Confirmed "new kids menu" sightings

[Sleeping Becca]

I'm one of those people who "make" their kid try new foods. I sometimes insist that my daughter take at least 2 bites of everything on her plate and do not offer alternatives. I only do this for things I know she will probably like (or foods she normally eats but for some reason refuses to eat at the moment); as a result she eats a variety of foods. I feel that if you ask your child what they want to eat (at home), you are only asking for trouble because chances are it is nothing that you have prepared. I don't feel that I'm torturing my child by making her try new things. I know a kid who will only eat peanut butter on bread, ramen noodles, and Easy Mac, no one is doing this kid any favors by letting him get away with this (IMO). I also know a college age child who's mom cooks a meal every night and the college age child refuses to eat it. The dad then go to McDonalds to pick up the college age child the food she wants. These kind of issues are not about food but control.

I was a little concerned first, reading about the changes. I was under the impression that the TS kids meals would be similar to the kids CS meals (the plastic covered, cold, three part TV dinner looking thing). After seeing the menu I'm relieved. She would eat most of the choices, and I can supplement with food off of our plates if I need to.

 

[disneymom2one]

This is sort of OT but I don't believe in forcing kids to eat either. That being said, there is almost no (unhealthy) kid food in my house and there never has been. If she doesn't like what we're eating (because of spiciness usually) she's welcome to have something else but it won't be a hot dog (for example) because that's not in this house. We don't have battles because we never gave her the option of eating something we thought was unhealthy. So sure ...eat something else but it's going to be healthy anyway. And we've also switched to whole wheat pasta. I'm sure she'd rather have the regular - and probably full fat butter, whole millk, and white rice and bread. But I buy the groceries and for the most part those items just don't exist in this house. We've found (and I realize that all kids are different) that if it's not in the house she won't miss it too much and she'll realize she can find something to eat. She looked at the menu posted above and was sort of jealous she wasn't a "kid" anymore. The three plates looked really good to her.

CathrynRose, thank you, thank you, thank you for posting a picture of the actual menu that everyone is discussing. I for one was having a really tough time understanding what was going on and this has helped to clarify it for me.

We will be down in just under 4 weeks for NJ Week. We're staying on points and I had added the dining plan (we were just there for free dining in September and had a wonderful experience). We have used the DDP for several trips and basically have had no problems.

That said, we are dining at 'Ohana, Chef Mickey (no problems at these), Spoodles (previous posters have said that their kid menu has not changed), Coral Reef, LeCellier and WCC. It would appear that these new menus have not been introduced into any of these restaurants (at least at this time).

Frankly, I can tell you with certainty that my 8.5 yo will not eat veggies and dip, grilled chicken strips or chicken pita pizza (especially with those sides/desserts). His favorite place is Coral Reef, as he can order the lobster bisque as an appie, have the mac w/ cheese sauce for entree and some sort of sundae for dessert. He enjoys steak, which we've ordered at Concourse.

I'm hoping that people travelling the next few weeks can give us updates on the EPCOT restaurants to determine if those are going to be changed over as well. If so, unless the select an item grouping improves, I am seriously thinking of either dropping the plan altogether and using my DDE for the TS meals (and spending the money for CS meals OOP) or upping his age to 10 so he can order from the adult menus.

I understand the desire of many to have healthier options available. Unfortunately, those options are not "options" for my child. He does not eat any veggies, wouldn't eat a salad of any kind, doesn't generally select yogurt and probably wouldn't touch the apple slices. He eats what most might call unhealthy, but he's a kid. I simply will not make meals a battle between me trying to force him to eat greens or fruits or other healthy things and him refusing to eat. I have heard stories from friends whose parents put food in front of them, told them to eat it and refused to give them something else if they didn't like it. I really believe that builds terrible food issues over time.

While my decisions might not be right either, it's the way I work. And we did a great job of minimizing the junk this trip, offering him steak and pasta at several places, keeping the desserts to a minimum (we almost never took one at lunch, opting for either grapes or nothing if needed), and allowing him to try some not average kids foods (MM had a kids chicken parm that he enjoyed).

I'm hoping that more people will be able to bring home menus that show the "a la carte" choices, since it would appear that the fixed selections are going to be the same at all restaurants.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

We have purchased the DDP. Now if we go into any restaurant and my kids do not like whats being offered on the kids menu can they choose off the adult menu (OOP of course)? It just want qualify under the DDP and we'll have not used any credits. Could my DH and I use the DDP but pay OOP for our kids and not use their credits? This is getting confusing!!!!

TIA as always

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

A few of the restaurants that we ate at last week had switched to the new menu's. I understand trying to be a bit more healthy but the kids weren't thrilled. Also, if they go to the new menus everywhere won't that be horribly BORING for the kids. I don't want the same menu in every restaurant. I hope they re-think this change.

