New twist on the Dining Plan 10 y.o. moral dilemma!

[slg]

Well not too long ago, kids meals were for children under 12. All of a sudden, Disney has decided that 10 year olds need to pay the adult price. We are going to WDW for 10 days, and it is precisely because of this change that our family of 5 (oldest boy a small 10) did not book the fp. We will just order 3 kids meals or sometimes we 2 adult meals and the 3 kids split (ages 4, 7 10). I suppose at a buffet they may ask the age, in that case, I'll tell them the truth.

In my opinion, 10 year olds who eat kids meals should pay kid's prices.

I recommend you cancel the fp and just go a la carte. Less hassle. If Disney had enough folks complaining about it they may change that rule. Or add a junior fare which strikes me as a reasonable compromise.

I do resent them changing the age cut-off though. Every other family restaurant we go to has kid's meals for those 12 and under. Why should Disney change all of a sudden? As if going there wasn't expensive enough.

I too would worry the whole time that we would be "caught". I just wouldn't want that kind of aggravation on a holiday.

 

[jim and meesie]

Some restaraunts offer smaller portion meals for "smaller appetites". As an adult female I eat significantly less than my kids 18,13,10 (esp less than my 10 year old son) but I have no interest in a kids meal (chicken fingers yucckkk). Usually I will give my remaining portion (with a 10 oz steak more than half is leftover) to either my youngest or my husband. I think it's just the result of YEARS of behavior modification classes. Unfortunately I'm the one with the weight problem and they are thin and very athletic.

My ten year old finds if there is an item on both the kids or adults meals he has to point out that he wants to order the adult portion. By the way, my son is thin and incredibility fit, we kiddingly point out his 6-pack abs. He plays on 5 competitive teams this season and does 100 situps a day.

Both my 13 and 10 year olds are always offered kids menus even though they are very tall for their ages.

 

[Texas Pooh]

We are just back from WDW, with an eight and ten year old (for the 10, we paid the "adult" price, but she ate off the "childs" menu each time).

Only two points to answer the OP's questions, since I don't want to reheat the flames of debate:

First, except at character meals, we were never asked the kid's ages. The server just asked if we wanted two kid's meal menus or not. Thus, I don't believe you will, generally, be asked ages.

Second, even though we paid the "adult" price for DS10, except for one character meal, she chose off the child's plate, using a credit. WE STILL SPENT LESS ON THE DINING PLAN, AS A COMBINED FAMILY, THAN IF WE HAD GONE OOP. Thus, I don't care if we maximized the plan or not. I paid for three adult and one child DPs. Each meal I used four credits. I spent less money on the DP than I would have otherwise. It was easy to use. I was happy.

I greatly respect your concern about the "rules", because I am a rule follower, too. My take: go ahead and change the DP to the "adult" for the child if it is going to bother you, because you should enjoy your vacation. At the end of the day, you'll still save money on the plan, and have a great time, without stressing out every time you walk in a restaurant. I think you will find that economically, you're still going to spend less on the DP, even if your child, like mine, eats from the child menu.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I would stop worrying about it. You paid a childs price, he eats childs meals...pretty simple.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Have you decided where you are eating yet? If so, have you added up what paying OOP will cost? Perhaps paying 3 adult DP prices is less still.

 

[srfrgrl07]

I am a very small (5' and 95lbs) 29 year old and I don't eat alot, but I know that I will still be charged the adult price. Maybe if they changed the age to 12 or 14 it would be easier to justify a child paying "adult" prices.

The way I look at it, I would figure how much I would pay out of pocket for what I normally order and if the dining plan is less I go for it. For example...let's say there's a family of 4 with 2 adults a 10 year old and a 5 year old. The dining plan would cost $125 per day. If that family were to dine at Ohana's, for example, it would price at $25 per adult and 10 year old and $11 for the child plus tax and let's say 15% gratuity. That would total approximately $105.28. So that leaves $20 for counter service meals, which usually price around $8-$10 per person.

Of course if you are dining at restaurants that have an a-la-carte menu and you plan to share meals, that might not be as high. It really depends on where you're dining.