Kid's meals

[cjparker0110]

In starting to really look at budgeting for our 2017 trip we are especially concerned with meals. Our plan is to do one table service every day and one quick service. Not sure about breakfast yet...maybe just cereal in the hotel? Anyway, I was wondering what the serving sizes are like on the kids meals. We will have 4 kids with us (6,5,3, 18months) and are trying to figure out if it would be better to buy them each kids meals or buy adult meals for them to split? The two oldest (4 and 3 now) are already big eaters and the next one seems to be well on his way. Too hard to tell about the new baby yet...haha. Any advice is accepted. Thank you all in advance!

 

[sharonabe]

With that many kids and wanting to do a TS every day, you may want to look at the Disney Dining Plan. If character buffets are in your plan, you'll definitely save money with the plan. And the kids could all then have their own kid's meal (except the baby).

Both TS and QS kid's meals are decent sized for a kid and with the DDP, mom and dad can supplement at QS by using their drink/dessert entitlements to exchange for an additional snack item if the kids need a little more, but they probably won't.

Kid's QS meals are right at $6 and TS are mostly $10, but they include a drink. If you split adult entrees, you'll need more than one for the four to have enough. One adult entree will not feed even the three older ones. QS adult entrees are $10-14 and TS are $18-30. If they need/want something to drink besides water, those are around $3.

 

[cjparker0110]

Thanks sharon. We looked into the DDP and put in a few TS restaurants we will definitely eat at and popped in a few QS just to get an idea. When we figured that out we realized that for the kids it is a good deal but for the adults we were mostly falling slightly short most days (though a couple were indeed a good deal...but average was not). Then I thought about the reality that my wife never drinks soda and would like just get a glass of water in most places and that most of us are not likely to enjoy a dessert at every meal and started to question if that would be worth it in the end. I was thinking we likely would get adult meals for 2 children to split...so I guess 2 adult meals for the kids plus what my wife and I order. That's akin to what we do when we eat out now but I'm just not sure about WDW. It's been too long since I've been there and I obviously never had kids...I WAS the kid before...haha.

 

[grandmomhop]

Maybe a free dining package will come up for you by then We were going with the dining package, even if it wouldn't have become available for us. Most of the character meals we like are buffet, so the price is set. On the dining plan calculator it came out slightly to our advantage.
Have fun planning!

 

[cjparker0110]

Thanks. I think it would be to our advantage if we took advantage of the dessert and a soda at every meal...even though for us it might be slightly under, for the kids it is a win. But...that said...I don't think we will all have the dessert every time. And the kids are like my wife...water water water...They must not have gotten the soda DNA that I have...haha. (that's probably a good thing). Anyway, we will continue crunching numbers. We still have well over a year to decide and who knows what prices will do by then anyway!

 

[Stubbzilla]

My kids are happiest when I bring PB&J along for them. I'm planning to let them eat one meal of PB&J per day. I bring snacks.

I usually order two kids meals for my three kids. I take half of one kids meal and add it to the other one, and my oldest, a boy, eats that. He's a big eater but his little sisters are not. My two girls share what's left of the half of a kids meal. I share my meal with any of them who want some, and my mom does, too. Neither of us will usually be able to finish a meal.

I bring breakfast food to eat at the hotel, but we eat it at the QS place because eating in the room is too messy. Pop tarts, breakfast bars, granola bars, etc.

 

[skuttle]

During our last trip, my youngest two were 4 and 2.5yo. We usually bought one kids meal for them to split. My thought was that I would rather have to buy more food/snacks later on instead of wasting money on two kids meals if they decide not to eat.

We also brought pop tarts, granola bars, etc. for them to eat in the mornings because they are always hungry the minute they wake up! This kept them happy while waiting for us to eat "real" breakfast later on.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our plan is to do one table service every day and one quick service. Not sure about breakfast yet...maybe just cereal in the hotel?

