just the token PB&J as a singular "kids pick" thrown up on the board so they no longer fall under the "no kids' menu" umbrella where kids can order real food.

Not trying to pick on you, as I think the Studios as a whole pretty much stinks when it comes to food, but I'm struggling to think of what else the Starring Rolls could put on the kid's menu. They are a pastry/sandwhich shop. I mean, what other sandwhich could they put on the menu that a lot of kids would eat? Tuna?

I think too that many posters are discussing two totally different things: The variety of the kid's meals and the quality of the food. It is easy enough to look at menus ahead of time and see where different things are offered, but it is hard to say ahead of time wether someone will like it.

 

[Colleen27]

Not trying to pick on you, as I think the Studios as a whole pretty much stinks when it comes to food, but I'm struggling to think of what else the Starring Rolls could put on the kid's menu. They are a pastry/sandwhich shop. I mean, what other sandwhich could they put on the menu that a lot of kids would eat? Tuna?

I think too that many posters are discussing two totally different things: The variety of the kid's meals and the quality of the food. It is easy enough to look at menus ahead of time and see where different things are offered, but it is hard to say ahead of time wether someone will like it.

Well, they could offer kid-sized versions of one or two of their adult sandwiches. ABC Commissary (as well as a couple of CS places in other parks) have a turkey sandwich kids' meal but Starring Rolls, which has every ingredient needed for that meal on site already, doesn't.

While I see what you're saying about selection and quality being two distinct issues, one certainly makes the other worse. If Starring Rolls had only one option that was a good, fresh sandwich the lack of selection wouldn't be so bad, but when the one option is a soggy-but-stale pre-packaged PB&J the lack of other choices is intolerable.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Sorry to say it, but this all comes down to money. WDW doesn't charge enough for a child's DDP to offer a better selection & better quality. That's fairly obvious, if you look at it objectively. If you want your kid's to have better quality food, you'll have to pay quite a bit more for it. My guess is Disney has discovered most people (not all) would prefer to put up with a lower quality in order to feed their kids cheaply. If you want a higher quality, you'll need to pay OOP for the adult options. As with all things dining relate, DDP controls what is offered.

 

[vossjemi]

Sorry to say it, but this all comes down to money. WDW doesn't charge enough for a child's DDP to offer a better selection & better quality. That's fairly obvious, if you look at it objectively. If you want your kid's to have better quality food, you'll have to pay quite a bit more for it. My guess is Disney has discovered most people (not all) would prefer to put up with a lower quality in order to feed their kids cheaply. If you want a higher quality, you'll need to pay OOP for the adult options. As with all things dining relate, DDP controls what is offered.

I disagree. About the costing quite a bit more. I have a 9 year old son who is an adventurous eater and eats a lot more than me at most meals. And, no he is not the least bit overweight, just a growing boy. LOL He loves to try new things...like escargot, crab legs, calamari, sushi. He loves ribs. And I knew at meals where I could order ribs but where he'd be stuck with mac n cheese or chicken nuggets, he'd be disappointed and starving. Through reading the boards here, I discovered I could upgrade him to an adult. So basically I'm paying an adult price for his ticket with dining so he can order off the adult menu. It only cost $23.43 more total for a 4 night package. Totally worth it. If you have younger ones that you think would prefer to order off the adult menu, I would recommend exploring this option.