Our experience with the kids meal menu....

[psimon]

Last night was our first experience with the new "healthy" kids menu. We were at Olivia's.

My kids were not interested in any of the options available on the kids menu. They don't eat mac n cheese, pizza with chicken, veggie platters... so they were left with nothing. We asked can we get just plain pasta for the kids. we got a very reluctant "I'll go check". Our server came back and said all they have is penne pasta. We said fine, we'll take that. We then asked for a standard, regular tomato sauce to put on it. Surprisingly we were told, Olivia's doesn't have any tomato sauce available, only a garlic sauce!

Bottom line, my kids ended up eating naked pasta! They weren't happy and neither are we. Not much we can do now, but when we get home, I see a letter coming. IT isn't right that we have to be put in a position to have to search or figure out what our kids will eat from the few options we are given.

I hope our week gets better food wise. This wasn't fun!

---Paul in Southern NJ (except this week! )

 

[Amy&Dan]

What a shame! All of this talk about these new kids menus makes me so glad my daughter is 10 and an "adult". It stinks to pay that much for her but at least I have the worry/option of the new cruddy kids menu taken out of my vacation planning. Hope your week tastes better for the kiddos as it progresses!

 

[Mcqueen Fans]

I am so affraid this is what is going to happen to us in December. Let us know if it gets better.

 

[beth_cam]

Okay I get the gripe but I have a question when you asked for plain pasta, as I read your post I was picturing PLAIN pasta - not spaghetti with marinara/tomato sauce/whatever. Probably why the server gave you such attitude about the request. Sorry it didnt help your kids out any, but mine and a few others I know will be thrilled with the plain noodle option...mental note stickied on my brain. I never think to ask for special request like that. We didnt even have the new menu, but at 50's prime time and at Coral reef, I couldnt come up with enough food to waste 3-4 credits on so I ordered 1 adult meal, 1 kid meal and we all snacked on that than grabbed an unplanned snack later so we could still enjoy the resaurant. I hope it doesnt get that much harder when we go again to enjoy our meals.

 

[mimif1]

Yep, we too were really disappointed in the new kids menu. Luckily, we do a lot of buffets. She ended up eating off of our plates most of the week at restaurants that weren't buffet. The two times she did order off the kids menu, the food was really gross. (Her words, not mine. I did taste it though and whole heartedly agreed!)

 

[angelmav]

See, this seems like its workable with A child, but we have multiple kids in our group that will be affected by this and sharing wont work, for that matter neither will plain pasta, ewwww.

 

[01Sweetpea]

This is what has me concerned. Although my kids are 11, neither would eat and adult sized meal...so I was going to let them order from the children's menu. My kids are more of the "normal" pizza, chicken nuggest, hot dog, grilled cheese, spaghetti & meat sause kinda kids.

There will be no "pizza" with chicken, mac n cheese, or veggie dippers.

Maybe I should have bought the DDP!

 

[dbmarie]

My kids were not interested in any of the options available on the kids menu. They don't eat mac n cheese, pizza with chicken, veggie platters...

I thought the restaurants alos had two or three additional choices. Such as a Hamburger. I hope that's not true because it is going to be really hard to switch my ADR's now.

 

[FrenchSnowWhite]

Last night was our first experience with the new "healthy" kids menu. We were at Olivia's.

My kids were not interested in any of the options available on the kids menu. They don't eat mac n cheese, pizza with chicken, veggie platters... so they were left with nothing. We asked can we get just plain pasta for the kids. we got a very reluctant "I'll go check". Our server came back and said all they have is penne pasta. We said fine, we'll take that. We then asked for a standard, regular tomato sauce to put on it. Surprisingly we were told, Olivia's doesn't have any tomato sauce available, only a garlic sauce!

Bottom line, my kids ended up eating naked pasta! They weren't happy and neither are we. Not much we can do now, but when we get home, I see a letter coming. IT isn't right that we have to be put in a position to have to search or figure out what our kids will eat from the few options we are given.

I hope our week gets better food wise. This wasn't fun!

---Paul in Southern NJ (except this week! )

Paul please report back to us! And lets hope your next post and meal will be ok!!!

 

[Mad4Dizne]

I can't believe that at a DISNEY restaurant you couldn't get something your kids would like. I'm sure you spent thousands of dollars--like most people to go on a great family vacation. It is ridiculous to have to "beg" a server to try and come up with something that most kids would like. I looked at all the menu's currently listed and we will either be eliminating many restaurants and/or having the family bring in food..... A real pain to have to do on vacation.... I just can't believe that all the casual restaurants across the country can get this right and this is such a mess at WDW, what a disappointment!

 

[akalittleeva]

That's terrible - I hate making special requests at restaurants and really have never had to do it before and to get reluctancy from the server wouldn't make me happy. The new menu is too limited, whether your children are picky eaters or not - I have one picky eater and one that is not and neither of them will eat from this menu, luckily picky ds10 won't have to. DD8 is not picky and eats very well, but won't eat much from the new menu - unfortunately our plans include it 5 times - its too late to change. To have to pay that much for a meal and end up with plain pasta is crazy - there will be lots of sharing going on for us as well and paying OOP for her. (we have DDP). We never have a problem finding something for everyone whenever we eat out and I never dreamed it would be so difficult at WDW.

