Kids Who LIKE TS Dining?

[EthansMom]

My DS8 and DD5 really enjoyed Chef Mickeys, Hoop De Doo, and Sci-Fi Dine In. They both enjoy eating good food.

IMO, TS is nice with kids because it provides a nice break... you sit down, someone brings you the food, etc...

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

OH yes - Liam LOVES fish, and his mother told me he'll be in heaven at Coral Reef (we'll do it for lunch at Epcot).

The first place I took his sister was Crystal Palace. And since it was the first time I'd used the dining plan, I wasn't really sure about it. I just knew the rules said that kids had to ORDER off the children's menu - so I wasn't sure if that meant they could only get the "kids" food at buffets. Well, we went up to the buffet and my VERY picky-eating goddaughter got a look at the shrimp & filled up her plate! I wasn't sure if we were going to get kicked out! (I learned better.)

Like I said, she was a very picky eater (for example, she won't eat anything with sauce on it - even spagetti). It wasn't about the food. It was about the Princesses, the aquarium, the characters, the hootin' & hollerin', and eating in a car watching movie trailers. It was about having FUN at meal time. What's not to like about that?

And I don't care what anyone says, after this last trip in March (with another adult), I'm convinced it doesn't take any longer to eat TS (especially in the park).

QS daily experience:

"Are you hungry?"
"I don't know...are you hungry?"
"I guess. Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"
"I don't care."
"I don't care either. You choose."
"I chose last time. It's your turn."
"OK, let's try ABC."
"OK."
(Walk over to ABC. LONG line.)
"Eh...I don't know. Maybe we should try XYZ - unless you had your heart set on ABC."
"No, that's fine."
(Walk over to XYZ, find even LONGER line.)
"Do you want to wait, or go back over to ABC?"
"Eh...I don't know...what do that have anyway?"

And so on, and so forth. And that's not even the time waiting, and the hassle trying to find somewhere to sit AFTER you get the food. And that's with just two ADULTS.

Just to let folks know, if you are doing free dining, you can upgrade your child to an adult on the DP by telling the CM when you make your resort/package reservation that you want to do so. You will have to pay the difference between child and adult for their park tickets, but it is well worth it to not have to make them eat mac and cheese and chicken nuggets all week. (you can probably do it when purchasing the DP, I don't know how much more that would cost.-$10/day + increase in park tickets?) We did this with DS9, and ended up sharing some of the TS meals so we ended up with enough credits for an extra breakfast buffet. He loved ordering from the adult menu, and if they want to order from the kids menu, they can do that, too. Totally legit, too!

OP, go ahead and take your kids to TS meals. If you have 8 nights, there is plenty of "them" time.

 

[monkeybug]

My kids love eating at restaurants, so for them the TS was a treat! They are 3 and 6 and we rarely eat out so that may be why they enjoy it so much!

 

[ckay87]

Not just on vacation, but in everyday life, when I hear of a new restaraunt or different type of cuisine I'd like to try, I don't even consider taking my DH. I grab my 13 year old son and off we go. He is a restaraunt connoisseur! Always table service, always the best. He threw a FIT when we couldn't do Emeril's in Universal last summer, lol!

My DH, on the other hand...he is the one who would be "just as happy with a hot dog!"

 

[Colleen27]

I'm taking my 7 year old godson to WDW Dec. 12-20th.

I was over in another forum on this board, mentioning some troubles getting dinner reservations that worked with events, and I was surprised by how many people said "forget reservations, kids are just as happy with a hotdog at a QS". People asked if I was going to let him go on any rides, and suggested I was making it all about ME instead of him by making reservations.

I took his sister in January, 2008 for her 9th birthday - and for both I got the Deluxe Dining Plan. She loved going to all the interesting restaurants (places like CP, CM, TH, CRT, WCC, SciFi, 50's Prime Time, Boma, Coral Reef, etc.). And it wasn't about the food. They look on going out to those places as being as much of an event as Philharmagic or Festival of the Lion King.

