Yet another Jello Response

[JimMIA]

Regarding #2 I guess my view is that if the DDP doesn't work for you then don't get it.

Yeah...plus the fact that the potentially civilization-ending jello crisis ( ) has absolutely NOTHING to do with DDP.

Some people here have issues with the food choices for kids...and those are legitimate issues and legitimate topics to discuss. But they have nothing to do with how the meal is paid for -- which is what DDP is.

This entire discussion is irrelevent to DDP...yet again.

 

[bayoutinksmom]

Anyone CAN "follow along", but I have 2 problems with that.

#1 Who is Disney to offer something I consider dangerous to my child as the only option. We do not use artifical sweetners in my house. If someone wants soda there is a choice at WDW diet & regular, but there is no choice of regular & sugar-free jello.

#2 I am being charged for something I am not getting, & to me that is a waste of $. They do not only serve 1 entre, but a choice, not just 1 beverage but a choice, all we are asking for is a choice - & a healthy one at that. If I am paying for the DDP for 8 days it adds up.

1. Disney is not intentionally trying to harm your child. Maybe I feel sugar is potential dangerous to my child so guess what I keep her form it. You statement is absurd and Disney is not just there to please your family.
note--- I do not feel that way about sugar and I do not allow my daughter to have sugar substitutes just trying to make a point---

2. It is 10 cent cups of jell-o seriously get over throwing 10 cents away. I am sure you like most Americans including myself waste more than that. Why do you do the DDP if you do not agree with the choices fro children. Like I said before it may not work for you but it does the masses and well that is who they are aiming to please.

 

[Susan555]

1. Disney is not intentionally trying to harm your child. Maybe I feel sugar is potential dangerous to my child so guess what I keep her form it. You statement is absurd and Disney is not just there to please your family.
note--- I do not feel that way about sugar and I do not allow my daughter to have sugar substitutes just trying to make a point---

I'd also like to point out that there are MANY, MANY parents out there who DO keep most sugar from their kids, yet allow limited amounts of artificial sweetener. Every single one of my kids' friends are allowed to drink Diet drinks and to eat items containing Splenda. Some of them are on restricted sugar diets, and some are not. As more and more information comes out about the dangers of sugar, and more importantly, high fructose corn syrup, people need to start looking at that more seriously and realizing Disney is making these changes so as not to contribute to the pretty much universal health risks of consuming high fructose corn syrup. Nutrasweet or Splenda might be harmful in huge doses, and are harmful to people who are allergic - but high fructose corn syrup is harmful in ANY amount.

 

[bayoutinksmom]

I'd also like to point out that there are MANY, MANY parents out there who DO keep most sugar from their kids, yet allow limited amounts of artificial sweetener. Every single one of my kids' friends are allowed to drink Diet drinks and to eat items containing Splenda. Some of them are on restricted sugar diets, and some are not. As more and more information comes out about the dangers of sugar, and more importantly, high fructose corn syrup, people need to start looking at that more seriously and realizing Disney is making these changes so as not to contribute to the pretty much universal health risks of consuming high fructose corn syrup. Nutrasweet or Splenda might be harmful in huge doses, and are harmful to people who are allergic - but high fructose corn syrup is harmful in ANY amount.

Let me clarify myself I do not let my daughter eat tons of sugar either. I do not allow the sugar substitutes because I do not feel that there is enough information about them in order for me to decide weather it is good for her or not. I however live on diet coke and artificial sweetness. My daughter is allowed one sugary snack a day and only gets soda if we are out. She is a weird eater though ex. Hates potatoes and fires and loves salad, asparagus and Brussels sprouts.

 

[skater]

Personally, whether we pay for the DDP or get it for free, I will most likely purchase desert (or share) for my two children. Part of the fun of Disney is splurging and all 3 of our kids look forward to deserts at WDW. At home we try to be healthy, but WDW is such a fantasy for our family. There is NO WAY I am limiting deserts there. I don't expect Disney to offer the chocolate wave to children whose parents pay $10.99 a day, but something a little special would be nice. A small dish of ice cream with a couple sprinkles maybe? Last year my DS was not allowed ice cream at Teppanyaki and the server seemed almost gleeful about it. It was no problem for me to give him my desert, but it did seem a little un-magical. A little off-topic, but it also seems un-magical to not let a child order a burger at Pecos Bills or pizza at ? (It seems like there's a pizza joint somewhere out there that won't allow children to order it on the DP). Yes, I can order them what they want OOP (and its really not going to ruin my trip one bit, no sirree!) - it just seems illogical and sometimes mean spirited. We can easily make this DP work for us free or not, but I do think there's a few tiny problems with it.

