Thought about upgrading 9 yr old to adult, but $100 extra for 4 nights? WOW!

[Torinate]

Wow!

Staying 4 nights in March. Paying for the Disney Dining Plan - 1 TS, 1 QS, 1 snack.

Thought about upgrading my 2 months shy 9 year old to the adult meal plan. He eats like an adult anyways.

Just had a look... $100 more for the 4 nights! Holy cow batman! Ridiculous! Read some other posts where is 20 or just more than that... Was not expecting another $100! That's another $25 per meal!

Gouge here gouge there...

So I ask, can that amount be correct? That was just putting in the package I have booked and then putting in for a 10 year old instead.

If that's the case, I am really questioning this whole plan.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

When you upgrade your 9 year old to an adult for the dining plan you also have to pay the extra on the park tickets as they are now for an adult so that should explain the $100. Have a great trip!

 

[sharonabe]

The $20 you've seen mentioned is when you have FREE dining as then the only thing you have to pay extra is the price difference of the ticket. If you're paying for dining, then it is the price of dining plus the price of ticket.

 

[deakam]

The $100.00 is correct. The difference between a child dining plan and an adult dining plan. Adult is about 56 bucks kids is about 18 per night. If you are staying 4 nights I would say you got a discount at $100.00 increase.

 

[Torinate]

Discount... Lol...

So basically, I gotta pay... It's the Disney way...

Yes, Peak season and full pop for everything. Why do I have to pay more for tickets as well? I didn't expect that as well. Paying for upgraded meals to feed him properly, but he is still 9...

Just doesn't seem fair.

I apologize for my frustration coming through. I've searched each of the table service menus and came away less than amused. Adult menus look great. No offence, but most 9 years I know are not into mac and cheese, peanut butter sandwiches and shaped processed chicken nuggets anymore. Guess I just expected more. I know things change, but our last visit was only 3 years ago. Both my kids ate like kings then. I think he had a good steak twice that trip.

Vented... much better now...

So, any ideas on how to accomplish having him enjoy his dining experience?

Any hidden gem restaurants?

BOG booked solid...

 

[brymolmom]

When my kid were those ages we used these strategies:
1) We booked a few buffets...Everyone, kid and adult, can enjoy the same food there. My kids love Cape May Clam Bake.
2) We would book at least one signature TS restaurant - Better kids choices here.
3) We would book 1 - 2 other TS meals based on best kids choice - For example, my kids love pasta and lasagna so we would book Tony's Town Square.
4) Order an appetizer or two at meals to enhance a sub-par kids meal option.
5) For CS meals we would use kids credits at Food courts, World Showcase and other better options... Then we would use a few credits on 'the basics' like pizza or burgers. Even if you want to buy one adult CS meal a day for your 9 year old that would only be about $12 per day which would be much less than the $100 to upgrade...And that would only be necessary if the place you choose has no good kids options.

It always worked out for us with little or no problem. With planning it can be done.

 

[6disneykids]

We have had the same issue with our kids when they were 8 and 9. The best 'kids' meals are are the 2 credit TS. The way we got around that was to do buffets (Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Beirgarten (Germany, Epcot), 1900 Park Fare, Boma, Cape May Cafe) that way they can get from the adult offerings, but still paying the child's price.

When we ate Sci-fi dine in, we used our Adlut TS and allowed DS9 choose what he would like and then ordered a kids cheeseburger, and switched plates when they arrived.

I don't know any other "tricks". We also let them get adult QS meals and DH and I shared what was left.

The problem with aging up a kid for dining, you age them up for tickets as well.

 

[Torinate]

Great suggestions! I appreciate that.

Never thought of adding an appetizer...

Thought about switching plates though. But when paying the cost for the plan, there should be absolutely no reason to have to do this to get a child a good meal. Disney should know and understand this. Just from my limited searching other threads and, the lack of decent kids meals on the TS plan is mind boggling! Certainly Disney is aware, how could they not be???

Wonder why if you pay for an upgraded meal plan you have to also pay for older tickets?

Curious... can we purchase out of pocket a meal for him and not use the TS credit (the other 3 at the table will be using them however)?

 

[smiths02]

Great suggestions! I appreciate that.

Never thought of adding an appetizer...

Thought about switching plates though. But when paying the cost for the plan, there should be absolutely no reason to have to do this to get a child a good meal. Disney should know and understand this. Just from my limited searching other threads and, the lack of decent kids meals on the TS plan is mind boggling! Certainly Disney is aware, how could they not be???

Wonder why if you pay for an upgraded meal plan you have to also pay for older tickets?

Curious... can we purchase out of pocket a meal for him and not use the TS credit (the other 3 at the table will be using them however)?

Yes, but then you would have extra kids credits.

 

[smiths02]

Wow!

Staying 4 nights in March. Paying for the Disney Dining Plan - 1 TS, 1 QS, 1 snack.

Thought about upgrading my 2 months shy 9 year old to the adult meal plan. He eats like an adult anyways.