The thing is, this is my 10th trip - and these are the only two I've even got the dining plan. I don't go to TS that often on my own. And it's not like we're going to Citricos or adult themed restaurants. We're going to places with interesting, child-friendly, engaging themes.

And we're there for 8 nights - it's not like we're going to have to skip anything to do it.

Is it really so impossible to imagine that some kids actually LIKE going to TS restaurants?

I could have posted this, right down to the trip dates!

My kids LOVE good food. DS11 in particular is a budding foodie. There's no way he'd be happy with CS for an entire trip. When we went for his 10th birthday (in January, 2008 - see what I mean about trip dates?), we did the deluxe dining package and he loves it. We're going back (currently booked for January 2010 but thinking about moving it up to Dec 12-20 ), and the FIRST thing he gave an opinion about was that we have to go back to Teppan Edo and California Grill and Narcoosees!

I grew up with a little brother who ate only "kid foods" and I swore my kids wouldn't be like that. They aren't. DD8 is the pickiest of the 3, and by picky I mean she orders a safe, cooked California roll while DS11 & I are sharing sashimi and an eel roll. DS11's favorite foods are sushi, crab, lobster and shrimp. DD1 has been eating what the rest of the family eats, within age-appropriate limits, since about 8mo and the only things she turns up her nose at are jarred baby food and chicken nuggets. The flip side of this is that they aren't happy with kid food except as a rare treat, so they wouldn't be content with hot dogs and nuggets for every meal for the week+ we're at Disney.

 

[luvmy3]

It was our first trip so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it, but our kids really enjoyed our TS meals better than the CS meals. On top of the characters at the TS meals, they didn't have to wait in the long lines to order their food, and then go and wait at a table, or try to find one
When we go back, if we did ONLY TS meals, my kids would love it.

 

[Withacy]

I could have posted this, right down to the trip dates!

That is VERY scary! Especially when I notice where you're located...as an Ohioan in exile we used to call "that state up north".

But it is quite a coincidence. Your son's birthday isn't the 18th is it? (My goddaughter & I share that birthday. Though slightly different years.)

 

[DisneyMom81]

I just wanted to come in again to say that part of Disney IS the TS meals! Its where you get to see the characters the most (if its a character meal of course). In Epcot, the restaurants MAKE it (in the country section). Of course if your in MK, for me and my family, we would probably just grab a quick bite somewhere (unless we have a character meal planned) but in certain areas of Disney, the food is part of the whole experience, for the young and the old. It really bothers me that someone told you you were being selfish!!!! If you were doing Cali Grill every day, then thats one thing, but if its places like that, and character meals, then thats great! People have some nerve!
Rant over!!!! LOL

 

[2cats1kid]

My DD loved the TS at Disney. She has been at 7, 9 and 11 and has got more adventurous each time. She loved Teppanyaki (she liked the seaweed, I didn't, and I've never lived it down LOL) and I already know next time over we have to go to Ohana and Coral Reef or I won't hear the last of it. We'll be trying Cali Grill and maybe the Yachtsman next time out too and we can't wait!

I still chuckle over the time when a waiter gave her a kids menu and when he came back for the order she looked him square in the eye and ordered "an 8oz sirloin medium rare, please".

 

[mhsjax]

My DD loved the TS at Disney. She has been at 7, 9 and 11 and has got more adventurous each time. She loved Teppanyaki (she liked the seaweed, I didn't, and I've never lived it down LOL) and I already know next time over we have to go to Ohana and Coral Reef or I won't hear the last of it. We'll be trying Cali Grill and maybe the Yachtsman next time out too and we can't wait!

I still chuckle over the time when a waiter gave her a kids menu and when he came back for the order she looked him square in the eye and ordered "an 8oz sirloin medium rare, please".

Sounds just like my kids, lol. They are actually insulted when given a kids menu. Also, my kids loved Yachtsman, give it a try.

 

[Withacy]

Sounds just like my kids, lol. They are actually insulted when given a kids menu. Also, my kids loved Yachtsman, give it a try.

