Can I order from the Children's Menu for an 11yr old that I'm paying for as an Adult?

[mala55]

Hello. Just starting to plan a trip to Disney next year. My DD will be 11 yrs old. In the past we have always purchased the Dining Plan and she was considered a Child. Now that she is 11, she is considered an Adult according to Disney. The problem is that my DD is a very picky and limited eater. She will pretty much just eat chicken nuggets, fries and sometimes pizza. She will not eat items from an Adult menu.

I accept that I will be charged via the Dining Plan for her as an adult, but will she be allowed to order from Children's menus?

Also, I'm assuming if we passed on the Dining Plan this time and pay as we go, my DD still would not be able to order from Child's menu because of her age, right? This would be worse I guess because there would be no way for me to get her kids food at a table service restaurant.

Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Capang]

Anyone can order from the children's menu.

 

[sharonabe]

I accept that I will be charged via the Dining Plan for her as an adult, but will she be allowed to order from Children's menus?

Also, I'm assuming if we passed on the Dining Plan this time and pay as we go, my DD still would not be able to order from Child's menu because of her age, right? This would be worse I guess because there would be no way for me to get her kids food at a table service restaurant.

Off or on the plan, she can order off the children's menu. With the plan, there is a possibility they would give her an adult portion of what's on the kid's menu, but there are no guarantees. You would definitely be paying more for the plan than you will OOP if she's only going to order from the kid's menu. The only way you might break even/save some is if the majority of your meals are buffets. You could pay OOP for her kid's meal(s) and save her credits for all of you to do a signature or two...Hoop De Doo, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, or Spirit of Aloha might still fit her eating habits.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

You have a Dining Plan, so don't look at prices, everybody orders what they want and y'all all share it. Even if that's sometimes chicken nuggets! The servers are used to bringing extra plates, just ask

I think I turned all our TS meals into family-style meals because I have a somewhat picky eater. Somewhat picky in that, she won't eat mac & cheese, she wants sushi!!! So I'm going along ordering off the adult menus for her, ordering from the kids' menu for myself, and just plating a sampler for everyone at the table.

 

[sharonabe]

You have a Dining Plan, so don't look at prices, everybody orders what they want and y'all all share it. Even if that's sometimes chicken nuggets! The servers are used to bringing extra plates, just ask

I think I turned all our TS meals into family-style meals because I have a somewhat picky eater. Somewhat picky in that, she won't eat mac & cheese, she wants sushi!!! So I'm going along ordering off the adult menus for her, ordering from the kids' menu for myself, and just plating a sampler for everyone at the table.

But it sounds like you have an actual Disney child. It's one thing to say "don't look at the prices," but OP is paying $69 for a $10 kid's TS meal, probably a $6 kid's QS meal and two snacks. Still don't want to look at the prices?

 

[leebee]

Anyone can order from the kids menus at almost all the Disney restaurants. Surely this can happen at QS restaurants, and the only place we were ever told "no" was at San Angel Inn. If she's really only going to eat from the kids menus, I'd skip the dining plan. It'll be an enormous waste of money for you to pay for her to be on the dining plan!

 

[Kaytie]

The only way you might break even/save some is if the majority of your meals are buffets. You could pay OOP for her kid's meal(s) and save her credits

I think maybe you phrased that backwards? If they eat at buffets, (family style, aycte), an 11 year old is charged as an adult no matter how picky or how little is eaten. Or how they pay.

As stated above, all quick service and almost all standard table service locations will let anyone order from the children's menu.

 

[mala55]

Anyone can order from the children's menu.

So the restaurants won't question the age of a child? Am I understanding this right?

My DD is 10 now. Will be 11 when we go. She looks like 13.

 

[mala55]

Off or on the plan, she can order off the children's menu. With the plan, there is a possibility they would give her an adult portion of what's on the kid's menu, but there are no guarantees. You would definitely be paying more for the plan than you will OOP if she's only going to order from the kid's menu. The only way you might break even/save some is if the majority of your meals are buffets. You could pay OOP for her kid's meal(s) and save her credits for all of you to do a signature or two...Hoop De Doo, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, or Spirit of Aloha might still fit her eating habits.

