Are they serious

[Nienor]

Duh, I should have known that!

How did I not recognize a person in the forum named Nynaeve who has a chef for a husband. And I was reading this thread earlier. lol


Unfortunately I have nothing to add as my son would eat chicken fingers and pizza for every meal including breakfast.

 

[Nynaeve]

You should have known right away!!

 

[bicker]

What restaurants do many of you normally go to???? Most of the regular places we have gone have very similar menus with chicken fingers, burgers, mac and cheese etc...

Le Cellier offers a 6oz Grilled Steak for children. Coral Reef offers children a grilled chicken breast (not nuggets). Chefs de France offers a fried fish plate for children. Rose and Crown has cottage pie, bangers and mash, fish and chips, and grilled chicken on their child menu. Teppanyaki offers a small stir fry with either chicken or shrimp. Nine Dragons offers sweet and sour chicken. San Angel Inn offers children either a burrito or an enchilada. Marrakesh offers couscous. Spoodles offers Grilled Strip Steak and Grilled Chicken. Flying fish offers fish and chips, grilled steak, chicken breast (again, not nuggets).

I'm pretty thoroughly shocked to see so many choices available for children.

 

[PoohHappens]

What restaurants do many of you normally go to???? Most of the regular places we have gone have very similar menus with chicken fingers, burgers, mac and cheese etc... .

I should clarify I meant when not at Disney

 

[starbox]

I actually think that the grilled chicken selection at the Sci Fi is one of the better TS kid's options. It's also one of the few that has a kid appetizer (fruit with yogurt dipping sauce or veggies and dip)

There were a number of restaurants that used to offer steak as an option - but other than the family-style places (Ohana and Whispering Canyon) the kid menus are limited to hot dog/hamburger/pb&j/grilled cheese/pizza/spagetti(maybe) and chicken (tenders/leg/grilled breast - depending on the restaurant). dessert is pretty much limited to vanilla ice cream with syrup.

 

[The Sweetness]

I am pretty sure the grilled chicken was part of the original complaint

 

[bicker]

From http://applebees.com/Menu_Kids.aspx

KID'S MENU ITEMS:
CHICKEN FINGERS*
CHEESEBURGER*
MACARONI & CHEESE
GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH*
OREO® COOKIE SHAKE
OREO® COOKIE SUNDAE
*Includes your choice of steamed broccoli, celery with ranch dressing, applesauce or fries.

Seems like Disney provides a lot more and better options.

Chili's is a little better, but still not as good as many of the WDW restaurants:

RIBS BASKET
GRILLED CHICKEN PLATTER
CHEESE PIZZA
LITTLE CHICKEN CRISPERS
LITTLE MOUTH BURGER®
LITTLE MOUTH CHEESEBURGER®
GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
CORN DOG
KRAFT® MACARONI & CHEESE
PEPPER PALS® PASTA
GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH

TGIFridays is similar to Chili's, again not as good as many WDW restaurants:

Mac & Cheese
Friday's® Bold-N-Juicy Burger
Cheese Pizza
Hot Dog
Grilled Cheese
Chicken Fingers
Spaghetti
Ribs

 

[bicker]

I am pretty sure the grilled chicken was part of the original complaint

Yeah, and that didn't make sense to me. That's a normal meal; not junk food -- uh -- "fun" food. It's healthy, nutritious, etc. If it were the only good option, then I'd agree that could get
monotonous, but as part of the greater array available for children at WDW (grilled steak, grilled chicken breast, fried fish plate, cottage pie, bangers and mash, fish and chips, stir fry with either chicken or shrimp, sweet and sour chicken, burrito, enchilada, couscous, etc.) it seems like one of many good choices.

 

[crisi]

Most of the restuarants we go to with kids offer very similar kids menus to the Disney ones - chicken fingers, pasta, grilled cheese. I find Disney kids meals to be on par with "real world" kids menus in like restaurants. I think where people have issues is where they don't string together "what would a week of dining at Friday's be like?" If you ate out every night for a week at home, chances are, you'd eat junk.

