Thai food?

[Lisa F]

It affects the kids. Because people insist on having either bland, tasteless food (Mickey Check) or generic junk for kids, kids like mine have very few choices. Back when the dining plan was a good deal, we were having to pay to upgrade kids to adults (and one was 5) so that they could actually enjoy tasty and interesting food. They would have loved a child's portion of char siu pork or a child's noodle/curry bowl at Skipper Canteen. Instead they put fried chicken, mac & cheese, and dry steak/fish on the menu - with "exotic" names. Blech. There is not even one unique choice for a child.

Well I am an advocate of having both options available. Don't blame having options for picky eaters for Disney's blindness in realizing they can do both. For example, it would literally cost them nothing to have a kid portion of the skipper mac and cheese or whatever the hell it is called now because of the way they are now serving it to adults... it's cut out of a big pan. They don't make those decisions because parents ask for more plain options, they do because they are not selling well I'd guess. Also if your kids are truly adventurous there are tons of options on the appetizer menu priced like kid menu items and in appropriate portions. I had an appetizer at that place myself for a meal.

I think what they are pointing out is that Skipper's Canteen had a more "exotic" menu including their kids menu and report after report in the beginning is I am not booking there because there is nothing myself or my children will eat. The "mac and cheese" at Skippers is a bachamel sauce and not your standard yellow mac and cheese. A lot of kids won't eat it so parents complained and sent it back. With all those complaints the Skippers mac and cheese was changed to the standard mac and cheese available everywhere else. Now for parents that do have kids that are a little more adventurous they lost 1 place they could go with a less than traditional kids menu.


OP there are a few places you can get curry dishes and maybe a Thai inspired dish but no where you can get a full on Thai meal. You can get a few of the same flavor profiles as well with it not marked as Thai but it is going to take a lot of menu reading. I find AK and the hotels to be the better options Skippers has a little but the menu has change since I went so not sure what it all tastes like now.

Well if there is nothing the adults will order it's really stupid to consider it in the first place. But there are plenty of adults who have kids who are picky for various reasons but who are not picky themselves, and I am a firm believer that disney should be offering a good mix of restaurant appropriate kid options as well as a few more plain options for kids who eat more plainly. The signatures do this, lots of the ethnic restaurants over in epcot do this (or don't even offer more plain food at all)... MOST places have good kid offerings (meaning comparable to the adult menu) unless they are generic american food type places and then the adult choices are not super exciting either. Skipper Canteen has struggled with their menu since they opened but honestly if I had a kid who wanted the more interesting food I'd order him the falafel or a noodle salad or something from the appetizer menu... their appetizer choices are great there. the point is there is something they can eat reasonably priced even if it's not called out specifically as the kid's menu. It would only be a problem on DDP I guess, although if you're looking for that flexibility then DDP isn't for you and it's not like it is such an amazingly stellar deal that you are missing out by going totally OOP.

I'm not sure why at a family vacation destination accommodating kids who are plain eaters and literally have nothing else to eat on the menu if there is not something basic for them is so offensive to people.

 

[wilkeliza]

Well I am an advocate of having both options available. Don't blame having options for picky eaters for Disney's blindness in realizing they can do both. For example, it would literally cost them nothing to have a kid portion of the skipper mac and cheese or whatever the hell it is called now because of the way they are now serving it to adults... it's cut out of a big pan. They don't make those decisions because parents ask for more plain options, they do because they are not selling well I'd guess. Also if your kids are truly adventurous there are tons of options on the appetizer menu priced like kid menu items and in appropriate portions. I had an appetizer at that place myself for a meal.

Well if there is nothing the adults will order it's really stupid to consider it in the first place. But there are plenty of adults who have kids who are picky for various reasons but who are not picky themselves, and I am a firm believer that disney should be offering a good mix of restaurant appropriate kid options as well as a few more plain options for kids who eat more plainly. The signatures do this, lots of the ethnic restaurants over in epcot do this (or don't even offer more plain food at all)... MOST places have good kid offerings (meaning comparable to the adult menu) unless they are generic american food type places and then the adult choices are not super exciting either. Skipper Canteen has struggled with their menu since they opened but honestly if I had a kid who wanted the more interesting food I'd order him the falafel or a noodle salad or something from the appetizer menu... their appetizer choices are great there.