I have to admit, not being a mother myself and seeing as my nieces were older (10 & 11 respectively when I took them), I was a little concerned when I started checking out the kids menus online. They were all so sparse - and similar. But my friend (mother of my godchildren) assured me that most (obviously, not ALL) children will eat the same things over and over if they like them.

Getting my goddaughter to eat much at ALL was a bit of a chore. And she tended to prefer veggies & fruit (which is GOOD - but you need your protein). But I think the two things she liked best the whole trip was the shrimp at CP, and the pinapple upside-down cheesecake at Boma.

I'll tell you what - Boma was the one I did for ME, but she actually liked it quite a bit.

Even if he doesn't like what's on the children's menu (his mother has already checked, and said that some of his all time favorites are staples on them, so I'm not concerned), we're doing quite a few buffets. And since I can't eat very much, and on the Deluxe Dining I get an appetizer & dessert - I can just get something he'll like a share it with him!

Not to get too OT (on my own topic), I went with an adult friend this past March, the first time since my surgery. I have now become a menace - because I want the "good" adult food, but can only eat a small amount of it, it's hard for my friends (especially those who are mothers) to decline when I offer up my plate ("Do you want some of this? You know I'll just waste most of it..."). I think my friend gained 5 pounds on the last trip. And she's quite an athlete (we were there for the Princess Marathon weekend). I still don't think she's forgiven me.

 

[Colleen27]

That is VERY scary! Especially when I notice where you're located...as an Ohioan in exile we used to call "that state up north".

But it is quite a coincidence. Your son's birthday isn't the 18th is it? (My goddaughter & I share that birthday. Though slightly different years.)

Oh, you're a Buckeye. We bleed Maize & Blue in this family! DS11's entire goal in life right now is to play ball for U of M someday.

His birthday is the 19th. It is nice to meet someone else who took their birthday trip before Disney started giving away free stuff for it! My timing is superb - our last two trips before the celebrations promo were both birthday trips.

 

[Withacy]

Oh, you're a Buckeye. We bleed Maize & Blue in this family! DS11's entire goal in life right now is to play ball for U of M someday.

His birthday is the 19th. It is nice to meet someone else who took their birthday trip before Disney started giving away free stuff for it! My timing is superb - our last two trips before the celebrations promo were both birthday trips.

You mean my avitar didn't give it away? Should I start with the Wolverine jokes now? (What do you get when you cross a pig with a wolverine? Nothing - there are some things a pig just won't do.)


You'll notice from my sig line that I've spent quite a few birthdays at WDW - all of them BEFORE the current promotion. And with the next 2 trips already planned, I won't be going back before (I'm sure) it ends. But on that last Birthday trip, even without the promotion, we got birthday cupcakes at all three of our ADRs, so not too bad...(CP, CRT & 1900 Park Fare)

 

[NotUrsula]

I think that kids tend to like good food when they can choose it themselves, but I'll admit that I don't know too many children who like restaurant meals as an event. Going out to dinner tends to mean very little to them in terms of the experience unless it is something that they NEVER get to do. Therefore, the parts of the experience that happen when the food is not present do tend to be tedious for them if they have to stay seated at the table. There just are not a lot of younger children who find conversing to be great fun.

My 12yo is VERY, VERY picky, but he hates WDW kids' meals. He can't stand them because they currently taste like hospital food, for the most part. When the new "healthy" menus were done, they got very hung up on the sodium content, and the food tends to be utterly tasteless, since apparently alternate seasonings were assumed to be too bold for a child's palate. Because the portion control is so strict, almost all of the meats are pre-frozen, and now have a texture akin to a rubber eraser. CS or TS; doesn't matter, the kids meals are uniformly dreck. (Even the applesauce is bitter, because it is made from Granny Smith apples.) Now that he is an Adult for dining purposes he is much happier most of the time, though there are still some exceptions. For instance, he loves seafood, but he doesn't like it fried or sauced, and he doesn't like mollusks. He wants it steamed or broiled, with a lot of herbs, and served hot. Cape May is a total bust for him.