 

[Gillian]

I also feel that it's important to expose your kids to a variety of foods, but those meals are still kind of, well, yucky. We do make our kids try things, and they are pretty good about it, however they still do not like certain things and it's not just being picky. DD 3 has texture issues with some foods, and neither of mine like mayo, so the chicken salad would be out, as well as possibly the yogurt dessert thing. Chicken pizza is not something they're at all familiar with. It's not that common around here. The mac n cheese is not what they're used to, either, and they don't eat it much at all anyway (but have tried it plenty of times).

The 3 set meals are not at all flexible, and I don't see why they could offer the 3 entrees with any of the appys or desserts. maybe they wouldn't be as well balanced, but let the parents decide what works for their own kids.

Many of the chains offer a choice of 5-6 dishes with a drink and choice of 1-2 sides (veggies, fries, rice at least). Something like that would be better, especially on vacation when you're eating out every day. If it was a one time thing, no biggie, but for 6-7 days in a row it can get old very quickly.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

We are doing Hoop de doo, Princess Storybook Breakfast, Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Teppanyaki, and Coral Reef. It looks like the only place will might have to use the new kids menu will be Coral Reef and Teppanyaki if they change the kids menu at all of the TS restaurants.

So if she has to use this new menu, it will be 2 times max. So it won't be that bad, now if we were not eating at any buffets or dinner shows and we had to pick off of that menu everynight, I agree that would not be good.

 

[chigirl]

Sorry, but sweet potato fries suck, no matter if you're a foodie or not...this new menu is boring and limited and I never cheated on the DDP. We eat out all the time and chains like Joes Crab Shack, etc have wayyyyyy more selections for children. What kid eats a salad, for cripes sake? I mean, I am sure alot of kids, but it is vacation! Now I know there are a lot of hero parents who will post about what a bad mom I am because my kid thinks yougurt dip sucks for dinner or that I don't make him eat unseasoned, grilled chicken breast for dinner...but we eat dinner as a family every single night at home and we eat many different foods. Always fresh. Not once have I ever made anything frozen or pre-prepared like Hamburger helper, etc...so actually Disney food is a little downer for me, but this menu! 7 days of it! I feel bad for my son! Thank goodness we have 3 buffets planned, or I'd bring him home looking like Nicole Ritchie's younger brother.


Plus this whole "healthy eating" craze at places like MCDonalds cracks me up...the commercial with the cute little Africian American girl in a tutu eating her apple dippers and chicken nuggets. Please! If you really want your kids to eat healthy, you don't go to MCDonalds! Apples preserved in a baggie and dipped in caramel is NOT healthy...plus that poor little girl will grow horns out of her head from the hormones MCD's pumps into their freakchickens. It is a joke. Oh well, we go for the fun, I guess...not the meals. We'll just have to bring a big tub of lard to fry in the hotel room and wash down with gallons of Moutain dew.

 

[ksoehrlein]

Is the character dinner at LTT still served family-style, or are kids forced to order entrees off the kids' menu? I hope the new menu is just for lunch.

 

[chigirl]

I also feel that it's important to expose your kids to a variety of foods, but those meals are still kind of, well, yucky. We do make our kids try things, and they are pretty good about it, however they still do not like certain things and it's not just being picky. DD 3 has texture issues with some foods, and neither of mine like mayo, so the chicken salad would be out, as well as possibly the yogurt dessert thing. Chicken pizza is not something they're at all familiar with. It's not that common around here. The mac n cheese is not what they're used to, either, and they don't eat it much at all anyway (but have tried it plenty of times).

The 3 set meals are not at all flexible, and I don't see why they could offer the 3 entrees with any of the appys or desserts. maybe they wouldn't be as well balanced, but let the parents decide what works for their own kids.

Many of the chains offer a choice of 5-6 dishes with a drink and choice of 1-2 sides (veggies, fries, rice at least). Something like that would be better, especially on vacation when you're eating out every day. If it was a one time thing, no biggie, but for 6-7 days in a row it can get old very quickly.

Amen, sister!

 

[jkmmah]

I was at Kona's yesterday and they took the Kiddie cone off the kids menu and put it on the adult menu. The family next to us was on the DDP and asked for the kiddie cone for their kids and was told NO. The kids had a choice of jello or a brownie sundae. There were a lot of menu changes we noticed last week and we were told they are all due to the DDP.

We were at Kona less than a week ago with two dds and specifically asked if we could combine both our kids' desserts into one kiddie cone. The server we had told us that it was no problem at all, if we wanted to let each of them have a kiddie cone we could. We ended up getting an adult dessert for me, one for dh, a kiddie cone for one dd, and a brownie sundae for the other dd. Our server had no problem at all with letting kids have the kiddie cone. I wish I could recall our servers name as he was EXCELLENT! Our best meal of the trip!

