lunch in kids club?

[Charlies_Mommy]

How does this work exactly? Want to hit a palo brunch and have our 4 yr old have lunch at kids club, but how exactly does that work?
Thanks!

 

[bbel]

If they're there when its served, all kids have the option to eat. No kids are made to eat. Most kids see the food as a snack rather than a meal. They can eat as much or as little as they want. If they're 'busy' they might miss it. No big activities happen during food times but computers, iPads, crafts, movies are all still available. If you know you want them to eat, let the counsellors know at check in and they can try to encourage eating and direct them to the food.
If you want to make sure your kids eats and want to know what they eat, its best to feed them before/after.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How does this work exactly? Want to hit a palo brunch and have our 4 yr old have lunch at kids club, but how exactly does that work?
Thanks!

Generally, lunch in Oceaneer's club/lab is around 12:45. The food is brought in and set up and the announcement is made that lunch is here. But, if your child is too wrapped up in what he/she is doing and doesn't hear the announcement they are not made to stop playing and go eat.

It's at a set time, a set meal. Typically, if your child has any allergy/food issues, those cannot be accommodated at this meal.

 

[Charlies_Mommy]

Ok thank you! So, they bring in one meal-there are no option for the kids? I have been listening to old podcasts and one said they took the kids to the buffet? Though that seemed a little crazy!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok thank you! So, they bring in one meal-there are no option for the kids? I have been listening to old podcasts and one said they took the kids to the buffet? Though that seemed a little crazy!

I believe at one time they did take the kids as a group to the buffet. I know they do that on Carnival. But, at least in the last 6-8 years, the lunch (as well as dinner) is brought into the club. And it tends to be pretty basic for lunch, from what I understand: sandwich (cheese, usually), fruit, chips. Unless that's changed.

 

[Charlies_Mommy]

Thank you PrincessShmoo!

 

[bbel]

All the food comes from the buffet galley if that counts?
But kids rarely get taken out of the club.

Lunch is usually cheese and/or turkey sandwiches, cheese sticks, fruit salad, veg sticks, apple juice and water.
They pre-plate all the food and pass out a mix of everything. They can eat what they want, leave what the don't want, and get more of anything they do want. It's not the best lunch on the ship, but some kids love it.

If they're there for dinner ever, that one hot meal that changes every day.

If your kid has an allergy that means they cant eat any of it they can get a special meal prepared and brought in, but you have to arrange that with your head server the day before.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

And, of course, there's always the option to feed your child before heading to the brunch. Cabanas, or poolside quick serve locations are open. And room service.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would just feed your child ahead of time.

No big activities happen during food times but computers, iPads, crafts, movies are all still available.

But, if your child is too wrapped up in what he/she is doing and doesn't hear the announcement they are not made to stop playing and go eat.

So diferent than what my son has experienced. And he was 8 on our first Disney cruise so was old enough to know what was going on. The first time, we wanted him to eat there. He has a sensitivity to corn syrup, so we noted that. Lunch came and they wouldn't let him eat until they verified that he is actually vegetarian as he told them. They called us on the ROOM phone (not the wave phones). so we didn't get the message for hours. And they wouldn't let him eat and wouldn't let him play. It was the most ridiculous thing ever.

When he's been in the Lab for lunchtime since, we have fed him ahead of time so he doesn't have to deal with any of that. And they have NOT let the kids stay and play anywhere. They bring them in, walk them past the food, and have them sit. Even if they aren't eating. It's incredibly frustrating.

 

[bbel]

I would just feed your child ahead of time.






So diferent than what my son has experienced. And he was 8 on our first Disney cruise so was old enough to know what was going on. The first time, we wanted him to eat there. He has a sensitivity to corn syrup, so we noted that. Lunch came and they wouldn't let him eat until they verified that he is actually vegetarian as he told them. They called us on the ROOM phone (not the wave phones). so we didn't get the message for hours. And they wouldn't let him eat and wouldn't let him play. It was the most ridiculous thing ever.

When he's been in the Lab for lunchtime since, we have fed him ahead of time so he doesn't have to deal with any of that. And they have NOT let the kids stay and play anywhere. They bring them in, walk them past the food, and have them sit. Even if they aren't eating. It's incredibly frustrating.

