Teens ordering off the kids' menu

[Rafikifan]

I mentioned this in my dining report and honestly I'm not trying to whine but I'm just curious. We had dinner (2 families - 9 of us total) at Le Cellier last week. My 11 year old and 14 year old wanted to order off the adult menu which is fine, my 9 year old ordered the steak from the children's menu. My friend's teens are very picky but I had assured my friend that they could order something off the child's menu if they didn't see anything they liked on the adult menu. I read about people doing this all the time. That's what they opted to do. Her 15 yr. old dd who eats like a bird ordered the steak off the kids menu, and their 17 year old son who loves his burgers ordered the kids burger. The waiter mumbled about they would have to pay extra which was fine with my friends but we were all a little taken aback when we got the bill and they were charged exactly DOUBLE the price on the kid's menu. It would be one thing if they had given them more than just a kid's portion but my 9 year old's steak and fries was exactly the same size and it was $8.99 and sitting directly across the table from him was friends' daughter who got charged $17.98 plus her soft drink. Just curious if this has always been the policy to charge double, or if only certain places do this? In the scheme of what we all spent on dining for the week this isn't anything to really gripe about but I kind of think that if you're serving 6 oz. of meat and 20 fries, it shouldn't matter whether the person who's eating it is 8 or 80 should it? I'm known to order a happy meal if I take the kids to McDonald's. I can just see them saying, "You're too old - we have to charge you double lady!"

 

[Beachangel]

I think its kind of strange to charge a teen double for a child's meal, especially if the portion size is the same. My extended family of 10 just came back and my 15 yo niece many times ordered off the children's menu because she basically only eats chicken fingers and mac n cheese. We were never told we would be upcharged for her meal and never noticed it on the bills.

 

[Skatermom23]

I could understand if they hadn't allowed the teens to order from the kids menu but since they did allow them, there shouldn't have been any increase in the price.

 

[molly213]

This doesn't sound right. I ordered off the kids menu about a year ago and they charged me the kid's price for a chicken sandwich.

I've done this at several restraunts without any real increase in cost. Sometimes it won't include a drink or dessert that normally would be included in the kid's meal combo but the entree itself is the same cost.

I love restraunts with smaller portions (1/2 sandwiches) or that allow kids of all ages to order off the kids menu. We go to Craker Barrel all the time because of this. I just don't like a huge meal.

 

[Rafikifan]

Thank you for your responses. I thought this seemed funny also. And then of course since we were a party of 9 they automatically added 18% which is normally what we tip anyway but it was on the double priced kids meals for my friends' kids too of course which made their kids' meals awfully high. I just wondered if this is a new thing or a fluke. For others sakes, I hope the latter.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I don't think teen should order off a kid's menu. If it's too much food, share. If you can't share, get a doggie bag or order a salad or soup or just a dessert or appetizer.

Restaurants make money from ordering adult meals. The CM makes money off of the bill. I am not condoning doubling the cost, but your friend should have asked before saying OK. That way everyone would be informed and on the same page.

 

[Philly81]

I don't think teen should order off a kid's menu. If it's too much food, share. If you can't share, get a doggie bag or order a salad or soup or just a dessert or appetizer.

Restaurants make money from ordering adult meals. The CM makes money off of the bill. I am not condoning doubling the cost, but your friend should have asked before saying OK. That way everyone would be informed and on the same page.

Don't mean to be rude Laurajean but in my opinion that is silly. Restaurants are not just for adults. I know many adults much older than teens who order child's portions at sit down restaurants there at Disney. If they want to charge double for a kid's meal I would think they would not approve of just ordering soup or an appetizer either. With a group that large I'm sure the CM more than make her/his money. It's not a guests responsibility to up a tab so the CM makes their rent. Charge for the food that is served and gratuity for service earned. We've dined at Disney with our kids eating kid's meals but still ended up with $200 tabs. Don't think they want to start discouraging families - would not be smart.

 

[Beachangel]

I don't think teen should order off a kid's menu. If it's too much food, share. If you can't share, get a doggie bag or order a salad or soup or just a dessert or appetizer.

Restaurants make money from ordering adult meals. The CM makes money off of the bill. I am not condoning doubling the cost, but your friend should have asked before saying OK. That way everyone would be informed and on the same page.

Interesting logic

 

[luvmarypoppins]

At Whispering Canyon my one teen ds ordered the kids skillet, while dh and I ordered the adult skillet. He was charged the kids price. At CRT once for lunch I asked the cm if they could order off the kids menu, she looked at me kind of strange, I told her they didnt like the adult offerings but if she had to charge us a different price I understood, well 2 of them ordered off the adult menu and they didnt like what they got anyway. Now I just tell ds 13 to order whatever you want, he looks at both menus. This is basically why I usually just stick to a buffet as the main meal, mostly because it less hassle and the ds are so picky etc.

 

[MrsM]

We ate at the Brown Derby last October. Our oldest DS was 14 at the time, and would not eat anything on the regular "adult" menu. He wasn't even crazy about any of the choices on the kids menu. When it was time to order, the waiter mentioned that they also had chicken fingers. DS ordered them and was charged the kids menu price without any problem.

