What age is considered a child for buffet?

[michpoit]

At what age are you considered a child for the buffets at DLR? I have an older version of the DL Passporter and they said a child was 3 - 11 unlike at WDW where the cut off is 9. Is that still true?

Thanks!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think it's changed at the DLR now, and that they consider 10+ to be adult.

 

[Amy&Dan]

It has definitely changed at Disneyland now. I think its been that way for maybe two years. I guess they decided WDW couldn't charge more than they could! I will say that at non buffet places, I have been able to order kids meals for my 10 and 11 year old kids. At the buffets, I pay the full price, I don't want to lie and frankly they eat enough fruit, chicken nuggets and ice cream to justfy paying that much! Plus at the character buffets you are paying for entertainment besides food. But at places like Cafe Orleans, I did order my daughter a kids meal one night last summer when she was ten. She just wasn't hungry and there was nothing on the menu that appealed to her.

 

[cccdisney]

10+ has to order from the adult menu (except for counter service). My dd10 is a picky eater. When there in March she had to order from the adult menu at CC and CO because we had made PS and they knew she was 10 (she certainly doesn't look it or eat like it). When making PS they ask the age of the children and that info gets passed along to the servers apparently. We tried ordering from the kids menu for her and they said "no" both times. They gave her an adult menu right from the beginning.
It really is quite a waste of $$ for us.

 

[bumbershoot]

cccdisney, that's interesting. The servers I've encountered want to get us what we want, not insist on anything. Now we haven't ordered from the kid's menu at a table service place, just b/c the kid's stuff does not appeal at those restaurants, but it seems odd.

Since even DS turns up his nose at some offerings at the restaurants, if I knew I was going some place where DS wouldn't eat (NOT talking a buffet or other character meal) I'd feed him elsewhere then go in and he wouldn't eat. Or he would have dessert while we had food. Did that at Blue Bayou last time, though to be honest he hadn't had lunch before, he just didn't want anything but his b'day ice cream!

 

[Queenbillabong]

I think counter service if you want a kid's meal, then it's good. For buffets they ask the age and 3-9 is kid's price.

 

[cccdisney]

cccdisney, that's interesting. The servers I've encountered want to get us what we want, not insist on anything. Now we haven't ordered from the kid's menu at a table service place, just b/c the kid's stuff does not appeal at those restaurants, but it seems odd.

Since even DS turns up his nose at some offerings at the restaurants, if I knew I was going some place where DS wouldn't eat (NOT talking a buffet or other character meal) I'd feed him elsewhere then go in and he wouldn't eat. Or he would have dessert while we had food. Did that at Blue Bayou last time, though to be honest he hadn't had lunch before, he just didn't want anything but his b'day ice cream!

The servers were polite about it, that's for sure. But unlike non-disney restaurants where they ask how many children's menus you would like when you are being seated, they "knew" we needed 3 adult and 1 child (I am assuming from the PS). When we asked our server if she could order off the kid's menu we were politely told "No, 10 and older needs to order off the adult menu". I am sure they wouldn't have MADE her order anything (well a character buffet they probably would have), but she certainly was NOT allowed to order off the children's menu.
But we ended up just having her share the food with our DS2.
Really the hardest thing is that she is SO PICKY. Most adult menus have nothing she likes on them.

 

[Amy&Dan]

cccdisney: That's too bad that happened to you! As recently as January (and at many places in WDW just last week) my 11 year old daughter was able to order off the kids menu. Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Hook's Pointe were all places she ordered off the kids menu with no problem. I always tell the age and at buffets I always pay full price. But I have no problem asking and getting a kids meal at other places. I will also very often order her a dinner salad or appetizer (its more of a portion thing with her). And they always let me do that. But again, my most recent experience at DL was in January. But I have been doing this for years there as I have a 13 year old son who until about a year ago often wanted a kids meal. I have never been turned down at any DL or WDW restaurant as long as it wasn't a buffet or fixed price meal. I really think that stinks they did that to you. I mean not letting a kid (I am sorry but 10 is a kid) order a kids meal at Disney? Totally insane in my book.

And one other note, I am almost positive Rainforest Cafe's kids menu is for 12 and under. And their kids meals are very generous in portion size.

 

[bumbershoot]

Really the hardest thing is that she is SO PICKY. Most adult menus have nothing she likes on them.

Each of my 4 younger siblings are like that. My sister is the worst, but at least she's quiet about it (like my full brother). The middle sibs wouldn't eat AND were noisy about it.

