Mickey Check Meal Substitutions?

[SnipsNSnails]

In general my kids are healthy eaters and will often choose milk to drink with their meals and if broccoli is an option they will choose it every time as their side because that is what they want. That being said, this will be vacation, and I don't mind them having a real dessert (rather than fruit) or ordering a soda with their meal when they want it. I've been noticing that most of the restaurants have a couple entree options and then a bunch of Mickey Check Meals where the "dessert" is fruit and the beverage choices are water or milk.

Are they allowed to choose whatever the kid's dessert is rather than the fruit or soda to drink rather than milk or water with the Mickey Check Meals?

Looking at the Be Our Guest dinner menu, my youngest loves steak, but I'm guessing my older son will want the grilled cheese which isn't a Mickey Check so he can choose a cupcake from the desserts, so I'm sure the younger one will want a cupcake too and not the fruit for dessert.

 

[mom2of2]

Mickey Check meals have to be ordered as made except you can leave off sauces. If your child wants something from a Mickey Check meal, order it a la carts..ie: Steak, fries, soda, sundae

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Mickey Check Meal Menu SPECIFICALLY says, no substitutions.
2) If they want an item from the kid's menu, you will pay extra for it.

 

[mom2of2]

1) Mickey Check Meal Menu SPECIFICALLY says, no substitutions.
2) If they want an item from the kid's menu, you will pay extra for it.

Uh, NO. Tell your server what protein, side, drink and dessert you want. It will still add up to $8.99 the cost of a kids meal

 

[Hopefully]

Just an FYI Cupcakes are not a child's dessert at BOG. If you want a cupcake for someone getting a child's meal you must pay extra for it OOP (or a snack credit in addition to the meal credit if you are on the DDP)

 

[sharonabe]

Just an FYI Cupcakes are not a child's dessert at BOG. If you want a cupcake for someone getting a child's meal you must pay extra for it OOP (or a snack credit in addition to the meal credit if you are on the DDP)

You can't use snack credits at dinner. I think I saw that the kids can get a cupcake at DINNER, but not at lunch. Someone chime in please and confirm/correct.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

The All Ears menus show cupcakes under the child desserts at dinner which is the meal I was looking at. We have a lunch, dinner, and breakfast ADRs during our 9 day trip. For lunch I will have no problem using a snack credit for a cupcake for them if they want it, as the kids dessert is a cookie. We can save the cookies for a snack for later or they can have the fruit/veggie combos that come with the meal and forget the cookies.

So there doesn't seem to be a consensus on this. Anyone with recent experience? I'm hoping that mom2of2 is correct as that makes the most sense to me. I can't imagine that the only way for a kid to have the steak is if they are willing to give up the real dessert for fruit. That doesn't seem logical but then again this is Disney. If I have to eat fruit for dessert every TS so they can have my dessert, I will.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

menus show cupcakes under the child desserts at dinner which is the meal I was looking at

. . . Don't know the eatery you reference (please list the eatery).
. . . But, here are a couple menu examples from the Disney Internal Website:

I can't imagine that the only way for a kid to have the steak is if they are willing to give up the real dessert for fruit. That doesn't seem logical but then again this is Disney

. . . Per Disney printed material and guidelines:
. . . . . . The Mickey Check makes it easier to identify nutritious choices that address family needs.
. . . . . . In order to receive the Mickey Check, foods must meet the Disney Nutrition Guidelines.
. . . Mickey Check Meals are meant as a balanced meal
. . . changes would go against the theory and practice of balance
. . . typically, cupcakes do not meet such nutritional guidelines


Be Our Guest (MK, Dinner):
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Fish of the Day
served with Whole-Grain Rice Pilaf, Seasonal Vegetables, and Fruit Cup. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $9.49
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Mickey Meatloaf
Turkey Meatloaf with Broccoli Florets, Zucchini served with Orange "Stuff" for Dipping, and Fruit Cup. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $9.49
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Chicken Brochette
served with Seasonal Vegetables and Fruit Cup. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasasni® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $9.49
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Steak
served with Seasonal Vegetables and Fruit Cup. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $11.49

