When kids don't eat

[fanofdisney]

My son was 4 last year when we went, but he's still a very picky eater. He's just not open to trying new things, which isn't unusual for pre-schoolers. I just hate to pay for these buffets and character meals when he eats so little. We went to breakfastosaurus last year, and paid whatever it was for him to have a few slices of bacon and some grapes. I would really like to try Liberty Tavern next year, but he'd be happy with nothing but a bowl of macaroni. It costs so much when that's all they eat. Anyone else in this situation?

 

[DVCLiz]

No, my girls were always pretty good eaters, so I felt I got my money's worth, but I've had other types of situations like that before. You'll just have to look at it from another perspective. It's like going to the casino when I visit my brother in New Orleans. I budget a certain amount of "entertainment money" and that's what I use to play the slots. I don't expect to have any of it when I leave the building (and I usually don't!) If you can look at it as an "entertainment" cost instead of a straight food cost, it might help. How much would you be willing to pay for your son to meet with and look at those characters for that amount of time? With some snacking thrown in? I always made those reservations knowing that it was mostly about the character experience, not the food.

It IS expensive, though, so you'll have to decide where you draw your personal line!!!! The characters are also avaialble other places for free if you decide not to go!!

 

[disneymom3]

I agree with the PP. If I thought my kids were going to eat $10 or more worth of food, I would be sorely disappointed everytime I took them to a character meal. You have to decide how well the experience itself meets your needs and what you want your child to get out of it. Personally it seems to me that my kids never spend more time with the characters at a character meal than they do at a character greeting. I am not a very fun mom though as I hate to wait in line to meet the characters so to me, spending a breakfast time and covering Minnie and Mickey and then some others is a good use of time.

The only characters that I have ever really felt we had genuine interaction with was the ones from Pooh, both at the Crystal Palace and long ago at Artist Point. Maybe we just don't have the right touch.

 

[3littleHalls]

I have a very picky eater too. I know your battles! Character meals are more for visiting with the characters than the food for kids. So, if it is a money issue...skip them. You can see the characters other places. We did the dining plan this trip and it worked very well for us. Generally there would be one thing on the buffets she would eat, or if we did a regular table service, they would bring her what she requested. Which is a peanut butter sandwich with no jelly. She basically shared what ever she didn't eat with the 1yr old who will eat.

 

[all4fun]

Character meals are more for visiting with the characters than the food for kids. So, if it is a money issue...skip them. You can see the characters other places.

I agree with this. Now my ds isn't yet three so we haven't had to pay for his buffet meals yet at WDW but he does have oral aversion issues that we are still working on and is what I consider "beyond picky" when it comes to eating so I strongly suspect that even after he's 3-4 yrs old we're still going to be dealing with picky eating issues, so I feel your pain!

 

[NotUrsula]

If you want to do a buffet for the food, send jr. to a kids' club. As long as you eat fairly quickly, you won't pay more for it, and you will have a much more enjoyable meal yourselves.

If you are doing it for characters, you can either just deal with the fact that eating with characters is pricey, or you can feed jr. elsewhere (ahead of time) and just pay the "entertainment fee" at the character meal. At most of the character meals, the fee for non-eaters is under $10.

Honestly, not doing character meals at all is not really all that big a loss, unless you are dealing with a princess-obsessed child.

 

[Stephres]

We didn't enter the park without one or two pb&j sandwiches for our picky eater. We never ordered her food at regular restaurants but did do some character meals where we figured we were paying for the experience as well as the food (eaten or not).

 

[lauritagoddess]

I've actually looked at the other way, I've booked us at 4 buffets hoping with my picky eater that there at least has to be a couple of things he'll eat. And we get to meet the characters too, so I'm hoping for a win-win situation. We're using the dining plan and the cost for him for the whole day alone covers the buffet cost and then we're still entitled to a counter service meal and a snack so if he doesn't eat much at the buffet (and he happens to be in a ravenous mood lately - he's picky but will eat a ton of what he likes) I can still feed him later and it won't cost me anything.

 

[Desnik]

Well, being a picky eater myself I know what you are talking about!!LOL Now both my kids are just as picky as me and eat like birds! So, I just look at it as we are on vacation and when at a buffet we are paying for the entertainment, as well as food. We usually do better at buffets because of all the options and they get to see the food before desiding what they will eat. When we are at regular TS places I usually order 1 kids meal for my 2 kids to share. It's usually enough for them both. We still try different places to give into DH! But, my kids are usually fine with the kids menus and so am I! I sometimes eat alot of kids meals at WDW!!!

 

[ESN]

My kids are not big eaters - I would never get the dining package for this reason. It would be a huge waste of money. I try to make sure they eat a decent breakfast before we hit the parks - and I bring a few snacks (goldfish,etc)

 

[themudd4]

My kids are not big eaters - I would never get the dining package for this reason. It would be a huge waste of money. I try to make sure they eat a decent breakfast before we hit the parks - and I bring a few snacks (goldfish,etc)

See I disagree...I think that if your child is a picky eater that is the best reason to go with the Dining option. Think about it...your paying roughly $10-$12 a day (assuming under age 9). That includes 1 TS, 1 CS, and 1 snack. That is about what you would spend for just one TS buffet. That even includes Tax and tip. Even if your child only eats a few bites at one meal, he may eat more at another and your not paying anymore for it. Also for us, it is not just about the amount of food they eat. I would pay the $10 or so dollars just to see my kids so happy that Mickey, Donald, Goofy, whoever came to see them!

 

[robinb]

Yes. My DD is a very picky eater. I consider the cost of character buffets to be the cost of entertainment. The only non-character buffet we go to is Boma and my DD eats tons of fresh fruit there.

 

[dixipixi]

When my son was 4, I didn't mind paying for the character meals because he had so much fun (and it beat standing in lines in the heat to see characters).

This year he'll be 13 and doesn't care for the characters so I try to plan meals around places that have things I know he likes. He's not very picky, just doesn't eat a lot. He likes buffets because he can pick and choose. I've seen him eat 3 plates of mac and cheese. Nothing else...just that.

It's worth it to me to sit down and rest for a little while. That often justifies the price of the meal. If he wants nothing but mac n cheese or chicken nuggets...he can have at it.

I spend all year cooking at home and trying to make him eat good meals, so when I'm on vacation...I just let him eat what he wants.

 

[Schmeck]

If you want to do a buffet for the food, send jr. to a kids' club. As long as you eat fairly quickly, you won't pay more for it, and you will have a much more enjoyable meal yourselves.

If you are doing it for characters, you can either just deal with the fact that eating with characters is pricey, or you can feed jr. elsewhere (ahead of time) and just pay the "entertainment fee" at the character meal. At most of the character meals, the fee for non-eaters is under $10.

Honestly, not doing character meals at all is not really all that big a loss, unless you are dealing with a princess-obsessed child.

I know that WDW has offered the 'Entertainment Fee' deal for special circumstances where guests were unable (ie tube fed, etc) to eat from the buffet, but will they do that for a family who just says 'oh, my kid already ate...'?

 

[Yvette Q.O.D.]

We went to Disneyland when my youngest DD was 5. Her diet for the entire week consisted of very few things. Strawberries, bacon, chicken nuggets, french fries, green beans, sometimes corn and ice cream. Every day it was a combination of some of the above for every meal. I figured she got a fruit twice a day and a veggi twice a day too. We did one buffett at the DL Hotel. It was the best buffett I've ever been to. She had all the bacon, stawberries and chicken nuggets she could eat for breakfast. Yes breakfast, there was so much food and varieties. I hear that the breakfast buffett at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary is the same.

Good Luck
Yvette