 

[susieq76]

Ya know- I'm sure I'm going to get flamed here- BUT- OP could have just ordered his kids a $2.79 side of fries or an appetizer at Olivias if it was so bad. I say order them food- let them try it. You'd be surprised! (Of course that has backfired on me as my baby loves things like shrimp cocktail and salmon- he's my expensive kid )

I just think we're all getting a little too crazy about this. Sure- its not 100% ideal but its Disney and they will work on it. At 50's you can get a kid sized portion of favorites, I'm sure there are additions like that not on the menu everywhere. That being said- some kids will just not eat anything but what they know from where they know.

I'm just saying- don't sweat it- or you could take your kids to the animal Kingdom and get them McDonalds everyday

 

[dixiedizfan]

Why not order the pizza without chicken. Will your kids eat a plain cheese pizza?

 

[CathrynRose]

Ya know- I'm sure I'm going to get flamed here- BUT- OP could have just ordered his kids a $2.79 side of fries or an appetizer at Olivias if it was so bad. :

Why should you have to order something extra when youre on the DDP? (if that was the case)

 

[deltachi8]

My DS actually prefers his pasta plain...he would have been thrilled! Go figure.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Ya know- I'm sure I'm going to get flamed here- BUT- OP could have just ordered his kids a $2.79 side of fries or an appetizer at Olivias if it was so bad. I say order them food- let them try it. You'd be surprised! (Of course that has backfired on me as my baby loves things like shrimp cocktail and salmon- he's my expensive kid )

I just think we're all getting a little too crazy about this. Sure- its not 100% ideal but its Disney and they will work on it. At 50's you can get a kid sized portion of favorites, I'm sure there are additions like that not on the menu everywhere. That being said- some kids will just not eat anything but what they know from where they know.

I'm just saying- don't sweat it- or you could take your kids to the animal Kingdom and get them McDonalds everyday

ITA

If your kids won't eat ANYTHING on the kids menu, why not just order them something from the regular menu?

 

[FrenchSnowWhite]

Why should you have to order something extra when youre on the DDP? (if that was the case)

I totally agree with you!!! Yes the DP is a great deal, but its a great deal if your kids eat , its a bad deal if your kids can,t have something to eat.....
Don't forget that WDW is a place for kids and their parents, shouldn't the kids be put first??????????? I'm sure Disney didn't ask kids their opinion on these new menus......

We are going in 55 days, and I'm starting to freak out, because I have not one but 3 picky kids.......
As a see it, Disney pulled out all the fancy and good things for kids, like steak at many restaurant and thats a shame....

Lets hope by the time we arrive for our trip everything will be back to normal like the way it was before....

 

[SamanthaL]

I remember a cast member on the Dis saying that if the server won't help work something out, to get a manager and explain the situation. I totally plan to do that. I am paying TONS of money for this trip. I do not intend to pay for the DDP plan and have my kids eat plain pasta or ordering from the same 4 choices ( 2 of which they wont like) day in and day out. I will politely speak up since I am spending my very very hard earned money to vacation in DIsney. I see no reason why my child can't get a smaller portion of something else on the menu esp since Disney is well aware that this new menu is not well received.

I am so not sweating it. I will be nice but you can be sure that my kids will enjoy their meals on their vacation just like the big people.

 

[akalittleeva]

Why should you have to order something extra when youre on the DDP? (if that was the case)

Exactly - even if the childs DDP is a good deal, I think most people would still expect it to should still sufficiently feed a child without having to pay OOP. I wonder if they would allow people to order an adult side instead of a kids meal with the child credit, not a great use of credit, but maybe an option if it were allowed - of course, that wouldn't feed dd8, but it might help if we share along with it - still not the setup I would expect, I'd like for everyone to be able to order their meal and not base it on whether it is shareable - I didn't think we'd be forced to share to feed everyone, I thought we'd do it by choice since everyone in the party is supposed to get an appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage - that is what I paid for when I bought the DDP, even if the child's price is a good deal.

 

[akalittleeva]

I remember a cast member on the Dis saying that if the server won't help work something out, to get a manager and explain the situation. I totally plan to do that. I am paying TONS of money for this trip. I do not intend to pay for the DDP plan and have my kids eat plain pasta or ordering from the same 4 choices ( 2 of which they wont like) day in and day out. I will politely speak up since I am spending my very very hard earned money to vacation in DIsney. I see no reason why my child can't get a smaller portion of something else on the menu esp since Disney is well aware that this new menu is not well received.

I am so not sweating it. I will be nice but you can be sure that my kids will enjoy their meals on their vacation just like the big people.

I don't think it should have to take going to a manager to feed your kids - it is a restaurant in a family vacation destination - they should know how to do it well by providing a decent menu - lots of other restaurants have done a great job with their kids menus.