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

Don't really have a dog (or kid) in this fight as my DS is now 14 and I have the gray hair to prove it!!!

But a couple of things that I thought since it does seem like yesterday since he was that cute little 4 year old enjoying his first trip to Disney.

Ok. reality. Back to it! There was a time that due to medical issues we did not EVER allow him a desert or sugary snack. However, I did make an allowance on vacation because that was the time I enjoyed spoiling him a little. (He isn't diabetic but has HF autism, Tourette's and a few other problems so one of his meds caused horrific weight gain. Just wanted to clarify that I wasn't putting his life in immediate danger by relaxing the rules on vacation. However, we caught it in time and he is a handsome and healthy kid if I do say so myself. I guess I did say it. ) But because we knew that other places would allow him the occasional treat we never could. So on vacation we could lighten up and allow him a fun desert. We were on DCL so he could choose. He loved choosing from the adult menu for dessert and took his time weighing the pros and cons of each choice. (He tried to con us into letting him have two....Uh nice try slick but NO!)

I guess I get a vacation from my neverending diet on vacation and I'm not hypocritical enough to impose a rule on my son that I don't follow.

I just don't see why they can't offer sugar-free jello , apple sauce (I'd take the jello over that. Never have been able to stand the texture!), fruit or a cookie.

Of course it cracks me up that we can have a discussion about a dessert that may or may not happen months in advance. I love Disney obsessive compulsive types. I proudly claim you as my kind of people!!!

 

[skater]

ITA about disney obsessive compulsive types! They're so few and far between in my area. Who else but disers peruse menus and discuss best and worst appetizers for each disney restaurant? I don't know what I'd do without these boards!

 

[msdis]

I don't have any kids but gosh how fair is that for anyone of any age to be limited to something while they have to watch someone else eat something they would rather have. There should be "good" choices and smaller versions of what the big kids get.

 

[Rustysmom]

I wish they would offer a small cup of ice cream. I won't let my DD eat the jello with artificial sweeteners and she doesn't like applesauce. My DS is 11 so he'll get an adult dessert and I'm sure we'll all share with her, but why should she have to eat yucky jello or applesauce when we're eating cake? I'm sure a couple of cookies wouldn't cost them a lot to offer. They should offer a few different choices, a couple healthy and a couple not quite as healthy.

 

[La2kw]

Two choices is double what a lot of folks have been told to expect up until now, and I think it is reasonable, given how inexpensive the child meals are, though surely not ideal for everyone.

I agree about the kid meals being inexpensive. No one is forcing the kids to eat jello, but for $3.99 (for most meals) what can we expect? We can always buy a different dessert if jello or applesauce is not acceptable. I'm just glad the kid's meals are still as cheap as they are. I wish they had these healthier meals when my kids were younger.

 

[La2kw]

Jello is not a healthy choice. I think that they should be served it at their meeting and every day for the next 12 days (which is what I'm worried my son will be forced to do), then they may have an idea why people are upset.

Jello's not a healthy choice, but chocolate cake or cookies are?
I didn't realize Disney was forcing jello down the throats of children.

 

[bicker]

Those are good point, La2kw. I agree that sugar is worse for children (and adults) than most artificial sweeteners, but I think aspartame is a little less so. If the artificial sweetener in Jell-o was saccharine or sucralose, I think people would have reason to be much more satisfied with sugar-free Jell-o as the only choice for this incredibly affordable meal option.

As it is, and as one member has repeated several times , it sounds like they are addressing this concern, by adding apple sauce as a choice.

 

[kaytieeldr]

A random check (of, okay, every in-park table service menu and some counter service menus) showed ice cream available on the kids' menu at EVERY table service restaurant, and NO ice cream available on the adult counter service menus. In addition, most CS menus offer a 'choice' of two, maybe three, desserts for adults. Oh - and no Jell-O at any table service facility, although I didn't check buffets.
In addition to that - the standard price for a child's CS meal is $3.99, the standard price of a child's TS meal is $7.49, figure the average snack (and remember, most CS places will let you pay for an adult dessert with a snack credit) is $3.00,,, and dessert costs EXTRA, it's not included with the price of the entree... the cost of the DDP is $10.99 per child per night. Plan users are already ahead of the game, since the above food prices don't include tax (and tip, where appropriate) - that's another $2+

 

[akalittleeva]

Not even sure why I'm responding here, because next time we go, my youngest will be considered an adult (thank heavens!), but another thought on this is that both jello and applesauce for dessert may appeal to the younger kids in the 3 - 9 age range, but to an 8 year old, nothing to get real excited over - I usually just shared or gave her my dessert while we were there. Nutrition aside (it is dessert on vacation after all), I think ice cream or a cookie would be a nice choice to add - especially a cookie - you could take it with you for later, and it doesn't have to be supersized - just a cookie. And yes the child's DDP is a great price, but does that mean WDW can forget about the kids choices. On the DDP, WDW has a captive audience for dining - even if all they offered was ice cream for dessert everywhere to kids, they would soon get tired of that after a couple days - a choice would definitely be nice. Also, I thought that applesauce was considered a side choice on a lot of counter services already - I could be wrong, but if so, that doesn't really give more choice at all, just rearranging what is already offered.