 

[threeboysmom]

Gee, what restaurant was this? I've never heard of this "policy" before. If I as an adult aren't that hungry and prefer to order a kids meal, I should be able to at the price stated in the menu. Why order a big meal and have 2/3 of it go to waste? Most of us cannot bring it back to the hotel in a doggie bag......

 

[Georgieut]

My 77 yr old grandma ordered off the kids menu at the concourse steakhouse a couple weeks ago. Charged the same as kids menu too. She eats like a bird and skipped the appitizer and dessert most times.

 

[Gillian]

sorry - didn't realize this was old! It's early in the morning!!


That is the first time I've heard of a double charge, but we've never had adults/teens order off the kids menu.

I don't know if I feel people of any age should be allowed to eat off the kids menu at the kids menu price. If it's a special "meal" than I'd say they really are for children, not small/picky eaters.

It seems to me that kids meals at regular restaurants are really a favor to the parents - we will offer your kids a discounted meal (with drink and sometimes dessert) in exchange for your (adult, more expensive) patronage.

However, I have ordered kids meals for myself at fast food places, because they really aren't much cheaper than regular combo meals. Just smaller. And they have a toy.

 

[Snurk71]

I've read a number of recent reports/experiences of this happening (doubling the kids price for non-kids), especially at Le Cellier. History was that anyone could order a kids meal for the kids price. But it appears Disney may slowly be changing to the way the rest of the world does things. Go to a regular chain restaurant in your home town and you'll likely find kids meals only available to kids under 10 (the kids menu actually states the age restriction).

 

[n2mm]

I think this is a bad policy. We took our 11 year old grandson to LeCellier this July and he ordered a kids meal and was charged the regular kids meal price. I guess it depends on the server, not the location. If this happens to you, you should STOP at guest relations and complain about the policy. That is the only way that Disney will know this is a bad policy. I say, if you want to charge double, then give double the food. You should get what you pay for. Sometimes I want desert, but know that if I order an adult entree, there will be no room, so do occassionally ask for the child's portion of a meal. We head off again to WDW next week and will see what happens again with my 11 year old grandson....this time we'll be on the dining plan.

 

[n2mm]

Go to a regular chain restaurant in your home town and you'll likely find kids meals only available to kids under 10 (the kids menu actually states the age restriction).

This is never a problem here for us in the Wash. DC area. Actually at cracker barrel under the kids selection it says "for kids of all ages."

 

[Okiemom]

I had been reading that you could order off the kids menu. I think anyone should be able to. You are paying for a smaller portion, because you know you need only a smaller portion. Whoever posted take it home in a doggie bag, whatever!, we are at WDW, we have no place to take it back to.

I never got this issue. You are not stealing, you are paying for what you know your kids will eat. This thinking could be why so many American Kids are overweight, as well as adults.

We are eating at LeCellier and I guess we will be splitting then.

 

[Boardwalk Tigger]

Wow, I never had this problem! We went last year to Artist point for dinner with four adults and five kids( 3 of which were teenagers). They did not like the food on the menu and wanted hamburgers. The waiters let them all order from kids menu...no problem. The four adults in the party had everything from wine to desserts and a very nice tip for them. We like to dine in many of the nicer restaurants and our younger teenager does not like the menu selection at many of the better restaurants....too fancy for him. I hope he can still order from the kids menu!!! If not, we won't be able to go to all of the Disney restaurants we like.

If they double the price they should double the food!

 

[disfanatiks]

This seems to be a fairly new issue. Last weekend we were at Cinderella's Castle for dinner and when we checked in, we asked for a kid's menu for our 14 year old daughter. She is picky and also prefers to save room for the dessert. At first they did not want to give us a kid's menu, but relented when we said we understood that they would charge a higher rate. (Our big concern was not price...but that she eats what she orders) She ordered a $8.99 collectible mug drink and child's chicken fingers. We were only charged the kid's price. So, as a poster said earlier, it must depend on the waiter/tress. We tip based on service, not necessarily on the total bill for 15%. If we have wonderful service, my DH normally tips 25 to 30%. In our case, we would probably tip less for a double charge for a basic kid's meal.

GFC has always had a teen menu, which I love. Avoids any issues.

In restaurants in Jacksonville, she is not typically allowed to order off of the children's menu, however, what is a bit different from Disney is that the appetizers or al a carte menu have always sufficed for her to find something to order.

I believe that all of these changes came when they raised the kid menu age was changed from up to 11 years to up to 9 years. Prior to that, there did not ever seem to be an issue.

 

[DISNEYDADINOREGON]

I think this is recent within a month or so based on the threads I am reading. I think they are doing this to address the issue of having people paying cash foir kids meals and saving the meal points on the free dining packages that are now in effect through Oct. 4th. I think they do not fully think things through and react when loop holes are found. Although kids under 9, the loop holes still exists. I am in the same boat and this is the 1st trip since my son has turned 10 and he will not eat anything off the adult menu, even at places like "Prime Time". Fast food has ruined him and he will only eat chicken fingers, hot dogs and the like... I am not sure what I am going to do. I will have to ask at each restaurant what the policy is since there is no uniform enforcement. Not that unusual for Disney though???