Dining comments for October 6-14, 2007 – Final Thoughts on the Dining Plan

[Mickey'sGirl]

After much hemming and hawing (and 3 trips using the incredible DDE card), we opted to purchase the Dining Plan for our most recent trip. We typically eat at TS restaurants at least one time per day, and the convenience of having our food paid for before our holiday finally convinced us. I am going to provide a brief review of some of the restaurants, and of the plan itself.


See my related posts TS#1 (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?p=1451804#post1451804), TS#2 (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?p=1451808#post1451808) and CS (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?p=1451811#post1451811)


I don’t know if my kids are just weird or what – but I think that Disney has really gone awry in what it offers to the under 10 set. One of the options at many of the CS locations was a rolled-up Turkey sandwich, which might have been a decent choice if it weren’t for the globby processed cheese and turkey product. My DS9 is a great sandwich and rolled sandwich eater – he takes his lunch to school, so he’s a pro. He tried, but he couldn’t stomach it, and when I attempted to remove the cheese from the concoction, I couldn’t, as it was fused to both the turkey product and the tortilla. We had great hopes for this as an option throughout the week. It was really disappointing.

At many of the counter service locations, the only options were Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese or Chicken nuggets. My kids don’t like these things – PERIOD. Places like Cosmic Rays and Pecos Bills were obliging and gave us burgers for them. At the Pinocchio Village Haus they were not willing to use any of our “Adult” credits to get them some Pizza (since when is Pizza adult food???? ) – so we processed two transactions with their blessing.

Many of these atrocities were carried over into the Table Service restaurants as well. Thankfully, we ate at some buffets and at some “higher” end locations, such as the Kona and the Brown Derby, where they could get some “real” food. I believe in having typically kid pleasing options available – but don’t underestimate a child’s palette. Many children are accustomed to fresh, home made, flavourful foods. Mine sure are.

So would we do the Dining Plan again? Not if DS9 were still under 10 at the next visit. The portions were ridiculously small for him, and the choices were very limited. We expect that when we make our next visit, we will be AP holders once more, and have a Disney Dining Experience card on hand. It suits our eating habits better.

[jillluvsdisney]

Thank you for all your dining reviews. I really enjoyed them. They were helpful and insightful. Good for you that your kids are good eaters. I agree with you about the children's choices on the menu. It's cheap and easy to throw hot dogs or mac'n cheese at kids, I guess that's why it's done. I think kids deserve more choices.

[Natazu]

I agree. I paid special attention to the "kid's offerings" this trip. I bet Mickey Mouse wouldn't eat that stuff they try to pass off as cheese. Why should the children? I think a well worded email to guest relations may help to alter child's choices in the future - maybe a little less starch and fat.

[Hammer]

Jenn, thank you for the reviews! It was a pleasure having Tea with you and I know you enjoyed your adult time :) .

I have to agree with many of the child menu selections. Having met my sister and I, I'm sure it won't surprise you that we preferred choices beyond average child's fare when we were younger. I mean, we've known how to eat a lobster since age 6!

[MauiMouse]

Too bad about the children's menu, I agree that they should have more choices.

Thanks for all your reviews, I've enjoyed reading them. :thumbsup:

[mudpuppysmom]

Thanks for taking the time to share your dining thoughts and comments. I've enjoyed reading your comments and have taken a few of them to file away for our trip in January.

As for the kids menues.....I whole heartedly agree!! My DS, while sometimes picky, does not eat much processed food or boxed food at home. He eats salmon, shrimp and crab legs like an adult would!! He does enjoy his chicken fingers though and mac and cheese (Jiko has really yummy stuff!! It's not the same as other WDW locations). So, while we are on vaca I try to keep his diet around the same as it is at home, which is challenging! He does eat VEGGIES, he does eat MEAT (the real stuff, not processed turkey or hot dogs). I was sad on our last trip that chilled chicken was gone from Peco's Bill's menu.....that was a good option for kids!! Trying to steer him clear of chicken fingers and mac and cheese every day is pretty hard when the only other choice is a hot dog!

I have found though, as you have said, that eating at "better" table service places the menues are a bit more expanded. DS has eaten at Narcoossee's and had filet. I know it was a double TS, but it's available. At Jiko, another two TS, he usually gets the mac and cheese, but they must make it from scratch there, not out of a box. I want to say Artist Point was another place he had a real meat -- a chicken breast, but I was not overly impressed there, so I don't remember what we all had.

Again, Disney does need to realize that not all kids eat processed out of the box stuff in real life, so why should they have to put up with it while on vacation?

Sorry for the rant.......

[LibertyTreeGal]

I agree about the kid's fare -- even before I changed our diet to accomodate my son's ADHD, his favorite foods are (in this order) -- fish, steak, and fish. My other son's favorites are fish, broccoli, and steak. They have always eaten whatever we eat and rarely eat preprocessed foods. It's sad that they are actively giving our kids no choices but what I consider to be junk food at the majority of locations. I'll be paying OOP for their lunches off the adult menu, and I didn't book anywhere for TS where they couldn't eat real food (yeah 50's PTC with their baked fish of the day for kids!)

