Teenager ordering a child's meal?

[mommy23qties]

If we are paying out-of-pocket, can my 14 year old daughter order a child's dinner? Or do they only allow children that are actually 9 and under to order from the child's menu? She is petite, but does not look like she is that young. We are thinking about this at CA Grill.

Thanks!

 

[hllb]

I’d be surprised if they did but curious to hear people’s experience. Perhaps there’s an appetizer she’d like such as the flatbread?

 

[BriLovesDisney]

I've ordered off the kids meal as a young adult. It really depends on the Cast Member. Some don't care, some will refuse.

 

[Ed J]

My wife is 40+ over the age of 9 (acts <9 at times ) will get a child's meal once in awhile, has never been an issue.

 

[hllb]

Well, this is interesting! I have a 13 and 14 yr old. While at most restaurants they’d want the adult meal, CA Grill they might not. Nice to know it might be an option

 

[melanielll]

We have never had a problem with this. My youngest is 21 and has a challenging digestive system. Kid's menus save her a lot of times. Ca Grill kid's mac and cheese is one of her favorites. We have never had a problem with her unusual choices. I used to like a kids sandwich at the quick service at the Contemporary. I got it all of the time - until they ruined it by making it healthy. Portion size is another reason we order from the kids menu sometimes.

Don't worry. Order what you want. If you feel in any way that they are giving you the side-eye, remember that when tipping. If they go beyond that - just use the word allergy. That will shut them down.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Please don't carelessly toss allergy around.

Most places will be fine ordering from children's menu. Some will charge adult price and up the portion

Some places are not Disney owned and may not allow. Ask nicely and you most likely will be fine

 

[buzzrelly]

My DD is 14 and still orders off the kids menu all the time. She doesn't want to order from the regular menu and they've never given her a hard time about it.

 

[mommy23qties]

Thanks so much for the advice. I was hoping to hear it would not be frowned upon in most cases.

 

[MrsDuck]

I am in my late 20s and still ask to order off the kids menu ... sometimes they let me, sometimes they don't. It really just depends!

 

[Belle_1989]

I ordered kids meals for myself 80% of the time while on our trip and the other 20% I shared an adult meal with DD.

 

[melanielll]

Seriously? If a person working for less than minimum wage tries to follow the rules established by his/her employer that they have no say in, you would lower their gratuity and lie about allergies? Wow.

First of all - the waiters at Ca Grill make a lot more than minimum wage. Secondly - things like kids meals for kids only are not law. If you have mac and cheese back there - serve it to whomever wants it. I guess she could say she identifies as a child. Thirdly my child has a very personal medical issue that is none of their business. If saying allergy gets it done for her, she should say allergy.

The city of Houston estimates that approximately 80% of the handicap plates that they issue are for bogus reasons. I think that the number of people crying allergy falsely are not quite that high, but it is not an insignificant number. This is the world the asterisk people have created.

Edited to add - I would lower their tip if they gave me the side eye. That is what I was referring to with the tip.

 

[marikujawa]

I

First of all - the waiters at Ca Grill make a lot more than minimum wage. Secondly - things like kids meals for kids only are not law. If you have mac and cheese back there - serve it to whomever wants it. I guess she could say she identifies as a child. Thirdly my child has a very personal medical issue that is none of their business. If saying allergy gets it done for her, she should say allergy.

The city of Houston estimates that approximately 80% of the handicap plates that they issue are for bogus reasons. I think that the number of people crying allergy falsely are not quite that high, but it is not an insignificant number. This is the world the asterisk people have created.

Edited to add - I would lower their tip if they gave me the side eye. That is what I was referring to with the tip.[/QUOTE

It's been my experience that if your request is reasonable and you are polite and willing to compromise, most restaurants are happy to give you what you want. Lying may get you what you want in the short term, but that kind of thing tends to become a bad habit.

What are asterisk people?

 

[999_Happy_Haunts]

Secondly - things like kids meals for kids only are not law.

The “law” has nothing to do with it. If the workplace establishes an age limit on the service of kid’s meals then the server has to follow those rules. What you are suggesting is that if the restaurant owner says one thing, a server can say: “Oh what the heck. That’s not the law so I won’t follow my boss’s rule.” That’s not only absurd, it places the server in a horribly awkward position of wanting to follow the workplace rules while at the same time appeasing a boorish customer who has elevated perceptions of both entitlement and self-worth. I suppose this is driven in part by a willingness to believe unprovable statistics from Houston an a condescension toward “asterisk people”, whoever and whatever they may be.

 

[KrazeeK120]

First of all - the waiters at Ca Grill make a lot more than minimum wage. Secondly - things like kids meals for kids only are not law. If you have mac and cheese back there - serve it to whomever wants it. I guess she could say she identifies as a child. Thirdly my child has a very personal medical issue that is none of their business. If saying allergy gets it done for her, she should say allergy.

The city of Houston estimates that approximately 80% of the handicap plates that they issue are for bogus reasons. I think that the number of people crying allergy falsely are not quite that high, but it is not an insignificant number. This is the world the asterisk people have created.

Edited to add - I would lower their tip if they gave me the side eye. That is what I was referring to with the tip.

Businesses can make whatever rules they want (as long as they're legal), and customers have to abide by them. If you don't like the rules, don't visit the establishment. And certainly don't punish the wait staff by stiffing them on the tip for following their boss' rules.

 

[Karebear]

My 12 and 13 year olds ordered off the kids menu a few times this past summer if they weren't hungry or didn't like the adult menu. The waiters were all fine with it. At BoG dinner they did tell us that we would have to pay for the "included" drink and dessert since my kids were over 9 which was fine with us. My daughter and I also split meals a few times. Have a great trip!

 

[melanielll]

Once again - the decrease in tip was for making a face at me. Any waiter does that to me - they are losing cash. And I am telling their boss.

 

[TiffanyA]

Once again - the decrease in tip was for making a face at me. Any waiter does that to me - they are losing cash. And I am telling their boss.

I'm with you on the making face and/or glares (unless it's a restaurant that plays to a shtick like 50's Prime Time etc). There a many more professional and courteous ways to handle this and if they used one of those, I'm sure you would not hold it against them.

 

[scrapquitler]

If we are paying out-of-pocket, can my 14 year old daughter order a child's dinner? Or do they only allow children that are actually 9 and under to order from the child's menu? She is petite, but does not look like she is that young. We are thinking about this at CA Grill.

Thanks!

At quick serves? Definitely. I'm almost an old lady, and I order kids meals from QS at least half the time. From Table Service, you most likely can without a problem. My 14 year old son is very tall and definitely doesn't look anything close to 'under 9' We don't do Table Service very often, but the waitress didn't bat an eye when he asked for a kids meal at Prime Time Cafe on our last trip.

 

[CinderDuffy]

The “law” has nothing to do with it. If the workplace establishes an age limit on the service of kid’s meals then the server has to follow those rules. What you are suggesting is that if the restaurant owner says one thing, a server can say: “Oh what the heck. That’s not the law so I won’t follow my boss’s rule.” That’s not only absurd, it places the server in a horribly awkward position of wanting to follow the workplace rules while at the same time appeasing a boorish customer who has elevated perceptions of both entitlement and self-worth. I suppose this is driven in part by a willingness to believe unprovable statistics from Houston an a condescension toward “asterisk people”, whoever and whatever they may be.

I think we all know who the "asterisk people" are and I think we all know what kind of person would use such a phrase.