 

[bicker]

... both jello and applesauce for dessert may appeal to the younger kids in the 3 - 9 age range, but to an 8 year old, nothing to get real excited over

Definitely. They had to draw the line somewhere, and whenever there is a boundary like that, folks on either side of boundary will find the option difficult to swallow, pardon the pun. I think parents of folks in the upper end of the young child range have it easy: All they have to do is selective supplementation of what is already included. Folks on the lower end of the standard range have it harder: They have to swallow the higher cost, even though they don't necessarily need the standard options yet. Either way, it's a natural outgrown of having to draw the line somewhere.

 

[WDWfor5]

As someone who sent an email complaining about the sugar free jello, I have to say that adding applesauce (assuming it doesn't contain artificial sweeteners) addresses the problem for me. That doesn't mean I like it - I'd turn down both options or throw them out. Not one of my 3 children would touch applesauce and I won't allow them to eat the sugar free jello - my DS's pediatrician would be livid if I gave my 38 lb. 6 year old a sugar free or lowfat anything

But - that's my problem not Disney's. I've already told my DS (almost 6) when he overheard me and DH discussing the jello issue that he can have my cake. Maybe disney is doing me a favor - less calories for me I still think the choices are lousy but if you're not using DDP then it's irrevelant as an adult combo meal doesn't include dessert or a drink and so whatever dssert Disney offers with the kids meal is a plus as long as it isn't just a diet food dessert. If you are on the DDP - then use a snack or share your dessert and don't worry about it - there is already too many dessert on the DDP. I'm the biggest chocolate lover on the planet and by then end of the week I was giving away my CS dessert to random people in line as I just couldn't eat any more cake with lunch.

As for the idea that it's vacation so kids can splurge - I agree wholeheartedly. BUT - the food is already a splurge - snacks, dessert every night with dinner, Mickey Bars, etc. So if your family gets less desserts at the CS meal to share it will be okay. It's still Disney afterall and as long as you know what it is going in, you can plan accordingly. So if everyone in your family need stheir own dessert - budget for it. The DDP wasn't intended to eliminate OOP spending on food and since they made the snack options so unlimited, it's a much better deal anyway IMHO.

Anyway, sorry this got son long - I apparently feel strongly about the CS dessert issue

 

[WDWfor5]

Those are good point, La2kw. I agree that sugar is worse for children (and adults) than most artificial sweeteners, but I think aspartame is a little less so. If the artificial sweetener in Jell-o was saccharine or sucralose, I think people would have reason to be much more satisfied with sugar-free Jell-o as the only choice for this incredibly affordable meal option.

As it is, and as one member has repeated several times , it sounds like they are addressing this concern, by adding apple sauce as a choice.

Not to argue the point since I agree that the addtition of applesauce addresses the issue, but no I wouldn't be okay with serving my children jello with saccharine or sucralose in it. Healthy, normal weight children do not artificial sweeteners of any kind and new research is linking artificlal sweeteners to obesity.

For now - I'll feed my children old fashioned coookies and cake occasionally instead of diet junk designed for adults with a weight problem. As long as Disney offers an appropriate choice for children I'm fine.

 

[karibritt01]

We went last June, when the kids could still pick the sugar-free brownie (GROSS! ) or whatever else they wanted. They hardly ever touched their dessert. We usually picked the applesauce, and threw it into the backpack for later. When the kids were ready for a snack later, we let them use a snack credit to pick something. We brought home about a dozen applesauces! They loved eating their Mickey applesauce for weeks after the trip!

 

[bicker]

new research is linking artificlal sweeteners to obesity.

Lots of research already links sugar to obesity.

 

[TDC Nala]

I am not sure why others cannot follow along with your idea. This is exactly what I would do.

I suppose they feel like they're getting ripped off, paying for a dining plan that includes dessert and then only being offered one dessert for the kids...and either the kids don't like that dessert or the parents prefer that they don't have artificially sweetened food.