I would eat everything put in front of me, just to keep the peace.

And then I went vegetarian at 20, LOL, but I'm still probably the easiest of us all to feed!


Anyway, I feel for you.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I would eat everything put in front of me, just to keep the peace.

You sound like me! My brother was sort of picky and I would feel sorry for my mom and just eat whatever she fed me! She loved me for it I must say.

I have a family member who is sixteen and to this day, wherever they go to eat out, his parents have to run through a Burger King drive thru to get him chicken tenders. Those are the only ones he will eat!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ok well at buffet place or charcter meal when he reachs the age i will pay but I have also heard any one can order off kids meal. heck i might becouse i eat so little and some times the kids meal just looks more appealing..i dont want saleds or soups ill eat fruit i usely get it to replace soups

 

[cccdisney]

cccdisney: That's too bad that happened to you! As recently as January (and at many places in WDW just last week) my 11 year old daughter was able to order off the kids menu. Cafe Orleans, Carnation Cafe, and Hook's Pointe were all places she ordered off the kids menu with no problem. I always tell the age and at buffets I always pay full price. But I have no problem asking and getting a kids meal at other places. I will also very often order her a dinner salad or appetizer (its more of a portion thing with her). And they always let me do that. But again, my most recent experience at DL was in January. But I have been doing this for years there as I have a 13 year old son who until about a year ago often wanted a kids meal. I have never been turned down at any DL or WDW restaurant as long as it wasn't a buffet or fixed price meal. I really think that stinks they did that to you. I mean not letting a kid (I am sorry but 10 is a kid) order a kids meal at Disney? Totally insane in my book.

And one other note, I am almost positive Rainforest Cafe's kids menu is for 12 and under. And their kids meals are very generous in portion size.

Well that is good to know because when we are there in August we will try again! Maybe it was just our servers?
The only child that I have that isn't picky is my 2 yr old! The older two are getting a little better but my 4 yr old, who has autism, could live on corn dogs and pizza! Yuck!
But I could be called a picky eater myself, so I shouldn't be too surpirsed.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Yep, my son turned 10 in May, and we paid adult price for him at Lilo and Stitch for the buffet.

 

[bumbershoot]

You sound like me! My brother was sort of picky and I would feel sorry for my mom and just eat whatever she fed me! She loved me for it I must say.

I have a family member who is sixteen and to this day, wherever they go to eat out, his parents have to run through a Burger King drive thru to get him chicken tenders. Those are the only ones he will eat!

I remember well once eating my brother's potatoes when my mom left the room, just to get the torture of the meal DONE with. Thankfully the half-sibs are much younger than me, and there was no way my dad was going to keep me at the table while he tormented his second 2 kids into eating (they could sit there for hours). By the time my half-sis arrived, no one cared anymore, and the kid only ate mama's milk, candy, and white rice until she was about 5 years old! Is it any wonder the ONLY things she eats are pizza and chicken nuggets/strips?

(note: I am not against extended nursing...I myself was nursed until I was 4, and DS continues...it was the white rice and candy thing that I had issues with...thank goodness for the extra nutrition her mom gave her, or she might have gotten scurvy or something! lol)

ok well at buffet place or charcter meal when he reachs the age i will pay but I have also heard any one can order off kids meal. heck i might becouse i eat so little and some times the kids meal just looks more appealing..i dont want saleds or soups ill eat fruit i usely get it to replace soups

I've ordered kids meals at places like Rancho del Zocalo, Cocina Cucamonga, and Plaza Inn, and it was no problem at all. If they cared they just figured the kid was outside, I suppose.

Last trip hubby and I shared the adult portion of penne with marinara, and one side salad at the Plaza Inn, and it was too much for us! We got the same penne for our son in the kid's meal, and it was a nice portion of pasta, carrots, apple slices, half a breadstick, AND a small bottle of water, for LESS than half of our pasta! We figured out later we should have just bought 3 kid's meals.

 

[avalon451]

My oldest (13) and youngest (6) aren't exactly picky, but they just don't like fancy or sauced stuff much. The middle one (10) will eat lots of exotic things. While at DL, we had good success with splitting plates. And a couple of meals, we just had the server bring an extra plate for the youngest, and we gave her some of what the rest of us had, which suited her fine. Funnily enough, the older two wouldn't be seen dead ordering off the kids' menu-- even if they don't like much on the adult menu, and it's too much food for them. They're just too cool for those kid's menus.