Why are the kids meals so bad?

[CerysG]

I have to say the one thing I hate about the dinning plan is the kids menus, there is no choice and the food for the most part isn't very good! We aren't planning on going until next August so I have lots of time to plan but I've been looking and menus and it's really hard to get some diversity in the meals for kids. I know a lot of people don't like the buffets but this seems one way around this issue. I'm not saying my youngest doesn't like pizza and bugers and chicken nuggest but if that is your only choice twice a day for a week even she get's tired of it. I can understand there are lots of kids out there that will only eat this kind of stuff but shouldn't there be some better choices so the kids who might like something else can get it. When we go back there will only be one of us who is under 10 so at least that is good and I think that most places give such big portions we should be able to share some adult food as well but its sad to think that kids now adays have such poor eating habits that this is what the only want to eat. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's looking at all the kids menues to try to find a good place to eat. So I guess my question is what suggestions can I get so my dd can at least have a few different choices of food.

 

[navywifetill2002]

What dining plan are you on?

 

[CerysG]

We'll do the one quick service one table service plan. I just don't see a lot of difference between the choices for either qs or ts, its all nuggets, bugers and pizza.

 

[prttynpnk]

I actually know people who's kids have eaten nothinG since they were weaned but nuggets and pizza. I believe these families helped shape the dining options. Unfortunately.

 

[catne]

Where are you eating? I'm thinking perhaps you need to expand to different restaurants... wdwinfo.com and allears.net both list menus at many restaurants. While chicken nuggets or chicken tenders are on most kids menus (because a lot of kids are NOT adventurous) virtually every restaurant I look at has other non-chicken nuggets meals kids can choose. I suppose there are a few places with totally limited menus for everyone that have very limited choices for kids, but looks to me like a child would deliberately have to choose chicken nuggets in order to eat nothing but nuggets, lol.

Epcot, for example... I'm looking at the kids menu for Les Chefs...sure there are chicken strips as one choice, but there's also pan-roasted flounder! San Angel Inn offers choice of 2 different kinds of tacos kids could choose OR chicken nuggets . For counter service, at Sunshine SEasons/The Land building,there's a huge selection of kids meals (but not chicken nuggets!) Choices there include pizza panini, fried chicken leg, ceasar salad w/chicken, sweet & sour chicken. Or for the non-adventurous, there's uncrustables peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

Here's another link, this one to the thread on this forum that lists all the restaurants & what's available for kids meals. As you can see from that list, if you're going to burger/chicken nuggets counter places, the kids meal will tend to be burgers or chicken nuggets. But there are many restaurants that are NOT burger places and the kids meals offer a lot more variety at those places.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2479727

 

[minnie mum]

I don't blame you for despairing over the child's options at a lot of the CS and some of the TS a la carte restaurants. Have you had a chance to look at the menu's over on allears.net? Some of the Epcot restaurants have better choices for kids IMO.

Given that you'll be on the DDP (so cost isn't a factor) then the buffets and family-style restaurants may offer you the best chance for the food you're looking for at TS restaurants.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I put this question up there with "what's the meaning of life?"

only this one is much more important....

the kids meals are downright embarassing....i actually think that mcdonalds, chick fila, any run of the mill pizza place would offer not only a healthier option than WDW...but taste a hell of a lot better as well.

the pizza is putrid...the "mickey ravioli" and "meaty marinara" are barely edible...and the chicken served is actually worse now than it ever has been...as the "breast nuggets" brought down the quality of the strips they used to serve...

it really is pathetic...and ironic considering CMB went up at a podim with Michelle Obama last week and announced a "no just food" initiative that disney is grabbing pr credit with....

their kids meals are beyond bad...

only at third party restaurants and the occasional signature that offer a kids fish or cut of steak with somekind of variety of sides are they even remotely passable.

my kids hate it...and they love junk food as much as the next...they just can't eat that poor of a quality of junk food.

i know disney thinks it moved mountains when they started giving out mass produced bags of imported grapes and carrot sticks....but they have a long way to go.

but the reason for "why" seems pretty clear: mass produced, mass purchased to lower the overhead...pretty simple.

Attention Walmart shoppers...

 

[Art 1]

Because of free dining. I can't wait for the day that Disney does away with it for good.

 

[waylandcook]

We have the one Cs and one table service plan coming up in September. My children are not big on junk food. So I made ADR's at buffets so they have more of a choice. And I will probably pay for their lunches some days so they dont have to eat nuggets and mac n cheese.

So far my ADR's are Beirgarten, Hollywood and Vine, Tusker House, and Whispering caynon Cafe.