I'm not sure why at a family vacation destination accommodating kids who are plain eaters and literally have nothing else to eat on the menu if there is not something basic for them is so offensive to people.

Offensive is a pretty strong word. It isn't offensive it is just a difference of opinions when it comes to accommodating kids. I personally hate the Disney is a family destination argument. Disney is far more than just a family destination. If that was the case there would be 0 marketing for older couples, 0 marketing for singles, 0 marketing for couples with no kids, 0 marketing for friends groups etc. Every year Disney's marketing includes all types of traveling groups. So if 1 restaurant in a theme park chooses not to cater to families then why is that a big deal to you? I just don't get that in a place where there are a ton of other places you can eat that had both why people have to focus on the 1 or 2 places that tried not to have both. The same issue was brought up at Be Our Guest when their first menu came out because the grilled cheese was too fancy and not called grilled cheese. Not sure if you have worked in a kitchen before or not but to add chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, or whatever "plain" kids food that isn't made from components of other dishes it takes up space in the pantry and kitchen. Not all kitchens (especially what I imagine Skippers in since they stuck it where there wasn't a restaurant before) have the extra space for that or even the things needed to make it (i.e. a fryer). I'll agree I have no clue why Skippers chose to just get rid of the baked mac and cheese off the kids menu all together but still they did.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I also think "all kids eat chicken nuggets!" is really... look, everyone likes breading and salt, because they taste good. And sure, there are kids with sensory issues. But the idea that somehow there is kid food and adult food and somehow, I don't know when the magic line is that all of a sudden a kid will want a mushroom reduction but that line apparently exists? (And, at Disney, is apparently defined as age 10!)

Millions of kids in China and India and France and Russia beg to differ.

It is very cultural.

While taste buds do develop over time, chicken pressed into shapes as a "staple food" is not a universal. It's an Americanism. Disney is in the US, so I get that, but a lot of people should really reconsider the idea of "kid food" in general, because it's a construct, and it's a construct they may be behaviorally supporting.

 

[riddlemethis]

They definitely don't eat a lot of typical kid food and I'm having a hard time figuring out restaurants. There number one choice is always Thai and I can't believe there is no such option!

UberEATS can deliver food to you from Orlando restaurants. Pretty awesome. And in the area they have about every type of cuisine you could imagine.

 

[sleepydog25]

My kids love curry and egg rolls. Is there a restaurant in WDW that serves this type of food?

Back on topic, though none of them are strictly Thai restaurants, as you may have noted from a few posts, Yak & Yeti, Tiffin's, Skipper Canteen, and most especially, Morimoto Asia have dishes that your kids might very well enjoy. As noted, Sanaa does have curry dishes (as do a few others), but it's more in line with African-Indian inspired dishes than Thai; however, it is a very enjoyable restaurant with the uniqueness of being able to see animals on the savannah during daylight hours.

 

[ShellieMimi]

UberEATS can deliver food to you from Orlando restaurants. Pretty awesome. And in the area they have about every type of cuisine you could imagine.

Thanks for this tip! We have tried Seamless, which we love at home, but the selection was lacking.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Do they enjoy curry in general, or just curry from Thai restaurants? if they enjoy curry, you do have options as others have pointed out. For thai food, sadly you'll have to venture outside of disney.

I also cant figure out why disney hasnt put in a single thai restaurant on property. I love thai! I think it would do very well.