We do eat out at a lot of restaurants where they don't even offer kids meals - Thai, Chinese, Indian - or independant granola-y type restaurants where they look at you when you say "chicken finger" with horror.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I think they SHOULD be. Here are two reasons why.

1) A lot of restaurants like the above don't have tremendous choice, but I'm not being asked to eat there for 10 days straight. If WDW wants me to go off-site to eat, then that's fine. But I don't think they want me to leave, right? They want my food money as well as my park money.

2) At a lot of those restaurants, and many others, my family will order off the adult menu and my DD13 and DD10 will share a meal. Or it will be me sharing with my DS6. If I don't like the kids menu, I'm not going to order it. I'm not going to force my child to eat "fast food" items at a nice restaurant.

That's fine, it works. But not at WDW on the Dining plan. If my DS6 is there, he must choose off the kids menu, he has no choice like we do at those other restaurants.

Now, before anyone says, then the Dining plan isn't for you. You're right! We are only getting it this time because it is free, I don't think we will pay for it until my son is 10.

And before someone else says, "then stop complaining"........I'm not complaining. I don't think we are going to have ANY problems at WDW finding great things to eat and I'm VERY thankful to WDW for this promotion. We are going to have so much fun with it......it's going to be AWESOME!!

I just wanted to bring out the point that yes, some of WDW menues are better than some restaurants outside the world, but they should be. I can imagine it is a little frustrating for people who buy the plan and have kids that are great eaters like mine.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Most of the restuarants we go to with kids offer very similar kids menus to the Disney ones - chicken fingers, pasta, grilled cheese. I find Disney kids meals to be on par with "real world" kids menus in like restaurants. I think where people have issues is where they don't string together "what would a week of dining at Friday's be like?" If you ate out every night for a week at home, chances are, you'd eat junk.

crisi........we must have been typing that at the same time.

 

[ElizabethB]

I think Disney tries to have kids' menus that offer what kids like to eat. For years my nephew only liked grilled cheese or chicken nuggets. He was happy at WDW because he could get whichever he was in the mood for. The last time he went, he was 15. He still wanted chicken nuggets. He had no problem ordering off the kids' menu -- we simply ordered him two kid meals instead of one!

Our twin boys would eat mac & cheese for every meal if we let them.

If a 6-year-old looks over the menu and orders the $30 cedar plank salmon, that child is in the minority of children in my experience, and I question whether there's any parent on the planet that is going to buy a 6-year-old a $30 entree.

If your child is the rare 6-year-old that orders the cedar plank salmon and you know that, can't you buy the adult DDP for her instead of the child's DDP?

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I think Disney tries to have kids' menus that offer what kids like to eat. For years my nephew only liked grilled cheese or chicken nuggets. He was happy at WDW because he could get whichever he was in the mood for. The last time he went, he was 15. He still wanted chicken nuggets. He had no problem ordering off the kids' menu -- we simply ordered him two kid meals instead of one!

Our twin boys would eat mac & cheese for every meal if we let them.

If a 6-year-old looks over the menu and orders the $30 cedar plank salmon, that child is in the minority of children in my experience, and I question whether there's any parent on the planet that is going to buy a 6-year-old a $30 entree.

If your child is the rare 6-year-old that orders the cedar plank salmon and you know that, can't you buy the adult DDP for her instead of the child's DDP?

I don't think Disney lets you do that. You would have to lie about their age and then pay the extra price for the adult park ticket also(I do believe some are doing this very thing because they think it's worth it) , but I'm not into having to lie about my child's age.

It's funny you should mention salmon, our family had it twice this week.
I don't think I'm the only one who has children that like to eat healthy. And my kids LOVE mac and cheese, don't get me wrong. Even chicken tenders once in a while......but everyday?

Oh, and Tusker house has salmon for $7.99 and I've heard it's awesome. I can't wait to try it.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I am just sort of chiming in here......

I wonder what we did when our children were small and going to WDW.......I do not remember any children menus and our children ordered what we had...regular meals. Of course, when they were real little, you just ordered something small and fed them from your plate or brought baby food. I think it is great that Disney offers children's portions although I do agree they should be a little more health conscious.

