When did a 10 yr old become an adult for dining purposes?

[mom2boys]

It was 12 in 2000 when we took the nieces & nephews. I just got back into the actual trip planning forums since we are hoping for a Dec 2006 or Dec 2007 trip & discovered that my 11 & 12 yr old will be dining as adults. OK for the younger one but the older will only order grilled cheese or mac cheese.

Edited to correct title from age 9 to 10.

 

[mom23boys]

It was 12 in 2000 when we took the nieces & nephews. I just got back into the actual trip planning forums since we are hoping for a Dec 2006 or Dec 2007 trip & discovered that my 11 & 12 yr old will be dining as adults. OK for the younger one but the older will only order grilled cheese or mac cheese.

I beleived they changed it July 1, 2005. We went in August 2005 and my child was 11 yo. He was able to order off of the children's menu at alot of the sit down resturants. We did pay adult price for buffets. I was upset at first but nothing we could do. I had my plans made so we went with it.

 

[bicker]

I recently saw it worded differently (in some information about the Disney Dining Plan on the Mouse Savers website), perhaps an acknowledgement of the question on the part of folks like the OP: There are three classifications: Children (age 3-9), Juniors (at 10-17) and Adults. Juniors and Adults pay the same price. There is a discount for Children.

 

[slp87]

I was upset too when this first happened. DD will be 11 on our March trip and we were going to go all out on buffets. Well, she is the pickiest eater and I cannot see paying $20 + for her to eat now that she's an adult. We definitely cut back on our buffets/family style meals.

 

[LiteBrite]

9 year olds are not adults on the dining plan. Ages 3-9 are children, and 10 and up are adults.

 

[Wendy1953]

I eat less then most people my age and younger....but where can Disney draw the line???? It is a business, and my guess is they took the majority into question, and most people in the 9+ age grouping can eat them out of "mouse house" and home....so that's why the age limit is there. If you're on the dining plan...no way around the age grouping....if you'e not...try and ask if you can get the children's menu for your picky eater...they may just charge the children's price!

 

[bicker]

It's not even a matter of how much folks eat. The cost of the actual food ingredients is pretty inconsequential in terms of the cost of running a restaurant. Rather, offering discounted prices for children is a promotional tool used to help families with young children get over the hump of paying for restaurant meals for them. The need for such promotional prices ends when a good number of families would pay full price.

 

[TinkHappy]

I really think Disney is making a big mistake here. My 11 yo is NOT an adult! Because of the new rule we are not doing as many buffet style/Character breakfasts.
I really can't believe Disney continues to do stuff like this. I understand "it's a business" and the need to make $$, but really 11?

 

[bicker]

We can rest assured they're monitoring the situation closely, watching how the change affects their revenues. While there is little chance they'll reconsider the change in age, they may decided to introduce a junior rate, say $5 less than the adult rate (just guessing), if they see the change really beginning to negatively impact revenues, overall. However, if guests continue to patronize the dining options in such high numbers, then there probably won't be any further adjustments for a while.

 

[swilphil]

This should only affect families who buy the dining plan and those who attend buffets. It's widely accepted at Disney restaurants to allow anyone, including adults, to order off the kids' menu.

 

[bicker]

True, though in some cases, adults ordering of the children's menu are charged an adult price.

 

[DVCajun]

Juniors (at 10-17) and Adults. Juniors and Adults pay the same price.

It seems rather pointless to have a junior classification if the bottom line is the same as the adult's.

 

[bicker]

I wouldn't say "pointless" -- people really seem to have gotten stuck on the idea the Disney is "considering" their pre-teens and teens to be "adults". Calling them juniors makes it clear that Disney respects the parent's perspective that they're not adults, while pricing the offering the same for adults and juniors reflects the basic principles of value-based pricing.

 

[laura001]

We have run into the same problem, in 2000 we were there and my DD was 9, she was able to order off of the children's menu, but we had my DMIL with us and she eats like a bird, so what we did quite often was order an adult meal that they could agree upon and split it with two plates. It worked out quite well.

This past year my DD was 13 and had to order from the adult menu. She eats very little so quite often we ordered an appetizer and shared our meals with her. She did NOT want to order a whole meal for herself (we wouldn't have minded). I think that she felt as if she would have had to eat it all or have been wasting the food. Our first meal this year was at Morocco and when faced with the menu she almost burst into tears, that is when we decided to try to work around it the way we did.

 

[mom2boys]

Please don't turn this into a debate. It wasn't meant to be one.

I missed that policy change. Last time we were there my niece was 12 - considered an adult - ate like a bird. Her brother was 11 and ate like the football player he is.
My boys are already 10 & soon to be 12 so whether a child is 9 or 10 doesn't affect us. They are both adults for dining purposes. I will pay it and as others have said, probably cut back on a Disney buffet or two if need be. My guys still love the character meals which are usually buffet. I am still weighing (ie:trying to decifer) the new dining plan.
I've not seen the Junior classification mean anything other than on room ressies. Disney hasn't started charging for kids who share a room with paying adults. Disney does charge extra for rooms if there are more than two adults in the room. I know that Juniors have always paid full park admission.
Mom23boys, thanks for the time frame. I haven't been paying attention to dining & theme park startegies for the past year since we weren't planning a trip.

 

[bicker]

I know that Juniors have always paid full park admission.

Good point. I believe I remember reading that this was one motivation for changing the ages, so that the age ranges for admission and dining would match.

 

[Lewisc]

Juniors pay the adult price for theme park tickets and meals but aren't charged the extra adult charge for more than 2 adults in a resort room.

Restaurants offer child pricing for goodwill and to encourage families. The actual food savings is generally far less than the discount being offered. Given the popularity of the restaurants and the popularity of the meal plan Disney doesn't need as much discounting to fill seats. It doesn't really make sense to charge an 11 year old an adult price for the meal plan but child pricing at the restaurants. Disney decided to use the same age for tickets and meal plan so it was inevitable that the restuarants would follow.

 

[DreaminDisney]

When did a 9 yr old become an adult for dining purposes?

Maybe you should change title. A 9 year old is not an adult for dining purposes. My DS will be 9 upcoming trip and he's considered a child.

 

[mom2boys]

Maybe you should change title. A 9 year old is not an adult for dining purposes. My DS will be 9 upcoming trip and he's considered a child.

DOne. Sorry if I worried you for nothing.

 

[nbodyhome]

The rules changed a couple of months ago - I expect to make up some for some lost revenue on the dining plan (like upping prices more, etc.)

I often eat childs meals at the food courts - and sometimes just appetizers at sit-downs, because normal portions are often too much for me at one sitting.

Denise