Kid's meals on DDP

[karliebug]

I'm checking out menus for our upcoming trip and I realize that DD,8 has to order off the kid's menu. The problem is -YUK!. They have really limited the choices. Many places don't even offer the standard chicken fingers or burgers option. The pizza places don't even offer the kids pizza! What's up with that? Has anyone gone lately and found success finding things their kids will eat.

 

[disneynewbeemom]

Many of the menus for kids are horrible! My children will eat mac and cheese as a side, but they are not accustomed to eating this as the main dish. I'm hoping for some more changes -- if they would just add burgers, hot dogs,and pizza all would be happy!

 

[PaulaMurf]

We were on the dining plan, the TS restaurants substituted whatever/whenever we asked, with no problems!!

The CS meals were so big that we usually split between us - this was the case at Pizzafari, Pizza planet (which does offer the kids meal pizza - its one menu only)

As a side note, the Mac and Cheese was GROSS it looked horrible (exception was Spoodles where it seemed to be homemade)

I will be posting our trip review as soon as I get unpacked, but I can try to answer any specific questions if I can!


Paula in CT

 

[MidwestGal]

The CS kids meals seem really limited now. We used the DDP two years ago and it was great. Kids had many choices. I was just wondering if anyone has asked for CS substitutions recently. I've seen several posts about TS places being very accomodating about substitutions.

 

[disneyag]

We went in June with the dining plan. It wasn't a good match for my 9yo DD. She would rather eat different foods from the adult menu than the limited kid's choices. Next time we go, she'll be 10, so it's not an issue. But, if I had to do it all over again, I'd ask to purchase an adult plan for her (I don't know if you can do this.)


BTW, at buffets, this isn't a problem, because you pay the kid's price, but he/she can eat anything from the entire buffet.

 

[Nancyg56]

I don't know. We returned January 28th and while the CS menus are not as varied as they could be, the TS restaurants had a wide variety to choose from. We went to Kona, Tony's, Yachtsman Steakhouse, CG, and Coral Reef as well as the character buffets. There was restaurant specific items on each menu and the portions were large. I thought that there was a nice variety for kids especially if you check out the menus ahead of time to make sure that you have chosen restaurants that include items your family enjoys.

 

[bicker]

I'm checking out menus for our upcoming trip and I realize that DD,8 has to order off the kid's menu. The problem is -YUK!. They have really limited the choices.

The Dining Plan may not be the best choice for all guests. Indeed, for those paying cash instead of using the Dining Plan, child meals may not be a good choice for all young children, but if you're paying cash you can surely order an adult meal for your young child. That might be the best approach for some families.

 

[jdd]

I thought that there was a nice variety for kids especially if you check out the menus ahead of time to make sure that you have chosen restaurants that include items your family enjoys.

I've checked menus on a couple of different sites, and they're different! Do you know who has the most accurate, updated menus? I'm also nervous about purchasing the DDP for my kids - they're not terribly picky, but I'd like them to have some choices. Thanks!

 

[bicker]

The various site all rely primarily on volunteers, so at any specific time, no one site always has the latest menus for every restaurant. The two sites I use most both put dates on each menu, so you can readily tell which one has the latest version.

 

[NMW]

It's not the TS meals that are a problem. TS places have great choices for kids and CM's make subs all the time for people, not just kids either.

It's the CS places that have really bad choices for kids (at least that's what I think ) Especially MK CS, for some reason.

 

[jdd]

The various site all rely primarily on volunteers, so at any specific time, no one site always has the latest menus for every restaurant. The two sites I use most both put dates on each menu, so you can readily tell which one has the latest version.

Can you tell me which websites you use? I've been on Intercot (which does not have dates on the menus) and AllEars.net which has dates, but the menus are a few months old and don't seem to reflect the "new" children's menu??

 

[bicker]

http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm
and
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningmain.cfm

 

[jdd]

Thank you! I guess I should have figured the "DIS" would have a good site!

 

[All Morganic]

It's not the TS meals that are a problem. TS places have great choices for kids and CM's make subs all the time for people, not just kids either.