 

[janets]

I think that I should perhaps clarify what I said earlier.

My dh is a wonderful cook. I don't cook (I could but I'm nowhere near as good as he is). We are a 2 parent working family and we have activities 3 nights/week that preclude a family dinner.

That said, ds8 has started trying more things as he has gotten older. I know that as time goes on, he will expand his horizons. I gave him (and his younger brother ds4) all sorts of veggies and fruits when they were younger. I eat just about every veggie (except for brussel sprouts and lima beans) and dh eats a wide variety as well. We have salad and veggies on the table at just about every meal.

However, somewhere around age 4, ds8 refused to eat any sort of veggie. Spit it out, gagged on it, started to cry, you name it. Meals became a battle. Try 1 or 2 tastes, I would say. You might like it. Give it a try. You never know. All the proper statements a concerned parent would try. And dh would cook meals that were delicious. Nothing crazy or wacky. Just really good. But ds8 stopped eating them.

Now, I suppose I could have been like my friend, who puts dinner in front of her kids, says this is what we're having, if you don't want it you can get a yogurt from the fridge. I could have insisted he eat 2 bites of everything whether he liked it or not. But I couldn't. Call me a weak mother. I was blessed (although by some standards it might be called cursed) with a mom who was a phenomenal cook. Not what anyone would call fancy but just really good. Growing up, she made 3 veggies for 4 people. She never served my sister and me anything that she knew we wouldn't eat (liver immediately pops to mind). We always knew that the meal would be great.

I just couldn't make dinner a battleground w/ my son. He is not the easiest kid (as I'm sure most mothers of 8 yo boys can attest, thinking he's right 100% of the time), but he is smart, funny, sweet to his little brother and general a great kid. I couldn't make him miserable about food and have it be awful after a full day of work for everyone.

So when we go to WDW and he tries the lobster bisque and thinks it's heaven, or gets the kids steak from Concourse and really enjoys it, I'm happy. After all, it's his vacation too. I know that I would be miserable if we were staying at WDW and every time I sat down to dinner, I had the same choices, the sides were nothing I liked, the food was prepared with toppings I didn't eat, etc. Why would I want that for my child?

I thank all of you for your thoughts and views on this situation. As has been said, no matter what changes are made, there will always be a group who are not happy. And I appreciate being able to discuss this with parents who have children w/ different food needs in such an open, non abusive manner.

So I guess I'm back to square one. Do I keep the dining plan and just order for him and pay OOP if he wants something not available to kids, do I upgrade him to adult, allowing him to order anything he wants, or do I ditch it alltogether and just pay OOP, using my DDE for the TS discount?

I guess I'll wait a bit longer and see if our favorite restaurants end up implementing the new menu. If that happens, it will push me in one direction over others.

ETA: DS8 just walked in the room as I completed this post. I showed him the posting of the new kids menu and went over the new options with him. Explained that I had no idea if they were implementing this at Coral Reef or LeCellier but that we needed to be prepared. His response...I'll be fine w/ it mom. I'll eat the apples and I can have the burger and the sundae and skip the soup.

So it looks like we might be fine after all. And if Coral Reef implements it, then I'll purchase a bowl of soup for him OOP. I'm sure I can select some appies or desserts to share w/ him (and frankly, I certainly don't need to be eating everything by myself anyway!).

So I'll still be looking for info, but it seems that he's made the decision for me. What a kid.

 

[lomillerin]

Is this the menu at all the mentioned restaurants? Which restaurant?

Also, can we get french fries anywhere?

 

[nbodyhome]

I am not impressed at ALL by that menu. I like beans and carrots and even I don't think it looks appetizing. Not to mention, that a lot of kids don't want beans/carrots (especially all the time).

I hope that a lot of people complain. I would definitely encourage guests to check out the kids menus before getting the dining plan.

 

[jennwdw]

Well I wanted to keep track of restaurants that have implemented this silly menu and hopefully folks can add input into specific restaurants as they experience them.