 

[Sandi]

I have to say the one thing I hate about the dinning plan is the kids menus, there is no choice and the food for the most part isn't very good! We aren't planning on going until next August so I have lots of time to plan but I've been looking and menus and it's really hard to get some diversity in the meals for kids. I know a lot of people don't like the buffets but this seems one way around this issue. I'm not saying my youngest doesn't like pizza and bugers and chicken nuggest but if that is your only choice twice a day for a week even she get's tired of it. I can understand there are lots of kids out there that will only eat this kind of stuff but shouldn't there be some better choices so the kids who might like something else can get it. When we go back there will only be one of us who is under 10 so at least that is good and I think that most places give such big portions we should be able to share some adult food as well but its sad to think that kids now adays have such poor eating habits that this is what the only want to eat. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's looking at all the kids menues to try to find a good place to eat. So I guess my question is what suggestions can I get so my dd can at least have a few different choices of food.

Don't do the Dining Plan or upgrade your daughter to the adult plan. My DD has never liked so-called "kid's food," so we never get kids' menus for her at any restaurants -- WDW or any other world. The dining plan doesn't work for every family.

 

[minnie mum]

Just wanted to add a couple of things to my first post.

You really do have some healthier options when it comes to CS meals for kids. You just have to look a little harder. Granted the options are limited, but here are a few that I know of.

MK: CHH has a garden salad with chicken. Pecos Bill's has a turkey sandwich.

AK: Flame tree has a chicken drumstick meal

DHS: Backlot Express has an Unscrunchables sandwich. ABC Commisary has a Ham and Cheese wrap for lunch and a Turkey sandwich for dinner.

All of these come with 2 sides (veggie sticks, grapes) and beverage.

And as I said in my previous post, Epcot has quite a few good choices both at Sunshine Seasons and in the various CS spots in the pavilions.

Good luck and don't despair!

 

[LazyDaisy]

This bugs me too. It's fine if there was an unspoken generic option for picky eaters available at all restaurants. But I would assume that they could have "real" food available as well for the kids, just in smaller portions... Then again some of the adult sizes aren't exactly huge anymore either, so... Yeah.

I think the best bet is to get an appetizer or split an entree, but when you're on the plan even that's not always possible. So it kind of sucks. My kids WILL eat the kid menu food, often happily, but I would never feed them that sort of stuff at home. Maybe once every few months, but not 2x a day for a week or more.

 

[smitch425]

Just wanted to add a couple of things to my first post.

You really do have some healthier options when it comes to CS meals for kids. You just have to look a little harder. Granted the options are limited, but here are a few that I know of.

MK: CHH has a garden salad with chicken. Pecos Bill's has a turkey sandwich.

AK: Flame tree has a chicken drumstick meal

DHS: Backlot Express has an Unscrunchables sandwich. ABC Commisary has a Ham and Cheese wrap for lunch and a Turkey sandwich for dinner.

All of these come with 2 sides (veggie sticks, grapes) and beverage.

And as I said in my previous post, Epcot has quite a few good choices both at Sunshine Seasons and in the various CS spots in the pavilions.

Good luck and don't despair!

I completely agree. There are plenty of great options, you just have to do your research and know where you need to go to get the good stuff.

 

[TDC Nala]

Years ago Disney tried to offer healthy kids meals - grilled chicken instead of fried, vegetables, fruit or yogurt for dessert, pita pizza topped with chicken, no french fries. They pulled them after parental protests.

The menu at the new food court at Art of Animation seems to reflect some of that - but get it while they still offer it.

As long as the child's dining plan is so inexpensive, they will not be offering child portions of adult meals.

 

[emmamc252]

My experience of the kids meals in Disney regardless of the dining plan is that the options are appalling! I would NEVER allow my child to eat fried foods more than once a week let alone every day. The "healthy" options of monotonous carrot sticks or apple slices is a joke, everything's on white bread even the turkey sandwiches. We asked at several restaurants if we could have a child size portion of an adult entree and were not allowed, so we never saw a single salad option for children, very little fish and the quality was disgusting.
We were staying at akl and ate in the food court one evening. Dh ordered an adult chicken nugget meal and we ordered a kids one for my nephew. They use DIFFERENT nuggets for the kids ones! DH whilst far from health food did have "real" chicken in it -"and we're I'm a crispy batter type coating. My nephews were full of water and were so overly processed I doubt there was any actual chicken in them! Honestly McDonald's do better! I took them back and asked if we could please have the others for him, eerie server said the adult menu states "chicken breast nuggets" the kids is just chicken muggers so they're supposed to be different. After a few choice remarks from myself I spoke to the manager who swapped the nuggets for us but this attitude to children's health is horrible!
Having said that with experience I have learned how to eat "well" at Disney but its not easy and I'm sure I have a lot of servers especially at counter serbices rolling their eyes at me but oh well! My kids will not be fat and die of heart disease so roll those eyes as much as you like! I pick restaurants in each park and make sure we go places that will suit us. I also more than willing to ask for substitutions and cause a bit of a fuss if the server is not avcomodating.
We LOVE tepan edo! The only restaurant where children are mot fed totally differently from the adults . Luckily dd is under 3 so she will share with me. My nephew is 4 this time but we tend to order the kids stiff woth the wonderful apple slices but he will also share with us. We steal a nugget he has a piece of my sushi!
Maybe some kids do live on pizza and burgers but I do believe Disney should allow kids to have small portions of adult menu items if they prefer
I don't mean this to sound harsh because I do love my disneu holidays but it does make me sad when I see children as young as mine obese and say eating absolute crap covered in ketchup. I'm not saying Disney shouldn't offer that type of food, go ahead, but I do think they should be responsible enough to offer REAL healthy alternatives for parents who do care about their kids.
I always teach my kids that meals should have "colour" ie not be brown, there should be reds and greens and beetroot and peppers! Msune Disney should add some "color" to their menus!

