A bit perturbed at Disney's children's food selections

[durangojim]

We were at WDW last month and I became a little perturbed about a couple things that happened when I went to purchase lunch/dinner for my 3 y/o.

At Columbia Harbor House you cannot purchase a child's portion of chicken nuggets. To make matters worse you cannot purchase a child's size portion of apple juice or chocolate milk seperate from a kid's meal. This meant for my son to have chicken nuggets I spent over $7 for an adult apple juice and chicken, when a kids meal would have cost me around $4 for a small juice and small portion of nuggets with some grapes or carrots. Just doesn't seem right that you can't purchase a kids drink seperate from the meal and that they don't offer a kids chicken nuggets on the menu.

Just thought I'd get some other takes on this.

 

[MousDad]

It's probably because buying nuggets and a child's juice a la carte would come to $4 anyway.

 

[coltow]

I didn't have this problem. We didn't eat at CHH though. We ate at many other places and I had 2 boys that were splitting meals. I always found a child nugget and always ordered a separate apple juice.

 

[disneydiva72]

Its amazing to me that a park/company that revolves around children does not have a child's meal at every single restaurant. I might have walked out, things like that annoy me.

 

[Lucky]

CHH has kids' meals, just not chicken nuggets. There are usually just 2 choices for kids' meals at CS, which isn't much selection. Cosmic Ray's has a kids' chicken nugget meal.

 

[baz212]

CHH has kids' meals, just not chicken nuggets. There are usually just 2 choices for kids' meals at CS, which isn't much selection. Cosmic Ray's has a kids' chicken nugget meal.

Yes, but they are not the same GOOD nuggets that the adults get elsewhere. They are disgusting. I've had better chicken nuggets at the daycare center I used to work at.

 

[MousDad]

Disney Counter Service Kids Meals

The bad: Choices are limited and not the same location by location.

The good: If you can get a kids meal your child likes, the amount of food/drink you get for the money is outstanding. One of the best values of any theme park food service I've ever experienced.

 

[tigsmom]

Review your choices beforehand and pick a place that all can enjoy.
It is a shame that the kid's meals have become so standardized.

 

[MyLittleAngels]

I was very pleased with Flametree barbeque's offering for kids - the chicken leg meal included two legs, and once I'd stripped the meat off, it filled the head portion of the mickey dish. There was enough food for two kids in that meal.

 

[mpoppins217]

I agree with Tigsmom. If the issue is that your kid won't eat anything besides chicken nuggets (which is the way it sounds, but if I'm wrong I'm sorry) then next time you'll need to do your research beforehand and find out which places serve them. Just like for the adults, not every place will have the same food!

And even if that isn't the case, always research your dining options, that way you'll be completely prepared for when your child has a meltdown and just has to have that one food (as all kids eventually do), you'll know where to go. And so you'll know where to go when you get cravings too! :slurp:

 

[tigsmom]

I agree with Tigsmom. If the issue is that your kid won't eat anything besides chicken nuggets (which is the way it sounds, but if I'm wrong I'm sorry) then next time you'll need to do your research beforehand and find out which places serve them. Just like for the adults, not every place will have the same food!

And even if that isn't the case, always research your dining options, that way you'll be completely prepared for when your child has a meltdown and just has to have that one food (as all kids eventually do), you'll know where to go. And so you'll know where to go when you get cravings too! :slurp:

Some big kids are like that too. :lookaroun

I just re-red my post and it seems a bit curt and that is not how I meant it at all (I'm not good at multi tasking and I know I was on the phone at the time ).

Researching the menus is a must if you are to keep everyone happy, especially kids. My kids were so picky when they were younger and the youngest still is even though she is 14. They are willing to try new things and it has made it easier on me (I will eat just about anything ).

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Its amazing to me that a park/company that revolves around children does not have a child's meal at every single restaurant. I might have walked out, things like that annoy me.

Maybe it would help you to realize that this is NOT a park/company that revolves around CHILDREN, but a park/company that revolves around EVERYBODY, providing entertainment and magic for people of ALL AGES.