1) That does sound like a good plan.
2) When we "do Disney" with the kids in the past, and now kids-grandkids-greatgrandkid we do about the same.
3) But, frequently, we end up just doing two Quick Service.
4) With all the walking and running, sometimes we (and they) just don't feel like a TS meal.
5) And, in most instances, the kid meals are big enough to satisfy.
6) Our typical day
. . . quickie breakfast either in the room or on the near the resort pool
. . . Fast Food in the park about 11:30am
. . . Fast Food dinner about 6:30pm before nighttime activities and/or leaving the park
. . . quickie snack later in the evening at the resort pool or in the room
7) As a side,
. . . we do not do DDP
. . . even at the CM discount for DDP, OOP is cheaper.
. . . in all fairness and openness, let's mention my DDP bias
. . . most DIS-readers already know I think DDP is a bad financial deal (for the guest, although terrific financially for WDW)
.
NOTE:
We usually stay at Fort Wilderness, and the breakfast/evening snacks are much easier, because we do it in the cabin.
But, every-now-and-then, the kids want to stay at a resort such as All-Stars, so we compromise.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

This sounds a little backwards but in September I rarely ordered food for lunch. DS13, DS4 and DW would order and I would patiently wait for the leftovers . We used this strategy at Back lot Express, Cosmic Rays and Sunshine Seasons. I have actually discovered that this works pretty well whenever the three of them order food any where Disney or not! The only lunch I ordered was at Millers Ale House...there was no way I could pass up 30 shrimp for $12.49.

 

[cjparker0110]

1) That does sound like a good plan.
2) When we "do Disney" with the kids in the past, and now kids-grandkids-greatgrandkid we do about the same.
3) But, frequently, we end up just doing two Quick Service.
4) With all the walking and running, sometimes we (and they) just don't feel like a TS meal.
5) And, in most instances, the kid meals are big enough to satisfy.
6) Our typical day
. . . quickie breakfast either in the room or on the near the resort pool
. . . Fast Food in the park about 11:30am
. . . Fast Food dinner about 6:30pm before nighttime activities and/or leaving the park
. . . quickie snack later in the evening at the resort pool or in the room
7) As a side,
. . . we do not do DDP
. . . even at the CM discount for DDP, OOP is cheaper.
. . . in all fairness and openness, let's mention my DDP bias
. . . most DIS-readers already know I think DDP is a bad financial deal (for the guest, although terrific financially for WDW)
.
NOTE:
We usually stay at Fort Wilderness, and the breakfast/evening snacks are much easier, because we do it in the cabin.
But, every-now-and-then, the kids want to stay at a resort such as All-Stars, so we compromise.

Thanks! I think I'm pretty well convinced not to do DDP. I think we will stick with one TS a day simply because I want my wife to experience some of my favs! This will be her first time (as well as the kids, of course). Our breakfast plan is to do cereal or snacks in the hotel. Our kids (as of now) hardly eat any breakfast so I can't imagine spending the money for that one. So that should leave one TS, one QS and a couple of snacks here and there as needed.

 

[disnut8]

Thanks! I think I'm pretty well convinced not to do DDP. I think we will stick with one TS a day simply because I want my wife to experience some of my favs! This will be her first time (as well as the kids, of course). Our breakfast plan is to do cereal or snacks in the hotel. Our kids (as of now) hardly eat any breakfast so I can't imagine spending the money for that one. So that should leave one TS, one QS and a couple of snacks here and there as needed.

With kids that young, it might be a bit difficult on their first trip to pull them away from the "fun" to have a sit down meal. But, you and your wife might need a break during the day from everything. Have you looked at booking that table service meal for lunch? It would be less expensive for the six of you plus it would give you a break in the middle of the day. And, lunches are usually served from somewhere between 11:30 and 4:30 (hours vary) so since you are doing a breakfast in the room, you could be hungry earlier. Not sure what favorites you want your wife to experience but it's just a thought on how to keep the kids happy and excited but keeping every happy at the same time.

 

[cjparker0110]

With kids that young, it might be a bit difficult on their first trip to pull them away from the "fun" to have a sit down meal. But, you and your wife might need a break during the day from everything. Have you looked at booking that table service meal for lunch? It would be less expensive for the six of you plus it would give you a break in the middle of the day. And, lunches are usually served from somewhere between 11:30 and 4:30 (hours vary) so since you are doing a breakfast in the room, you could be hungry earlier. Not sure what favorites you want your wife to experience but it's just a thought on how to keep the kids happy and excited but keeping every happy at the same time.

Thanks for the response. We probably will do a couple of them as lunch. Some we will end up doing as dinner since my whole extended family is all going to be there. Some of the favorites I am planning on are the 50s Prime Time cafe, Biergarten, Coral Reef (hoping the kids love looking at the fish here), and, if I can convince my wife to spend the money, the HDDR! Hopefully those are all able to keep the kids happy while getting the break they need. As of now, they are usually good about stopping to eat when we go to the state or country fair (where they love the couple of rides they are big enough for). I'm hoping they stay ok with breaks by then...haha.