Just had a look... $100 more for the 4 nights! Holy cow batman! Ridiculous! Read some other posts where is 20 or just more than that... Was not expecting another $100! That's another $25 per meal!

Gouge here gouge there...

So I ask, can that amount be correct? That was just putting in the package I have booked and then putting in for a 10 year old instead.

If that's the case, I am really questioning this whole plan.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

it is not 25 per meal...if you are there 4 nights each person gets 4 TS and 4 QS...so 8 meals

 

[vinotinto]

I agree with the ideas about buffet, 2TS meals, and simply ordering an additional (OOP) appetizer.

Tusker House and Biergarten are two buffets we thought were particularly good, and the kids have the same meal choices as adults.

Kids' meals at 2 TS places were very good. Yes, it's 2 TS, but they get a real appetizer (usually a really good fruit salad or regular salad) and a good entree: steak, chicken, etc.

OOP appetizers will cost less than the option to upgrade to adult and will help supplement.

Also, I think to make your DS a Disney "adult" you have to make him 10 years old in the reservation, so that's an additional $20+ for the tickets, plus about $38 per night.

 

[6disneykids]

I do hope that you have found some help. It is challenging to feed a child who is very adventurous (my older boys were all ways wanting to try different or unusual things) but still falls within the realms of being 3-9. Unfortunately, if you change the age of the child to be 10+ on the room reservation, it automatically registers them the same age for tickets if you are adding a package to a traditional room. However, if you rent DVC points directly from an owner, not Disney) you don't have to add tickets and can list your "child' as an adult for DDP, because you don't have to buy tickets as package, and can purchase tickets separately.

We have found the choices to be better for kids at Epcot than at the Magic Kingdom. (Both TS and QS)

I am not sure if you have read many forums on the kids choices, but there are many parents who have children who are 10+ but will only eat the items on the kid menus( macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets). It has been quite the topic, of why should a parent have to pay adult meal/ticket price if their 10, 11, 12....year old won't eat any of the adult choices.

 

[momof3littles]

We opted to upgrade our 9 yo for our trip in Feb. We are doing S/P/D so I don't think it was as bad of an upgrade. My kids are adventurous eaters, and we were originally going to just pay OOP partly for that reason. I know they'd prefer to split adult entrees, have apps, be able to get sushi, etc vs. eat from the children's menu.

 

[Torinate]

Yes, this is a challenging situation.

I appreciate the help and ideas. Just trying to ensure that the trip is a very magical one for all of us!

Nothing can put a negative spin on a vacation as poor meals can...

Went to a 4.5 star all inclusive last year in the Caribbean. While the resort was beautiful, the food was well below sub par. The whole family did not look forward to dinner and was really irritable about it. This just took so much fun out of the trip...

 

[LilyWDW]

Honestly... I wouldn't get the dining plan.

 

[vinotinto]

Honestly... I wouldn't get the dining plan.

I tend to agree with this statement.

My DS will be 9-year and my DD will be 6 when we go and so far, I have opted to not add the DDP. We have a rate that is "ticketless" but we can add the DDP. In our case, for $155/day for the 4 of us, we would do better using that $ to order what everyone wants, without the limits of the DDP. The tipping point for me is the buffets. If we are going to do more buffets, then it makes more sense to add DDP.

 

[StuckInKS]

So I ask, can that amount be correct? That was just putting in the package I have booked and then putting in for a 10 year old instead.

Are you booked under a package discount, like free dining or stay, play, dine? If so, make sure you are pricing it out with your current discount. You cannot get on the site right now and price out some free dining trips without doing some additional math, since that offer has expired.

If you have free dining in a value, then it should be about $12.50 for the upgraded ticket cost (we were charged $50 total to upgrade four kids) with the QSDP or $12.50 for the ticket + $18/day for the upgraded DDP. Free dining in a mod or deluxe should just be the ticket cost of $12.50.

For stay, play, dine, everyone is paying child prices I believe. In that case there will be no charge for the ticket upgrade, but will still have to pay the $18/day difference if you are in a value but wanting the DDP instead of the QSDP. I don't think there should be any upgrade change if you are staying in a mod or deluxe with this discount.

If you are paying full price for the dining plan (no package discount) then it will be the upgraded ticket cost + the $18/day for the dining upgrade.

He might be 9, but the discounted child's price is based on them eating smaller plates with less variety to keep the cost lower than adult meals. Like other's said, buffets are a good option. Also, Whispering Canyon Cafe has an all-you-can-eat family platter that will allow him to eat from the same foods as you without upgrading him to an adult.

 

[davedmaine]

The dining plan really isn't a value to begin with but you're really killing your wallet by suggesting this. You'd be MUCH better off just dropping the plan and paying OOP..

 

[2forMe]

My kids have eaten quite well at many of the TS restaurants...steaks, chicken etc. No mac and cheese etc for them. We also had some good qs meals too...