 

[Lisa F]

Offensive is a pretty strong word. It isn't offensive it is just a difference of opinions when it comes to accommodating kids. I personally hate the Disney is a family destination argument. Disney is far more than just a family destination. If that was the case there would be 0 marketing for older couples, 0 marketing for singles, 0 marketing for couples with no kids, 0 marketing for friends groups etc. Every year Disney's marketing includes all types of traveling groups. So if 1 restaurant in a theme park chooses not to cater to families then why is that a big deal to you? I just don't get that in a place where there are a ton of other places you can eat that had both why people have to focus on the 1 or 2 places that tried not to have both. The same issue was brought up at Be Our Guest when their first menu came out because the grilled cheese was too fancy and not called grilled cheese. Not sure if you have worked in a kitchen before or not but to add chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, or whatever "plain" kids food that isn't made from components of other dishes it takes up space in the pantry and kitchen. Not all kitchens (especially what I imagine Skippers in since they stuck it where there wasn't a restaurant before) have the extra space for that or even the things needed to make it (i.e. a fryer). I'll agree I have no clue why Skippers chose to just get rid of the baked mac and cheese off the kids menu all together but still they did.

I'm not sure why you hate the argument that Disney is a family destination. it IS a family destination. to pretend otherwise would be silly. Their bread and butter is families with kids and they know it, and the easier and more pleasant they make it on parents, the more money they make.

"We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together." - Walt Disney

I am just advocating for having accessible plain kid choices wherever possible, and in most places it should be possible... because one way parents and children have fun together is going out to a nice restaurant where they can BOTH get what they like to eat. This should include both restaurant appropriate kid choices for kids who like that kind of cuisine and a few plain choices so that an entire family doesn't have to forgo a restaurant they want to go to because of a child who can't find anything to eat there. Does it bug you to see a kid eating mac and cheese and a brownie cupcake at 'Ohana while their parents enjoy the regular menu? What is the harm in that and why would anyone argue against it? And what impact whatsoever does the kid menu have on adults traveling without kids, unless you feel like the type of kids menu is meant to be a deterrent and keep kids away without actually making it a no kid policy... which I don't believe is what Disney wants to do or in anyone's best interest.

I have no problem with adult only activities at Disney, but they are labeled as such. V&A, some of the special tours and safaris and things... pleasure island when it existed (though it no longer does, which might tell you something about the demographics at Disney) but restaurants that allow kids and have kids menus should accommodate picky kids as well... because that is what Disney is all about and part of what is so magical for me, being able to do things I like and eat at restaurants I enjoy without having to offload my kid to alternate plans. And there are a LOT of parents who feel the same and it makes their whole vacation when that plate of nuggets comes out at 'Ohana.

 

[wilkeliza]

I'm not sure why you hate the argument that Disney is a family destination. it IS a family destination. to pretend otherwise would be silly. Their bread and butter is families with kids and they know it, and the easier and more pleasant they make it on parents, the more money they make.

"We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together." - Walt Disney

I am just advocating for having accessible plain kid choices wherever possible, and in most places it should be possible... because one way parents and children have fun together is going out to a nice restaurant where they can BOTH get what they like to eat. This should include both restaurant appropriate kid choices for kids who like that kind of cuisine and a few plain choices so that an entire family doesn't have to forgo a restaurant they want to go to because of a child who can't find anything to eat there. Does it bug you to see a kid eating mac and cheese and a brownie cupcake at 'Ohana while their parents enjoy the regular menu? What is the harm in that and why would anyone argue against it? And what impact whatsoever does the kid menu have on adults traveling without kids, unless you feel like the type of kids menu is meant to be a deterrent and keep kids away without actually making it a no kid policy... which I don't believe is what Disney wants to do or in anyone's best interest.

I have no problem with adult only activities at Disney, but they are labeled as such. V&A, some of the special tours and safaris and things... pleasure island when it existed (though it no longer does, which might tell you something about the demographics at Disney) but restaurants that allow kids and have kids menus should accommodate picky kids as well... because that is what Disney is all about and part of what is so magical for me, being able to do things I like and eat at restaurants I enjoy without having to offload my kid to alternate plans. And there are a LOT of parents who feel the same and it makes their whole vacation when that plate of nuggets comes out at 'Ohana.