 

[CerysG]

I have no doubt if you look very hard you will find some places that have some good and different choices for children but I think it would be great if this was the norm for all places. I try to take everyone in the family in consideration when picking places so that DH who is moving away from meat has fish and veggies to chose from and I have developed a food intolerance so I have to look as what I can eat etc. I'm sure we are like most families and the people have differnet tastes and likes and dislikes. We generally can find places that all of us like until I look at thoes kid meuns! I wouldn't mind so much if she had one qs meal that wastn' so good but at least had a better meal at the ts. I think having smaller adult choices should be an option along with the other stuff. Oh well I'm not going to change Disney and they are there to make money so will do what does that. But I didn't realize I could up grade her to an adult which might be a good option. Now a question I have would be if we went at a time we had free dinning can I pay the differnence and have her up graded to an adult? If so I think we may have to go that way. Or we will be doing lots of buffets though that usually makes everyone happy! I'll be pouring over the menues and making notes of places with more choices for everyone so we don't end up eating way to much fatty stuff. Not that we are ultra healthy eaters but we do try to have balance and keep the really fatty take out meals to only now and then (I can't remember the last time we ate at MacDonalds!....been years I would say). I'm sure I will work this all out but its helpful to have people point out some of the good places to try etc. Saddly North Americans really need to change their thinking on how we eat or we are going to contiue to see more illness realted to this life style. Oh well I'm keeping my fingers crossed for "Be Our Guest" and its menu as I so want to eat there next August!

 

[4orm]

Unfortunately, I think it's because that's what the majority of kids eat or think of as 'fun food'. Poor quality and devoid of proper nutrition. I do see that some offer fish with pilaf and the meals have gotten better over the years. At least they offer carrot and apples now...
All I know is when my daughter stops eating off my plate she'll be ordering real food off the adult menu and none of that junk. I would love to leave her at the Neverland Club one day but I just can't due to the poor food they serve the children.

 

[4orm]

Having said that with experience I have learned how to eat "well" at Disney but its not easy and I'm sure I have a lot of servers especially at counter serbices rolling their eyes at me but oh well! My kids will not be fat and die of heart disease so roll those eyes as much as you like! I pick restaurants in each park and make sure we go places that will suit us. I also more than willing to ask for substitutions and cause a bit of a fuss if the server is not avcomodating.
We LOVE tepan edo! The only restaurant where children are mot fed totally differently from the adults . Luckily dd is under 3 so she will share with me. My nephew is 4 this time but we tend to order the kids stiff woth the wonderful apple slices but he will also share with us. We steal a nugget he has a piece of my sushi!
Maybe some kids do live on pizza and burgers but I do believe Disney should allow kids to have small portions of adult menu items if they prefer
I don't mean this to sound harsh because I do love my disneu holidays but it does make me sad when I see children as young as mine obese and say eating absolute crap covered in ketchup. I'm not saying Disney shouldn't offer that type of food, go ahead, but I do think they should be responsible enough to offer REAL healthy alternatives for parents who do care about their kids.
I always teach my kids that meals should have "colour" ie not be brown, there should be reds and greens and beetroot and peppers! Msune Disney should add some "color" to their menus!

Here here! You said it!

 

[Jacksonev1]

My son (age 7) and I share an adult meal most of the time. There is so much food in an adult meal, that it is easy for us to share a meal.

With that said, I never purchase the dining plan.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We chose a number of buffets or family style meals because of this issue (plus it was a great bargain for my 2.75 year old chow hound ). I was surprised that there were "not on the menu" options like steak at a few places (Captain's Grille for one).

One thing I hated was Yak & Yeti didn't have any asian dishes on the kids menus.

There are things here and there (50s PT has fish or meatloaf, Epcot has some good choices)