[tiaramom]

Junk For Kids!
My Daughter Will Enter The Ddp Next Sept
And I Cnat Beleive The Terrible Choices
If They Dont Change It -
I Will Pay Out Of Pocket For Our Food.
Its Really Gross!
All Kids Dont Eat The Same 3 Items
Especially 7 Days Worth!
Hello!!!!!
What Is Disney Thinking!
They Should Offer Small Adult Portions.
Small - Is Ok- Just Variety Would Be Nice
Pastas- Pizza- Real Sandwiches, Turkey Legs, Grilled Chicken, Hamburger, Meartball Hero, Yogurt, Etc..
They Are People Too!!!!!!
Not Animals!
Watermeleon- Cantelope, Or Another Fruit Besides Grapes Each Counter Meal. Variety!!!!!

[Mickey'sGirl]

Yogurt, Etc..
...
Watermeleon- Cantelope, Or Another Fruit Besides Grapes Each Counter Meal. Variety!!!!!
Actually, we were able to get yogurt at Pecos Bills (and likely at other locations too....). I agree about the grapes. I wont let my kids eat grapes because of the chemicals that are used on them, and the difficulty there is in cleaning those chemicals off in a "bunch". Chunks of melon would be nice, but would not keep as well, so likely that is a contributing factor.

[ElenitaB]

Disney is trying to change towards healthier menus but doing so with the kid's meals is definitely a slippery slope. My DS also eats "real" food and has tastes very similar to Harry (he eats all types of seafood, grilled chicken, pasta, etc., and very rarely processed foods at home). Even the "fast food" we eat at home tends to be take-out from local restaurants and not the big chains. I was glad that the first time we bought the "new" DDP was when he was already 10. He would have been an unhappy camper if he was 9 and limited to the kids' choices.

Thanks for your candor!

[Jared]

The one time we decided to buy the Disney Dining Plan, my sister had a similar problem. Some of the children's menus are completely unsatisfactory. I hope your kids didn't leave hungry! ;)

Thanks so much for your honest and candid reviews!

:tasty:

[TheRustyScupper]

I agree. I paid special attention to the "kid's offerings" this trip. I bet Mickey Mouse wouldn't eat that stuff they try to pass off as cheese. Why should the children?


1) I also agree.
2) Spend less on cost and make more profit.
3) The Guests will put up with anything.
4) The cheese fits well with Roger Ogre's profit plan.

NOTE: And to think I so criticized Eisner. With all of his faults, at least HE cared for the Guest. Roger just wants the profit. I should have been more careful for what I wished, when I wished Eisner was gone.

[January-2007]

Thanks for sharing.

[kim1st]

I was just wondering if anyone out there had found good, healthy food options for kids on the kids menus?

I'm pretty careful about what my kids eat, and I don't remember this being much of a struggle. To be fair, though, this could have been impacted by a number of things:

1. Old DP vs. new DP
2. I honestly don't remember much of what my kids ate all week
3. We were on vacation, so there's a good chance that I cut the kids some slack and let them eat mac n' cheese all week

So - anyone find kid food that was not so :sick: ?

[CarolMN]

...(snip)......So would we do the Dining Plan again? Not if DS9 were still under 10 at the next visit. The portions were ridiculously small for him, and the choices were very limited. We expect that when we make our next visit, we will be AP holders once more, and have a Disney Dining Experience card on hand. It suits our eating habits better. Thanks for the report. I am not a fan of the DP myself (also prefer the DDE), but thought you might like to know that some have reported that they were allowed to purchase an adult DP for their child under 10. This may or may not work for you, but apparently, it is an option.

[TBY2225]

I really enjoyed all your reviews! I am sorry your sons had trouble finding things they liked. My DD5 loves chicken nuggets and ice cream, but by the second day she was wishing for some more variety too! I still don't get hamburgers and pizza not being on the kids menu either!

[septembergirl]

I agree completely with you about the options for children on the dining plan. It was okay for DD4 but I called and had my DS9 changed to the adult plan before we left for our trip in September. It was a difference of around $35 to change his ticket to an adult ticket as we went during FD. DD4 is not a really big eater but I knew from looking at the menus that DS9 would be really unhappy with these choices!

Overall, we enjoyed the DDP and will do it again if staying onsite. I thought it was a great deal for a family of 6. We would never have been able to experience all those TS restaurants without it.

[KylesMom]

Jenn - thanks for sharing all of your wonderful meal choices. You've sure got my mouth watering!

Yep, even outside of the DDP Kyle had to put up with some really miserable choices our last time around, and so I can certainly commiserate with you on this one. I am certain he'll be ordering from all the adult menus this next trip! Overall, however, it sounds like you had many great meal experiences - love the way you just "omitted" the bad one :mickey:.

Now - where are your trip reports? :D

[Disneyatic]

We experienced the same problem with our DD 8 on our September trip.
She prefers more "adult" type foods and won't touch chicken tenders or PB&J.
It was very frustrating that the same few menu choices were offered almost everywhere, at both CS and TS locations! Many times during our trip we ordered mac and cheese with her child's credit or saved it for breakfast and I shared my meal with her. There was usually plenty of food to do this, but it defeats the principle of paying for the other credits.

I wonder, since there seem to be so many people that share this same opinion, do you think it would have an impact if we all wrote to guest relations about our concerns?
I don't even know how to go about writing to them!

We are seriously considering upgrading DD to an adult for our next trip when she will be 9 so that she can enjoy the better selections.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We are seriously considering upgrading DD to an adult for our next trip when she will be 9 so that she can enjoy the better selections.Had I realized that it was available, I would have done so on this last trip. Live and learn!