It doesn't bother me at all but on a discussion board I can have a conversation about people demanding "kid friendly" at every single restaurant on property. They only see kid friendly as chicken fingers, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and plain proteins and sides. What does bother me is when Disney tries to break away from that and offer a restaurant that doesn't have the same 3 kids options available every where else there are hoards of parents who have to contact Disney about their displeasure and then in no time the menu changes. Even with the kids changes Skippers is sitting empty so it wasn't the kids menu that was the make or break clearly. It is just new with no princess, characters, or nostalgia so people aren't breaking down the doors for that reservation. V&A actually isn't adults only btw but they don't offer a kids menu. 10+ are allowed. Ohana has the nuggets because they chose to have the nuggets. That doesn't mean that Tiffins can or should have the nuggets or that Skippers can or should have the nuggets too.

 

[LSLS]

Sanaa/Boma have curry, though they aren't thai style curries. Same with Morimoto. All three of those places are great, so I would say you probably want to start looking at those.

 

[Lisa F]

It doesn't bother me at all but on a discussion board I can have a conversation about people demanding "kid friendly" at every single restaurant on property. They only see kid friendly as chicken fingers, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and plain proteins and sides. What does bother me is when Disney tries to break away from that and offer a restaurant that doesn't have the same 3 kids options available every where else there are hoards of parents who have to contact Disney about their displeasure and then in no time the menu changes. Even with the kids changes Skippers is sitting empty so it wasn't the kids menu that was the make or break clearly. It is just new with no princess, characters, or nostalgia so people aren't breaking down the doors for that reservation. V&A actually isn't adults only btw but they don't offer a kids menu. 10+ are allowed. Ohana has the nuggets because they chose to have the nuggets. That doesn't mean that Tiffins can or should have the nuggets or that Skippers can or should have the nuggets too.

Disney is marketing to the masses and if the masses want "kid food" (I call it "plain food") then that is what they should serve, at least as an option. Why should disney not give the option to parents who want to eat at skippers and places like that to have a family meal there where their picky kids can eat too? And it was NOT sitting empty when I was there, every table was full and there were a ton of people waiting for tables... on December 2 of this month, so pretty recently. And the only reason I was in a table was because my son could eat there too... the availability of ordinary mac and cheese was not something that was widely publicized... I caught wind of it peripherally on this board and then stalked a few weeks for an ADR for SC because it was suddenly on the table for me and I'd been dying to try it... and I did, and I enjoyed it, and I really want to go back someday... and other parents have shown interest when I've spread the news about it too. So I think your take on that is wrong, I think there are plenty of adults who would love the try the place but won't without something their kids can eat. It's an in park restaurant themed after a family favorite ride. Why should it not be accessible to families of all kinds?

 

[amberpi]

I agree that it seems like a Thai place would be dead on, they might not need multiples, but 1 seems like it'd do well.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

But nuggets and mac and cheese aren't plain food. They are highly processed foods with tons of salt/additives.

 

[goofyintoronto]

But nuggets and mac and cheese aren't plain food. They are highly processed foods with tons of salt/additives.

Yes i agree. Its horrible for you. However, its considered plain because it tastes plain...there are no funky spices to it. Plus its what most picky eaters prefer apparently.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yes i agree. Its horrible for you. However, its considered plain because it tastes plain...there are no funky spices to it. Plus its what most picky eaters prefer apparently.

Salt tastes good. Human rule throughout history and across cultures.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

But nuggets and mac and cheese aren't plain food. They are highly processed foods with tons of salt/additives.

I wonder what people with "picky" kids think kids around the world are eating? My kids won't eat absolutely everything, but they certainly eat (I guess what would be considered) "adult" fare. We don't make two separate menus at dinner - they either eat what the adults are eating or go hungry. And I know a lot of kids who will eat basically anything (good friends' two kids regularly eat offal tacos, grilled octopus, etc).

I don't have experience working in restaurants, but it makes sense that the more dishes one offers, the more complex it makes everything from ordering to storage to the cooking process. So I don't think it's a simple matter of offering both "plain" (what is typically thought of as children's food) and more complex food for kids. I'm sure even offering smaller portions of adult fare would make the business more complex (ordering and cooking ingredients to cover both adult and child portions of "adult foods" plus things like chicken nuggets, accounting for how many kids would order nuggets vs more complex foods, etc).

