Question about kids and DxDDP

[jlindemer]

I was looking over Le Cellier's menu, and there is a section where it says, complete meals. If my DSs want to order that option, do they still get an appetizer and dessert (we're on DxDDP)?

For example Allears.net shows this as one option for kids:

Kids' Complete Meals

Cheese Pizza - served with veggies and sliced apples $8.99

Meaty Macaroni - ground turkey with marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella served with veggies and fruit salad $8.99

So, if they wanted the cheese pizza, can they also order an appetizer and a dessert? I think they will grow very tired of always getting fruit cups or ice cream. I was hoping they could order the Moose Head here.

 

[catne]

if there is a kid's menu, the kids will have to order off the kid's menu so they will not be able to order adult appetizers & adult desserts (so no Moose Head at Le Cellier) At the regular (1 TS) places, seems like the kid's appetizers are usually like chicken soup or the like, and the kid's dessert is usually the little make-your-own sundae with the ice cream, sprinkles, etc. The usual reasoning on the limited choices/small quantities is that the kid's meal plans are very inexpensive so you get whatyou pay for, lol.

You can always order extra desserts & pay OOP for them, or share yours (there were many times I couldn't eat more than a bite of dessert...could easily have given it away.)

The signature restaurants have much more varied menus for the kids, with more elaborate kid's desserts, but then they're 2 TS per person.

 

[Tricia1972]

I was looking over Le Cellier's menu, and there is a section where it says, complete meals. If my DSs want to order that option, do they still get an appetizer and dessert (we're on DxDDP)?

For example Allears.net shows this as one option for kids:

Kids' Complete Meals

Cheese Pizza - served with veggies and sliced apples $8.99

Meaty Macaroni - ground turkey with marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella served with veggies and fruit salad $8.99

So, if they wanted the cheese pizza, can they also order an appetizer and a dessert? I think they will grow very tired of always getting fruit cups or ice cream. I was hoping they could order the Moose Head here.

As mentioned previously, kids meals are a different beast. You don't choose an appetizer or a dessert when you do a kids pick meal.

In the quoted examples, Disney's logic is (In bold):
Cheese Pizza (Entree) - served with veggies (Appetizer) and sliced apples (Dessert) $8.99

Meaty Macaroni - ground turkey with marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella (Entree) served with veggies (Appetizer) and fruit salad (Dessert) $8.99

So yes, by their way of thinking you are getting an Appetizer and Dessert. This is why the regular Dining Plan also includes an appetizers for kids. Disney can't break off the kids meal components and still have what they claim to be a balanced meal.

 

[Faldred]

Note that I've found that kids' "appetizers" and "desserts" are interchangeable. Basically, sum up all of the kid's options from the menu, and you can pair any "entree" with any two from the "appetizer" and "dessert" categories.

You can even mix-and-match between the "complete meals" section and ala carte sections. But they do have to come from the kids' menu.

Alternatively, you can ask (with no guarantee of success) if a child can have a smaller portion of an adult item. Some restaurants will allow this, but I wouldn't depend on it being true at any particular place and time.

 

[Tricia1972]

You can even mix-and-match between the "complete meals" section and ala carte sections. But they do have to come from the kids' menu.

We have not had much luck with doing the above quoted item at TS locations. It could be one of those exceptions that depends on the location and the server, and just got a server who was sticky about the menu.

Usually it probably will work like above (I'll admit, we didn't ask after the first server), just cautioning that you can't count on it 100% of the time.

 

[Faldred]

Hm. We did it all week without any problems at all. Worked great at lunches to double up on fruit, since he had 3 kids splitting 1 meal (just under 4 and 2-year-old twins), and the fruit was much better for them than the other desserts, and none of them are fond of soups or carrot sticks (or, for that matter, fries).

Kind of goes back to the whole discussion of subbing sides from one entree plate onto another. In most cases, it shouldn't be a problem, but there's no specific rule allowing it, so it becomes a location/server/day issue.

 

[Tricia1972]

I agree completely. I'll fully admit that we asked exactly one time. We were emphatically shot down, and didn't want to push it again.

I am glad that you can usually make it work though! Sounds like you were able to work it more like they have it at CS locations.

 

[gilsan]

When we ate at Le Cellier DD had french fries for the appetizer, cheese pizza, and a make your own sundae for dessert. I don't think the moose dessert was an option on the kids menu. As PP have said you could pay OOP or give your dessert to the kids. I do think Le Cellier had an upgrade the kids meal for steak for an additional cost.

 

[clanmcculloch]

One more thing to keep in mind is just how much food YOU will have on the DxDDP. You can give your kids your dessert since you'll have already eaten an appetizer and entree. You're allowed to share among the people at your table (you're all on the same dining plan so it's permitted to share).