 

[kangaand2roos]

I'd do a little research ahead of time too. My son is very picky and last trip to Disney he refused to eat anything but mac and cheese, little did we know. But since I knew he is picky in general, ahead of time I just kept a piece of paper in my wallet that kept track of each quick service restaurant and what they had for kids. It was a life saver, so even if the rest of us wanted to eat somewhere else, we just stopped, picked up the mac and cheese where ever it was available and brought it to the quick service restaurant that everyone else wanted to eat at, that way everyone was happy.

 

[disneydiva72]

Maybe it would help you to realize that this is NOT a park/company that revolves around CHILDREN, but a park/company that revolves around EVERYBODY, providing entertainment and magic for people of ALL AGES.

Oh yes, that helps me so much! I now see everything exactly your way...thank you!


(end sarcasm)

 

[lighteningqueen]

I have to say my 6 cents worth as well. Not directed to anyone on this subject here.. Just observation...Thank heavens my grandson loves any klid of food. But I must szy he has a cousin that will NOT eat anything but mac and cheese and nuggets.(Nuggets are ground up parts of the chicken and made into balls, Not truly white most of the time. HIS MOM CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY. THIS HAS BEEN SINCE HE WAS 3 NOW 6.. Sorry caps on... The problem is the mom and like so many moms... If they didn't feed these kids this type of food and only that food to begin with they wouldn't have the issues. A friend of theirs boy will only eat hot dogs no buns just tons of dogs. High colesterol high everything. She is desperate to break him. Not happening now.. she started it.. My grandson doesnt care for food like that. he loves salads and vegetables, especially fruits and will eat steak, real breast of chicken,grilled, ham, turkey, eggs etc. Very well rounded. Thanks to his mom she never fed him the fried or high caloried foods when he was little. Not to be mean but to make him love all foods. We ate well with him last dec. They even brought him out salads when it wasn't on his childs menu at TS meals. But it is a little sad that at Pinocchios Pizza House they do not serve kids Pizza, just PB and J and nuggets.. Go figure and then wonder why children are becoming obese, fried nuggets and mac and cheese. Don't blast me but I bet many agree that it starts at home why they become stuck on those things.

 

[MousDad]

I challenge anyone, anywhere, to find me a kid who is "obese," and scientifically prove that it's because they eat nuggets, PG&J, Mac & Cheese and Hot Dogs at home and/or out. Now if they eat 75 nuggets, 4 PB&Js, 8 Bowls of Mac & Cheese, and 27 Hot Dogs at a time, then we might have a problem.

Sorry, you can live on hay and pine nuts if you want to, but I ain't, and neither are my kids, and none of us are obese.

 

[TwoTigersMom]

I challenge anyone, anywhere, to find me a kid who is "obese," and scientifically prove that it's because they eat nuggets, PG&J, Mac & Cheese and Hot Dogs at home and/or out. Now if they eat 75 nuggets, 4 PB&Js, 8 Bowls of Mac & Cheese, and 27 Hot Dogs at a time, then we might have a problem.

Sorry, you can live on hay and pine nuts if you want to, but I ain't, and neither are my kids, and none of us are obese.

Well of course it's not just because they eat those things. it's also because they ride in a stroller at WDW. :lol: Sowwy, i couldn't help myself, just trying to lighten the mood around here a lil bit.

Seriously though, I have run into sort of the opposite problem (well at least with my 7 year old). We've had more problems at table service restaurants. My 7 year old is usually an adventurous eater. He much prefers shrimp, crab, steaks, etc to chicken nuggets and pre packaged pizzas. So we end up ordering adult meals for him at the table service restaurants. He's usually eat most, if not all of it, but it would definitely be nicer if each restaurant had something from that particular restaurant in child portions on the menu. I asked about it at Coral Reef once and found out that all of the children's meals are pre made at a seperate location and sent to each restaurant where they are only heated up.