I'm also sure the "picky" eater complaints win out because they argue that their kids won't eat anything at all and thus prevent their family from dining at certain places. In contrast, I'm sure most families with more adventurous kids will still eat at locations with only chicken nuggets and mac & cheese on the menu, though they won't necessarily be happy about it. If restaurant management wants to keep the business as simple as possible and only offer a few children's options, then the options that the most people will eat (even if not everyone is thrilled with those options) will win out.

I may not understand people who say their kids will only eat a couple things (barring religious and medical restrictions), but ultimately I don't care unless their insistence to be able to eat at every establishment means that my kids have to endure two weeks of nuggets. (And I'd much rather my kids eat a wide variety of foods that are hopefully less processed and fresher than nuggets.) Sometimes we do order a regular entree for the kids to share, but they also like being able to pick their own meals without having to agree on something (and they're light eaters).

I think there is room for everyone. If my family can avoid the nugget-mac & cheese-burger places, than others could avoid the more exotic places. If I didn't like seafood, then I wouldn't go to a seafood restaurant and expect to be able to order a burger. If my family didn't like a certain cuisine, I wouldn't make them go to those restaurants - I'd either not go at all, go alone, or go with someone who does like that cuisine. We don't all have to have menus catered to every member of our families at every restaurant (just like in the real world). It'd be nice to not have the children's menu options at most of the wdw restaurants limited to (as others have said) plain protein and junk foods. It'd also be nice in general to have more "exotic" restaurants at wdw (and not have those restaurants watered down).

Also, some of the items on the Morimoto menu don't seem too outrageously priced relative to other theme park restaurants. I guess I was expecting higher prices since it's a signature? Are the portions the similar to other wdw dining locations? (I.e., is it a lot of shrimp pad Thai for $24 or a small portion for $24?)

 

[Lisa F]

I wonder what people with "picky" kids think kids around the world are eating? My kids won't eat absolutely everything, but they certainly eat (I guess what would be considered) "adult" fare. We don't make two separate menus at dinner - they either eat what the adults are eating or go hungry. And I know a lot of kids who will eat basically anything (good friends' two kids regularly eat offal tacos, grilled octopus, etc).

I don't have experience working in restaurants, but it makes sense that the more dishes one offers, the more complex it makes everything from ordering to storage to the cooking process. So I don't think it's a simple matter of offering both "plain" (what is typically thought of as children's food) and more complex food for kids. I'm sure even offering smaller portions of adult fare would make the business more complex (ordering and cooking ingredients to cover both adult and child portions of "adult foods" plus things like chicken nuggets, accounting for how many kids would order nuggets vs more complex foods, etc).

I'm also sure the "picky" eater complaints win out because they argue that their kids won't eat anything at all and thus prevent their family from dining at certain places. In contrast, I'm sure most families with more adventurous kids will still eat at locations with only chicken nuggets and mac & cheese on the menu, though they won't necessarily be happy about it. If restaurant management wants to keep the business as simple as possible and only offer a few children's options, then the options that the most people will eat (even if not everyone is thrilled with those options) will win out.

I may not understand people who say their kids will only eat a couple things (barring religious and medical restrictions), but ultimately I don't care unless their insistence to be able to eat at every establishment means that my kids have to endure two weeks of nuggets. (And I'd much rather my kids eat a wide variety of foods that are hopefully less processed and fresher than nuggets.) Sometimes we do order a regular entree for the kids to share, but they also like being able to pick their own meals without having to agree on something (and they're light eaters).

I think there is room for everyone. If my family can avoid the nugget-mac & cheese-burger places, than others could avoid the more exotic places. If I didn't like seafood, then I wouldn't go to a seafood restaurant and expect to be able to order a burger. If my family didn't like a certain cuisine, I wouldn't make them go to those restaurants - I'd either not go at all, go alone, or go with someone who does like that cuisine. We don't all have to have menus catered to every member of our families at every restaurant (just like in the real world). It'd be nice to not have the children's menu options at most of the wdw restaurants limited to (as others have said) plain protein and junk foods. It'd also be nice in general to have more "exotic" restaurants at wdw (and not have those restaurants watered down).