Well, maybe try and put a positive on it that they didn't feed your kid something they couldn't have and potentially make them ill, see it that they had your kids best interests in mind.
But if you don't, that's cool too, some people have to have something to complain about haha.

 

[bbel]

I would just feed your child ahead of time.



So diferent than what my son has experienced. And he was 8 on our first Disney cruise so was old enough to know what was going on. The first time, we wanted him to eat there. He has a sensitivity to corn syrup, so we noted that. Lunch came and they wouldn't let him eat until they verified that he is actually vegetarian as he told them. They called us on the ROOM phone (not the wave phones). so we didn't get the message for hours. And they wouldn't let him eat and wouldn't let him play. It was the most ridiculous thing ever.

When he's been in the Lab for lunchtime since, we have fed him ahead of time so he doesn't have to deal with any of that. And they have NOT let the kids stay and play anywhere. They bring them in, walk them past the food, and have them sit. Even if they aren't eating. It's incredibly frustrating.

In the nicest possible way, I've seen you bring this up quite a few times, so I'm guessing it didn't happen recently?
I've said it before and I honestly believe it was a one off, unfortunate and I'm not making excuses but until Disney stops employing humans, mistakes are going to be made. But as I said, they were just avoiding killing your child.
But we can talk about the past and confuse people of you want.
Yes, they used to make kids stop what they're doing and look at the food. They'd turn computers off and if they didn't want to eat they had the option to sit and watch the movie.
Why did they do this? Parents would complain that their kid didn't eat and carried on playing.

Then they changed it to just announcing it and counsellors would go around and remind children that there was food.
Why? Because parents complained that their kids were eating in the club and not being allowed to play.

Like I said, people always have to have something to complain about.

At the end of the day, sometimes it felt as a CM, whatever we did would be wrong. With 300 kids in care, you can't please everyone.

As I said in my first post of you want to make sure your kid eats, don't rely on the club to feed them.

 

[lorimay]

We usually let them grab some pizza before we go to Palo from Pinocchios.
My grandson is picky as can be and won't eat what is served. My granddaughter picks at what they give.

 

[Momee]

With a four year old, I would make sure to feed him/her before heading to the kids' club- even if its just a healthy snack to help until the next big meal. This just assures that you won't have to worry about him/her not eating while you're at brunch. The kids are always having so much fun playing that their minds aren't even thinking of food.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

To the OP: I would recommend feeding your child before or after your brunch. My kids were less then impressed with the kids club lunch offerings. (They had never encountered *just* a cheese sandwich-lol) You also may enjoy your adult time more knowing your child already has a full belly Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Weedy]

Well, maybe try and put a positive on it that they didn't feed your kid something they couldn't have and potentially make them ill, see it that they had your kids best interests in mind.
But if you don't, that's cool too, some people have to have something to complain about haha.

Is there water available during the day? A fountain? Cups?

 

[bbel]

Is there water available during the day? A fountain? Cups?

Yup, water is always available. There are water fountains in both the club and the lab.
If they ask they can get a cup to drink it out of too if thats what they prefer.

 

[ladyj0212]

Bump

 

[cscream13]

This isn't exactly what the OP asked, but since it came up in the thread, I thought I would add that my kids were walked to the buffet to eat lunch on Castaway Cay while they were checked in to Scuttle's Cove. This was in January of this year on the Fantasy and it was our first time letting the kids go to Scuttle's. When we went to get them so we could all go to lunch, the CM told us all the kids were walked to the buffet to eat. I was surprised, but not unhappy. DH and I got to enjoy a more leisurely lunch on our own and the kids thought the whole thing was cool. They even gave them popsicles back at Scuttle's Cove after they returned!

But back to the original point... when our kids go to the club during our Palo brunch, we always feed them lunch or a little something first. My kids would never be dragged away from playing in "Mickey's Club" for something as unimportant as eating....

 

[Weedy]

Kids club questions are always good but this thread is from 2017

 

[RysMomma]

My favorite part of my first cruise was getting the message on the room phone saying that my daughter wanted me to come pick her up because she didn't like the options that she had for lunch and wanted something else! It always makes us laugh when we see that picture of the message we took!