What I find tends to be the REAL attraction of TS meals at WDW (except at the theme restaurants where there is entertainment) are the desserts. When DS was younger he could take or leave the main dishes at most places, but he absolutely LIVED for WDW desserts. (Still does, really. There is almost nothing on the Kona regular menu that he likes, but he looks forward to a Kilauea Torte all year. Now we just go for dessert. WARNING re: Kona: never order the chicken noodle soup on that menu; it is atrocious. The chicken pieces are like tiny chunks of cardboard and the broth has no flavor at all.)

 

[bumbershoot]

Not to get too OT (on my own topic), I went with an adult friend this past March, the first time since my surgery. I have now become a menace - because I want the "good" adult food, but can only eat a small amount of it, it's hard for my friends (especially those who are mothers) to decline when I offer up my plate ("Do you want some of this? You know I'll just waste most of it..."). I think my friend gained 5 pounds on the last trip. And she's quite an athlete (we were there for the Princess Marathon weekend). I still don't think she's forgiven me.

I've read that you can tell the servers that you've had a bypass, and they can make your servings smaller. Doubt you'd get charged less, but since your'e not going to eat it all anyway, who really cares, right? I've also read that if you're paying OOP at buffets, you can show the card your doctor can give you, and be charged the child's price. NOw that might have changed...after all, it's possible to go back to pre-bypass eating if you're diligent about it (my two friends who had gastric bypass did just that), and they might have been burned and therefore changed that exception...but if your'e ever not on the DDP, it might be worth a try.



So I read through the other post, and honestly I think people were just showing their concern. The hot dog comment was that they'd prefer to just eat on the curb and see Spectromagic...not that a hot dog in and of itself would be better than a TS place.

I've also found that when a person posts excitedly, happily, etc, that can be taken really wrong...note the caffeine comment you were given...I was smiling along reading your joy about this trip, and got really confused by the caffeine comment... Also, people tend to skim so they don't see everything you're writing, and don't realize that you ARE taking this kid's wants and needs into account, etc etc.

So don't take it like you're taking it...they just might not have read it all, etc etc.

 

[liamsaunt]

My niece and nephew love the TS places. We've been taking them since they were five. They've been to Jiko, California Grill, Artist Point, Brown Derby, Flying Fish, the tea at the Grand Floridian, Ohana, Kona Cafe, Coral Reef, Chefs de France, Akershus, Le Cellier, Rose and Crown, Raglan Road...California Grill is their favorite, we go every trip for our final dinner.

When they were younger, I would bring along some paper and crayons for the longer meals. Also, we used to order staggered courses: adults would eat appetizers while kids had entrees, kids would have dessert while adults had entrees, and adults would skip dessert. They are 10 and 8 now, and that's not necessary anymore.

 

[minkydog]

My kids are 23, 16 and 14 now, but they've been eating TS since we started going to WDW 15 years ago. Even my youngest, who is severely mentally handicapped and austistic, will eat pretty much everything but soups, salads, and potato chips. I was really glad when he aged into the adult menus. Christian does NOT like mac & cheese or chicken fingers--give him some fish,beans and veggies any day! He has some swallowing issues and we have to be careful. we actually have more trouble finding CS items for him.

 

[paintnolish]

My kids like TS, too. In fact, they love going out to eat and usually pick a sit down place over fast food. On our last trip,ds (especially adventurous) was jealous of the things we adults got to order. Ugh...in a few months he'll be ordering off the adult menu at the ADULT prices on DDP!

 

[KAMKIM]

I'm taking my 7 year old godson to WDW Dec. 12-20th.

I was over in another forum on this board, mentioning some troubles getting dinner reservations that worked with events, and I was surprised by how many people said "forget reservations, kids are just as happy with a hotdog at a QS". People asked if I was going to let him go on any rides, and suggested I was making it all about ME instead of him by making reservations.

I took his sister in January, 2008 for her 9th birthday - and for both I got the Deluxe Dining Plan. She loved going to all the interesting restaurants (places like CP, CM, TH, CRT, WCC, SciFi, 50's Prime Time, Boma, Coral Reef, etc.). And it wasn't about the food. They look on going out to those places as being as much of an event as Philharmagic or Festival of the Lion King.