It's the CS places that have really bad choices for kids (at least that's what I think ) Especially MK CS, for some reason.

ITA!!! We just got back yesterday (8 days on the DDP) and I would have to say that this was my number 1 complaint. At the CS places we went to (maybe this varies at other places?) only had 2 choices (most of the time both were gross ) and the kids had a choice of 2 side items - either grapes, baby carrots or applesauce. By mid-week my kids were sick of all 3! I wonder how many grapes, baby carrots and cups of applesauce go uneaten and are thrown away every day in Disney?

I wasn't trying to take advantage of the DDP, but we noticed that CS wasn't split between adult and child so their were a few times that I ordered pizza or a hamburger off the adult menu for my girls to split. Shame on me, I know.

 

[jdd]

I wasn't trying to take advantage of the DDP, but we noticed that CS wasn't split between adult and child so their were a few times that I ordered pizza or a hamburger off the adult menu for my girls to split. Shame on me, I know.

You know, I don't see a problem with that at all. If that's all they're going to offer the kids, what else are you supposed to do? Personally, my kids won't eat chilled chicken with cheese cubes, and the mac n cheese would have to be Kraft (I'm sure it isn't).
Besides, if you shared an adult meal between two kids, that actually cost Disney less than you getting two kid meals (assuming you didn't use the kid meals anyplace else ) I've heard other people say the same about the CS meals - maybe Disney isn't splitting the CS anymore because of all the complaints?? I'm guessing they wouldn't advertise it, but they don't really have a "rule" against it?? It's a thought...

 

[TDC Nala]

Many places don't even offer the standard chicken fingers or burgers option. The pizza places don't even offer the kids pizza!

Pizzafari in AK does not offer pizza on the kids' menu. This is no doubt because the pizzas are mass produced and are all the same size. They do not have a smaller portion available to offer at a kids' menu price.

As was mentioned, Pizza Planet in MGM does not have a kids' menu. Kids on the dining plan may order anything from the regular menu. So there is at least one "pizza place" that does offer pizza for children. This is most likely because they do not offer anything besides pizza.

Don't know what would be wrong with Pecos Bill offering a kids' burger though. Maybe they're all the same size as well.

Have noticed that the CS places typically have two selections on the children's menu and these vary from place to place so there isn't any consistency except for the sides, which are the same everywhere (fruit, carrots or applesauce), although I understand you could request french fries. And the single dessert offered is almost always sugar-free jello.

 

[MouseTrip07]

We just returned from our trip and I would have to agree with a previous poster that my #1 (and possibly only) complaint about our trip was the meal choices for my kids. Both of them have never eaten so many grapes or so much applesauce.

I also found it frustrating that at each CS that we chose had different policies about substitutions. All places but one (the Mara) allowed us to substitute desserts. The Mara did offer a regular Jello in addition to the artificially sweetened one-I think this is why we weren't allowed to substitute with something else (like a brownie).

The DDP was still a good value, I just wish the CS policies for kids would be more consistent and include more of the (junk )food choices that I would normally allow my kids to have while vacationing.

Just my .02
Jennifer

 

[cdrn1]

I was sitting at the table last night with my little DGD age 3 watching her eat Linguini and Scallops and a Romaine salad and thinking, "no way would this girl eat chilled chicken or mac and cheese for a week". Guess the DDP is not the way to go for us...we would spend a lot of $$ OOP satisfying her sophisticated little palate!

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Don't know what would be wrong with Pecos Bill offering a kids' burger though. Maybe they're all the same size as well.

And Pecos Bill used to be one of our favorites. Now we stay far away from there. Their CS for children are, in my opinion, the worst.

I still do not see why they cannot offer a smaller serving of chicken strips in the places where they have them on the adult menu. Four small chicken nuggets do not cut it for my two children.

 

[All Morganic]

although I understand you could request french fries.

Nope, not so. They wouldn't let us sub french fries at any of the CS places we ate at. We either ordered an adult meal with french fries and let the kids eat those or used a snack credit to get fries. There were no problems subbing at TS tho.