Ordering off the kids' menu when you are 13?

[pdolan]

I've looked at a lot of the full service restaurant menus and while I can find plenty of items I would enjoy, I am worried that my 85 pound 13 y/o picky eater DD will just be ordering food that we end up throwing out. She would be perfectly fine with chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese. Is ordering off the kids' menu limited strictly to kids 9 and under? Any suggestions?

 

[ElizabethB]

We just came back from a trip with two 13-year-olds. The one will eat only mac and cheese. We ordered him two orders from the kid's menu. Worked out fine.

 

[jcc0621]

We took my Dnephew with us in August, he was 14, and he mostly ate off the kids menu, no questions asked. At Buffet's though he got charged as an adult no metter if he ate off the kids buffet or the adult buffet.

However, we were NOT on the DDP. If you are on the DDP I think they have to order off the adult menu, but I am not completely sure about this part as we have never used the DDP. Maybe someone else can answer that part of the question?

 

[pdolan]

I was looking at the menu choices AND prices and thinking how it just would not be worth it for her (or me!) Now I can scratch that off my list - thanks!

 

[Pixiedust34]

However, we were NOT on the DDP. If you are on the DDP I think they have to order off the adult menu, but I am not completely sure about this part as we have never used the DDP. Maybe someone else can answer that part of the question?

We were at WDW from 9/3 to 9/11, which was right after dd turned 10. Some places let her order off the kid's menu. Others did not. The policy concerning an adult (in this case, a 10 y.o.) ordering a child's meal off of a menu with the DDP was inconsistent.

I had to pay OOP for a kid's meal at WCC because they wouldn't use an adult credit for a kid's meal and dd wanted the kid's meal. I thought that was crazy. Having dd downgrade her order to a kid's meal saved Disney money because the kid's meal would have been less expensive for them to provide than the adult meal would have been. I paid for the meal without a fuss as it wasn't expensive and I didn't want to make dd feel bad about wanting the kid's burger with fries, though it did rub me the wrong way that she couldn't downgrade to a kid's meal with her adult credit.

Also, I was told up front that she was required to order an adult meal at Chef's, though she wanted an adult meal there anyway. If she did want a kid's meal there, I would have had to have paid OOP there too.

OTOH, Le Cellier, 50's PT, and Coral Reef did allow her to use her adult credit for a kid's meal. In fact, the 50's PT server offered dd both menus and volunteered to do an adult portion of any item on the kid's meal for her, which was nice.

We also ate at 2 buffets and the Fantasmic Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's for which she was rightfully charged as an adult.

In short, 2 restaurants did not allow 10 y.o. dd to order off of the children's menu with her adult credit, though 3 restaurants did.

 

[jcc0621]

We were at WDW from 9/3 to 9/11, which was right after dd turned 10. Some places let her order off the kid's menu. Others did not. The policy concerning an adult (in this case, a 10 y.o.) ordering a child's meal off of a menu with the DDP was inconsistent.

I had to pay OOP for a kid's meal at WCC because they wouldn't use an adult credit for a kid's meal and dd wanted the kid's meal. I thought that was crazy. Having dd downgrade her order to a kid's meal saved Disney money because the kid's meal would have been less expensive for them to provide than the adult meal would have been. I paid for the meal without a fuss as it wasn't expensive and I didn't want to make dd feel bad about wanting the kid's burger with fries, though it did rub me the wrong way that she couldn't downgrade to a kid's meal with her adult credit.

Also, I was told up front that she was required to order an adult meal at Chef's, though she wanted an adult meal there anyway. If she did want a kid's meal there, I would have had to have paid OOP there too.

OTOH, Le Cellier, 50's PT, and Coral Reef did allow her to use her adult credit for a kid's meal. In fact, the 50's PT server offered dd both menus and volunteered to do an adult portion of any item on the kid's meal for her, which was nice.

We also ate at 2 buffets and the Fantasmic Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's for which she was rightfully charged as an adult.

In short, 2 restaurants did not allow 10 y.o. dd to order off of the children's menu with her adult credit, though 3 restaurants did.

This is one of the things about DIsney that drives me crazy. Thier inconsistency in some policies. Thanks for the information though!

 

[EeyoreFan5]

Thanks Pixiedust34. I'm going to be in the same situation as you next year. My oldest is going to turn 11 while we are there and all I can see her ordering is chicken strips/ mac & cheese and pizza. If she is unable to order off the childrens menu she will be disappinted and hungry a lot. I don't understand the concept of not allowing them to downgrade to the children's menu because you have already paid for the DDP at the adult rate and they are ordering less than that. It was great the 50's was willing to give her an adult portion of the children's menu. That's what they should do for those "adults" that are hardly eating or acting like adults.

 

[DCDisney]

With the new healthy stuff the kids food has a pretty limited amount of calories so I think expecting a 13 yo to be filled up by the regular portion of kids food is unlikely. The portion of nuggets was 4 which is fine for a preschooler but not an older kid. For some things they can give a bigger portion and charge an adult price like someone mentions. We did a mixture of buffets and just ordered kids meals for my just turned 10 yo and paid OOP at menu places. We did usually have to supplement the kids meals though by buying my son extra food somewhere or where it was possible to give him some of our food. They will also adjust the adult meals for you where possible like leaving the sauce off a steak or serving a pasta dish without the veggies which might work a few places.

 

[AnitaDisneyVacation]

I think that it is much easier to order kids meals for guests of any age at Counter Service restaurants - just don't have your child standing near you when you order. The CM has no way of knowing who the meal is for.

Table service is trickier for obvious reasons.

 

[Unca_Scrooge]

Isn't the dessert with kids meals basicly sugar free jello?
I'd think the allure of a real dessert might make them want an adult meal.