Hmmm....I like the idea of paying for DD OOP and saving the credits for a dinner show. Thanks

 

[Capang]

So the restaurants won't question the age of a child? Am I understanding this right?

My DD is 10 now. Will be 11 when we go. She looks like 13.

They really don't care. It won't be a problem. At some restaurants they won't let you share, like at whispering Canyon they have this all you can eat dish and they will not let you share. But ordering from the kids menu is no problem. I've done it some at QS and my mom does it all the time at TS.

 

[mala55]

You have a Dining Plan, so don't look at prices, everybody orders what they want and y'all all share it. Even if that's sometimes chicken nuggets! The servers are used to bringing extra plates, just ask

I think I turned all our TS meals into family-style meals because I have a somewhat picky eater. Somewhat picky in that, she won't eat mac & cheese, she wants sushi!!! So I'm going along ordering off the adult menus for her, ordering from the kids' menu for myself, and just plating a sampler for everyone at the table.

 

[mala55]

Oh my, a sushi kid! It sounds like you have s good system there.

 

[mala55]

But it sounds like you have an actual Disney child. It's one thing to say "don't look at the prices," but OP is paying $69 for a $10 kid's TS meal, probably a $6 kid's QS meal and two snacks. Still don't want to look at the prices?

That's my thinking, too. I know we are on vacation and things are always expensive. I try not to nickel and dime, but the price difference is quite steep between Adult and Child. It's hard to ignore. Feels like a rip off. Iwish Disney had an in between option.

 

[mala55]

Anyone can order from the kids menus at almost all the Disney restaurants. Surely this can happen at QS restaurants, and the only place we were ever told "no" was at San Angel Inn. If she's really only going to eat from the kids menus, I'd skip the dining plan. It'll be an enormous waste of money for you to pay for her to be on the dining plan!

The more I'm thinking about it, OOP may be the way we go. Im certain she will not eat off the Adult menu. My only fear is that even paying OOP, they will say since she is older than 9, she must order off the Adult menu. We like to do one TS meal a day at places such as CRT, BOG, Rose and Crown...we all wouldn't be able to eat there if they denied her a Children's meal. Maybe I have to pay for the DDP for peace of mind even if it costs us an arm and a leg.

 

[sharonabe]

I think maybe you phrased that backwards? If they eat at buffets, (family style, aycte), an 11 year old is charged as an adult no matter how picky or how little is eaten. Or how they pay.

As stated above, all quick service and almost all standard table service locations will let anyone order from the children's menu.

No, I phrased it correctly. If most of their meals are buffet, they will come close to breaking even with the DDP as they are almost all over the $38 TS price point for adults to break even.

The more I'm thinking about it, OOP may be the way we go. Im certain she will not eat off the Adult menu. My only fear is that even paying OOP, they will say since she is older than 9, she must order off the Adult menu. We like to do one TS meal a day at places such as CRT, BOG, Rose and Crown...we all wouldn't be able to eat there if they denied her a Children's meal. Maybe I have to pay for the DDP for peace of mind even if it costs us an arm and a leg.

She'll be able to order kid's meals at just about any a la carte place. CRT, on the other hand, will charge her the adult price, but will probably still give her kid's menu food, if that is what she wants. But, like I said before, if the DDP gives you some peace of mind, pay OOP for her kid's meals and save credit to "pay" for CRT.

 

[amberpi]

They absolutely will not make her order anything. If she wants a child meal, fine. Same with appetizers. I rarely eat a full entree, literally, its been probably 15 trips in the last 5 years that I've eaten a counter service meal by myself, except for fish and chips...maybe. No one has ever questioned me about my orders, and I'm obviously not a child. For me, the plan would never, ever make sense...I've heard for children with small appetites it just doesn't make sense. I just don't like a plan telling me how to eat as it'd be foreign to my normal routine. However, if you want to do lots of signatures, you might be able to make it work...but you're still left having to think about credits - who wants that on vacation?

