Table Service meals for kids - question

[covergirl82]

DS will be 10 when we go on our next trip.  According to the website, kids meals are only available for kids ages 9 and under (which I think is a little young to cap it at 9).  Would DS even have the option at all to order off the kids menu at table service (TS) restaurants if there is nothing on the adult menu he likes?  He still very much eats "kid food" (e.g., mac & cheese, hamburgers, chicken nuggets) when we go out to eat, and I don't see it changing significantly in the next 8 months.

[mainelyfoolish]

Not a problem. The real enforcement of the age on the TS kids meals is if you have a standard dining plan and your child is 9 or under, they must order off the kids menu.

At QS, anyone, child or adult, can order a kids meal and no one cares.

[TamiTaylor]

He can still order from the kids menu.

[covergirl82]

Thanks mainelyfoolish and TamiTaylor!  I want to make sure we do what we're supposed to, but I also gotta make sure my kid eats.

[katiecj6]

We just went in May with a 10 year old and a 9 year old and ordered off the kids menu for both with no problem.

[sagelily]

Can I ask a follow up question? We are going to WDW next month. DD is 10 and our package includes the dining plan. Are her dining plan credits for table service meals based on her ordering off the adult menu or the kids menu?

[revolution]

Jul 29, 2019 11:49:23 GMT -5 sagelily said:

Can I ask a follow up question? We are going to WDW next month. DD is 10 and our package includes the dining plan. Are her dining plan credits for table service meals based on her ordering off the adult menu or the kids menu?

She will use an adult TS credit regardless of what menu she orders off of.  Our last trip, DD was 10 and ordered off of the kids menu a few times, and the portions she got were much larger than the portions they brought for my 6 year old since she was using an adult TS credit.

[readyin07]

I am sure you will if you are making reservations, but definitely spend some time reviewing the menus and kid selections before you go. It isn’t as easy to find the super basic kid food as you might think at the table service restaurants.

I will be honest and say that my kids are actually not awful eaters at home (not foodies, but eat a good variety), but in restaurants they will absolutely not stray from those basic kids food you mentioned. Except neither will eat uncrustables and only ds2 likes Mac and cheese and he is super picky. It can’t be baked or too creamy etc. etc. Spaghetti is hit or miss and even pizza has to be pretty traditional. We end up doing a lot of QS in the parks because of that or letting them eat peanut butter crackers and fruit for dinner and then having a dessert at a sit down place because I don’t want to spend $30 on a meal they won’t eat! When we are on vacation going out to eat is definitely a choose your battle type situation for us and we don’t fight them too much on it as long as they are having healthy snacks (that I bring)

[sagelily]

Jul 29, 2019 12:21:03 GMT -5 revolution said:

Jul 29, 2019 11:49:23 GMT -5 sagelily said:

Can I ask a follow up question? We are going to WDW next month. DD is 10 and our package includes the dining plan. Are her dining plan credits for table service meals based on her ordering off the adult menu or the kids menu?

She will use an adult TS credit regardless of what menu she orders off of.  Our last trip, DD was 10 and ordered off of the kids menu a few times, and the portions she got were much larger than the portions they brought for my 6 year old since she was using an adult TS credit.

Thank you!!

[kershnic]

I think the biggest thing to know is that at a buffet he’ll be charged as an adult. Lots of people with kids in that age range who don’t eat much avoid buffets.

[covergirl82]

readyin07, yes, we definitely look at the menus for all TS restaurants, even buffets, to make sure they have food the kids would eat (normally). My kids can also be picky about foods they normally eat, like the mac & cheese not being quite right (they don't like the cheese, etc.), so I know what you mean.

kershnic, that's a good point about the buffet. I didn't think about that, but we will definitely keep that in mind for budgeting. I assume that would apply to any "family style" meals as well (e.g., we wanted to go to Ohana for breakfast on our next trip, so he would get charged as an adult).