 

[Lewisc]

Every park and resort area has at least one buffet restaurant that lets the kids eat the exact same menu items as an adult. Many of the TS restaurants have good children options.

The value of a snack ($3-$4) and a TS meal (almost any child character meal is around $15 with tax and tip) will more then exceed the $11 a child meal plan costs. You'll come out ahead even if you don't use any of the child CS credits and purchase adult CS meals for your child. Even then you can use the child CS for the drink, dessert and possibly fries.. Although not on the menu CS restaurants will let you delete the combo and just get the burger without the side.

I agree the plan doesn't work for everyone but the plan can work even if you have to pay OOP for parts of some CS meals.

I don't think Disney lets you do that. You would have to lie about their age and then pay the extra price for the adult park ticket also(I do believe some are doing this very thing because they think it's worth it) , but I'm not into having to lie about my child's age.

It's funny you should mention salmon, our family had it twice this week.
I don't think I'm the only one who has children that like to eat healthy. And my kids LOVE mac and cheese, don't get me wrong. Even chicken tenders once in a while......but everyday?

Oh, and Tusker house has salmon for $7.99 and I've heard it's awesome. I can't wait to try it.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Every park and resort area has at least one buffet restaurant that lets the kids eat the exact same menu items as an adult. Many of the TS restaurants have good children options.

The value of a snack ($3-$4) and a TS meal (almost any child character meal is around $15 with tax and tip) will more then exceed the $11 a child meal plan costs. You'll come out ahead even if you don't use any of the child CS credits and purchase adult CS meals for your child. Even then you can use the child CS for the drink, dessert and possibly fries.. Although not on the menu CS restaurants will let you delete the combo and just get the burger without the side.

LewisC........you are right. And I think the price of the child on the dining plan is MORE THAN FAIR. I mean, $10.99? I think my kids drink that much in bottled water alone!

And yes, we are doing 4 buffet TS meals for the reason in your post, so they can choose adult items. I'm not worried about the TS at all. I'm actually not too worried about the CS, I just have to stear clear of some of the places. I can't wait to try Seasons in The Land. That one sounds great! My DS would love the sweet and sour chicken.

And you know, I thought that I would never want to purchase the DDP until my son is 10, but you have a good point. Even if I paid for the adult CS, the plan would still pay for itself with the water(snack) and the TS. Good point.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I have never understood the big debates and disappoints over the DDP. To me, it is basically like getting your table service meal discounted and the CS and snack for free.
That's why I don't understand (as others point out) all the fanagling to get what is a good deal stretched out even more. It's one thing to be savvy. But I think the prices are very good to start with. And really there are few limitations.

 

[crisi]

I've never understood it either. Its a great deal for most people - but its going to be limited.

We are cruising this year and I'm excited to see what my eight year old does when allowed to order ANYTHING - he is more adventurous sometimes than most kids.....

 

[Nynaeve]

It is a great deal. We're really happy with all the choices we have. My concern is ordering my daughter something from the childs menu, and her not touching it. (The last time we went to a nice sit down resturant, we ordered her chicken fingers. She took 2 bites, then are only the celery sticks that came with it. We were staying in a hotel at the time, and throwing it away made me feel so guilty.) Or not using her TS credit, and wasting it. With seeing the menus online beforehand, we'll have a better idea, and can make the best plans for us.

But whatever happens with her meals, I know she'll still get plenty to eat, and we'll all have a wonderful time. And in the end, that's the best part of a vacation.

 

[The Sweetness]

With my baby now going on 17 months old, we have began ordering her a kids meal in TS places. This works out for us a couple of ways. First, this comes with a glass of milk for her which I wanted anyway, even if I hadnt ordered her a plate. Second, hers food is always out first, which is great since tots get antsy in the high- chair. Third, we can nibble on a few of her fries while shes enjoying her chicken or burger (her faves), she doesnt mind YET She also gets to try all of our food when they are ready, and it works out great for all of us. A kids meal comes in very handy when you are a family of share-ers. Even if the baby wasnt too hungry, we have never left a chicken finger on her plate