Don't get me wrong, this child will eat a hot dog or chicken nuggets if he doesn't have other options :lol:

Now as far as children eating what the parent feeds them... I have the adventurous 7 year old, but then I have a 3 year old who would LIVE off chicken nuggets and hot dogs if I let him. I literally have to force him to try other things. When he does, he usually ends up making himself gag so bad he throws up. :brick: I was a picky eater growing up, and in some ways still am, so i was determined i would not have a child like that :lol:. I thought I was doing pretty good until this lil monster came along :lol:

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Oh yes, that helps me so much! I now see everything exactly your way...thank you!

You're very welcome!

 

[kangaand2roos]

I have to say my 6 cents worth as well. Not directed to anyone on this subject here.. Just observation...Thank heavens my grandson loves any klid of food. But I must szy he has a cousin that will NOT eat anything but mac and cheese and nuggets.(Nuggets are ground up parts of the chicken and made into balls, Not truly white most of the time. HIS MOM CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY. THIS HAS BEEN SINCE HE WAS 3 NOW 6.. Sorry caps on... The problem is the mom and like so many moms... If they didn't feed these kids this type of food and only that food to begin with they wouldn't have the issues. A friend of theirs boy will only eat hot dogs no buns just tons of dogs. High colesterol high everything. She is desperate to break him. Not happening now.. she started it.. My grandson doesnt care for food like that. he loves salads and vegetables, especially fruits and will eat steak, real breast of chicken,grilled, ham, turkey, eggs etc. Very well rounded. Thanks to his mom she never fed him the fried or high caloried foods when he was little. Not to be mean but to make him love all foods. We ate well with him last dec. They even brought him out salads when it wasn't on his childs menu at TS meals. But it is a little sad that at Pinocchios Pizza House they do not serve kids Pizza, just PB and J and nuggets.. Go figure and then wonder why children are becoming obese, fried nuggets and mac and cheese. Don't blast me but I bet many agree that it starts at home why they become stuck on those things.

I can speak of this on two sides of the coin, I am a parent of 2 small children, one would eat anything you put in in front of her and the other eats the same so called "kid foods" over and over, I am also a college educated nutritionist that worked with children pre-SAHM days. My kids are given the same opportunities for trying foods, however my almost 5 year old is a lover of consistency and is a gagger like one of the other posters had said of his child. My son ate mac and cheese every day we were in WDW because it is familiar and what he likes. He is no where near overweight but he is extremely tall for his age and very active. That is one of 2 keys for kids (and people) and obesity. It really isn't so much what you eat, it's how much and what energy are you expending. If you have a kid that sits in front of the TV, computer, and video games all day, eating adult portions of food what do you expect? Of course weight will eventually be an issue. People like to argue that the cause of obesity is the types of foods we eat, but it really has more to do with amounts and exercise. Look at generations before us, they lived on cooking with butter and lard, drinking whole milk, eating red meat more than Americans do now but they also worked sun up to sun down in more physical occupatipons, didn't have TVs, video games and computers and portions of the food they ate were not enormous like they are now. Now, I definately am not saying to go eat McDonalds everyday but it is also impractical to say my kid is never going to have a chicken nugget. There is a place for these so called "kid foods" IN MODERATION. I think what WDW picks for their kids menus is practical. Number one: you're on vacation so why not indulge some, number 2: for them it makes sense, most kids like these foods and they would have more people complaining if all they offered was a poached piece of fish and last of all they do have healthy side dishes, carrots, grapes etc and you can get healthy main dish meals too, like a salad with chicken, pasta, and grilled chicken strips you just plan ahead of time to be able to know exactly which restaurants have them. Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.:lookaroun

 

[lighteningqueen]

Well I wasn't insinuating that all kids are fat. The news says that to us. I am just saying what makes a mom give kids those type of things to see if that is all they will eat in their little lives. We never offered that type of thing to our grandson now 5, so he didn't get hooked on it and all he would eat. He was given a well rounded type of meal and always ate it. He ocasionally will eat nuggets but not his favorite. We are not going on the plan this time to save money especially but also because he wants salads, wraps things like that and they are not on the plan. Plus it's just outrageous the price of some of the plates that they are showing on the pictures of food. Not much there for mucho money.