Also, some of the items on the Morimoto menu don't seem too outrageously priced relative to other theme park restaurants. I guess I was expecting higher prices since it's a signature? Are the portions the similar to other wdw dining locations? (I.e., is it a lot of shrimp pad Thai for $24 or a small portion for $24?)

I'm glad that your family is all of the same mind and everyone in your family likes the same things. I for one am glad that Disney has restaurants that may have a certain theme but then they have a few choices for people who don't like seafood but whose family wants to eat at a seafood restaurant for example. Again, why does it bother people so much if there is a steak or a burger at a seafood restaurant? As I have said over and over, I believe the winning formula is to add some choices for picky eaters and some choices for kids who like the cuisine featured at the restaurant. Again I'm not sure what is wrong with that. They generally have about 6 options on the kids menu so 3 mini adult things (which should not add a burden to the kitchen since they are ALREADY making that food) and 3 more typical kid food items (or even 4 and 2) would work for most families.

Actually my son is on the spectrum (as I'm sure many people here know already) so his preferences are often related to texture and smell more than anything. Having spent a ton of money on specialists and dealing with the anxiety that trying to get him to eat "normally" caused and then spending a ton of money on therapy to try to undo that anxiety... I'm pretty much never going to take a hard line on food again. We just had an amazing Disney trip where he felt comfortable enough to try whatever he wanted. He does not like "nuggets" (formed and breaded) but does like whole breast chicken tenders and smaller cut nuggets but only ate a couple of those at one buffet dinner. We got to try lots of different places because of the safe options on the kid's menu and as a single parent who doesn't get out a whole lot, I really love my disney trips because I can go to a place like a CA Grill and not have to offload my kid to do it... also he was very well taken care of there too. The more places I feel are safe for him on the kid menu, the more choices his adult mom has for spending her hard earned cash with the mouse.

 

[wilkeliza]

I'm glad that your family is all of the same mind and everyone in your family likes the same things. I for one am glad that Disney has restaurants that may have a certain theme but then they have a few choices for people who don't like seafood but whose family wants to eat at a seafood restaurant for example. Again, why does it bother people so much if there is a steak or a burger at a seafood restaurant? As I have said over and over, I believe the winning formula is to add some choices for picky eaters and some choices for kids who like the cuisine featured at the restaurant. Again I'm not sure what is wrong with that. They generally have about 6 options on the kids menu so 3 mini adult things (which should not add a burden to the kitchen since they are ALREADY making that food) and 3 more typical kid food items (or even 4 and 2) would work for most families.

Actually my son is on the spectrum (as I'm sure many people here know already) so his preferences are often related to texture and smell more than anything. Having spent a ton of money on specialists and dealing with the anxiety that trying to get him to eat "normally" caused and then spending a ton of money on therapy to try to undo that anxiety... I'm pretty much never going to take a hard line on food again. We just had an amazing Disney trip where he felt comfortable enough to try whatever he wanted. He does not like "nuggets" (formed and breaded) but does like whole breast chicken tenders and smaller cut nuggets but only ate a couple of those at one buffet dinner. We got to try lots of different places because of the safe options on the kid's menu and as a single parent who doesn't get out a whole lot, I really love my disney trips because I can go to a place like a CA Grill and not have to offload my kid to do it... also he was very well taken care of there too. The more places I feel are safe for him on the kid menu, the more choices his adult mom has for spending her hard earned cash with the mouse.

This will be the last one I respond to but couldn't ignore. The following is not about Disney restaurants but outside of Disney. A seafood restaurant having a steak or burger does actually cause issues in that kitchen. They have to buy the steak and burgers usually from a different source (unless they are using a place like Sysco which means they aren't getting high quality ingredients to begin with) and steaks and burgers have to be stored away form fish and usually would require an additional freezer and fridge just for the red meat. It also requires different prep. You can cook fish on the fish station all night but unless it is a diner I would not be happy if a burger had been cooked on the fish station because unless the kitchen staff stops to clean the grill the fish they cook next is going to taste like red meat.