The thing is, this is my 10th trip - and these are the only two I've even got the dining plan. I don't go to TS that often on my own. And it's not like we're going to Citricos or adult themed restaurants. We're going to places with interesting, child-friendly, engaging themes.

And we're there for 8 nights - it's not like we're going to have to skip anything to do it.

Is it really so impossible to imagine that some kids actually LIKE going to TS restaurants?

I dont know any kid that likes Mcdonalds over a sit down dinner...well not my kids or my nephews anyways...

 

[Withacy]

I've read that you can tell the servers that you've had a bypass, and they can make your servings smaller. Doubt you'd get charged less, but since your'e not going to eat it all anyway, who really cares, right? I've also read that if you're paying OOP at buffets, you can show the card your doctor can give you, and be charged the child's price. NOw that might have changed...after all, it's possible to go back to pre-bypass eating if you're diligent about it (my two friends who had gastric bypass did just that), and they might have been burned and therefore changed that exception...but if your'e ever not on the DDP, it might be worth a try.



So I read through the other post, and honestly I think people were just showing their concern. The hot dog comment was that they'd prefer to just eat on the curb and see Spectromagic...not that a hot dog in and of itself would be better than a TS place.

I've also found that when a person posts excitedly, happily, etc, that can be taken really wrong...note the caffeine comment you were given...I was smiling along reading your joy about this trip, and got really confused by the caffeine comment... Also, people tend to skim so they don't see everything you're writing, and don't realize that you ARE taking this kid's wants and needs into account, etc etc.

So don't take it like you're taking it...they just might not have read it all, etc etc.

I know I can eat more now (13 months out) than I could right after the surgery. But not anywhere near as much as I did before. But I feel really uncomfortable with (and embarrassed by) bringing it up with a server and basically asking for what FEELS like special favors (even if it's not). I've never even asked for substitutions or sent things back. Well, except for a diet coke (I'm allergic to aspertame - my only "food" allergy...God's little joke on me).

As for other people's comments, I realized that people were trying to say "go to the parade instead of WCC", and even though I respected their opinion, I felt like they weren't getting that WCC was high on the list of places my godson REALLY wanted to go (and he didn't even know about the parade). It was a little frustrating when they KEPT telling me to skip WCC even after I posted that I was able to change the reservation, and we'd get to SEE the parade - but it's a valid point that people sometimes post after only skimming. Though it's still frustrating.

But my reason for posting this new thread was that it just seemed so many people were just piling on with the attitude that kids don't like TS, if you do TS your kids won't have enough time to do anything else, you're overplanning if you do ADRs (which really stung, since I've previously posted about NOT overplanning days with strict adherence to touring plans), and on and on in that vein. No one seemed to be standing up and saying (like they're saying here) - "Hey, my kids like to go to TS restaurants!"

It especially stung when people were implying I was being selfish by doing TS instead of QS. I felt like saying "Hey, we're not doing Narcoossee's, or California Grill, or Jiko!" (Not that there aren't kids who enjoy those.)

Here's what we're doing (I have the ADRs):

Sat:
Lunch - Crystal Palace
Dinner - Whispering Canyon Cafe

Sun:
B - Tusker House Safari Breakfast
L - Yak & Yeti
D - Boma

Mon:
B - Cape May
L - SciFi Drive In
D - 50's Prime Time Cafe
(Also Fantasmic)

Tues:
B - Crystal Palace
L - Liberty Tree Tavern
D - CRT
(Also doing Pirate League & MVMCP)

Wed.
B - Akershus
L - Coral Reef
D - Garden Grill (CP)

Thurs:
B - Chef Mickey's
L - Mama Melrose
D - Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue
(also Archery lesson)

Friday:
Liam - B - Pop Century, L - Pirate Cruise
Me - Brunch, Grand Floridian Cafe
D - T-Rex

Sat:
B - Tusker House Safari Breakfast
L - Biergarten
D - Ohana

Sun:
B - Pop Century
Bye bye WDW