I love all the discussion on how folks feed their kids. It's really funny.
I was a horrendously fussy eater as a kid. I tortured my poor mother who is really a fabulous cook (I know that now). I have overcome most of my food aversions and am actually quite an adventurous eater. When I had kids I decided I was not going to force foods they hated but I also wasn't going to be a diner either. So I decided and I would cook whatever pleased and appealed to me and my husband and that was the option for dinner. So no separate meals, no special preparations (my poor mom would pat gravy off meat when she made stew because I would not eat gravy among other crazy stuff she did for me) This worked beautifully w/my oldest child and I thought I was so smart. He would try anything and usually likes most of the stuff he tries. He's quite adventurous and is one of those weird kids who loves salads and would just as soon eat his fruit and veggies than have a cookie. He's a great eater and I never worry about what he'll try. Ok 2nd child I thought this logic works great surely it will apply to him. No such luck!!!! There are about 10 foods he eats none of which are veggies (unless you count corn as a veggie) he will not even try food he's remotely suspicious of. I still don't prepare separate meals and I try to get him to at least take a "no thank you" bite of whatever is offered but that doesn't always work. I just can't fight it all the time. I was a picky eater too and I just can't make this one a battle to fight. So I mentally try to make sure he's makes some healthy choices but I also know he loves "circle" chicken (think MCD's nuggets) and fries and as long as he eats a couple healthy things every day then if he wants circle chicken well then at least I know he's eating. Although if he skips a meal because he chooses not to eat what's offered then he knows that he'll get no snack between meals. My kids are very active and I know the calories are burned. If I can get at least 1 of every food group per day then I'm content. Eventually I have hope that he'll learn to love some of the foods I grew to love with time. He's only 4 1/2 so he should outgrow some of this nonsense

 

[DCDisney]

He's a great eater and I never worry about what he'll try. Ok 2nd child I thought this logic works great surely it will apply to him. No such luck!!!! There are about 10 foods he eats none of which are veggies

Kids are just so complicated and as soon as you think you have something figured out they spring something new on you My 7yo daughter has never eaten veggies. As an infant the only food she would eat was a babyfood oatmeal with raisins. Not more than 1 bite of a veggie or plain cereal ever. Not that we didn't try and still don't but the only thing she'll eat is a raw carrot. Amazingly she does like fish though. She'd just as well not eat anything too and is underweight which doesn't help matters.

At home the kids do fine for the most part but in restaurants they want something plain and that they know will taste the same anywhere like plain noodles, grilled cheese, and chicken tenders. We will have major issues with the new plan. Neither eats mac/cheese, daughter doesn't eat red meat so burger is out, not sure how many meals of chicken noodle soup,plain noodles, and ice cream I want them to eat, they both love yogurt but not with a bunch of garnish, sugar on fruit isn't something I want to start because they both eat plain fruit happily. The healthy stuff isn't going to get eaten and the end result for my kids will be unhealthier than the previous unhealthy food with the lack of protein.

I'm happy to have healthy choices but just wish it could be in a mix and match format. I'd also like to see more variety between restaurants. It doesn't have to be 20 meals in each but take 20 meals and scatter 5 at each place.

I guess Disney doesn't realize how much what our kids enjoy eating drives the parents decisions. For kids like mine who very rarely get desserts out ,the cool kids desserts are a big part of what they remember and pushes them to want to eat TS and on property.


Yvonne

 

[kidsgobears]

I guess Disney doesn't realize how much what our kids enjoy eating drives the parents decisions. For kids like mine who very rarely get desserts out ,the cool kids desserts are a big part of what they remember and pushes them to want to eat TS and on property.

So true. I can't imagine a child saying, "I want to go back to XXXXX Restaurant, they had the best applesauce!" On the other hand, I can easily hear my kids saying, "I want to go back to the XXXXX Restaurant where we got to decorate our own sundaes." If the kids don't want to go back, the parents won't go back.

 

[disnut1149]

I can't believe that this is the new menu for kids! What were they thinking? I like the DDP but might not get it next year if this stays this way, or we'll go to a lot of buffets.

 

[disneynewbee]

What I hate most about this new menu is that they combine the meals so if your kid likes the appetizer from one and the dessert from the other you are crap out of luck. The only way to get a choice is to do the ala cart which has a whole 2 options for each thing. My 4yo will be on the kids dining plan and while she loves chicken and would eat it she loves ice cream and would be hysterical if we all got ice cream and she got fruit. She likes fruit but loves ice cream and heck we are on vacation. Now she could order ala cart but may not like one of the two main dishes there. This is so frustrating. Luckily I have a 13yo who is on the adult plan and between me, dh, and her we should have plenty to share with our 4yo. I think they said at Sci fi you can get the shake as your drink so I will do that for me and let her have my adult dessert if she wants one of the combined meals, hopefully she will want what is on the ala cart section.

 

[nbodyhome]

It reminds me of Disneyland Paris. They have "menus" for adults (and I don't doubt for children) and they were non-changeable the last times I was there. This was for counter service. If you wanted the spagetti, and didn't want the dessert that came with it - well, THAT was what was coming with it, you didn't have a choice. You couldn't get another dessert, and you were paying for that dessert whether you wanted it or not.

I hated buying counter service at DLP, though the food was often decent.

 

[Mcqueen Fans]

We are going in December and i am very worried about these new menus. We are foing ddp for the first time. We pick places that had giled cheese or chicken nuggets because that is about all my boys eat. my boys will not eat anything from that picture of the menue on here. I hope that all the tc don't go to this menu.