As the PP said there are actual issues to offering the kids portions of an adult item. The biggest one is adults ordering the kids portion. So if you go that route you have to enforce your kids age policy strictly. Disney doesn't do that so they would lose out on people who want a specific item at less the price. Also as pointed out it can make it more difficult to figure out how much of something to prep. They might over or under prep (which is always a risk in a kitchen) thus costing the kitchen money. The smaller the menu the easier it is to estimate and prep. The larger the menu means either much less prep or much more waste. So either way less money.

Again if a restaurant chooses to carry stuff outside of their "theme" or expertise then great for them and for those with picky eaters but to a restaurant carry ingredients outside of their cuisine (i.e. pasta/grilled cheese at a Chinese restaurant or burgers at a strictly seafood restaurant) in order to accommodate everyone is a little extreme.

 

[Lisa F]

This will be the last one I respond to but couldn't ignore. The following is not about Disney restaurants but outside of Disney. A seafood restaurant having a steak or burger does actually cause issues in that kitchen. They have to buy the steak and burgers usually from a different source (unless they are usually a place like Sysco which means they aren't getting high quality ingredients to begin with) and steaks and burgers have to be stored away form fish and usually would require an additional freezer and fridge just for the red meat. It also requires different prep. You can cook fish on the fish station all night but unless it is a dinner I would not be happy if a burger had been cooked on the fish station because unless the kitchen staff stops to clean the grill the fish they cook next is going to taste like red meat.

As the PP said there are actual issues to offering the kids portions of an adult item. The biggest on is adults ordering the kids portion. So if you go that route you have to enforce your kids age policy strictly. Disney doesn't do that so they would lose out on people who want a specific item at less the price. Also as pointed out it can make it more difficult to figure out how much of something to prep. They might over or under prep (which is always a risk in a kitchen) thus costing the kitchen money. The smaller the menu the easier it is to estimate and prep. The larger the menu means either much less prep or much more waste. So either way less money.

Again if a restaurant chooses to carry stuff outside of their "theme" or expertise then great for them and for those with picky eaters but to a restaurant carry ingredients outside of their cuisine (i.e. pasta/grilled cheese at a Chinese restaurant or burgers at a strictly seafood restaurant) in order to accommodate everyone is a little extreme.

Of course this is a disney board, so I am talking about Disney. Not the entire world. And since DISNEY is a family oriented place, I think it is appropriate (and appreciated) that they cater to families... and often families include adults with certain tastes and kids with other tastes. They have economies of scale that a local mom and pop joint doesn't have (though apparently keeping pasta, bread and cheese is not too much of a hardship for most around where I live) and they try harder to make things perfect for as many guests as possible. Obviously it's not possible for ALL guests but reading through the menus there are plenty of choices not "nuggets" and most places have choices for plain eaters. I'm just not sure what all of the resentment against plain eaters are, like somehow the purity of a restaurant is RUINED by having mac and cheese available for kids who won't eat the regular stuff on the menu. But, whatever. As long as Disney agrees with me I will continue to give them the lion's share of my vacation dollars!

I also would have no problem with Disney strictly enforcing the age on the kids meals provided they also allowed older kids to order an adult portion of kid foods for older kids who want them or really anyone who prefers that kind of food. Who am I to judge? I am not sure anyone is owed a kid's meal because they are not as hungry or want to save money... when I am not hungry I order an app for my main meal. There is already no flexibility at buffets for lighter eating adults and older kids who don't eat like adults... I would rather tell an adult to suck up and deal, that they are not going to be served a loss leader kid's meal because they don't want to pay the full menu prices than a kid not be able to find something to eat.

 

[wisconsinmama]

Do they enjoy curry in general, or just curry from Thai restaurants? if they enjoy curry, you do have options as others have pointed out. For thai food, sadly you'll have to venture outside of disney.

I don't know if we have tried Curry outside of having it at a Thai restaurant. I'm going to look into some options otherwise maybe we will look into getting it delivered! Dining in one night won't be so bad