Regardless - have a wonderful trip! Hopefully your daughter's pallet will start to expand now that she's getting older

 

[purple figment]

The more I'm thinking about it, OOP may be the way we go. Im certain she will not eat off the Adult menu. My only fear is that even paying OOP, they will say since she is older than 9, she must order off the Adult menu. We like to do one TS meal a day at places such as CRT, BOG, Rose and Crown...we all wouldn't be able to eat there if they denied her a Children's meal. Maybe I have to pay for the DDP for peace of mind even if it costs us an arm and a leg.

At counter service restaurants you will have absolutely no problem ordering from the children's menu because often only one person is at the counter ordering for the whole family so the castmembers don't know the makeup of your family.

At pretty much every table service restaurant where you order from a menu you will be able to order her meal from the children's menu. Once in a while someone will post that it wasn't allowed, usually at a non-Disney owned venue like San Angel as mentioned by a poster upthread, but even this is very rare and probably depends on the server because others have had no problem at San Angel.

The places where you will have to pay for her at the adult price regardless of what she orders are those based on age. These include buffets (e.g. Tusker House, Biergarten), all you care to eat family style venues (e.g. 'Ohana, Garden Grill), dinner shows (Hoop De Doo, Spirit of Aloha Luau, Mickey's Backyard Barbecue), fixed price meals (e.g. CRT, Akershus), Dining Packages (e.g. Fantasmic!, ROL), dessert parties (e.g. MK, IllumiNations, Star Wars), special events (e.g. Dine with an Imagineer or Animal Specialist, F&W special events), and the Family Platter at Whispering Canyon Cafe. At many of these, if she doesn't like the adult or pre-plated options she can choose from the children's options or ask about kid friendly choices not on the menu, but she will still be charged the adult price.

 

[thepicklebee]

The more I'm thinking about it, OOP may be the way we go. Im certain she will not eat off the Adult menu. My only fear is that even paying OOP, they will say since she is older than 9, she must order off the Adult menu. We like to do one TS meal a day at places such as CRT, BOG, Rose and Crown...we all wouldn't be able to eat there if they denied her a Children's meal. Maybe I have to pay for the DDP for peace of mind even if it costs us an arm and a leg.

You would be charged an adult price for her at CRT because you pre-pay for that in advance, but the others will be fine to order Kids meals regardless of age. As previous posters have said, restaurants at Disney happily serve anyone who orders it a meal off the kids menu in almost every situation. I always order the kids shrimp at the BOG lunch and I'm a 36 year old woman!

Having her on the DDP would be a huge waste of money for you, IMHO.

 

[TiffanyA]

My mother has an AP - she goes multiple times a year and has never done the dining plan. 75% of the time, my mom will order the kids meal. They've never blinked an eye as far as I know. Don't worry.

 

[Nancyg56]

But it sounds like you have an actual Disney child. It's one thing to say "don't look at the prices," but OP is paying $69 for a $10 kid's TS meal, probably a $6 kid's QS meal and two snacks. Still don't want to look at the prices?

I look at prices. If I have the DDP that means I will order a more expensive steak entree if that is what I wanted, and refuse to worry if I wanted the chicken or pasta that was less, but if I know that the kids are going to be ordering nuggets or Mickey Mac and cheese, but I just paid 70 bucks for it, I would cringe.

That's my thinking, too. I know we are on vacation and things are always expensive. I try not to nickel and dime, but the price difference is quite steep between Adult and Child. It's hard to ignore. Feels like a rip off. Iwish Disney had an in between option.

I always suggest that folks do a little math and then decide what will work for them. Plan the meals you want for your family, and then cost them out. If I am close to teh DDP price I will choose it because I know my family, the snacks will boost my savings. They are going to get them. I won't pay DDP adult price if most meals will result in a loss. I have chosen to pay OOP for my "adult" DGD when she wanted a kids meal, and saved the credit for later in the trip.