Wave (CR, Dinner)
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Fish of the Day
Grilled Fish of the Day with tiny Green Beans, Jade Rice Blend, and Sliced Apples served with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Baked Chicken Strips
Baked Chicken Strips with Jade Rice Blend, tiny Green Beans, and Sliced Apples served with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Jade Rice Blend, tiny Green Beans, and Sliced Apples served with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Penne Pasta
Whole-Grain Penne Pasta, Marinara Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese with tiny Green Beans, and Sliced Apples. Served with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99

Kona Café (Poly, Dinner)
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Chicken Breast
served over Steamed Vegetables with a Mixed Greens-Fruit-Almond Salad, and Fruit Salad. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Shrimp Skewers
served over Vegetable Rice Pilaf with Fruit Salad. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99
Kids' Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Fish of the Day
served over Vegetable Rice Pilaf with Fruit Salad. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelinse for Complete Meals without substitution $8.99

 

[ByrdGal]

Not sure if it is the same at BOG, we recently had dinner at Sci-Fi. DD ordered the Mickey Check Salmon meal, it was listed as coming with apples slices for dessert. Our waitress said she could get ice cream if she wanted.

 

[LadyRayado]

Not sure if things have changed or if it just depends on the wait staff - but I wasn't even allowed to sub one vegetable for another last year at BOG.

 

[unrequited23]

I always read the menus to mean the mickey check meals met the dietary requirements if no substitutions from the description were made--meaning you could make substitutes that would make the meal less healthy.

 

[sharonabe]

I always read the menus to mean the mickey check meals met the dietary requirements if no substitutions from the description were made--meaning you could make substitutes that would make the meal less healthy.

Agreed. The "without substitution" does not mean you CANNOT substitute, just that if you do, it no longer meets the guidelines for a healthy meal.

OP, you'll be fine.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Cant speak for BOG but other Mickey Check meals definitely allow substitutions, its just as the PP said they then lose the Mickey Check status as the nutritional information changes. The menu, especially at CS locations, specifically say you can sub out the included options for things like fries and soda and I did this at Colombia Harbour House with no problem whatsoever.

 

[jenjersnap]

Mickey Check meals have to be ordered as made except you can leave off sauces. If your child wants something from a Mickey Check meal, order it a la carts..ie: Steak, fries, soda, sundae

This is always how it has worked for us, though it was actually the server working some magic and putting it in as a la carte because I just say "He wants the steak from the Mickey Check meal section, is it ok if he gets a sundae for dessert?" And the server has always said yes. No one has explained I should order a la carte, will explain it that way if it makes things easier for servers.

 

[jenjersnap]

You can't use snack credits at dinner. I think I saw that the kids can get a cupcake at DINNER, but not at lunch. Someone chime in please and confirm/correct.

Yes, that is true.

 

[mom25kiddos]

I always read the menus to mean the mickey check meals met the dietary requirements if no substitutions from the description were made--meaning you could make substitutes that would make the meal less healthy.

This is how I read it too-if you make a substitution (which you may do) it no longer meets the qualifications of 'healthy'.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Not sure if things have changed or if it just depends on the wait staff - but I wasn't even allowed to sub one vegetable for another last year at BOG.

1) Please remember that BoG is a "test bed".
2) They are trying things to increase profits, then spread methods to other eateries.
. . . so far, much of it is working well, and the public is accepting the methods
. . . expect to see this at Skipper's Cantina and other new eateries
3) The savings to WDW are enormous:
. . . limit substitutions to reduce kitchen staff and time to prep and serve (save payroll and increase table turnover)
. . . encourage people to pre-order (reduce waitstaff and increase table turnover)
. . . reduce substitutions for picky eaters (reduce foodstock inventories, reduce waste)

 

[amreli]

I thought I read somewhere that at QS kids could actually get an adult meal w/their child credits. Is this true for the BOG lunch too? If so, then they'd get a cupcake with that, right?

 

[sharonabe]

I thought I read somewhere that at QS kids could actually get an adult meal w/their child credits. Is this true for the BOG lunch too? If so, then they'd get a cupcake with that, right?

That was one of the rumored changes that did not appear. The DDP brochure still states "kids must order from a kid's menu where available."

 

[Callie]

We've never had a problem subbing sides with mickey check meals. Even adding double fries. At BOG, my sister subbed soup for fries.